Riverfront Times, August 11, 2021 by Riverfront Times

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AUGUST 11-17, 2021

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AUGUST 11-17, 2021

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MARCH 6-12, 2019

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AUGUST 11-17, 2021

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AUGUST 11-17, 2021

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THE LEDE

“When you go to the Way Out Club, you never know if it’s going to be just you or a bunch of people. It was kind of a gamble going there. ... I’ve been to shows where Kyle played there, and it was packed to the brim — the whole showroom was full. And I’ve been to shows where it’s like freaking ten people. It doesn’t really matter, because it was a cool place to be in. It’s got like a dingy, grimy aesthetic to it. It’s not dirty — like a very classic sense of bohemian.”

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

AUSTIN SMITH (RIGHT) WITH KYLE KOSTECKI AT THE WAY OUT CLUB’S LAST NIGHT ON SATURDAY, JULY 31 riverfronttimes.com

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Moonstruck

he news can be pretty bleak. On our cover, we often deal with (necessarily, I believe) problems of injustice, violence and terrible politics. But St. Louis is also a place of talent and creativity, and this week is a great opportunity to celebrate that as Foxing gets some earned attention for its new album, Draw Down the Moon. Jack Probst interviewed frontman Conor Murphy at length, and the resulting story offers insight into Murphy’s always-thoughtful lyrics and the expansive sound that makes Draw Down the Moon different than any of Foxing’s previous albums. The band is getting some renewed national buzz, and you can expect more to come. But here in St. Louis, it’s a reminder of all the amazing music being created every day. —Doyle Murphy, editor in chief

TABLE OF CONTENTS Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Doyle Murphy

E D I T O R I A L Digital Editor Jaime Lees Interim Managing Editor Daniel Hill Staff Writer Danny Wicentowski Contributors Cheryl Baehr, Eric Berger, Jeannette Cooperman, Mike Fitzgerald, Ryan Krull, Andy Paulissen, Justin Poole, Theo Welling, Ymani Wince Columnists Thomas Chimchards, Ray Hartmann Editorial Interns Zoë Butler, Holden Hindes, Erin McAfee, Jack Probst, Victor Stefanescu A R T

& P R O D U C T I O N Art Director Evan Sult 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 Advertising Director Colin Bell Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel Multimedia Account Executive Chuck Healy Director of Public Relations Brittany Forrest

COVER Shadow Foxing St. Louis favorites Foxing step into the spotlight with a cinematic release and a new album, Draw Down the Moon, that shines through a dark year Cover photo by

HAYDEN MOLINAROLO

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HARTMANN Culture War Casualties Missouri’s pro-death caucus hits rock bottom BY RAY HARTMANN

n Monday, August 2, six Republican state senators plunged deep into the abyss. On Tuesday, August 3, the political world they influence received a grim human reminder of just how deep. The subject was COVID-19 vaccines. The six senators had called upon Missouri Governor Mike Parson to convene a special session of the General Assembly to prohibit businesses in the state from requiring their employees to get vaccinated. One day later came a heartbreaking social media post from just about as conservative a Republican — Representative Sara Walsh of Ashland — announcing that she and her husband, Steve Walsh, had contracted COVID-19. Worse, Steve Walsh, communications director to Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, was in the hospital fighting for his life on a ventilator. Sara Walsh told a Springfield TV station that she and her husband had chosen not to take the vaccine because it had not been approved by the FDA. She also said she had friends who had negative reactions to the vaccine, and she was not concerned about being vaccinated because she had been healthy since the pandemic began. Now, she was home with her own virus symptoms and asking for prayers. “Friends, please pray for my precious husband Steve Walsh. He is very sick and is in the hospital. We serve a miracle-working God and tonight please help me get prayers lifted up for Steve’s healing and recovery. “Steve is my sweet love and my best friend in the whole world.” One day earlier, the six senators had placed both their politics and their piety ahead of any concern about unseen human tragedies like those of the Walshes. The six

senators are Bob Onder, Lake Saint Louis; Bill Eigel, Weldon Spring; Rick Brattin, Harrisonville; Denny Hoskins, Warrensburg; Mike Moon, Ash Grove; and Holly Rehder, Sikeston. “Over the past several weeks Missouri employers have signaled their intention to require employees and staff to have received the COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment. In other words — get the shot or lose your job,” they wrote to Parson. “This is concerning to a wide cross-section of Missourians.” The letter continues, “It’s not our job to force it nor is it the job of businesses and employers to force the vaccine. Our job is to safeguard the rights and liberties of the people we represent.” So that’s your “job,” eh? Say, as opposed to any “job” you might have as elected officials to protect the collective public health of Missourians during a once-in-a-century pandemic? Call this what it is: the pro-death caucus. Because even in the hopeful event that the Walshes survive their nightmare, there are an immeasurable number of Missouri families perhaps not so lucky, thanks to these losers having done their “job.” They’re killing people. Unlike the Senate reprobates, Missouri businesses large and small are filling the vacuum abdicated by a state government dominated by the likes of Onder and Eigel (the St. Louis area contingent of the dirty half-dozen). Those companies have acted based upon the advice of medical experts to protect the health and safety of their employees and customers. Once upon a time, the Republican Party prided itself as the guardian of business. Now, this particular wing of wing nuts has found a higher purpose: protecting employees from being protected by their employers. And, of course, preserving that sacred liberty of citizens to endanger the health of others. Thankfully, Parson seems to have rejected his right flank’s nonsense out of hand, at least for the moment. “Do you require somebody in private business, that owns their own business, to tell them whether they can do a mandated vaccine or not? So far, we’re not going to go down that road,” Parson

“An employer’s ability to mandate vaccination is supported by state law, federal law and the courts,” says Dan Mehan, president of the MO Chamber of Commerce. said. “If that business decides they want to do that, we’re going to allow them to do that in this state until something changes to show us differently.” OK, so that wasn’t the boldest statement on record in response to a proposal of abject stupidity. And unlike more enlightened governors, Parson wouldn’t even consider any form of vaccine requirement for state employees. And, of course, he has been among the worst of the worst in handling the pandemic. But hallelujah! Give this man some credit for discovering an out-of-bounds line. Perhaps Parson was helped to see the light by one of the most powerful conservative and Republican interest groups in the state: the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. Dan Mehan, its president, said it “stands against attempts to place reckless new restrictions on the state’s business community. “Employers have long had the ability to mandate vaccinations and the Missouri Chamber believes all employers should continue to have this right when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine,” Mehan said. “An employer’s ability to mandate vaccination is supported by state law, federal law and the courts. While there are encouraging signs that vaccination is on the rise in Missouri, we need this trend to continue as we work to contain the Delta-variant outbreak. We don’t need new roadblocks to recovery.” Speaking of recovery, prayers

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and good wishes have flowed forth to the Walsh family across party and ideological lines, as well they should. Here’s how the Columbia Tribune reported that: “Reached briefly by phone Friday, Sara Walsh was coughing and requested to communicate by text. “I am humbled and grateful for the overwhelming number of people throughout our state and nation who are standing with me in prayer for my husband,” she wrote. “I have received hundreds of messages of love and support. Steve’s name has been added to countless church prayer lists and our pastor held a prayer service last night. There is power in the mighty name of Jesus! “Steve’s health is gradually progressing in the right direction,” she continued in the text. “I am making great improvements at home. I am standing on God’s promises and praying for Steve’s complete healing. Please continue to lift up my husband and the medical workers in prayer.” But there was also this: “She didn’t address a question texted to her about whether either of them now regretted not getting the vaccine.” It’s understandable that Walsh didn’t respond to that inquiry, although good for the Tribune for giving her the opportunity to join a sad and growing list of people who are sharing testimonials about the consequences of not getting vaccinated. Hopefully, Walsh’s husband will recover and return to his post handling communications for Hartzler, who is running in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat due to be vacated in 2022 by Senator Roy Blunt. Ditto for Walsh, who has entered the race to replace Hartzler in Congress. What a fine happy ending it would be for them to resume their lives fully and to attest publicly to lessons learned. That would be a good story. Too bad it wouldn’t be good politics. n Ray Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1977. Contact him at rhar tmann1952@gmail.com or catch him on Donnybrook at 7 p.m. on Thursdays on Nine PBS and St. Louis In the Know with Ray Hartmann from 9 to 11 p.m. Monday thru Friday on KTRS (550 AM).

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NEWS Less Than Half of Missouri Nursing Home Staff Vaccinated Written by

ALLISON KITE AND TESSA WEINBERG This story originally published in the Missouri Independent

any of the staff and residents in Shunda Whitfield’s St. ouis County nursing home were sick before they even reali ed what was going on. t was pril and masks weren’t yet standard practice. ittle was known about C V before it swept through nursing homes and as a certified nursing assistant Whitfield said she “didn’t have a time to duck or dodge. She contracted C V in late pril and had to take a month off work to recover. She took another two months to battle a flare up of upus an inflammatory autoimmune disease with no cure that Whitfield was diagnosed with five years ago. er doctor called nearly every day worried she might take a turn. er grandkids couldn’t understand why they could only speak to her through the door. “What if something goes wrong during the night and no one hears me r go to sleep and my breathing gets really funny and nobody knows it Whitfield recounted thinking. “Would my system fight this off When Whitfield eventually recovered she said she was paranoid to return to her job and worried the virus still lingered in the facility. ut despite her fears and the fact that as a nursing home employee she was eligible for a vaccine back in ecember it

Regina Murdock, a registered nurse with D&H Drugstore, administers the vaccine to a resident on Aug. 6 at the Neighborhoods by TigerPlace. | TESSA WEINGBERG/MISSOURI INDEPENDENT wasn’t until three months ago that Whitfield felt comfortable enough to receive her first dose of fi er’s C V vaccine. “ ll the way to sitting in the chair she said “ was asking uestions. The uncertainty Whitfield wrestled with how would the vaccine interact with her underlying conditions did she already have immunity from having C V what e actly did the vaccine consist of encapsulates the difficulty nursing homes across Kansas and Missouri face in persuading vaccine hesitant staff to get the shot. Whitfield is among the almost 47 percent of Missouri nursing home staff who have chosen to get the vaccine still a minority despite being among the very first eligible for the shot. issouri’s vaccination rate for nursing home staff is 3rd worst out of all states Washington .C. uam and uerto Rico according to data compiled by the Centers for edicare and edicaid Services. nly Florida and ouisiana trail issouri. n ansas just over percent of workers are vaccinated. The state ranks th on that list. oth states trail the national average of . percent. ursing home residents isolated for months from their loved ones have gotten the shot far more readily. n both states more than percent of residents are

vaccinated against C V . That doesn’t account for long term care facilities that are licensed by the states like assisted living facilities. Vaccination rates in those facilities aren’t tracked in either ansas or issouri. t was a simple decision for oe Faver a resident at The eighborhoods by Tiger lace in Columbia o. who received his first vaccine dose Friday. “ don’t want to spread it to anybody Faver said. Nursing homes were some of the first places to bear the brunt of the C V pandemic forcing residents into isolation only able to see family from a distance as outbreaks haunted seniors. ow the vast majority of nursing home residents are vaccinated allowing some homes to reopen communal dining rooms and return to less restrictive visitation policies. ut as the elta variant spreads uninhibited among the unvaccinated and in rare cases breaks through C V vaccines unvaccinated workers in long term care facilities raise the risks of a return to the darkest days of the pandemic. “We’re surrounding our most vulnerable residents with a lot of people who are unvaccinated which is very scary said arjorie oore the e ecutive director of V C a St. ouis nonprofit that advocates for uality living across long term care.

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Lagging Staff Vaccinations t’s difficult to discern a pattern among the health care workers who don’t get vaccinated. Some like Whitfield are older workers with underlying health conditions who worry about how they’ll react to the vaccine. Several homes reported they were struggling to convince their young female employees who worried the shot would affect their fertility. octors and e perts have said the science doesn’t support that and there is no evidence that the vaccine causes infertility. any staff are also part time employees who sometimes work at several different facilities and can’t afford to take time off to recover from potential side effects oore said. elly Sommers director of the ansas State urses ssociation said pervasive misinformation about the vaccine has been difficult to overcome. She wants to see more conversation about why nurses aren’t getting the vaccine and to provide incentives or lower barriers for e ample giving staff additional time off to recover if they have side effects from the vaccine to encourage them. “ t was nurses at the beginning who were the ones out there getting the vaccine Sommers said. “ nd so now somewhere we’ve hit a roadblock that think is easily solvable. ven within nursing home chains with multiple locations vaccination rates can vary widely from facility to facility. mong ood Samaritan Society’s do en nursing home locations in ansas vaccination rates for staff run from percent to more than percent. Whitfield says she’s tried to talk to coworkers about getting the vaccine. er employer recently brought a clinic to them e tending the invitation to get a shot to staffs’ families as well. ut ultimately everybody is “at a different level at a different time she said. Requiring the Vaccine For many home administrators it seemed important to emphasi e they were not requiring their staff to get vaccinated. ven though their nurses and support staff are caring for people who are especially vulnerable to the disease

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NURSING HOME STAFF Continued from pg 9

they felt it was their workers’ choice what to do. In some cases, their relentless education initiatives worked. Staff members who held off at first came around. Some members of Cammy Boone’s staff at Arkansas Presbyterian Manor in Arkansas City, Kansas, just wanted to give it some time and see whether their coworkers suffered any reactions to the vaccine. “As they see that that’s not been the case, I do think they will go ahead and eventually end up getting it,” she said. Boone, whose facility has vaccinated 86 percent of residents and 51 percent of staff, would like to see her entire staff get the vaccine. But vaccination rates among staff haven’t changed significantly since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid started reporting the numbers in late May. At that time, an average of 55 percent of health care personnel in Kansas and 43 percent in Missouri were vaccinated. ow those figures are 56.2 percent and 46.8 percent. Shauna Hickem, administrator of South Hampton Place in Columbia, Missouri, was more fortunate. At her facility, 78.7 percent of her current staff have taken the shot. “It’s just the ones who are absolutely not going to take the vaccination,” Hickem said. “You know, you can only ask them so many times.” On Friday morning, Kali Lindsay, a 19-year-old dietary aide at The Neighborhoods by TigerPlace in Columbia was the first to arrive for her second shot. Lindsay knew she wanted to get vaccinated, and being able to get a shot at work made it convenient for her to do so. Her grandma contracted COVID from an outbreak in a Kansas nursing home and was later hospitalized and died. Lindsay said she wanted to make sure someone else’s grandma wouldn’t get sick from her. “I work with a really at-risk group of people,” Lindsay said. “A cold can do some damage to them that it wouldn’t do to a 19-yearold, so I can’t imagine what COVID could do to them that it wouldn’t do to me.” Nearly 50 percent of staff at The Neighborhoods by TigerPlace are fully vaccinated, according to CMS data. Amy Byergo, the facility’s executive director, said the short term goal is to boost that figure to 65 percent. The facility has rebooted its ef-

forts, searching for peer advocates among staff and recruiting the medical director to host a Q-and-A session. While Byergo knows they are better equipped than a year ago, the Delta variant makes it feel “a lot less predictable.” During July, the facility had a series of cases among nine residents — and more than half were among the fully vaccinated. “There wasn’t any real pattern either,” Byergo said, noting the first four cases were each in a different unit of the facility. D&H Drugstore has brought a vaccine clinic to the facility about every other week since May, and has vaccinated a handful of residents and staff each time, said Regina Murdock, a registered nurse with the pharmacy. After 45 minutes urdock had finished giving shots to the three people who chose to get one at the facility Friday. For her, that’s three people that hopefully won’t contract COVID. Good Samaritan Society, a chain of nursing homes with a dozen locations in Kansas, elected last month to require the vaccine for its workers. Starting Nov. 1, all employees without medical or religious exemptions must be vaccinated to remain employed with the organization. Aimee Middleton, executive director of Good Samaritan Society, said the organization made the decision carefully and “based on overwhelming science” at a time when the “virus is still a very real threat.” “The vaccine is our way out. It is saving lives,” Middleton said. “The science at this point is undeniable.” And while the mandate could mean parting ways with employees at a time when nursing homes are already struggling with staff shortages, Middleton said the mandate might actually attract more workers to Good Samaritan Society’s homes. “They’ve been through an extremely tough year … so I think there are a lot that are very thankful to take this step,” she said. Just a few days after Good Samaritan’s announcement, a coalition of organizations representing doctors, nurses and other health care workers and scientists called on health care and nursing home employers to mandate vaccines. “As we move towards full FDA approval of the currently available vaccines, all health care workers should get vaccinated for their own health and to protect their colleagues, families, residents of long-term care facilities

In late May, an average of 55 percent of health care personnel in Kansas and 43 percent in Missouri were vaccinated. Now, those figures are only 56.2 percent and 46.8 percent. and patients,” the groups said in a joint statement. The American Nurses Association signed that statement, and both Kansas and Missouri chapters have issued statements of support saying nurses have an ethical responsibility to the people they serve. Isolation for Residents Throughout the pandemic, nursing homes suffered some of the most severe effects of the virus. Of all those who died of COVID in Missouri as of late July, 35.5 percent occurred among nursing home residents and staff, according to data compiled by Saint Louis University researchers. In October, nursing home COVID deaths accounted for nearly half of the virus’ victims in Missouri. While initial lockdowns and fear of the virus meant isolation for most people, nursing home residents endured restrictions on gathering with their loved ones for much longer. Some homes just recently relaxed visitation protocols. Crystal Packard, administrator of the Good Samaritan Society home in Parsons, Kansas, said the facility started allowing visitors in May after months of only allowing residents to see their families in a tent outside. “ can remember the first one I’m getting teary thinking about it. She hugged her mom for the first time in a year ackard said as she started to cry. n Whitfield’s facility things were just starting to feel a bit more normal. Residents were no longer served meals on styrofoam plates restricted to their rooms. Visits had resumed, albeit with appointment times. But now with cases spiking, it’s back to stringent masking and few visitors.

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Getting to escape that isolation was a huge motivator for residents to get vaccinated, said Camille Russell, Kansas’ long-term care ombudsman. Nursing home staff didn’t face those same restrictions. “People in nursing homes have the same human rights, the same civil rights that you and I do, and yet, they have not been afforded those rights,” Russell said. “So you have two populations spending a lot of time in a nursing home, and the people that work there continue to maintain their rights. The people that were living there were restricted.” The restrictions on visitors, she said, exacerbate the potential for neglect by turning away people who could help care for residents so long as they follow good infection control practices. After shutting down in March 2020, guidance on visitations in Missouri’s long-term care facilities was relaxed in late September. Lisa Cox, a spokeswoman for Missouri’s state health department, pointed to newer state guidance issued in May 2021 that recommends outdoor visits over indoor ones and states that a single new COVID case in a facility should be considered an outbreak. But while the guidance acknowledges testing and vaccinating visitors can help mitigate the spread, it says they “should not be required to be tested or vaccinated (or show proof of such) as a condition of visitation.” For Sharla Hopper, administrator at Oswego Health and Rehab, the resurgence of COVID cases this summer makes her worry about the possibility of once again restricting residents. “That would be very hard — very hard,” Hopper said. “Their mental health was not great after that.” When Moore looks back on the pandemic, she didn’t think outbreaks in nursing homes would still be a worry a year and a half into the virus’ spread. To her, the vaccines meant a return to hugs for residents and their families. But now, cases are rising, homes are short staffed and it can be difficult for staff to always take family members’ calls. It can sometimes feel like those early days where family members couldn’t even reach their loved ones, she said. “These are folks that fought our wars for us. They’ve done so much for our community. In so many ways, it seems to me that something we can do for them to protect them is to take the vaccine,” Moore said. “That seems like a really easy ask to me.” n

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HELP WANTED ST. LOUIS AND SURROUNDING AREAS

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MAY 12-18, 2021

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THE BIG MAD TERRIBLE IDEAS Conspiracy theorists on the mic, pandering pardons and blue-ribbon stupidity Compiled by

DANIEL HILL

elcome back to the Big Mad, the RFT’s weekly roundup of righteous rage! Because we know your time is short and your anger is hot: PARDON ME?: Evidently it’s not enough that Mark McCloskey and his wife were pardoned by the governor for crimes they freely admitted to committing, as St. Louis’ most gun-surrendering lawyers are now suing the state (and Kim Gardner for good measure) in a bid to get those same guns back. As reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, McCloskey, who has stated that he would do those crimes again, filed a civil suit this week in the hopes the state will re-arm him so that he has the ability to do so. Never mind the fact that the couple consented in their plea agreement to the destruction of the guns, and never mind the fact the special prosecutor who handled the case says that nothing about the governor’s pardon entitles them to get them back — the Senate hopeful has potential voters to woo. Willfully handing over his firearms to the government isn’t gonna get him far with that crowd. As with everything about McCloskey’s vainglorious run for public office, the whole thing is nothing more than a culture-war-stoking stunt, only unlike the exhausting missives about “cancel culture” and other nonexistent threats he spends all day tweeting, this one is set to waste taxpayer money. Can these people just fuck back off to their mansion already? FAIRLY TERRIBLE: The Missouri State Fair is usually a good place to get a lemonade, but this year it also might be a good place to get some corona. More than 300,000 people are expected to attend the fair in Sedalia, and COVID loves a large group of unsuspecting people. Last year, many of the fair’s events were canceled, including concerts, the carnival and just about anything that would draw a crowd. This year, events are back to “normal,” which means people might actually be risking their lives to see the Beach Boys without Brian Wilson. Missouri is one of the nation’s COVID hot spots with deaths increasing 91 percent over the past two weeks. There will be some pandemic safe-

ty options, but they aren’t required. They’ll offer, but not require, masks. They’ll even give you a vaccine on the site — but vaccines aren’t required. And there are some other questionable elements, such as hosting an indoor area for seniors. Yikes. If grandma can’t handle the heat, maybe leave her at home this year? Nobody expects this backward state to turn around overnight, but it hurts to watch such a bad idea unfold in slow motion. DIDN’T LEARN A DAMN THING: We know we were Big Mad about the St. Louis County Council’s July 27 meeting. But somehow, last week was even worse. With no responsible people left (everyone who went on July 27 was asked to quarantine after an attendee tested positive for the virus), the public forum seemed to be strictly anti-maskers raging on about the vaccine and masks. Even though the county health department hasn’t proposed vaccine mandates, Councilman Ernie Trakas declared he would vote against one, setting up the straw man for audience members to attack. The first speaker called the COVID-19 vaccine a bioweapon. Another speaker — after giving an impassioned, conspiracy theory-filled speech — coached her toddler to chastise council members with the words, “I decide what to do with my body.” The speech came as twenty kids were in the ICUs of metro-area hospitals. But, yeah, don’t wear a mask or bother trying to help your kid. Why not let him lick the podium? The next speaker hoped for “the filth of tyranny to spread” over the families of any council members who voted for a mask mandate. We mean this is the kindest way possible: What the actual fuck is wrong with these people? WEIRD FLEX, BUT OK: Missouri Governor Mike Parson has been flashing that cornyass smile all over the state and shaking hands with thousands on his bicentennial tour. But worry not, our fellow Missourians! COVID-19 patients can be transported by the speediest of ambulances to hospitals. Is your hospital overrun with COVID-19 cases? Rest assured, Parson informed Missourians via the Twittersphere, our dutiful EMTs can work even longer hours to transport you to a different hospital. The tweet left many wondering, “Why is he proud of this?” and “Why not implement a mask mandate instead of overworking first responders?” That is something we’ve been scratching our heads about since the first days of the pandemic. Parson has refused to implement minimal precautions; insisted against all evidence that anti-mask, anti-vax residents will take “personal responsibility” for protecting their neighbors and fought attempts by local health departments to clean up his mess. n

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SHADOW The members of St. Louis band Foxing were barely out of high school when they first hit the national spotlight with The Albatross.

FOXING Three albums and one pandemic later, both their sounds and ambitions are still expanding on their new record, Draw Down the Moon

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BY JACK PROBST

he term “foxing” describes the process of deterioration on paper. Flip through paperback novels at a used bookstore and you’ll find well loved pages yel lowed around the edges. rown spots stain chapters that haven’t been read in decades; the first readthrough of undiscovered stories that seem so familiar. They’re the kind of stories that are worth picking up because they’re comforting — tales that feel as though they are well known to you even though you’ve never read them before. Foxing is also the name of a rock band that hails from St. ouis a band that retains a simi lar sense of familiarity even as it continuously evolves from record to record. n the group’s new est album the freshly released Draw Down the Moon you’ll be re minded of the band that first sur faced ten years ago even though you’ve never heard Foxing sound quite like this before. On this out ing the band shrank down to a three piece for its composition and tapped members of Atlanta’s Manchester Orchestra for collabo ration in its recording. The result is an incredibly ambitious record that is replete with the emo inten sity that marked the group’s early work the danceable synth pop grooves that have come to be part of its sound in more recent years and the arena rock choruses that bring the band its moments of most visceral triumph with slashes of unexpected dissonance to keep fans on their toes. The fa miliar elements are there but the whole affair is bigger grander. t fits in well with Fo ing’s oeuvre to date but distinguishes itself with its fully conceived maturity. According to guitarist/vocalist Connor urphy it’s not that the

band is trying to reinvent itself. t’s more accurate to think of it as a natural progression for an act that embraces its own evolution and growth with both arms. “ very album that we put out we don’t try to do some kind of departure in any way. ike we’re gonna flip it and make some new thing ’ urphy e plains. “The best thing to us is like when somebody says h really didn’t like your other albums but like this one.’ think that’s honestly something that we’re always re ally happy to hear because we don’t want to make the same al bum twice. ividing an audience is something that’s exciting to us.” The ambitious undertaking was matched with an e ually grand rollout one that saw the band creating its own ungeons ragons inspired pu les to un lock exclusive content through its drawdownthemoon.org website teaming up with mmy Tony and rammy award winning ac tor ndr e Shields in the music video for the album’s title track. Foxing recorded a companion concert film at the randel aired on demand on the date of the al bum’s release for just a hour window.

Photo by HAYDEN MOLINAROLO

“We try to implement a sense of theatrics to our music the same way we do when we perform live urphy says. “Trying to sincerely make something that is a spectacle to see live and in the same way something that is a unique experience to listen to.” n keeping Draw Down the Moon is determinedly cinematic while entirely introspective. t’s a grandiose affair imbued with a persistent sense of longing. That tone is driven by Murphy’s deep ly personal and cutting lyrics like those of the self titled track a catchy tune focused on its pro tagonist’s need to prove his com mitment to the object of his affec tion. “ ’m never gonna stop loving you urphy sings at the song’s outset. “ f could would have done it by now. t’s an album that knows that life is joyful and also that life can suck so bad. The writing process for Draw Down the Moon was jump started when urphy caught an episode of Joe Pera Talks with You a show that may be even more whole some than Ted Lasso. Part of Adult Swim’s current lineup the episode sees comedian Joe Pera — picture a something man imbued with the sensibilities of ndy riffith narrating a scene in which he describes Stephen awking cheating on his wife. ooking at it from his perspective awking feels insignificant as he looks off into the universe so what does it matter if he cheats on his wife ut on the other hand his wife thinks that if the universe is vast and you found a perfect person that loves you and trusts you then why would you cheat on them This concept urphy e plains inspired the themes of Draw Down the Moon spurred on of course by the C V pandemic. The members of St. Louis band Fo ing were in their teens when they first hit the national spot Continued on pg 17

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FOXING

Continued from pg 15

light with The lbatross. Three albums and one pandemic later both their sound and ambition is still e panding on their new re cord raw own the oon The band’s deep association with emo the genre it’s permanently been stamped with is still there in frontman urphy’s oft profound lyrics if not as much in its instru mentation. Foxing’s sound has changed too e panded really from what the band did on its most recent record Nearer My God. There are more synthesi ers this time around and drum mer on ellwig’s beats get a bit funky on “ o own Together and “Where the Lightning Strikes Twice. op records by Caroline olachek Carly Rae epsen and Charli C significantly influ enced Draw Down the Moon ur phy e plains. ut even with the wide ranging mi of genres on display he’s still with the “emo” tag. “ think we’ve always embraced the kind of genre tag or compart ment people want to put us into. People still call us an emo band and hon estly think that’s fine he says. “ ’d call us an emo band at this point. t this point we’re like whatever you need to call it to be able to describe it to someone else yeah that makes sense. t’s al ways a ranging thing. “ t is at its core emotional mu sic he adds. “We strive to make songs that you really have to sit down and listen to as opposed to something that you just kind of hear on the radio. t’s emotionally invested music.” For this effort guitarist ric udson doubled as producer and he perfectly captured those pop sensibilities. udson worked tire lessly on the record at the band’s St. Louis studio for a year before the group decamped to Georgia to put the finishing touches on it with members of Manchester Orches tra. t might not seem like such disparate parts would work to create a cohesive whole but they do: Foxing has composed a slate of genuinely danceable songs here even if the lyrics aren’t so upbeat. ut aren’t the best pop songs to dance to also the saddest aturally the pandemic made the process of creating the album much more difficult than any of the band’s previous efforts.

Jon Hellwig, Conor Murphy and Eric Hudson couldn’t be in the same room together during the pandemic, which forced them to figure out new ways to work together and apart. | HAYDEN MOLINAROLO “ n a production level it has never been harder than on this record to write and record some thing urphy says. “We knew ric was going to produce this album but he had an incredibly

form Draw Down the Moon in its entirety. fter that there will be a short break before the group’s members return to play a selec tion of favorites from their other three records. f the show sells

says. “We were selling tickets at a time when everything was get ting more and more optimistic. ut now it’s this very scary thing and we don’t want anybody to be sick or die as a result of coming to our fucking concert.” n onday of this week after this interview had been conducted the ag eant instituted a policy that will re uire proof of vaccination or a negative C V test in order to gain entry to any concert on its premises which should hopefully ease some of Murphy’s fears.) The fact that the show will take place at the ag eant one of St. ouis’ most celebrated venues is deeply significant for urphy as well. t’s not just a stage where he’s seen countless of his favorite acts perform live it’s also a venue where he spent some time as an employee even penning some of the lyrics for the new album while on duty. “ was doing door staff at a Fall ing n Reverse show which was a nightmare he says. “ was writ ing the second to last song on the album called f elieved n ove ’ and was literally writing that on a break. ike was writ ing out the lyrics to it and hum ming melodies into my phone.” t’s an anecdote that neatly en capsulates what Fo ing has ac complished with Draw Down the Moon — creating something beautiful and wholly uni ue in the face of some of the most try ing circumstances. “When was done with my break came back in and it was like h puke. There’s puke here ’ he laughs. “ ou gotta throw the sawdust on it or whatever.’ n

“What I tried to do was recognize that

your actual significance as it relates to the universe

is in the connection that you have to other people and other philosophies and ideas and concepts.”

huge amount of work to pull this off. ric would set up a room that would then go into and record stuff while he was gone and he would try to sift it together. t the end of it it sounds really huge and e pansive in some way. think it’s truly just a testament to a really good producer to make it seem like this huge thing that’s record ed all at once rather than being what it actually was which was really cobbled together.” Soon the band will emerge fi nally from its pandemic bunker and connect with the world in its most preferred manner once again. This Saturday marks Fox ing’s return to the live stage and its first ever outing at the ageant. The band’s lineup will include longtime collaborators Ryan Wa soba on guitar and rett Torrance on bass. The openers include pro ducers and arisian along with bands onds and Choir Vandals. n typically am bitious fashion Fo ing will per

out urphy has vowed that he will get a gooey butter cake tattoo live on stage. fter more than a year without performing in front of a crowd Murphy says the band is beyond excited to hit the stage again. “ t’s this really wild mi of emo tions for it. don’t even know where to start he says. “ ’m e tremely excited to play live in gen eral. f all of the things missed the most this is not just my career but my total passion. The one thing truly know about myself that enjoy and that am in any way good at is performing. And so to not do that for such a long time is don’t know. t’s just draining. Still with the elta variant of C V surging in the state and nation urphy does acknowl edge some concerns. “We have the mask mandate — that’s great but also doubt that there will be a vaccine mandate for the show and ’m very wor ried about people getting sick he

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

CAFE

[REVIEW]

Buzzworthy Breakfast Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats takes the most important meal of the day to the next level Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats www.honeybeesbg.com

he first time oney ee’s iscuits ood ats owner ike Shadwick made breakfast it didn’t go so well. e thought he’d do something nice for his mom so he went into the kitchen cracked two eggs into a bowl plopped in a scoop of margarine mi ed it up and presented it to her without the concoction ever hitting a frying pan. Considering he was just three years old that mistake was understandable but it didn’t deter his family from letting him play around with food which fostered a love of cooking especially breakfast food that he carried with him into adulthood. Those days of raw eggs and margarine from a tub are now long behind Shadwick who opened oney ee’s with his wife eredith in une . Still he can follow the thread of his breakfast food obsession back to those earliest memories through adolescence and into adulthood where cooking eggs bacon sausage and the many other staples of morning mealtime was a constant. To him making breakfast was about more than simply throwing together a meal he was always inspired to put his own spin on things even if it was simply adding honey and sea salt to illsbury rands canned biscuits. That little touch made the store bought brand much better but it wasn’t enough for the Shadwicks. ver the years Shadwick had developed an outstanding sausage gravy recipe and the pair felt that they needed a from scratch option to match its uality. t first eredith began e perimenting

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There’s a reason Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats has “biscuit” in the name. Pictured here are versions with everything bagel seasoning, honey-glazed and chocolate chip flavors. | MABEL SUEN with making her own biscuits for the gravy but they were not what Shadwick had envisioned. e took her recipe as a starting point played around for a while then passed it back to her where she tweaked it until it was perfect. The e perience underscored just how much Shadwick loved cooking. owever he never thought he’d make a career out of it until a couple of years ago when he left behind a ten year career in sales. While he was unemployed for a year and a half his wife suggested that he look into restaurant work as an option. Shadwick committed to taking the first food gig that came his way which ended up being a job as an mo’s i a delivery driver. etermined to see where the opportunity led he dove headfirst into the job and reali ed how much he loved the industry. ick mo who operated the Central West nd store where Shadwick was based recogni ed his passion and drive and promoted him eventually taking him under his wing where he learned the ins and outs of the business. Shadwick got the opportunity to learn even more about the culinary side of the restaurant game after a friend connected him with ichael and Tara allina. With no cooking e perience outside of

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Honey Bee biscuits are hand-rolled and cut. | MABEL SUEN mo’s Shadwick went into an interview for a line cook position at Winslow’s Table and got it thanks to his attitude and work ethic. n just three weeks he’d fallen into a groove at Winslow’s and got the sense that he was finally doing the sort of work he was meant to do. owever the e perience was cut short when the pandemic hit town shuttering Winslow’s and flipping the restaurant world on its head. Though he was disappointed that his run at Winslow’s was so brief Shadwick left there with the confidence to make a career in the

restaurant business. fter e ploring what that would look like he and eredith decided to go out on their own and build upon the passion for breakfast food that he’d been cultivating his entire life. That passion translated into oney ee’s which opened as a food stall at the irkwood Farmers’ arket last summer. uilt around his signature honey gla ed biscuits the outfit enjoyed immediate success selling out every Saturday it showed up for service. Within three weeks the Shadwicks knew they had to e -

Co-owners Michael Shadwick and Meredith Gibbons Shadwick. | MABEL SUEN pand so they turned oney ee’s into a truck that launched in February which has continued to gain a following through regular stints at the irkwood Farmers’ arket and ile arden food truck park as well as private events. The Shadwicks still sound shocked by the response to oney ee’s though they should not be. ou don’t even need to take a bite out of one of their biscuits to know it’s going to be good fluffy golden and gilded with honey they glisten in the sunlight. owever once you do dig in you recogni e just how e traordinary they are. The shortbread like e terior gives way to an almost cake like interior that has a subtle sweetness underscored by the honey gla e. Then there’s the butter so prominent you can feel it on your hands as you devour this masterpiece. That he and eredith were ever surprised by the throngs of marketgoers lined up for a taste is comical. The biscuits are outstanding on their own but they are also a glorious canvas for oney ee’s other offerings. s a sandwich which the pair whimsically refer to as a “sammie they are filled with peppery scrambled eggs melted cheddar and bacon that is still glistening with a little grease that soaks into the biscuit’s crevices. Shadwick dresses the sandwich with a tangy aioli that brightens the dish. Shadwick’s famous sausage gravy is another e cellent option shockingly creamy and kissed with peppery spice. t’s easy to understand why the concoction was

a driver for their biscuit making endeavor in the first place. oney ee’s success is not limited to biscuits however. Shadwick also offers a crustless uiche which he and eredith call the “Wakey Wakey ggy akey a frittata like casserole of eggs spinach cheese and hash browns that is flawlessly seasoned and cooked. dditionally the pair make rolled and stuffed biscuit “croissants filled with everything from blueberries and cheese to savory butters. These options together with the multitude of offerings that show up on their rotating menu one day they promise to bring back their legendary s’mores inspired “Campfire iscuit show that there is no limit to their creativity. While not available on my weekday visits the pair regularly offer vegetarian gravy made with portobello mushrooms sweet biscuits in such varieties as chocolate chip and Cinnamon Toast Crunch warm fruit compotes and several whipped butters and toppings. “ f you can think it we can biscuit it they like to say and with a brick and mortar hopefully on the not so distant hori on it’s e citing to watch them turn into one of the area’s most thrilling breakfast brands one that proves how finally following your true calling can lead to great things.

Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats Biscuit .........................................................$4 Biscuit and sausage gravy ......................... $8 Bacon and cheese “sammie”..................... $9 • Food truck

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

SHORT ORDERS

[ S T. L O U I S S TA N D A R D S ]

Every Dog Has Its Day With more than a million wieners sold, Woofie’s is a nostalgic Overland institution Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

hen Mary O’Leary wants to explain what her iconic hot dog shop Woofie’s means to people, her thoughts immediately go to her longtime customer, Pete. According to O’Leary, Pete has been coming in every day since the first owner Charlie isen was in charge; considering he sold the place in the late 1990s, O’Leary thinks that’s quite a commitment. “When I think of why we’ve stood the test of time, I think of Pete, who’s been coming here since Charlie owned it,” O’Leary says. “He’s there every day between 3:15 and 3:45 [p.m.] unless he’s out of town, and he gets the same hot dog every single day. We’re all like, ‘Pete’s coming’ when we see him come around the corner so we can make sure to have his meal ready for him.” O’Leary understands that the legions of fiercely loyal customers like ete come to Woofie’s for more than the delicious Vienna beef hot dogs. Since the 1950s, the Overland spot has been a mainstay for people seeking casual soda shop fare first as the diner Hamburger Heaven, and eventually as Woofie’s when isen took over in 1976. That such a place still exists in essentially the same form since its inception — its only real updates were a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint when O’Leary and her husband, Craig Smith, took over the place in 2008 — is a testament to its nostalgic pull. From the quintessential blue and orange Vienna beef brand colors that give the space its vintage hot dog shop look to the dogs themselves Woofie’s has remained the same over the years,

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Woolfie’s die-hard fans come from as far away as other states and as close as a few blocks. | ANDY PAULISSEN

Mary O’Leary has grown to love Woolfie’s because of it customers. | ANDY PAULISSEN

Woolfie’s has sold more than a million of these. You can trust them. | ANDY PAULISSEN offering a consistent thread to the past that makes the place feel like a time capsule. O’Leary would never think of changing that. As much a steward of the restaurant as its manager, she fell into the business thanks to her husband and has felt a re-

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sponsibility to keep its identity intact ever since, even if she wasn’t so keen on the spot in the first place. After all, Smith bought it on a whim, after a lunch conversation with the former owner, a man she knows only by the first name Paul. According to O’Leary,

Paul expressed to her husband that he had lost interest in operating Woofie’s after his wife’s death and he was looking for someone to buy him out. Without giving it another thought, Smith volunteered. “He came home and told me that he bought Woofie’s ’ eary recalls. “I asked him, ‘What’s Woofie’s ’ e told me that it was a hot dog place, and he was sur-

Woolfie’s still has that old-time feel. | ANDY PAULISSEN prised that I’d never been there. We went out there to look at it on a January afternoon, and I was not impressed. I always wanted to own a place like a diner, where kids would come after school and do their homework, and here get Woofie’s. remember telling him the first thing we have to do is clean the place up.” If O’Leary was apprehensive about taking over Woofie’s at first she had a change of heart in no time. Though she still retained her full-time job managing T for a law firm she dove head first into the restaurant business, relishing her interactions with the customers who animated the place. From local celebrities whose faces are plastered on the walls in old photographs to people like Pete who come in every day, O’Leary has enjoyed becoming a part of her customers’ lives — even those who live far away. “I was running a Fourth of July special one year, and I had a woman from Georgia call and ask if she could get the same deal the next time she came into town,” O’Leary says. “I told her, ‘Of course.’ I have people message me from all over the country. We also have one woman who would drive in every Saturday from Ste. Genevieve and get ten dogs, double-wrapped. People come from all over.” Though she understands that Woofie’s nostalgia is a big part of the draw, O’Leary knows that the restaurant wouldn’t be what it is

without the quality of its food. The restaurant uses only the authentic Vienna dogs, brought in straight from Chicago, and cooks them to order; she’s emphatic that the restaurant only drops the dogs on the flattop the moment a customer walks in the door. O’Leary also notes that the restaurant steams the buns rather than heating them in the microwave like other places, and that she insists on using only ultra-fresh toppings. Nothing sits on the line, and if it doesn’t look good enough to her discerning eye, she won’t serve it. Now dedicated to operating Woofie’s full time after retiring from her law firm job in ecember 2019, O’Leary feels like she is in a good flow with her team. She makes it a point to be at the restaurant and interact with her guests as much as possible, because she wants them to feel a real connection to the place; plus, it allows her to animate the restaurant with her self-described big personality. Having sold its millionth hot dog last January, it’s clear that this approach is working out just fine. “I think with all of our personalities — and being kind of crazy — things just flow the way they are supposed to flow ’ eary says. “You just do fun things with customers and have fun, and that’s what makes Woofie’s Woofie’s. don’t know what made it what it was years ago, but that’s what it is today, and I haven’t had anyone leave disappointed.” n

Ben Welch is bringing his barbecue magic to Six Mile Bridge. | MABEL SUEN

[FOOD NEWS]

Ben Welch Joins Six Mile Bridge as Executive Chef Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

he air around Maryland eights will again be filled with the smell of sweet smoke thanks to Ben Welch. The acclaimed chef and pitmaster has joined Six Mile Bridge (11841 Dorsett Road, Maryland Heights; 314-942-2211) as executive chef, bringing his barbecue, Southern food and more to the brewery’s taproom. Six Mile Bridge owners Ryan and Lindsay Sherring announced the news in a press release last week, noting a long-standing relationship with Welch since his days at his former smokehouse, Big Baby Q, which was open from 2016 to 2018. Because the smokehouse was located just minutes from Six Mile Bridge, the Sherrings got to know Welch and, like

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many in the St. Louis area, developed an appreciation for his barbecue prowess. When the opportunity arose for him to bring that smoked meat magic to Six Mile Bridge, they jumped at it. “We first met en when he opened Big Baby Q just up the road from SMB [Six Mile Bridge] and couldn’t get enough of his food,” Ryan Sherring says in thepress release announcing Welch’s new gig. “He is an incredibly talented chef, and [we] could not be more proud to have him on the team. This is just the start of exciting projects to come.” Welch’s new role with Six Mile ridge will be the first regular chance his many fans have had to experience his food since his departure from the Midwestern Meat + Drink last year. There, Welch built upon his success at Big Baby Q with a menu of both barbecue = and Southern inflected fare and he even went on to start a spice brand, Big Baby Spice Co., which launched in late 2019. Though Welch is known for his barbecue, the menu he’s created (in conjunction with Six Mile Bridge’s Stephen Kovac) is less smoked meats-heavy and more elevated bar food. His famous corned beef will be featured prominently on a new corned beef Reuben; other dishes include a Nashville chicken sandwich, a double smash cheeseburger, beerbattered cod and flash fried russels sprouts. You can view the new menu in its entirety on Six Mile Bridge’s Facebook page. n

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AUGUST 11-17, 2021

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[BARS]

Chalk It Up The Drawing Board brings Creole-inspired small plates to Tower Grove South Written by

HOLDEN HINDES

ans of Ryder’s Tavern have a new spot in Tower Grove South for dining, drinking and games, courtesy of co-owners Matt and Paul Wamser and chef Alexa Camp. Their two-month-old bar and restaurant, the Drawing Board, promises to build upon the success of its former occupant with a creative and approachable menu, expanded beverage list, bar games, trivia and more. The Drawing Board, which opened June 1 in the former Ryder’s Tavern, lives up to its name with chalkboards serving as menus and as entertainment for guests. Patrons scrawl personal messages, pictures of birds and, most consistently, a friend of Camp colors in large, detailed dinosaurs. Camp says that anything erased from the chalkboards will live on in small Polaroids hung on the walls. There are more than just chalkboards in the old Ryder’s Tavern, though. Free darts and pool, live music on weekends and a spacious dog-friendly back patio keep guests entertained. Camp hopes a trivia night will be coming soon. Perhaps the biggest change to the space is the food. Unlike the former occupant, the Drawing Board hopes to become known as much as a place to grab a good meal as it is a drinking establishment. The menu is the first that Camp, a former sous chef at Urban Chestnut, has built herself. Though the smash burger lives on from Ryder’s, the rest is new. “Small-plate things and Creole are my biggest draws,” Camp says. “I wanted it to be things that people will enjoy but maybe aren’t things they would normally see on a menu in a south city bar.” Camp recommends the Medart-style (fully dressed) smash burger, the falafel sliders and the flatbread which has a rotating selection of available meat and vegetables. “The veggie selection right now is a chile and roasted garlic Brussels sprout that’s topped with a little bit of lemon, and I’m obsessed with it,” Camp says. She

Chef Alexa Camp hopes to surprise patrons with The Drawing Board’s menu. | ALEXA CAMP is also passionate about pickling seasonal vegetables, a skill she brings from her time at Urban Chestnut. “Right now, we’ve got pickled green beans and carrots that are in a kind of Bloody Mary style, so they’re a little spicy with a little cayenne in them, but also vinegary, and rounded out with a really nice amount of oregano, so it’s savory but has a little tang at the back of it.” grilled cheese fills out the menu, featuring garlic herb goat cheese, white cheddar and the option to “make it fancy” with the addition of mushrooms, apple butter, and/or bacon. For dessert, “Gooey

Babies” are a tiny take on a St. Louis classic. Camp was brought on to the Drawing Board by co-owner Matt Wamser, who she became friends with while working together at Urban Chestnut. He admired her cooking, so when he was looking for someone to lead the kitchen at his new spot, he reached out. Camp shares that he has been encouraging throughout the process of creating her own menu for the first time. “It’s been really, really fun with Matt,” Camp says. “He’s been so supportive and so open to letting me try a lot of different things. I’ve

always liked to play with food, it’s one of the most gratifying things for me. I’ve always loved to cook… I enjoy the risk and reward of putting yourself out there in a way you’ve never been able to before. I’m really grateful that it’s been received as it has.” Another upgrade from Ryder’s is the tap tower, which offers six local beers. Additional beer options are available in bottles and cans, and the bar boasts a deep and growing selection of whiskeys. A cocktail menu is in development. Matt’s brother and co-owner, Paul, owned the space when it was Ryder’s Tavern. The COVID-19 pandemic spurred the decision to close Ryder’s and renovate the space into something that Camp describes as having a similar feel, but a little bit more elevated and welcoming. They’ve opened up windows to let in more light and refurbished the bathrooms and patio, with still more renovations planned for the future. While Ryder’s Tavern was mainly a place to drink and play games, the three are hoping that the Drawing Board will be known as a place to eat from a creative but approachable menu, to scribble on chalkboards and hopefully to hang out with some dogs on the patio. The Drawing Board is open from 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 4 p.m. to midnight on Sundays. n

[REOPENINGS]

Brennan’s Has Finally Reopened (Again) Written by

JAIME LEES

t. Louis’ favorite Central West End bar is finally fully open for business again. While every restaurant and bar in St. Louis has had to work hard to stay alive during the pandemic, Brennan’s (316 North Euclid Avenue, 314-497-4449) has pushed through all of that and more to open its doors after multiple crises. At the end of 2020, a fire broke out at the location on North Euclid Avenue. The restaurant had just moved from its longtime home on Maryland Avenue, so the fire not only devastated the space but also crushed the plans of Brennan’s fans who were hoping to give the new spot a warm welcome. None of these setbacks deterred the gang at Brennan’s, though. The company birthed a new side business, BoozeAnd-

The bar at Brennan’s has always had a huge selection of spirits. | R.J. HARTBECK Snacks.com, during the pandemic that serves customers those tasty essentials that also serve as emotional support. And now the “new” Brennan’s on North Euclid is ready to bring customers indoors again. After seven months of fire restoration, a couple of months of serving drinks outside on the sidewalk and a heck of a lot of resilience exercised,

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Brennan’s is now open and serving up food and drinks. Starting now, it’s open seven days a week. Monday through Saturday, Brennan’s is open from 3 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and on Sundays it’s open from 3 p.m. to midnight. Keep an eye on the Brennan’s Facebook page for the latest information. n

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REEFERFRONT TIMES

Pardons for People Who Served Their Time, Plus McCloskeys Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

panning a pair of mansionowning GOP vigilantes and two long-imprisoned drug offenders, the subjects of Gov. Mike Parson’s latest clemency announcement featured more than just the headline-making pardons of Mark and Patricia McCloskey — Parson also added to his string of clemencies directed at people trapped in prison for decades by a repealed drug law. Last summer, Parson was quick to promise a pardon for the McCloskeys if they faced criminal consequences related to their actions on June 28, 2020, when the couple, both attorneys, rushed out of their opulent home in the Central West End to shout and point their guns at a group of protesters marching to the mayor’s house. On July 20, 2020, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced the filing of felony charges against the couple for “unlawful use of a weapon – exhibiting.” Later that day, Parson told Fox News pundit Sean Hannity that he would “without a doubt” pardon the McCloskeys. “If you had a mob coming towards you,” Parson argued, “when they come on your property, they don’t have a right to do that in an aggressive manner. People have a right to protect their selves, their families, their property.” But much has changed about Parson’s stance toward clemency since his appearance on “Hannity” last year. (For one thing, a special prosecutor later concluded that the protesters that day were peaceful and had not attacked the McCloskeys.) Months after the McCloskey dra-

Governor Mike Parson pardoned more people serving harsh drug sentences, and also the unrepentant McCloskeys. | MISSOURI GOVERNOR’S OFFICE ma, on December 21, Parson announced the first public clemencies of his administration. The list of names included three commutations affecting drug offenders who had been convicted under a uniquely harsh Missouri law. As the Riverfront Times has reported, the law used a “threestrike” system to apply mandatory minimum sentences of ten years without the possibility of parole. Although the law was repealed effective in 2017, a series of court cases led the Missouri Supreme Court to rule that it could not be applied retroactively to restore parole eligibility to the hundreds of people still serving life-altering sentences. Since that first clemency announcement late last year, Parson has continued to use commutations to help free drug offenders serving decade-plus sentences. Along with the McCloskeys, Parson’s clemencies included a commutation of Matthew Carrell, who had been convicted in 2003 on a single drug charge of distribution and sentenced to 25 years. Also commuted was the 30-year sentence of Deitra Cole on posses-

sion and distribution charges in 2001. (The governor’s clemency announcements do not provide additional information about recipients beyond their names. The RFT reached out to the governor’s office for more details on the commutations of Carrell and Cole, though the office previously declined to answer questions about specific cases. Carrell and Cole became the tenth and eleventh drug offenders to be commuted under Parson’s administration — a relatively slow pace compared to the many inmates still languishing without parole eligibility — and yet Parson is still far more active than previous governors, who allowed a backlog of more than 3,000 clemency applications to accumulate over the past decade. In interviews, many of the former inmates who were eventually freed through Parson’s commutations told the RFT they regretted the actions that led them to prison — even while objecting to the state law that punished them with sentences that matched those handed down for homicide and sexual assault.

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That sort of thoughtfulness isn’t apparent in Mark McCloskey. Now a fully engaged political participant in the GOP culture war, the attorney is pushing a U.S. Senate campaign based entirely on the armed standoff that he and his wife instigated at their CWE mansion — and which led them to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and harassment charges on June 17. “I’d do it again,” McCloskey told reporters after the plea deal was announced. “Anytime the mob approaches me, I’ll do what I can to put them in imminent threat of physical injury because that’s what kept them from destroying my house and my family.” Last week, in response to the news of the pardon, McCloskey’s defense attorney, Joel Schwartz, echoed his client’s lack of remorse: “Mark McCloskey has publicly stated that if he were involved in the same situation, he would have the exact same conduct,” Schwartz said, the Associated Press reported. Schwartz added, “He believes that the pardon vindicates that conduct.” n

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CULTURE

[CONCERTS]

A Fat Lot of Good New outdoor concert series with national acts seeks to revitalize Laclede’s Landing Written by

JENNA JONES

rew Jameson and his company, Jamo Presents, have been trying to keep live music, well, alive throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the group worked with the health department and city health officials to bring an outdoor concert series, called The Lot, to downtown St. Louis for seven weeks. That effort was followed by a slate of shows at City Foundry and an ongoing roster of events at Tower Grove Park. Now, Jameson is venturing into new territory, he says, while also giving back to the community with a new outdoor concert series dubbed The Lot on The Landing. Jameson says he’s excited to bring attention to parts of the city that don’t get as much action as others — in this case, to Laclede’s Landing (1000 North Leonor K Sullivan Boulevard), right next to the riverfront. The concert series is a joint effort between Jamo Presents and the STLMade campaign, an initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc. The venue will reside on property owned by Great Rivers Greenway along the Riverfront Trail, part of a network of bike and running paths across three counties. “The Lot on the Landing concert series is another step in the Landing’s next chapter as a comfortable and vibrant urban neighborhood on the doorstep of Gateway Arch National Park and downtown St. Louis,” Brian Minges, president of the Laclede’s Landing Community Improvement District, says in a press release. “We are excited that our friends at Jamo Presents are building on the Landing’s unique legacy for great music.”

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Jazz-funk act Lettuce is just one of the acts set to perform at the Lot on the Landing this fall. | JAY SANSONE/HUMAN BEING MEDIA From September 16 to October 10, guests can catch performances by artists including Lettuce, Talib Kweli and Cherub. There will also be food from Sugarfire cocktails from STL Barkeep and beer from Schlafly. ameson hopes to bring the special feelings of community he created through the success of The Lot last year to the new event. “[The Lot] ended up being a really community-building, positive thing in a moment where I felt the city was really hurting,” Jameson says. “Coming in with the name The ot’ again is a fitting moment for us and also just, you know, doing some good for the community again.” One band Jameson is particularly excited about is The Dead South, which will play the venue on September 25. Described by Jameson as a “viral YouTube phenom,” the Canadian band plays bluegrass music. Jameson has worked with The Dead South previously. “It’s just a wild time, a really good show,” Jameson says. “A little behind the scenes, I’ve heard them doing their warmup songs, and they’re playing, like, Canadian metal music to pump themselves up to play these bluegrass hits. I love working with bands like that — it’s totally quirky and fun. They’ll be a really good time.” Other can’t-miss acts, according to Jameson, include a Grateful Dead tribute with Keller Williams putting a bluegrass spin on the

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band’s music on October 1. Talib Kweli will be joined on September 18 by other up-and-comers for a “hip-hop showcase-type energy,” ameson says. silent disco finishes the series on October 10. Jameson wants to add more local music acts to the lineup, as well. He hopes every show will feature some local act before the national ones take the stage. “I think to try to bring in and

The Pageant, Delmar Hall Requiring Vaccinations Written by

JAIME LEES

n matching posts shared Monday morning, The Pageant (6161 Delmar Boulevard) and Delmar Hall (6133 Delmar Boulevard) announced that either vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test will be required to enter the venues. In addition to wearing a mask (which was already required) visitors must now show documentation along with their ID at the door to gain entry. The announcement from two of the most successful entertainment venues in town continues a trend of bars, restaurants and other businesses in the St. Louis area requiring proof of vaccines

continue the roots of this thing, drawing from community and local, even though we’re showcasing national acts, trying my best to balance out that act or lineup is important,” Jameson says. Safety in the pandemic has remained important for Jameson, especially as he and his team watch how the Delta variant affects the region. Jameson said the series will continue to evolve to remain a safe space in the face of the pandemic. Since Jamo Presents faced “every obstacle possible” and a wide range of scenarios last year as it put on concerts, Jameson feels equipped to handle this series. As long as bands want to come and it remains a safe environment for guests, the show will go on. The Lot on The Landing has been in the works since before the pandemic, so to see it come to fruition is exciting for Jameson. “It took something as crazy as a pandemic for us to actually pull the trigger on doing it,” Jameson says. “It feels really great every single time, and this is going to be the biggest one we’ve done yet.” Tickets are on sale at jamopresents.com, and shows are for guests 21 and older, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. The tickets range from $13 to $100 for VIP service. n

as owners reevaluate how to keep their customers safe in the era of the Delta variant. Here’s how management for the venues explained the move to fans: “Effective Monday 08/09/2021, ticketed admission to both The Pageant and Delmar Hall will also require proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 Vaccination or a Negative COVID-19 Diagnostic Test within the previous 72 hours. “Additionally, face masks will still be needed to enter either of our venues. “While we believe that most of our patrons are already vaccinated, our continuing goal is to provide as safe an environment as practically possible. “Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or a Negative COVID-19 Diagnostic Test can be a physical paper copy or a snapshot on your mobile device, along with a matching photo ID, to display upon admission. This policy will be in effect until further notice or, as a favorite Uncle of ours used to say: Not forever, just for now.” n

[FILM]

Rebirth M. Night Shyamalan tries to make amends with Old Written by

JOHN ALLMAN This review was first published in the RFT’s sister paper, Creative Loafing Tampa.

ello M., my old friend. It has been a while since we last encountered one another, and sadly, I was pretty heated at that time, having just seen “Glass.” I might have maybe said some things I shouldn’t, and for that I am sincerely sorry, but that’s the problem with your particular brand of creative genius. I don’t know if you’re aware, but your movies can be pretty divisive; however, when they really work, I consider myself one of your biggest fans. That’s why my Top Twenty alltime favorites will forever include Unbreakable and Signs. That’s why I championed your return to form in 2015 with The Visit, even though the last ten minutes almost sank the entire endeavor, and I shouted from the mountaintop when you roared right back with Split. So, here we are, you and I, back together again to talk about your latest mind-bender, Old, and though nowhere near perfect, at least it’s better, so much better, than Glass. Old is a slyly subversive little cinematic experiment that probably should have been contained to an hour-long format better suited for an anthology show like The Twilight Zone. Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal), Prisca (Vicky Krieps), their son Trent and daughter Maddox arrive in paradise for a tropical vacation. There’s clearly something simmering under the surface between Guy and Prisca, but they want their kids to have one last family hurrah. When the resort’s skeevy GM

M. Night Shyamalan returns with Old, which involves a supernatural island where people age at an accelerated clip. | UNIVERSAL PICTURES offers them an exclusive opportunity to visit an off-limits, private beach on the other side of the island, they don’t say no, even as other guests get offered the same VIP treatment. What no one, especially us faithful viewers knows at first is that this beach is private for a reason, and that reason is a strange anomaly whereby anyone who passes through its rune-like rock passage has their DNA irrevocably altered so that they immediately start aging in accelerated fashion. As far as gimmicks go, M., you stumbled on a good one here because the central mystery is compelling enough that we don’t ask too many questions upfront, especially when you start killing off secondary characters quickly. Gimmicks can be tricky, though, which you discovered yourself with The Village, which fell apart under the weight of its own ambition long before the final twist was revealed. Maybe that’s why you felt the need to monkey with your central narrative in Old, by tweaking your third act and adding two unnecessary subplots about a shady, secret organization trying to capitalize on the island beach’s fantastical powers and teasing a pos-

As far as gimmicks go, M., you stumbled on a good one here because the central mystery is compelling enough that we don’t ask too many questions upfront. sibly supernatural escape hatch that no other visitors had ever successfully reached. You also featured a shady, secret organization in Glass, and we all know how well that worked out. I wish you hadn’t felt the need to try and explain the anomaly, to justify the island’s ability to reduce an entire lifespan into a matter of hours, and instead allowed us, your faithful viewers, to fully invest in Guy and Prisca and the depth of their genuine love as we watched them age, along with their kids. As it is, Old is an entertaining slice of escapism that’s almost instantly forgettable as soon as the credits roll. I won’t be quoting any dialogue from Old years from now, not the way that I still say, “Swing away, Merrill,” whenever I’m faced with a seemingly impossible challenge. But that’s OK.

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Like I said, at least Old is better than Glass. I feel better now, M. I hope you do too. Hopefully, we can set aside our past squabble and forget I ever told you to go eff yourself for ruining a movie I had waited almost two decades to see. n John W. Allman has spent more than 25 years as a professional journalist and writer, but he’s loved movies his entire life. Good movies, awful movies, movies that are so gloriously bad you can’t help but champion them. Since 2009, he has cultivated a review column and now a website dedicated to the genre films that often get overlooked and interviews with cult cinema favorites like George A. Romero, Bruce Campbell and Dee Wallace. Contact him at Blood Violence and Babes.com, on Facebook @BloodViolenceBabes or on Twitter @BVB_reviews.

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SAVAGE LOVE REUNION BLUES BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I fell in love with my second cousin about four years ago at a family reunion. (I hadn’t laid eyes on him since I was a kid!) I was fifteen when we met, he was two years older, and we were in a long-distance relationship for three years. We ended things a year ago and I’m going to be seeing him for the first time since our breakup at another family reunion this fall. He’s bringing his new girlfriend. Do I have a responsibility to make her feel comfortable? Do I avoid him and risk family drama? I’ve done so much to work through this, Dan, and I’d love to see this as a healthy exercise in staying true to myself. Cancel On Upcoming Shindig? I’m Not Sure! I’m hoping it was just the usual heartache you had to work through after this relationship ended — by which I mean to say, COUSINS, I’m hoping your ex-boyfriend (and current second cousin) wasn’t emotionally or physically abusive and you weren’t working through trauma. And I’m hoping you didn’t get too much grief about dating your second cousin from other family members. (First cousins can legally marry all over the world!) Assuming your ex was only guilty of breaking your heart (a risk we take when dating anyone), you should approach this family reunion like any mature adult who finds herself at a wedding or a funeral or a holiday party with an ex. You slap a smile on your face and say hello to your ex, you tell his new girlfriend it’s nice to meet her, and then you avoid both of them for the rest of day. If you’re worried about getting trapped in a conversation with either or both of them, COUSINS, and don’t have it in you to say, “I’m sorry, you’ll have to excuse me, I gotta go take a monster shit,” then deputize someone to run interference for you. Your designated interferer should stay by your side as much as possible, COUSINS, and if you get separated and they see you trapped in an extended conversation with your ex or his new girl-

friend, COUSINS, it’s their job to swoop in and rescue you. And if family members gave you grief about dating your second cousin — if you were subjected to more than some gentle awkwardness-acknowledging, tension-releasing ribbing about the situation — and that grief was the source of whatever you had to work through since breaking up with the guy who was essentially your high school boyfriend (a guy you were always gonna break up with at some point), COUSINS, then this reunion is an opportunity to tell those people to go fuck themselves. Hey, Dan: Should I worry about my son who is 24 years old, straight, cute, has friends and is also a virgin? Mulling Over Moments You can tell a mom not to worry but a mom is still gonna worry, MOM, so you go right ahead and worry. But if your son knows he can talk with you about anything and he’s chosen not to talk with you about this, MOM, and if your son isn’t upset about it or otherwise miserable, leave him alone. If he has friends — and you say that he does — then he has peers he can confide in about his love life, assuming he wants one, and open up to about his sexual inexperience, if he regards it as a problem, MOM, which he may not. Hey, Dan: I’ve been reading you for many years. You have great language skills. But your use of “gonna” and “wanna” for “going to” and “want to” just comes across as adolescent and condescending. You’re too old to be using that sort of lingo, Dan. Please respect yourself and your readers. Griping Over Nauseatingly Nonsensical Affectations You’re gonna hafta pry those “gonnas” and “wannas” outta my cold, dead hands, GONNA, if you wanna get ’em outta my column. Hey, Dan: Three months ago, I came out as polyamorous in an email I sent to my immediate and my entire extended family, because I’m done asking one of my partners to pretend he’s “our roommate” when my parents or siblings come to visit, and it hurts me so much to exclude him from family events

“I’m done asking one of my partners to pretend he’s ‘our roommate’ when my parents or siblings come to visit, and it hurts to exclude him from family events and holidays.” and holidays. (And it hurts him, too.) My whole family is getting together over Labor Day Weekend and all three of us are planning to go. Is there any way to avoid awkwardness? Bringing All My Boyfriends Inside Nope. P.S. They’ll get used to you being poly, you’ll get used to them knowing you’re poly, and it’ll get less awkward over time. But there’s no way to avoid that first blast of pure awkwardness. Instead of trying to avoid it, BAMBI, try to have a sense of humor about it. Hey, Dan: I was raised in a conservative batshit household and equally batshit church. The youth leader, who was my best friend’s stepdad and who I viewed as a father figure, was a sexual predator. When I was seventeen, he started asking me for sex and also told me he’d thought of me “that way” since I was twelve. I found out later he got a woman with a mental disability pregnant, and my childhood best friend has hinted to me that he assaulted her as well. Much to my rage, this guy’s wife, this church, and even my own parents never went after this guy legally or otherwise. Outrageously, he’s still a member in good standing of this same church. A few days ago, a different childhood friend died. He was my best friend’s cousin, and we all grew up together. Obviously, this asshole will be at the funeral. I’m determined to be there to support my friend but how do I interact

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with this predator without causing a scene? I don’t want to make this sad reunion about me, but I refuse to entertain this guy in any way. Any thoughts on telling him to go fuck himself? Feels Uncomfortable Near Extremely Religious Asshole Lowlifes Your childhood best friend dropped hints about being assaulted by this man — her stepfather — but she never actually came out and told you that. But you know for a fact that he preyed on a mentally disabled woman and that he sexually harassed you when you were a minor. And like so many sexual predators on altars, this asshole got away with it. There haven’t been any consequences, no accountability, and he’s still in a position — a position of spiritual authority — where he can (and probably does) abuse and exploit other vulnerable women and girls. Ugh. I’m pro telling this asshole to go fuck himself at the funeral — loudly — but there’s something you could do before the funeral. While you can’t control what your parents or this church have done or failed to do, FUNERAL, and while your childhood best friend’s story isn’t yours to tell — and you don’t know or don’t officially know the full story — you can tell your own story. You can report this asshole to the pious lowlifes who run this fucking church and file a police report at the same time. Oh, and make sure to let those church leaders know you filed a police report. While there’s no guarantee they’ll act against this creep after getting a report of sexual abuse (see: Catholic Church, sex abuse scandals), they’ll at least know they’re leaving themselves open to potential financial conse uences if they fail to act (see: Catholic Church, sex abuse scandal settlements). I’ve been to a few funerals in my time, FUNERAL, and it’s not the people at the funeral we tend to remember — it’s the people who were there for us before the funeral and after. Head home, be there for your old friend, and feel free to skip the funeral if that asshole is gonna be there. mail@savagelove.net @FakeDanSavage on Twitter www.savagelovecast.com

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

AUGUST 11-17, 2021

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

Riverfront Times, August 11, 2021

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