Riverfront Times, September 4, 2019

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HONORS & AWARDS: • Charles Shaw Trial Advocacy Award • Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers • St. Louis Magazine, Best Lawyers in St. Louis DWI • Riverfront Times Best Lawyer • Best Lawyers in United States • 10 years of law enforcement training, including time as a narcotics agent • Invited to speak nationally on the topic of DWI defense • A proven record of successfully defending difficult DWI cases • A graduate of the National College of DUI Defense at Harvard

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THE LEDE

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

“Half the people try and give me something, I tell them I don’t need it. Like this guy coming to give me today. Gonna give me all his tools. His wife is dead. He said, ‘I don’t need them any more, Gary.’”

GARY MACK PHOTOGRAPHED ON NORTH BROADWAY AND MULLANPHY STREET ON SEPTEMBER 1

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Chris Keating Interim Editor in Chief Doyle Murphy

COVER

Wreckage in Waiting For people living and working in the path of University City Costco, the displacement is already underway Cover illustration by

EVAN SULT

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

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

INSIDE

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

The Lede Hartmann

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We are fatally failing the children of St. Louis

Angel Has Fallen

Cafe Bait

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

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Stephanie Syjuco: Rogue States | Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope | Angels in America, Parts One and Two | etc.

Film

A R T Art Director Evan Sult Contributing Photographers Virginia Harold, Stephen Kennedy, Monica Mileur, Zia Nizami, Andy Paulissen, Nick Schnelle, Mabel Suen, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Jen West P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Haimanti Germain

From photos by

News Feature Calendar

E D I T O R I A L Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writer Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Columnist Ray Hartmann Contributing Writers 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, James Pollard

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Short Orders

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Culture

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Out Every Night

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Elise Mensing at Brasserie by Niche | Turmeric | Sans Bar STL | Taco Circus

The Opera Bell Band | Kijani Eshe | Full Terror Assault

Elizabeth Cook | D.R.I. | Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster

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HARTMANN The St. Louis Problem The ever-growing list of murdered children falls on all of us

BY RAY HARTMANN

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was in New York for a couple days last week, and the friendly gentleman from Central America who was driving me to the airport had a couple of questions, one easy and one a bit more complicated.

Where’s St. Louis? And what’s it like?

I nailed the first answer: It’s right in the middle of the country.

As to the second, I was uncomfortably uncertain how to respond.

Even though this was the smallest of small talk, I found myself paus-

ing for a moment.

“Well,” I said, “St. Louis is a really nice city. It’s a good place to live with a lot going on. But we have our issues, too, just like a lot of places.”

In the past, I think I would have just said, “Oh, St. Louis is a great city. You should come visit sometime.”

Understand, this man came from Central America — he moved here from Ecuador about fifteen years ago and seems happy to be a New Yorker — and he wasn’t likely to be all that judgmental. Plus, there’s the new dynamic, in which one feels the need to mutter an apology about our president to any immigrant from anywhere near Central America, much less from the very region whose children we place in cages.

With no particular desire to talk politics during our 40-minute drive, I did my civic duty, and he responded with a brief comment rather colorfully likening our president to the body parts and sexual proclivities of an animal

that I believe is indigenous to his region of the world. But that’s not important here.

What was important, to me, is I realized that it’s a little hard right now to describe St. Louis to a stranger in 25 words or less. I find that sad. But it’s a little hard to offer a travelogue when our children are meeting a fate far worse than being placed in cages, pretty much on a weekly basis.

By “our” children, I mean “our children” — as in yours and mine — and not just someone else’s from those parts of town that most of us never visit, or even drive through, and which we describe from afar with phrases such as “crime infested neighborhoods” or “war zones” or “hellholes,” and the like.

I refer, of course, to Kayden Johnson, Trina’ty Riley, Sentonio Cox, Nyla Banks, Jurnee Thompson, Kennedi Powell, Xavier Usanga, Eddie Hill, Charnija Keys, Ien Coleman, Jaylon McKenzie, Omarion Coleman, Michael Henderson, Myiesha Cannon, Kristina Curry,

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Robert Dorsey, Jason Eberhart, Jashon Johnson, Derrel Williams, Davaun Winters, all of whom who have had their innocent young lives cut short by murderous gunfire.

That’s a partial list, cobbled together from an editorial in the St. Louis American and a national CNN.com report and the seemingly daily coverage in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. There’s nothing heroic about media types like me calling out their names in the hope of somehow honoring their memory or trying to humanize this inhumanity in some small way. But we do need to do it.

This is an epidemic. I don’t possess the words to begin to do justice to the scope of this tragedy. We could start with the most recent case we know of at press time, that of beautiful little Jurnee, who had the misfortune of standing outside a restaurant near Soldan High School where she had attended a football exhibition with

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her family before having her life ended with gunfire.

Does that feel similar to what happened to three-year-old Kennedi, whose last act was eating a slice of pizza in front of her family’s home before the bullets rained on her? How about twoyear-old Kayden, who died along with his eighteen-year-old mother Trina’ty as they futilely tried to hide from intruders in a hallway closet in their home?

The list goes on and on and on. nd it is so horrific that neither numbness to it all, nor a sense of fatalistic hopelessness, can excuse our failure to bring every single possible resource of our region together to tr to find solutions.

It struck me last week that, with all this gunfire raging with all this tragedy, with all the blood of innocent children being spent in our own communit it’s a little di cult to answer a stranger’s question, “What’s it like in St. Louis?” with some vanilla response.

I understand this isn’t a new roblem: he cit ’s homicide rate has for years been at or near the top in the nation in no small part because the once-benign concept of gun-ownership freedom has been perverted by the unlimited spread of weapons of war in civilian hands.

That brings us to solutions, such that they are. It would appear that the lowest-hanging fruit would be to demilitarize and reduce the weaponry on the streets, for the sake not only of kids and their families, but of the safety of the olice o cers who ris their li es trying in vain to protect them. But in today’s political climate, that low-hanging fruit is also such forbidden fruit that Missouri’s state legislature will shortly gather for a special session to discuss the crisis of used-car prices in rural Missouri but — at the insistence of Gov. Mike Parson — will not permit a single moment of discourse that might address the detail of rampant gun violence in our state.

I don’t pretend to have the answers here. If I had 12 million words instead of 1,200 here, I still wouldn’t. My short answer is the usual fare: e need to in est far more in education and social services and new recreation centers and a myriad of other proactive efforts to address the roots of economic hopelessness and pain that grip parts of our community. Similarly, we need proactive, community policing, a block-by-block

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It’s hard to offer a St. Louis travelogue when our children are meeting a fate far worse than being placed in cages. strategy to stop crime before it happens. Easier said than done.

We also need to invest more in law enforcement at the least filling vacant police positions and improving pay and training of o cers. e need those olice to earn trust, where none exists.

Lacking neither the expertise nor space to go on, let me leave you with one suggestion, prompted by having pondered what to say to the small-talk inquiry about t. ouis: his is a roblem that all of us own in St. Louis.

The place we know and love as t. ouis isn’t confined to the city limits. And the “city” — confined b artificial boundaries doesn’t begin to have the resources to address the tragedy in our midst. We must come together as a region of 2.8 million people to ma e fighting our crime and iolence epidemic our number-one priority. I’m not sure how to make that happen, but whatever we do needs to be done together.

If you “own” the Blues’ Stanley Cup and the Cardinals’ glory and the Zoo and the Arch and the Symphony and the Nine Network and the Art Museum and Ted Drewes and everything else you love about St. Louis, you “own” the epidemic of child murders just as much as you “own” the good stuff. If that sentiment offends ou so be it: I don’t care what anyone thinks.

My casual friend from Ecuador didn’t ask me whether I lived in the city or county. He just wondered what St. Louis was like, and I had to pause before answering. By the way, when we got to the airport, we shook hands and I said, “St. Louis is a great place.

You should come visit some time.”

But we’ve got a lot of work to do. 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 Teen Guilty in Ken Allen’s Murder Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

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n Franklin County, a trio of addicts left Ken Allen face down and hog-tied on his own diningroom oor. hat was where his corpse was discovered on the morning of o ember 2 .

Since then, the case — the subject of a Riverfront Times cover story in 2018 — has taken a number of strange turns. llen was a robation o cer and the founder of a drug recovery center, and his violent death shocked the community and devastated his famil . ltimatel two of the suspects arrested in connection with his death were charged with in oluntar manslaughter.

Last week, Blake Schindler, who was seventeen at the time of the incident faced a murder trial. n hursda chindler was found guilty on four counts, including second-degree murder and felonious restraint. his wasn’t a straightforward rosecution. he grou that entered llen’s home in 2 included chindler’s sister hitne Robins, and her then-boyfriend and current husband imoth onish. ut obins and onish eventually pleaded guilty to a single charge of involuntary manslaughter in return for seven ears in rison.

During their plea hearings in ctober 2 onish and obins confessed their guilt — but at the same time, they maintained that their memories of the robbery were ha due to their drug use.

Indeed, hours after leaving Allen’s house in ashington on ovember 3, 2016, they had driven to t. ouis and e entuall the wound up in a strip mall parking lot in ni ersit it . he ’d stolen multiple credit cards and chec s belonging to llen. he were also e tremel high.

Robins overdosed in the parking lot and soon after onish o erdosed too. oth were re i ed

Blake Schindler was seventeen at the time of the killing. | FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE with arcan and arrested.

Schindler, too, was arrested in ni ersit it . ut instead of a plea deal, he took his case to trial and found himself facing counts of murder, robbery, burglary and acce ting stolen ro ert .

It was a trial, though, that the ran lin ount rosecutor’s ffice had long sought to a oid. Initiall ran lin’s to rosecutor obert ar s told llen’s famil that the assailants hadn’t directl strangled their target. ather in ar s’ ersion of e ents llen had been left restrained face down on the oor and the rosecutor suggested that the elderly man had suffocated after someone had put a nee in his bac . ut llen’s daughter allen fought ar s’ decision to offer the sweetheart lea deals. or one thing, the medical examiner had determined Allen had died of “ash ia from nec com ression. hen the case got e en stranger.

In a secretly recorded meeting with llen’s famil ar s claimed that it would be di cult to ma e a murder charge stick — but when pressed by the family, Parks revealed there was another reason he didn’t want to ta e the case to trial: Allen had been under investigation as a edo hile.

As detailed in the RFT cover stor llen’s friends and famil re ected the accusation. t the time of his death he’d been retired from his work as a drug treatment counselor, but he had continued to support a group of supposedly recovering addicts — among them, Blake Schindler and

Ken Allen. | COURTESY OF ALLEN FAMILY

chindler’s older brother. n the recording of the meeting held in e tember 2 ar s told the family that Allen had given young men money to buy drugs and had “enticed young men to come to his house for se . hat’s wh I don’t want to tr a felony murder,” Parks explained to the stunned family, “because then these people are going up on the stand and the ’re going to trash our dad. ut llen’s famil didn’t acce t ar s’ lan for a lea deal on involuntary manslaughter, and they denied that Allen had been a edo hile. In an case outside of ar s’ statements to the famil that da the issue of llen’s alleged predatory behavior never resulted in charges.

In 2018, Parks retired after twenty years as Franklin County rosecutor. It fell to the newl elected prosecutor, Matthew Becker, a former cop, to take up the case against chindler. nd et des ite ar s’ con-

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cerns the allegations of llen’s predatory behavior were never aired b chindler’s defense attorne at trial this wee .

Instead chindler’s la ton based defense attorney, Joseph Hadican, argued that prosecutors could not actually prove that his client participated in the robbery at llen’s house onl that he was with obins and onish hours later in ni ersit it . rosecutors though, used phone records to place Schindler within the region near llen’s home. he hone records also showed Schindler calling the numbers on the backs of llen’s credit cards.

Most damning, however, was the interview police conducted with hitne obins se eral hours after she’d been re i ed from an overdose — it was her second o erdose that wee . uring the interrogation, Robins described how the three of them went to llen’s house around 5 a.m. and that llen had let them inside. chindler she told the olice, had been there before and directed her to the drawer where she stole llen’s credit cards and other items.

“Blake told me to,” Robins said at one point, in a clip the prosecutors la ed for the ur . hen called as a witness last week, however, Robins had a different stor . he said she could barely remember the day of the robbery, but she was certain her brother hadn’t been at llen’s house on o ember 2 . he claimed that she couldn’t remember telling o cers an thing about the incident, including that Schindler had said, on the way to llen’s house that the were going to beat enn ’s ass.

I was hea il under the in uence, I died twice that day,” Robins said during testimony, referring to her o erdoses. he added that, due to her heavy drug use, she retained little memory from the last three years and noted that she was in rough shape during the interrogation.

“I said those things in the video,” she acknowledged, “but they also had to ee wa ing me u . uring the rosecution’s closing arguments, Becker told the jury that it was “undisputed” that Robins loved her little brother and wanted to protect him, but that her

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Pols, Clergy Press Gov on Gun Violence Written by

JAMES POLLARD

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his summer, thirteen children have been fatally shot in the cit of t. ouis. n August 30, local leaders responded to cries for help with a cr of their own. ur message is clear the e . arr l ra said. e are as ing Governor [Mike] Parson to do something. ra was art of a coalition of interfaith leaders and elected o cials calling for the Missouri governor to convene a special session on gun violence as t. ouis struggles with a string of child murders.

After Parson rejected previous calls for a special session, Progress omen and the t. ouis etropolitan Clergy Coalition organized the Friday morning press conference. Inside the ane abernacle CME Church, Congressman Lacy la an ed b state and cit politicians, as well as faith leaders from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities, outlined their goals. e ha e allowed a culture of easy access to guns to devolve into

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memory loss was “a convenient lie” to cover up the horrifying truth: Ken Allen had been strangled and beaten and left to die.

“She was there,” Becker told the ur . ut con enientl she can’t remember the beating he suffered.

In res onse chindler’s attorney, Hadican, used the closing arguments to emphasize Robins’ drug induced ha e during her damning interrogation with olice. e insisted to the ur that the rosecution hadn’t actuall ro ed chindler’s resence at the scene of the crime.

In the end, it took the jury less than 5 minutes of deliberation to reach a guilt erdict. sentencing hearing is scheduled for o ember . chindler faces a maximum sentence of 80 years in rison. n

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Clergy and politicians urged Missouri Govern Mike Parson to call a special session to address gun violence in St. Louis. | JAMES POLLARD an epidemic of gun violence,” Clay said. his is a ublic health emergenc and that’s how we need to approach it at all levels of government.

Echoing the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus, the group called for legislation allowing municipalities with high rates of gun violence to pass their own gun laws, independent of the state legislature. he also su orted a or da rewson who didn’t attend in her call to o erturn a 2 state law allowing nearly anyone to carr a gun free from restrictions. he grou also wants 2 million in emergency state funding for Cure Violence programs, as well as an emergency meeting between the governor and community stakeholders before the state legislature’s eto session begins on e tember . n ugust 2 arson called for a special session to clarify a tax on auto sales, a decision Clay slammed. arson has said the state legislature will consider gun reform when the next session begins in anuar . he grou howe er wants to see action now.

“If nineteen white children in the cit of t. ouis had been killed, we would not have to beg this governor, or any other elected o cial to act ra said.

At the federal level, Clay demanded the . . enate ass House bills that would increase bac ground chec re uirements. he ten term congressman also called for an assault wea ons ban. e . omm ierson r. the Missouri House Assistant Minority Leader, began his speech by acknowledging the grief of the classmates, friends and family of those children illed. e as ed the

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governor to trust the leadership of the t. ouis region to address their s ecific needs decr ing a one si e fits all a roach. ur go ernor has a di cult job, no doubt, as the chief executi e of this state ierson said. here are times in leadershi when you have to realize that a one si e fits all a roach does not wor . nd certainl when it comes to our gun legislation for this state a one si e fits all a roach is not wor ing. t. ouis irector of ublic afety Jimmie Edwards urged the governor to send state highway patrol into city limits, a measure Parson has said he is considering. Earlier this wee cit o cials offered in rewards for information leading to the arrest of those involved in the shooting deaths of four children, ages ten and younger. Edwards said that while the city has received many tips, they need more. his is the most im ortant ublic safety issue that confronts the cit of t. ouis at this time he said. here are man others but we have to address the house that is on fire. he house that’s on fire now is gun violence in the city of t. ouis.

Alderman Jeffrey Boyd (D-22nd ard said he is as ing reasurer ishaura ones to su ort him b setting aside million from the parking commission to expand the ure iolence initiati e. unded last wee b the cit the program is designed to calm tensions between gangs, identify highris offenders and treat them. It has led to reported decreases in crime of ercent in other cities.

But Boyd told the Riverfront Times that the initial funding would

only cover one and a half neighborhoods. e sa s mone from the parking meter fund could help them reach more neighborhoods, as well as provide additional incentive for people to come forward with ti s. he news conference which began in prayer, closed with words from faith leaders. e . r. ietra ise a er called for better education, saying that if we want the guns to be put down, we need to ut something else in eo le’s hands. Imam ilali acem reminded Parson that, in his faith, whoever saves one soul, has saved the whole of man ind. abbi usan al e who lost her own child to cancer, said that while her child was sic children li e a ier sanga, shot the day before school started were health . he sic ness that the died from is the culture around them,” al e said. he sic ness is the system that separates and destabili es families. he sic ness is the disparities in health care and our schools. he sic ness is the societ that values property and sales tax on automobiles and rofits o er the li es of these children. In m tradition we call this idolatry — to be more interested in property and rofit than life. he ball ra said is in the go ernor’s court. If arson does not act on what Gray calls a “moral obligation,” the pastor says more demonstrations ma come.

“Do we want to mobilize statewide o we’ e got a lot of other things to do,” Gray told the RFT. ill we mobili e statewide If necessar es. ut we’re ho ing that the governor will move, so that we don’t ha e to do it. n

Joseph Renick faces a first-degree murder charge. | COURTESY ST. LOUIS POLICE

First Arrest in Kid Killings Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

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ifteen-year-old Sentonio Cox was backing away with his hands in the air when a gunman shot him in the head, authorities say.

The suspected shooter, 54-year-old Joseph Renick of Bevo Mill, was charged on August 29 with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to a probable cause statement, Renick “pointed a revolver at Sentonio Cox as he was backing away from him in retreat with his hands raised. Defendant fired one shot in Cox’s head killing him.”

Renick was not legally allowed to have a gun because of a 2015 conviction for not paying child support, according to the charges.

The shooting happened on August 25 in the 7300 block of Vermont Street.

The account described in court papers doesn’t explain how Cox and Renick crossed paths, only that the teen was retreating when when was killed.

Cox was the third child that weekend and thirteenth in a year that has become so violent that it has caught the attention of presidential candidates and made national news.

Cox was also the second of his mother’s six children to be shot to death. An older son, eighteen-year-old Leland Butler, was killed two years ago.

“I really can’t explain,” mother Roxyzanna Edwards told KSDK after Cox’s death. “It’s like a nightmare that you can’t get over, like a bottomless pit.”

Renick was jailed at the St. Louis City Justice Center on $500,000 bond. n

Your music has a history!

Tuesdays SEPT 3–24 6–8pm Forest Park • Museum’s North Lawn mohistory.org/twilight-tuesdays

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WRECKAGE IN WAITING For people living and working in the path of University City Costco, the displacement is already underway

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By Danny Wicentowski nside a Costco, anything seems possible.

It is a monument within itself, a vastness of pallets and supersized packaging, aisles selling widescreen televisions and caskets and rotisserie chickens. And it is aston-

ishingly lucrative for both the corporation that owns it and any city that hosts it.

That is why, for the promise of a new Costco — and the expected in u of millions of dollars of desperately needed tax revenue — University City is willing to wager a chunk of its soul.

The $190 million project, dubbed “University Place” by Webster Groves-based developer Novus, would install a 158,000-square-foot structure to house the behemoth wholesale club just off the intersection of Interstate 170 and Olive Boulevard, one of the city’s most diverse commercial corridors.

Olive is a street of contrasts. It is home to numerous small businesses, and although it is among the densest urban stretches of St. Louis County, it is in disrepair. In many places, the areas between storefront and street are slabs of uneven concrete, the ground bulging and cracked, and cars often use these surfaces for parking, right there on the “sidewalk.” Pedestrians must find their own wa around.

But for years, what they also find on li e to their delight is a

ILLUSTRATION BY EVAN SULT FROM PHOTOS BY DANNY WICENTOWSKI

galaxy of immigrant-owned restaurants, making the street the closest thing the St. Louis region has to a Chinatown.

Driving west on Olive toward I-170, one passes an unassuming strip mall called Jeffrey Plaza, home to more than a dozen businesses, a celebrated sushi restaurant, a barbershop and an East Asian grocery. In 2018, the strip mall got a new owner: Novus Development.

In the renderings Novus submitted to the city that year, the entirety of the strip mall is erased within the vast boundaries of a parking lot and the Costco itself. The full project requires razing 67 homes, dozens of apartments, two churches and a school, among other things.

There are all very reasonable reasons to do this, University City o cials sa . unleashing millions in

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new tax revenue, they believe Costco can help revitalize slumping neighborhoods and protect the cit from future financial calamities. As part of the deal with Novus, University City committed 5 million in communit benefits earmarked for improvements in the Olive corridor and the northern, predominantly black Ward 3. There, neighborhoods remain in a stranglehold of bottomed-out home prices, and the communities are on a downward path of disinvestment and disrepair.

Not everyone is onboard. A spirited opposition movement raised alarm at the scale of displacement, including the loss of longstanding, successful small businesses. Despite vocal efforts, the project is now beyond the reach of its detractors. In June, the city council approved a development

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agreement with Novus, pledging $70 million in abated property taxes to help make the project more than just a rendering.

But while “University Place” remains a project that exists only on paper, the people living and working in its footprint are already feeling the squeeze. They can’t rent their buildings to tenants when they don’t know if they’ll be forced out, and they can’t sell their homes (or make plans to move to new ones) until Novus’ say-so. In more than a dozen interviews with University City residents, business owners, activists and cit o cials the icture that arises is one of a city stuck at the starting line, and several use the same word to describe their predicament: limbo.

On the ground, University City’s residents and businesses are facing these consequences alone, while Novus insists, with a combination of caution and confidence that the end is near. Novus tells RFT that it aims to finall start construction in the first uarter of 2 2 .

But the reality is that not even Novus is willing to guarantee that the ostco ro ect’s financing will come together. In the meantime, some in University City are anxiously waiting their payday and relocation. Others are just trying not to fall apart.

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or more than 30 years, Letha Baptiste has lived in a 900-square-foot house on Elmore Court, a cul-de-sac of houses built in the 1950s, many smaller than modern-day two-bedroom apartments. Along with Elmore, this corner of Ward 3 has three similar cul-de-sacs, or courts named a ower ichard and Orchard — and in Novus’ plan, all four are due for “redevelopment.”

“They’re all just like me,” Baptiste says of her neighbors. “We’re playing a waiting game.”

According to property records, o us through its a liate organization U. City LCC, has purchased four of the 54 houses within the “courts,” three on a ower and one on ichard.

However, Novus claims that it has already signed options to buy 90 percent of the residential properties within the project site, and that just nine homeowners remain uncommitted.

On Elmore, however, Baptiste has rebuffed Novus’ attempts to get her house.

“I can’t speak for anybody else,

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An apartment complex on Olive Boulevard and several others are to be razed and replaced by a retail center south of Costco. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI but I’ve been here for a long time.

I was expecting to stay here ’til my last days of life,” she says. “I never ever dreamed of having to move just because they wanted to do a big box store.”

Last year, Baptiste says she answered a knock at her front door.

On the other side was a representative from Novus, who told Baptiste that the development project would require the site cleared of existing structures (like her house) and readied for construction. Baptiste says she was offered an option contract to buy her home at a later date.

One of her neighbors got the same offer and eventually took it, she says. On Elmore and the other residential courts, home assessments generally land at about $70,000. While Novus never made a direct offer to Baptiste, she says that the prevailing rumor was that the developer was offering homeowners $150,000.

“My neighbor was telling me, ‘You need to make up your mind, because if you get whatever they’re offering, that’s good money,’” Baptiste says. “That’s good money to him. But not to me.”

Baptiste remembers feeling unconvinced and underwhelmed by Novus’ development, as well as the price they reportedly offered.

She didn’t see a good reason for the redevelopment project to uproot her neighborhood. She told the Novus representative, “I’m not interested.”

The Novus representative was,

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Councilman Stacy Clay says University City is committed to pouring millions in new tax revenue into Ward 3, where home values have never recovered from the recession. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI at first undeterred. he e t coming back every other week,” Baptiste says. “She even went as far as to bringing me a Christmas present, good nuts, so I ate them of course. I still said no to her.”

Across the street from Baptiste, Jeff Sharmey and his brother similarly rejected Novus’ offer. In an interview by phone, he says he simply doesn’t want to move. Despite the buyout offer and promised relocation assistance, he doesn’t see his finances stretching far enough to stay in town.

“There’s nowhere in University City that suits me for what I can afford,” he says.

Some might call being priced out of your own city an example of gentrification. harme ust calls it “a bunch of junk.”

“How does someone make someone move if they don’t want to move?” he asks angrily. “I think it’s a big waste, a waste for nothing, and it aggravates everything.”

And it was aggravation that met the city when, during a series of hearings in the spring and summer of 2 it first un eiled the plan to the public. During a four-hour public hearing in May, more than 700 people showed up, and more than a few let loose at the presence of Novus president

Jonathan Browne. Among other things, they demanded the city and Novus reach a Community Benefits greement add affordable housing to the project and conduct a ublic ote on the whole matter.

Through the jeering, in a scene caught on ideo rowne leaded with the crowd. “Listen to me, this is good for ou he said. o ou want me to wal awa few oices shouted es.

But Browne persisted. “I heard at least one no ’ that’s all I need he said. I’m not alone here.

By then, Novus and University it had been in tal s for more than a ear wor ing their wa through two rounds of ro osals to arri e at the final lan to redeelo 5 acres on a rime location near a ma or interstate. long with the cit ’s ma or and cit council some residents also saw o us as a boon. ne homeowner who li es in one of the courts and who as ed not to be identified b name sa s that he decided to sign an option contract with o us because it was an o ortunit to find something different. e ac nowledges that not e er one in the neighborhood feels the same wa . ut with his ids grown, he says that he and his wife were alread lanning to mo e out of ni ersit it . hen as ed about the rice he agreed to he declines to s ecif a number citing a confidentialit agreement he’d signed with o us.

I didn’t get e er thing I wanted he admits. I told o us if the gi e e er one 2 or more this would ha e been sol ed a long time ago. ime though isn’t on the side of e en those residents who ha e signed on to o us’ lan. he unnamed homeowner sa s he’s frustrated with o us’ deadlines which seem to disappear without reason. e com lains that he’s researched otential houses for future urchase onl to see them lea e the mar et while he waits on the de elo er. ac on Elmore a renter of one of the small homes tells the Riverfront Times that she’s onl recentl learned about the o us ro ect and worries that she may have to mo e in a matter of months. ud orland’s landlord has gi en her no notice or alert. he doesn’t now where she’ll mo e or if she’ll ualif for relocation assistance. he said the are going to hel relocate us but the ha en’t gi en us a date orland sa s. I don’t now the stor . I don’t now if the could come toda or tomorrow.

And so the waiting game stretches on. or ni ersit it o cials

Kathy Tripp, who saw what Novus did in Sunset Hills, sounded the alarm on a new project in University City. | BRIAN KING/@BKJPHOTODESIGN who bac the de elo ment it’s a game the cit can’t afford to lose.

O

n a recent unda ni ersit it ouncilman tac la ar s his in front of a two stor home on ellington enue in the center of ard . he house sandwiched between tid lawns and cris bric homes has been unoccu ied for ears. It is decorated with a handful of nuisance abatement orders. hen ro ert alues get deressed ou get a house li e this going for or la e lains. he onl reason it loo s as good’ as it does and here he emphasizes the sarcasm on the word good is because it was recentl cited. hen home alues lummet to the 5 le el la e lains ban s demure at ma ing loans lea ing the structures ri e for snatching b outside in estors who ha e no intention of li ing there or for that matter mowing the grass more than twice a year. ne of la ’s constituents a woman who li es down the street ulls u in a white sedan and rolls down her window to tal with her councilman. he shares some gossi about the house: arentl she sa s the house’s elderl owner mo ed and left it to a relati e li ing across the street. he relati es didn’t want to do a thing with it and sold it for 5 to an investor, sight unseen.

It ust dro ed all of our ro ert alues she sa s adding that the new owner has ne er been here since. la sa s similar e am les are cro ing u all o er ard . he hird ard to me is a classic middle neighborhood he

sa s. hese are generall frican merican fol s who ha e ride in their homes. hen ou ha e this d namic in the midst of fol s trying to maintain their communit tr ing to build e uit in their homes, trying to do that American dream thing it hurts. rom the house on ellington la dri es south crossing li e oule ard and into ard 2 where home alues are among the highest in University City. He passes two stor bric homes tid lawns and front doors with no isible nuisance orders. hese homes the ’re not a reciabl different from the homes on the street we were ust at la remar s. he ’re not man times larger but the ha e a greater alue because the ’re on the other side of li e. ust the fact alone irres ecti e of condition. bsent owners and acanc is a wides read roblem in the metro region. In t. ouis cit for instance the roblem has reached o erwhelming ro ortions with roughl acant homes and structures more than half condemned. In some arts of north t. ouis entire bloc s are gone the homes gutted b a combination of thie es andals fire and rot. la dri es east crossing li e and heading toward the border with ellston one of the most acanc riddled and o ert stric en neighborhoods in t.

Louis County. Here, the trees start to cave in on the street, and he passes what appears to have once been a one stor a artment comle now com letel abandoned. light doesn’t res ect municial borders he sa s. It ust ind of goes and where it sees an o ortunit it’s li e water. It ust intrudes and gets in. urrentl ard ma not loo demolished li e the worst stretches of t. ouis’ acanc crisis but la ma es the case that ni ersit it is being crushed b the combined forces of low home rices and ban mortgage olicies that continue to ee good bu ers out of ard . e worries that his neighborhoods will wither in an economic acuum becoming steadil abandoned and uncared for. his is wh la sa s he’s ho eful about the ostco de elo ment lanned on the far western border of his ward: hen the lan was first announced ublicl in ril 2 cit o cials touted a benefits ac age that earmar ed million s ecificall for ard im ro ements with .5 million coming as an u front a ment after ostco signs a lease. nother 5 million would go toward

While “University Place” remains a project that exists only on paper, the people living and working in its footprint are already feeling the squeeze.

They can’t rent their buildings to tenants when they don’t know if they’ll be forced out, and they can’t sell their homes (or make plans to move to new ones) until Novus’ say-so.

Continued on pg 18

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WRECKAGE IN WATING Continued from pg 17

improving the commercial corridor of Olive Boulevard.

In fact, former University City Community Development Director osalind illiams who hel ed kickstart and plan the project’s early stages, describes the entire retail development, including the Costco, as a kind of “diversion” from the real goal.

“The whole reason why I think everybody bought into this is the Third Ward did not recover from the recession,” she says. “This whole TIF thing was a little diversion from the fact that the Third Ward needs action and attention from the city now, before it’s really too late.” a increment financing or TIF, is a method that cities use to fund private development. The basic idea behind it is that if a city can argue an area is “blighted” – a technical designation that can mean as little as cracked sidewalks – then it can entice a developer with a TIF, which is derived from the area’s property taxes.

The city, in turn, can then issue bonds on the TIF, thus turning the future property tax revenue (which otherwise would go to fund things like schools and public safety) into present-day subsidies for the developer.

When it comes to University City, the council’s promised investment of $70 million in public funds would make up nearly 40 percent of the development’s total cost. While Novus and Costco are private entities, the proposed “University Place” is a mixture of public and private resources — and the ublic benefit illiams insists, would be most sharply felt in Ward 3.

But reversing Ward 3’s slide will take work. And lots of money. She suggests that, with $10 million, the city could buy out some of the investor-owned homes languishing in disrepair, or even subsidize developers to buy them and rehab the homes, thus increasing their value on the market to the point where a bank would actually be willing to provide a loan.

It will take more than just a “home improvement program,” Williams adds. The history of University City, and its Third Ward, is also a history of how the racist housing policies of segregation and Jim Crow extended into into “redlining,” which used the pretense of “blight” to deny loans to predominately black areas.

“The dynamics of redlining, the mortgage gap, low appraisals and

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For businesses inside the footprint, like Beyers Lumber & Hardware, relocation assistance will be set on a “case-by-case basis.” | DANNY WICENTOWSKI lac of confidence of e en homeowners trying to sell their house, it’s a dynamic that has to be reversed,” Williams continues. “It’s something that’s going to take a lot of wheels spinning at the same time.”

To begin the work in Ward 3, however, the development needs to start in earnest. Novus needs to raise $110 million on its own.

Until then, without Costco and the other proposed retailers, there is no money to pour into Ward 3.

As the months have dragged on, the project and its $70 million proposed investment have been dogged by controversy. To Williams, it’s a frustrating but familiar feature of publicly subsidized private development.

“When you try to add a component of ublic benefits to a rivate development, somehow no one wants to listen to why we are trying to do this,” she complains.

“There’s a mistrust that government would actually do anything that benefits an bod .

U

niversity City Councilwoman Paulette Carr is among the strongest backers of the proposed development. But last year, she discovered that one of the loudest call of dissent was actually coming from inside her own house. Literally.

Carr’s housekeeper, Kathy Tripp, and Novus go way back, and not in a good way. More than

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a decade ago, she opposed a proposed Novus shopping center in her own hometown of Sunset Hills. When she learned in 2018 the developer was planning another major project, this time in University City, she tried to warn Carr about Novus’ history. But the councilwoman had no interest in discussing the city’s development policies with the hired help.

According to Tripp, Carr “didn’t want to talk about it, so I stopped talking about it with her. But there was still this thing nagging at me.” She adds, “I just wanted to make sure they knew who they’re in business with.”

Tripp’s own business with Novus began in 2004, when the developer and the city of Sunset Hills embarked on a redevelopment project named Main Street at Sunset. It called for the redevelopment of 254 homes, among them the one occupied by Tripp. Along with other residents, she turned up to city meetings, pestered Novus’ Browne with questions and eventually made enough of a nuisance of herself to get quoted in news coverage, thereby drawing attention to Novus’ possible use of eminent domain in the project.

At the time, it was an open legal question as to whether eminent domain — a legal process that allows governments to compel the sale of property “for public use” — could be used to aid private devel-

opment. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court case of Kelo v. New London ended in a controversial 5-4 decision, with the court ruling that a development’s projected economic growth, including additional taxes generated and jobs created, met the standard for “public use.”

And suddenly, developers like Novus had a massive piece of leverage with which to negotiate with homeowners.

Sunset Hills approved $60 million in public funds, mostly through a TIF, and Novus’ next ste was to obtain financing for the $160 million shopping center and its anchor, reportedly a Macy’s. In 2005, with the project seemingly a done deal, Novus sent letters to homeowners under option contract, laying out a schedule of closings on their homes for the next month. The letters were signed by Novus’ president, Jonathan Browne.

With the end seemingly in sight, dozens of owners started to gut their homes, presuming that the structures would soon be demolished anyway for parking lot and retail space. The owners ripped out their air conditioning units, copper wires and anything of value. They took out new mortgages for new homes and made plans for their new properties.

Then the Sunset Hills project collapsed.

Continued on pg 19

Clearing a 50-acre footprint for Costco and the development will require demolishing 67 homes. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI

WRECKAGE IN WATING Continued from pg 18

The memories are still vivid for Tripp. In May 2018, she authored an op-ed published in the St. Louis Business Journal, titled, “University City development proposal mirrors failed Sunset Hills plan.”

As she had done with her employer, Carr, Tripp again attempted to raise an alarm about Novus, which she blamed for devastating her neighborhood thirteen years ago. She wrote: “Four days prior to Novus’ deadline to execute the home options, it announced its bank funding had collapsed and it would not be closing on the homes. While Novus insisted it was continuing to seek funding, the company never closed on a home, never again announced a tenant, and never built a thing at Main Street at Sunset … The residents of Sunset Manor saw only broken promises and a neighborhood ravaged by the threat of a development built on TIF money and eminent domain.” s a final stri e in 2 a udge ruled on a lawsuit filed b o onents to the Sunset Hills project, finding that a cost benefit anal sis given to the city hadn’t provided su cient information to e aluate whether the project was feasible. The judge struck down the $40 million TIF commitment as a

violation of Missouri law. ri had s ent ears fighting Novus. But for her employer, Carr, the op-ed represented something more nefarious. When Carr discovered Tripp’s writings, the cit o cial reacted decisi el . he fired ri b te t.

Two weeks later, in Carr’s monthly newsletter to constituents, she blasted Tripp by name amid a scorching, 5,000-word diatribe titled, “Are Outside Forces Threatening the ni ersit it ede elo ment Plan?” in which Carr insisted that not only was the city’s project not like the one that crashed and burned in Sunset Hills, but that the Sunset Hills failure had actually been perpetrated by those who now wanted to see Novus fail.

University City, Carr wrote, could not afford to see the project collapse in squabbles.

“For the last 50 years we have been talking about redeveloping Olive and for almost 20 years, no significant catal tic rede elo ment has taken place in University City,” Carr wrote, defending the use of TIF funds — and suggesting that the presence of opposition indicated the presence of “outside forces” threatening University City.

Ominously, Carr wrote that these threats were “not unlike the type of forces” that had helped end Novus’ development in Sunset Hills.

Tripp, though, insists that she

isn’t part of a nefarious force of development destroyers. “It was never my intent to go into University City and derail their project,” she says.

Still, six months later, Novus’ ro ect would indeed brie leave the tracks.

I

n January 2019, University City released its proposed redevelopment agreement with Novus, seemingl setting u the final steps before its approval by the city council. At this point, however, a retired engineer threw a wrench into things.

“When the plan came out, and I read it, and some things you gotta knock your head against the wall twenty times before you notice something,” says Gregory Pace, a University City resident and selfdescribed gad . I got to the cit revenues, and I saw the numbers were huge.”

The numbers had come from lanners a consulting firm hired by the city, and which had previously worked with Novus on multiple projects (including the disaster in Sunset Hills). PGAV’s report, issued that summer, showed ostco’s first ear of ro ected o erations as coming in 2020, with the countywide sales tax revenue for those properties in University City leaping year-over-year from $58,000 to a whopping $517,000.

Eventually (presumably on his

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21st re-re-reread) Pace spotted the error.

“I went ‘Oh my god!’” he says, “They thought we’re a point-ofsale city and that we’re going to keep 85 percent of the sales tax!”

Here’s what happened: PGAV calculated the projected sales tax revenue of the project over the next two decades, but got one key piece wrong. In reality, University City is a “pool city,” in that it, along with some other municipalities in St. Louis County, contributes 100 percent of their local sales taxes into a shared, countywide tax pool. In return, the county distributes the revenue to the pool members based on population.

(It’s a good deal for the densely populated University City, which gets more out of the pool than it puts in.)

But when PGAV ran the numbers, it presumed University City wasn’t a pool city, but a pointof-sale city that keeps most of its sales tax revenue at the outset.

It wasn’t a small mix-up. When ose ran the corrected numbers through the project’s two-decade lifespan, the revenue came out reduced by more than $20 million.

David Harris, a real estate attorney and University City resident, com iled the u dated financial tables and brought them to a city council meeting on January 14. By the end of the month, the council’s lanned ote to finali e the ro ect had been delayed, and its fate — and the promised $15 million for Ward 3 — hung in the balance.

“The error blew a hole in all those calculations,” Harris says.

It was the sort of mistake that, perhaps, Novus and the consultant PGAV would be expected to avoid. After all, during the Sunset Hills debacle, in which Novus had been sued by resident watchdogs, a judge had blasted the insufficient data in the ro ect’s cost benefit anal sis which had been produced for Novus and Sunset Hills by, yes, PGAV. Now, thirteen years after Sunset Hills, PGAV had (apparently accidentally) given a new city data that wasn’t ust insu cient but financiall unwor able for e er one. University City’s problem was multi lied b its romised benefit agreement for Ward 3. Now, with a giant hole in the city’s projected revenue, Harris and others wondered: Where would that $15 million come from now?

The question didn’t seem to bother Novus.

“Our end, I will say, is moving forward and fine rowne told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after the error was discovered. “All I can

SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2019

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Longtime University City resident Letha Baptiste says Novus isn’t paying residents in the path of the project enough to convince her to leave her home. “I’m not for it at all.” | DANNY WICENTOWSKI

WRECKAGE IN WATING Continued from pg 19

say is the request was economically sound a couple of weeks ago.

It is not economically sound today without adjustment.”

But even before the error was exposed, the development agreement between Novus and University City was already a subject of consternation: enters and businesses tenants say months passed without updates from Novus. And although city leaders had previously vowed, unequivocally, not to rely on eminent domain in order to clear homeowners from their ro erties that ortion of the final agreement now included an additional line: “Except as determined by the City Council in its sole and absolute discretion.”

To Harris, between the project’s clumsy public rollout, the errors in the revenue report and the ambiguit about romised benefits the situation called for University City to take a stronger role.

That didn’t happen.

“There’s just something fundamentally wrong about this,” Harris says. “It seems to be more to benefit a ri ate de elo er and ostco one of the biggest corporations in the country, which gets this huge subsidy to come into the city.”

In May, University City and Novus announced a new development agreement — with the most significant changes made to the benefits slated for ard and the Olive corridor. Now, instead of $7.5 million up front, Novus would chip in just $3 million. Instead of the $500,000 annual payments, Novus would guarantee only up to

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$200,000 per year. (The remaining mone would be filled in b other new taxes and revenue generated on Olive, the city promised.)

On June 10, the University City council unanimously approved the $190 million development deal, complete with $70 million of the city’s future property taxes and the possibility of eminent domain being wielded by the city council’s “sole and absolute discretion.”

Harris, though, argues that aside from not ma ing financial sense, the deal presents an impossible scenario for residents.

In nearly every way that matters, their future is out of their hands.

“I think about the people who are stuck in the middle,” Harris says. “It pits neighbor against neighbor, business against business, tenants against owners. And the city allows it to happen.”

At this point, with Novus wrapped in the opaque process of obtaining financing arris says University City should be supporting its residents even more, not standing on the sidelines and waiting, like everyone else, for another update from the developer.

“The city is saying, ‘This is just between buyers and sellers, we’re not involved,’ but that’s not the way it is,” he argues. “The people who put these residents in that situation are the developer and the city. It’s put them in a limbo.”

O

n a visit to Jeffrey Plaza in July, there’s little evidence of the change in ownership.

Still, one shop owner (who asks not to be named) presides over a storewide sale, a sign of his impending move.

“Everybody’s lease is up,” he says. “They don’t know what’s going to happen, and they don’t know when it’s going to happen.”

When Novus bought the strip mall in 2018, he explains, tenants found that new leases were being offered only in six-month intervals. It was frustrating for the small businesses of Jeffrey Plaza, but certainly made sense for Novus: The new landlord hoped the strip mall would soon be obliterated to make way for Costco’s construction. The stores were just in the way.

By August, the sale is over, and the storeowner’s shop is vacated, leaving one less business for Nous to deal with when it’s finall time to clear out Jeffrey Plaza. But the owner’s summary of the predicament with Novus — no information, no timeline — is echoed the critiques emanating from other small businesses in University it ’s uno cial hinatown.

Many of the businesses affected in University City — particularly those run by immigrants and nonnative English speakers — had been blindsided by the news, says Caroline Fan, executive director of issouri Immigrant and efugee Advocates, which arranged for translators and produced Spanish and Chinese versions of

Novus’ president, Jonathan Browne, hopes to start construction in the first quarter of 2020. | NOVUS DEVELOPMENT the project’s documents.

“It’s been kind of stunning how bad University City has been in giving businesses any kind of update,” Fan says. “It’s been a non-transparent, non-respectful process.”

And, at least during the initial public hearings, immigrantowned businesses started speaking out. In a June 2018 interview, a spokesman for the family-run Vietnamese eatery Pho Long, located in Jeffrey Plaza, told RFT contributor Alison Gold that when he reached out to University City,

the response was that it was “not feasible” to update business owners directly.

Six months later, when University City Councilwoman Paulette Carr released her scathing newsletter defending the Costco project (while blasting “outside forces” opposing it) she cited a supporter’s calculation that it would take “more than 200 Pho Longs to equal the taxable revenue of Costco.”

The math is hard to argue with.

For businesses in the redevelopment zone, the writing on the wall is clear. Multiple businesses have left or are in the process of exiting University City. But for property owners like Max Tsai, whose famil owns significant chun s of real estate within the proposed development, including an urgent care and grocery, the process has been at a standstill for years. ccording to sai o us first approached him back in 2017, but he was offered only an “option to purchase.”

“For us, that didn’t make sense,” Tsai says. “It wasn’t a real negotiation. They’re concerned about how much they’ll make and not concerned about how much we’re going to lose.”

Ed Beyers, the owner of Beyers Lumber & Hardware, says the ambiguity has left his business on the

chopping block with no apparent solution.

“You can’t make any decision, because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” he explains.

“It’s been that way for a year and a half. I don’t care which way it goes, just so they make their damn mind up. I’m sick of it.”

Next door to Beyers’ business, his longstanding tenant, a BMW repair businesses called Belgian Inc., has already made contingency plans to leave. In an interview, owner ohn a lair confirmed that “we’re moving because of” the coming development. LeClair’s business, which counts nine employees, has called University City home since 1989.

“If Novus is coming through, they’re tearing my building down,” he says, adding that he only bought a new location after seeing Novus’ first ro ected timeline which scheduled demolition to start in November 2018. He doesn’t envy the people whose futures remain pinned to Novus’ timing.

“Their lives are in limbo,” LaClair says, noting that he’s already paid $150,000 to prepare the new location, including $12,000 just to reinforce the oors to hold the car lifts.

“I needed to protect my employees,” he explains. “If the Costco Continued on pg 23

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in areas like Afton, Maplewood, and South City,” said Hayden.

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Gallery Villas is hosting an Open House on Sept. 7th & 8th, 1-3 PM. Attend for an opportunity to get a sneak peek of the villas! To schedule an interview with a member of the Gallery Villas team, contact 314-421-4500 or email galleryvillas@ stlluxury.com.

ADVERTORIAL 22

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WRECKAGE IN WAITING Continued from pg 21

does im ro e the area then fine.

If it doesn’t, and it all goes to hell, it’s a bad thing. I could not go into this unprepared.”

W

hen it comes to University City and Novus, the unknowns seem to accumulate. As Tsai and other business owners twist in the wind, the concerns raised by the watchdogs like Kathy Tripp, David Harris and Gregory Pace remain unresolved.

But in an interview last week, Novus’ president, Jonathan Browne, provided the most optimistic timeline to date, telling RFT “we’re weeks away from triggering the contracts for closing” with the roughly 70 homeowners in the 50-acre development site.

So far, Browne says that Novus has already spent $8 million on the project. Like everyone involved, he’s eager to get construction started — but he knows the danger that eagerness can bring to a project.

“I feel like I’m holding back a team of anxious horses here,” he jokes, at one point, but he acknowledges the danger of overconfidence. i e ri he hasn’t forgotten the damage wrought in Sunset Hills, where, he says, “people got their carts before their horses, even though we were telling them not to.”

It’s the risk of repeating Sunset Hills, Browne explains, that’s partially behind Novus’ hesitance in publicizing projected timelines and deadlines.

“We are right on the cusp of hitting the ‘go’ button, and it’s hard to get people to not jump the start,” he says. “I know it’s excruciating to wait this long, and we’ve come a long way, but we don’t want anyone doing anything before closing. We cannot give them any inclination that this is a guaranteed thing.”

Addressing critiques from business owners, Browne counters that Novus is already “bending over backwards” to negotiate fair prices. In Jeffrey Plaza, he notes, Novus has committed to delaying demolition of the strip mall until a new retail site is built to host the relocated businesses.

But considering the fact that businesses and tenants in the development site are already leaving, it’s not clear how many businesses are willing to trust Novus. It’s also not clear whether it ma es financial sense for those businesses to stick around: According to the re-

development agreement, Novus is prohibited from raising the rents on the former Jeffrey Plaza tenants — for two years. After that, the businesses will face “an increase to market rental rate.”

Ultimately, Browne says that beyond the commitment to delay demolition of Jeffrey Plaza, the struggles of its tenants aren’t his company’s problem.

“Jeffrey Plaza is no prize,” he says. “That is old, dated, worn-out space, and we’re going to put them in modern space. I just smirk when people talk about ‘ruining the fabric’ of these wonderful restaurants.

We’re accommodating them.”

Still, while defending his company’s practices, Browne maintains that the efforts will indeed pay off, especially for Ward 3 and its real estate values. He calls the increased sales taxes generated by the development — estimates included in city planning documents show projected taxable revenue from a ostco’s first ear of o eration topping $60,000,000 — “a bonus for the entire community.”

In the meantime, Novus continues its secret negotiations with residents and businesses, though it appears the developer is bringing more pressure to bear on those still holding out.

According to a June letter that Novus sent to homeowners signed to option contracts, the developer reassured residents “who partnered with us in the past” that they would not see their prices lowered, despite the fact that the deal with the city was renegotiated, and that eminent domain was now clearly on the table as a method of last resort.

But for the rest of homeowners in the development footprint, that isn’t the case.

“For those neighbors who are not under contract, we would encourage them to quickly reach out to our o ce and discuss the letter stated, and warned that those “who are waiting to sign [and] attempting to force a higher sales price need to understand that there is much less available to offer than there was in our budget a year ago.”

The reason for that budget cut?

It’s not just the threat of eminent domain. The letter directly blamed “the $23 million error due to the city’s consultant.”

The project marches on. City leaders say Ward 3 is ready for its comeback, and Novus insists “University Place” won’t become another Sunset Hills. But once again, it seems, Novus’ costs and University City’s blunders have been passed to the residents, who can only wait, and worry, for the full bill to come due. n

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FILM

25

[REVIEW]

Secret Disservice Angel Has Fallen is too stupid to carry out its mission as a thriller Written by

MARYANN JOHANSON Angel Has Fallen Directed by Ric Roman Waugh. Written by Robert Mark Kamen, Matt Cook, Ric Roman Waugh, Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt. Starring Gerard Butler, Jada Pinkett Smith, Piper Perabo and Morgan Freeman. Now playing.

G

ood news, everyone! Angel Has Fallen — the uncalledfor threequel to the Nuremberg rallies that are Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen — isn’t as overtly, obnoxiously rah-rah pro-America propaganda as its predecessors.

Instead, it’s mostly just a sad retread of The Fugitive — also utterly uncalled for — that is dumb, pointless and laughably unable to convince us that Gerard Butler is an acceptable stand-in for Harrison Ford for us to empathize with, worry about and/or thirst after.

Perhaps even worse, Angel has Jada Pinkett Smith (!) as the FBI agent after fugitive Butler, and while she has the potential to be a Tommy Lee Jones-level, no-fucksgiven badass antagonist here, the movie has no interest in that.

This time around, Butler’s Secret Service agent, Mike Banning, is framed for an assassination attempt on President (again) Morgan Freeman and has to go on the run in order to prove his innocence and find the real miscreants, who are entirely obvious from their first seconds onscreen.

I won’t spoil it, but if you cannot immediately pick out the Bad Guys “hidden” among everyone else, you are even stupider than this movie hopes you are. Yes, I am saying it: Angel Has Fallen is the sort of movie that is, to all appearances, designed to make stupid people feel smart, by “letting” ou figure out whodunit while

Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is the president’s (Morgan Freeman) human shield, so killing him would put Mike out of work, right? | JACK ENGLISH acting like there’s any mystery at all. Angel Has Fallen may avoid the worst of the jingoism this time, but it has no problem with attering an audience that it resumes is imbecilic.

In case you don’t understand who the “angel” is who has “fallen” here, an ostensible news report in voiceover will explain that onthe-run Banning is the president’s disgraced “guardian angel,” a designation never previously heard in reference to the Secret Service, but whatevs; let’s justify the movie’s title. Also there are characters telling Banning — and, by extension, us — that “looks can be deceiving” and “I just don’t know who to trust anymore” to prime you for looks being deceptive, even though they aren’t, and not knowing who to trust, even though you can instantly tell who not to trust.

There could have been a bit of suspense and surprise if the movie even went through the motions of pretending that maybe Mike Banning might have been trying to take out the American president, because we all know that that could be a thing these days. Mike Banning, so virtuous and stolid! He could have a legitimately honorable reason for — ahem! — wanting to take out the supposed leader of the free world.

This is the sort of movie in which everything is precisely what it seems to be, even when that makes literally no sense whatsoever.

But nope. It’s all a completely transparent setup, and President Morgan Freeman can today only be seen as a throwback to a more dignified time of sa three ears ago, his stateliness and, you know, ability to host a coherent press conference reminders of a saner world, when it would have been almost unthinkable for someone to want to take out a president over mere political disagreement.

But yeah, Angel Has Fallen is the sort of movie in which everything is precisely what it seems to be, even when that makes literally no sense whatsoever. There’s a deeply bizarre scene here in which the newly on-the-run Mike

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is confronted by (white male) members of the “Pine Mountain Militia,” eager to citizen’s arrest him for the attempted assassination of (checks notes) a black U.S. president who wants to cut off the gravy train that private military contractors have enjoyed in the 21st century. In the real world — our world, and the one this movie thinks it exists in — these ammosexual assholes would much more likely want to help fugitive Mike for, as far they know, trying to kill a acifistic robabl en an born illegitimate president. Instead they want to apprehend him?

The levels of political and cultural cluelessness of this movie are a alling. he horrific bod count among the anonymous cops and other law enforcement figures who respond during Angel’s many action sequences appalls even me.

I may be very much all “fuck the police” these days, but I remember when there was a basic level of respect for the ordinary Joe and Jane in uniform. However unwarranted that may have been, this movie hasn’t the first clue about wh that might be or why it has been lost.

Angel somehow manages to be both pro-authoritarian and antiauthoritarian at the same time. As someone wise I know likes to say, “Piss or get off the pot.” n

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CALENDAR

BY PAUL FRISWOLD

FRIDAY 09/06 Going Rogue rtist te hanie uco was born in anila and immigrated to the nited tates with her famil when she was three ears old which ga e her an merican education and an immigrant’s e e for our national blinds ots. It’s these blinds ots that inform the art in her e hibition Stephanie Syjuco: Rogue States which o ens with a free rece tion at .m. rida e tember at the ontem orar rt useum t. ouis 5 ashington oule ard www.camstl. org . he title of the show comes from her installation of 22 ags that were used to re resent the ags of made u nations in arious merican films. lso in the e hibit is her large scale installation Neutral Calibration Studies (Ornament + Crime) which comrises artifacts re resenting both coloni er and coloni ed societies. ultural ob ects such as wic er chairs and traditional rugs uco urchased online cardboard cutouts of eo le and actual artifacts are mi ed together in a larger than life diorama. estled in the bac ground is a color hotogra h of the stone age tribe of the asada found on a remote island in the hili ines in the earl s who were actuall modern eo le osed b a hotogra her.

Rogue States continues through ecember 2 and the museum is o en ednesda through unda .

Coping Mechanisms om oser ic i rant and director innette arroll made histor with their musical Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope. The reue was the first roadwa show written and directed b blac women. he show’s songs are inters ersed with a little bit of dialogue the to ics ranging from the inalienable right of blac eo le to e ist ame Is an to the list of white anno ances bad bosses nast cler s at the unem lo ment o ce that o ulate the title trac .

Don’t Bother Me has been raised as a combination of bloc art

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Stephanie Syjuco: Rogue States, 2018, installation view, This Site is Under Revolution at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, June 6–July 12, 2018. | COURTESY THE ARTIST and re i al and while the s ma be long gone most of the issues remain rele ant. he lac e o ens its rd season with the high energ musical. erformances are at .m. hursda .m. rida and aturda and .m. unda e tember to 22 at ashington ni ersit ’s Edison heatre 5 ors th oule ard www.theblac re .org . ic ets are 5 to 5 .

SATURDAY 09/07 Lo, Two Angel Approaches ime mo es incredibl uic l . his ast ril e ertor heatre t. ouis artistic director te en oolf ste ed down after helming the ast seasons. his e tember incoming artistic director ana . harif embar s on her first season with the e . harif’s

SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2019

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season o ening show is definitel a statement iece: on ushner’s Angels in America: Parts One and Two. he ulit er and on award winning drama tells the simultaneous stories of the earl da s of the I crisis a oung ga cou le haunted b the new lague a oung ormon cou le whose marriage is on sha ground and the last da s of hard bitten law er o ohn. ddiction cowardice lust for ower and the fear of being true to ourself all factor into the groundbrea ing drama. he e ertor heatre t. ouis resents Angels in America: Parts One and Two in re ertor and on select da s bac to bac uesda through unda e tember to ctober at the oretto ilton enter of the erforming rts Edgar oad www.re stl.com . ic ets are 2 to .5 .

The Origin of Love te hen

ras

and

ohn

am-

eron itchell’s film ada tation of their musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch was a o when it was released in 2 . merica ust wasn’t read for the stor of edwig a gender ueer erformer from East erman who was stranded in ansas after a failed marriage. he release of the film became a cult classic howe er than s to ras ’s sublime songs and itchell’s incredible erformance as edwig. In the film edwig’s faith in the transformati e ower of roc roll ee s them a oat in the fields of ansas. hat faith also hel s lift fellow outcast omm into a wider world and together omm and edwig are gonna noc roc on its ass. ut omm runs off with all of edwig’s beautiful songs and becomes a huge star on his own. nce again edwig is stranded trailing omm ’s er successful tour with the much less successful band the ngr Inch la ing cra seafood laces to

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 5-11 . eim heatre outh e er oad ir wood www.stagesstlouis.org . ic ets are 25 to 5.

Margaret Atwood goes to the movies to talk about her new novel The Testaments. | LIAM SHARP Tommy’s arenas. The Reel Late film series resents Hedwig and the Angry Inch at :55 .m. rida and aturda e tember and at the andmar i oli heatre 5 elmar oule ard www.landmarktheatres.com). ic ets are .

se eral la s at once it’s a tric mirror of a show. tages t. ouis closes its season with itch eigh oe arion and ale asserman’s e tended arable about the ower of dreams and the horrors of reality. Man of La Mancha is erformed uesda through unda e tember to ctober at the obert

arcus onnies ine 5 2 outh indbergh oule ard arcus es eres ine 2 anchester oad es eres and the hesterfield hesterfield all hesterfield . or more information isit www.fathome ents. com. ic ets are . .

TUESDAY 09/10 Mother of the Handmaid

Alive and Kicking

If ou can belie e it argaret twood’s 5 no el The Handmaid’s Tale was considered science fiction than s to its near future d sto ian setting. hirt four ears of er ersel regressi e merican olitics ha e made it more of a roadma to our current nightmare than an one e ce t twood could ha e imagined. he anadian author’s long awaited se uel The Testaments is being ublished this ear and to mar the occasion twood a ears in nationwide simulcast Margaret Atwood: Live in Cinemas. uthor and broadcaster amira hmed will inter iew twood about her career and work, and why she chose now to return to ffred and the land of ilead while se eral s ecial guests will read from The Testaments. The inter iew can be seen locall at .m. uesda e tember at

a or eague occer returns to t. ouis in 2 22 but if ou can’t wait that long for hot soccer action the U.S. Men’s National Team isits town at .m. uesda e tember for an international friendl with the rugua an ational eam. his is the final tune u for the mericans before the ations eague an international tournament that won’t see its cham ionshi until une 2 2 . hile this articular match doesn’t come with an real sta es it is scheduled to feature t. ouis nati e osh argent in his first game with the national team. lso on the roster is hristian ulisic erha s the most d namic and inenti e la er of his generation. he . . and rugua an teams la at usch tadium lar enue www.ussoccer.com and tic ets are 5 to 5 . n

SUNDAY 09/08 Dreaming Freedom In the musical Man of La Mancha nothing is uite what it seems. iguel de er antes a man who has failed at se eral careers ends u in rison courtes of the anish In uisition. he other risoners want to ri e through his belongings but the leading risoner suggests a trial instead with the old man relin uishing his goods if he’s found guilt . er antes’ defense ta es the form of a la within the la in which he becomes a si teenth centur nobleman who has gone mad and thin s he’s on ui ote night errant. he risoners become actors within the la all oining to tell a stor that im lies following one’s dreams leads to ha iness and true freedom but the dream of all risoners is to regain their freedom isn’t it orlds within worlds actors in

The Repertory Theatre St. Louis opens its new season — and era — with Angels in America: Parts One and Two. | PETER WOCHNIAK

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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.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

$20, 6PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

$20, 7PM AT THE READY ROOM

MAY'S NIGHT MARKET

FRUITION, TK & THE HOLY KNOW-NOTHINGS

REBIRTH BRASS BAND

6PM AT THE READY ROOM

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

BLACKWATER 64 ALBUM RELEASE PARTY w/THAMES & FLUORESCENT $10, 6PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

PUNK VS METAL: ALL OUT ATTACK!!

BASTARD VS BASTARD SQUAD 7PM AT THE READY ROOM

BAD SUNS

7PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

EMPRESS OF

$18, 8 PM AT THE READY ROOM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

RE-ELECT SHERIFF VERNON BETTS

4130 MANCHESTER AVE. IN THE GROVE FIRECRACKERPIZZA.COM

CAMPAIGN KICKOFF

JUST B TOUR

5:30PM AT THE READY ROOM

$25, 8PM AT THE READY ROOM

TREEHOUSE, PARLOR MEETUP

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

6PM AT PARLORSTL

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

PINK SWEAT$

$15, 7PM AT THE READY ROOM

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

SPOONFED TRIBE W/ SURCO $12, 6PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON:

LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS W/ NEAL FRANCISL $20, 7PM AT THE READY ROOM

RHEA BUTCHER

DREAMGIRL AT THE BOOTLEG

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

$20, 7PM AT THE READY ROOM

THE MIDNIGHT

$59, 7PM AT THE READY ROOM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

2019 COMPASS IMPROV FESTIVAL 6PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

$7, 8PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

WIZARD FEST

$10, 7PM AT THE READY ROOM

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

WALKER LUKENS, LE’PONDS $10, 8PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

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CAFE

31

[REVIEW]

A Real Catch Bait stuns with an upscale approach to seafood Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Bait 4239 Lindell Boulevard, 314-405-2797.

Wed.-Sat. 4-11 p.m. (Closed Sunday through Tuesday.)

O

n the surface, Kalen Hodgest seems like an unlikely restaurateur. A real estate investor and home healthcare service owner by day, he didn’t seek out the restaurant business as much as it fell in his lap while he was out looking for properties to house his other endeavors. When he came across the three-story building at 4239 indell oule ard he figured that it would make a perfect headquarters for his businesses. That it came with a first oor restaurant space was simply a bonus.

For Hodgest, his strong entrepreneurial spirit drove him to view the arrangement as another business opportunity. A lover of all things seafood, he lamented St. Louis’ lack of options, especially ones that evoked the swanky, boutique vibes of the restaurants he liked to frequent on his travels to other cities. etermined to fill this gap in the market, he began making a mental list of all the things that were important to him in a restaurant: fresh ualit fish dramatic presentation, an upscale, lounge-like atmosphere, good music. Brainstorming his wish list was easy. He thought the hard art would be finding someone with the restaurant know-how to help him bring that vision to life. ut finding the right erson turned out to be quite easy. As a regular diner at the former SoHo Restaurant + Lounge in the Grove, Hodgest became well acquainted with its executive chef, Ceaira Jackson. The two connected over food, so it was natural that he’d reach out to her when he decided to launch his own place. Together, they sketched out a menu and

The “Flaming Wicked Prawns,” which arrive in a flaming cauldron, are as delicious as they are entertaining. | MABEL SUEN crafted a vision, so they would have a winning concept unlike anything else in town when the time was right.

It would take them nearly four years to turn those initial restaurant dreams into Bait. Though Hodgest purchased the building in 2015, it took a long time to close. In the meantime, he was busy running his other businesses while Jackson went on to work at the now-shuttered Fleur de Lilies and launch Culture Catering with Fleur de Lilies co-owner Misha K. Sampson. Through it all, they never gave up on their dream and were finall able to o en the doors to Bait this past February.

Hodgest spared no expense when it comes to Bait’s aesthetics.

True to his vision for a swanky spot, Bait is a monumental departure from the space’s former occupants, Sol Lounge and the Grind Coffeehouse. Plush, pastel teal velvet chairs, black marble tables and contemporary artwork hanging from its taupe-colored walls give the feeling that you are dining in someone’s elegant home.

Bait is the only fine-dining establishment I’ve encountered with a customer base as diverse as the city itself.

Chandeliers cast a warm glow throughout the space, and candlelight dances off a glass-fronted wine wall that lines one of the rooms. Even small details come together to create an upscale feel, including gold colored atware and elegant glass-covered orchid arrangements.

Hodgest describes the environment as a “boutique restaurant,” and you understand this description the moment you walk through the doors. The restaurant feels dif-

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ferent than any other restaurant in town, not simply because of looks, but because it’s the onl fine dining establishment I’ve encountered with a customer base as diverse as the city itself. It’s so refreshing to witness a truly inclusive dining room in an industry that is still, unfortunately, so segregated.

This alone is reason to root for Bait, but its stunning food bolsters the case. Less a seafood restaurant than a temple to the ocean’s bounty, Bait dazzles with presentations that come up to the line of over-the-top without ever crossing them. This is because there is substance behind the style.

“Flaming Wicked Prawns” are show the come out in a aming cauldron, for goodness’ sake. owe er their tender esh bobs in an aromatic rosemary- and ginger-infused beer broth that teems with peppercorns that pop in the mouth. he shellfish is ser ed head-on but halved lengthwise so you get the pleasure of those extra a or bits without the mess.

Ceviche, one evening’s off-

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The Caribbean red snapper is served as a whole fish, breaded and fried, and it is one of several must-try dishes. | MABEL SUEN

BAIT

Continued from pg 31

the-menu special, is positively electrifying. Large cubes of mahimahi are cured with mouth-puckering citrus juice and dressed with slivers of jalapeños and fresh herbs then served with crispy wonton stri s for di ing. he fish is meaty and shockingly fresh — a dish so outstanding you’d swear you were eating it beachside and not in the middle of the heartland.

Shoestring fries, covered with lobster meat and a un in ected aioli are a delicious first course.

My one complaint is that they needed more lobster meat. The crab cake did not have that issue.

Though I prefer the colossal hunks of a Maryland-style version, this one was loaded with lump crab meat with only minimal breading and thankfully tasted fresh (as o osed to that tinn a or that so is often present in canned crab meat). A subtle back beat of Cajun spice permeated the crab cake, which was a nice complement to the accompanying black bean and corn salsa.

Duck Rangoon may be a departure from the seafood theme, but it is a worthy offering on Bait’s appetizer menu. The meat is bound with cream cheese, not overtaken b it. he result is a filling that is akin to duck rillettes, its richness cut with a bright mango-chili dipping sauce.

Executive chef Ceaira Jackson has been planning the menu for years. | MABEL SUEN Bait’s main courses range from sandwiches to full-blown seafood feasts, each one more impressive than the next. Alligator tacos are more than just a novelty; the tender, “tastes like chicken” meat is battered and overstuffed into a warm our tortilla with a un spiced aioli and a slaw of cabbage and fresh herbs. You get three to an order, though they are so massive you will likely stop at one — not

that their wonderful a or ma es it easy to exercise such restraint.

Fish and chips could bring a tear to the eye of a British pub owner.

Massive hunks of succulent whitefish are battered in a uff batter evocative of a funnel cake. In place of chi s the fish is ser ed on a bed of roasted fingerling otatoes dressed in shallots and capers, touches that would almost render the rich tartar sauce and hot sauce

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irrelevant if they weren’t so wonderful in and of themselves.

Bait serves a Connecticut-style lobster roll, meaning its meat is poached in butter and stuffed into a pillow-soft bun evocative of e as toast. hough the a or was there the shellfish was on the tough side. The restaurant’s Caribbean red snapper, however, was a show sto er. he whole fish roughly fourteen inches long, is breaded and fried, its succulent meat fresh and simply seasoned.

The dish comes with Caribbeanspiced rice and an array of sauces, but no matter how a orful the are, the fundamental simplicity of the erfectl coo ed fish is the highlight of the plate.

As impressive as the snapper is — and everything that came before it — nothing prepares you for the grandeur of Bait’s seafood boil. Crab, shrimp and andouille sausage are served in a simmering cauldron of buttery, Cajun-spiced broth; it’s a nectar so intoxicating I found myself lapping it up by the s oonful e en after I’d fished out all of the seafood. The most wonderful part of the experience is plunging your spoon underneath the brothy surface and scraping the caramelized bits of seasoning, garlic and butter solids off the bottom of the bowl, then using this as a tapenade for the crab meat, potatoes or corn. It’s breathtaking.

Bait’s impressive desserts come courtesy of Tyler Davis. A rising star in the St. Louis pastry scene, Davis brings theatrics as much as substance to the restaurant’s pastry program. The s’more is particularly impressive; the marshmallow uff graham crac er and molten chocolate are served with a glass covering that is removed as soon as it hits the table. Inside the glass, wood smoke swirls around, infusing the components with smo a or and gi ing diners the feeling that they are sitting around a cam fire.

All of this comes with a price point that matches its upscale ethos. Bait is not cheap, far from it. Entrees range from $20 to $60 — a price that is commensurate with the e ense of ing in fresh seafood, but one that is not exactly suitable for a casual Wednesday night dinner. Hodgest is taking a risk with those prices, but as a businessman, he knows he has the product to back it up. After all, an experience as wonderful as Bait is utterly priceless.

Bait “Flaming Wicked Prawns” ....................... $17 Alligator tacos .......................................... $13 Seafood boil ............................................. $45

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FEATURED DINING SEDARA SWEETS

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In May of 2019, Sedara Sweets joined the community of Affton. Sedara serves a variety of baked goods including fifteen types of baklava—both Iraqi and Turkish. Just like the name says, Sedara sells ice cream, using products from Wisconsin-based Cedar Crest, and milkshakes. The cafe offers a small savory menu featuring breakfast bread, falafel and shawarma sandwiches, with rotisserie versions of beef or chicken both on offer. Whether you are looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth, or a new option for lunch and dinner, Sedara has you covered. “We want to have something for everybody” Sedara Sweets is both family owned and operated. They offer dine in and take out food services, as well as an amazing Baklava gift box that can be ordered online, or even delivered! Owners George and Esraa Simon look forward to meeting their new neighbors and sharing some of their favorite dishes with the community!

Located on both Page Avenue, as well as the upcoming location in the Saint Louis Galleria, Cluster Busters hopes to provide Saint Louis with high quality seafood at affordable prices. Cluster Busters offers both dine in and carry out seafood, with recipes from Chef Deion Woodard. You will find all your favorites dishes such as seafood, pasta, gumbo, and fried fish. Whether you want to try their flagship “Cluster Buster” or the Lobster Mac and Cheese, Cluster Busters offers something for everyone. Since 2017, Cluster Busters continues to grow as part of a staple of the North Saint Louis community, and is very excited to bring their offerings to the Galleria. Keep an eye out for menu additions as well as daily specials. Cluster Busters is also available for catering and private events, so consider them for your next event. At Cluster Busters, you’re invited to come catch this drip!

POKE DOKE

POKEDOKESTL.COM

CARNIVORE STL CARNIVORE-STL.COM

314.449.6328 5257 SHAW AVE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63110 Carnivore fills a nearly 4,000-square-foot space on The Hill with a dining area, bar lounge, and adjoining outdoor patio gracefully guarded by a bronze steer at the main entrance. Always embracing change, Joe and Kerri Smugala, with business partners Chef Mike and Casie Lutker, launched Carnivore STL this summer. As the Hill’s only steakhouse, Carnivore offers a homestyle menu at budget-friendly prices appealing to the neighborhood’s many families. Steak, of course, takes center stage with juicy filet mignon, top sirloin, strip steak and ribeye leading the menu. Customize any of the succulent meats with sautéed mushrooms, grilled shrimp, or melted housemade butters, such as garlic-and-herb and red wine reduction, on top of the flame-seared steak. Other main dishes include a thick-cut pork steak (smoked at J. Smugs) and the grilled chicken with capers and a white wine-lemon-butter sauce. St. Louis Italian traditions get their due in the Baked Ravioli, smothered in provel cheese and house ragu, and in the Arancini, risotto balls stuffed with provel and swimming in a pool of meat sauce. With an exciting new brunch menu debuting for Saturday and Sunday, Carnivore should be everyone’s new taste of the Hill.

314.833.5900 8 S EUCLID AVE ST. LOUIS, MO 63108 314.553.9440 6316 DELMAR BLVD UNIVERSITY CITY, MO 63130 Poke Doke offers St. Louis their energized recipes intertwined in a fast-casual model. Best part is every bowl is customizable to the patron -- whether you know what you want and can come up with your own flavor pairings — but it’s certain your heart will be content with the rich, high-quality seafood. Customers choose a size, a base, (such as rice, greens, or soba noodles) and choose from proteins (such as salmon ahi tuna, spicy tuna, shrimp or tofu), then add as many toppings and drizzles as they wish. If you’re less interested in the simple pleasures of fish and more in playing around with accoutrements, both the shrimp and tofu are neutral enough that they benefit from the enhancements. The menu also offers appetizers such as pork-filled pot stickers, miso soup, and crab rangoon, along with an assortment of bubble milk teas and soft serve ice cream. With locations in both the Central West End and the Delmar Loop, Poke Doke is the perfect spot to grab a quick bite!

CRAWLING CRAB STIR CRAZY

314.328.3421 6730 PAGE AVE ST. LOUIS, MO 63138

STIRCRAZY.COM

Looking for the best seafood in St. Louis or the Midwest—don’t fret, Crawling Crab is now open! Here, we drizzle everything in garlic butter and then sprinkle on our magic dust! In a fun and casual atmosphere, you’ll enjoy fresh, hand-cleaned seafood ranging from lobster, shrimp, and of course crab legs. All platters come with corn sausage potatoes and Cajun boiled eggs and shrimp that won’t disappoint. For those pasta and veggie lovers out there, there is a spot for you here too! Enjoy our double dipped garlic butter rolls along side with your meal.

And if you are still not stuffed, we have homemade dessert on the menu too! Have a big family coming in or an event coming up? Enjoy our family meal options and our beautiful seafood tables. As we continue to grow, we are excited to add new items to the menu, get creative with new recipes, and give back within the community.

Join us on the first Tuesday of the month for $20 platter specials, and $5 appetizers on every Wild Wednesday!

Open Tuesday thru Saturday 4pm-10pm, currently located in the 24:1 Coffee House Cafe.

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314.569.9300 10598 OLD OLIVE STREET RD CREVE COEUR, MO 63141 Stir Crazy Asian has been serving the St Louis area for 20 years. The pan-asian fusion style restaurant offers something for everyone. The market bar allows the guest to choose thier own vegetables and sauce, hand it to a chef to wok fry, and get fresh healthy options everytime.

Serving gluten free, vegetarian and keto friendly options, Stir Crazy has tastes for any of your Asian desires from sushi to fried rice. Homemade sauces, fresh vegetables, handrolled crab rangoon and springrolls, bring out the true suttle flavors of Asia. With no MSGs the food will have you feeling great for lunch or dinner. Come see us at 10598 old olive rd. Creve Couer MO.

SHORT ORDERS

35

[SIDE DISH]

Elise Mensing Left Art History for Culinary Arts Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

E

lise Mensing grew up in a large household where family dinners were a big thing. She had a mother and father who cooked, loved to cook herself and passed her time watching cooking shows and reading Gourmet magazine. Still, when it came time to figure out what she wanted to do with her life, the kitchen wasn’t her first ath.

“I didn’t arrive at cooking until after I graduated with a degree in art history,” Mensing explains.

“In college, I’d watch those shows about cooking around the world and read Food & Wine and Gourmet, but I just never thought I’d go to school for that. Jumping into cooking school was a huge change — something I didn’t even think about until I was about 24.”

Now pastry chef at Brasserie

by Niche (4580 Laclede Avenue, 314-454-0600), there was a time when Mensing was better primed for the fine arts than the culinar ones. But to get a gig in art history required graduate school, and she was not financiall or mentall ready to take that leap. Something about academics turned her off, and she found herself wanting to get into a line of work that was more tactile.

“I really wanted to do something creative and hands-on,” Mensing recalls. “I landed on cooking school because it was less scholarly and more tactile. Plus, the program I decided to do allowed me to move on to the next thing very quickly.”

Mensing attended culinary school in Boulder, Colorado, and was afforded the life-changing op-

Elise Mensing relishes the tactile nature of the kitchen. | STEPHEN KENNEDY portunity to study in France. There, she staged in a bakery in the south of the country where she honed her skills and developed an appreciation for French pastry. Though she spoke French, there remained a language barrier between her and her employer. However, she transcended that by focusing on the process and outcomes of her efforts.

After France, Mensing returned to Colorado for approximately a year before moving back to St. Louis. Though she was still on the fence about pursuing the savory or the pastry side of the business, she knew she wanted to work at a restaurant that would offer opportunities to experience both.

She found that in Gerard Craft’s Benton Park restaurant, Niche, which had opened six months prior to her return. There, she started out on garde manger, but eventually began to pick up pastry projects from Niche’s pastry chef, Matthew Rice. Rice let Mensing try different things in the kitchen and eventually came to trust her enough to let her fill in for him on his days off work.

Mensing got the chance to do pastry full time for Craft when he opened the adjacent bakery, Veruca Bakeshop. After it closed, Craft asked her to move over to his oth-

er restaurant, Brasserie, where she has been ever since.

Now in her fourteenth year with the company, Mensing can’t hel but re ect on the wa s in which the city’s dining scene has changed over the years. Though she admits it’s di cult to enumerate all of the elements that have led to such a transformation, there is one aspect that stands out to her.

“St. Louis was very much a place where people just went to the places they went, and that was it,” Mensing says. “Now, people are opening their eyes and are willing to explore more.”

Mensing took a break from the kitchen to share her thoughts on the St. Louis restaurant scene, the unsung joy of simple vanilla and the benefits of being the bab of the family.

What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did?

I’m the youngest of a big family.

I’m not sure if you would guess that about me in a first meeting.

I am not necessarily a typical youngest; I’m shy, reserved, but I was probably a bit spoiled and definitel a er luc id. ll of my siblings are a bit older than me so instead of fighting for m parents’ attention I got the love of

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these great people who, in many ways, helped shape who I am today. And all of those family dinners and celebrations introduced me to my passion for how a meal can bring people together in magical ways.

What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you?

Breakfast. Coffee, some yogurt, mueslis. Nothing crazy, just enough to make me feel awake and human.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Flying.

What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year?

I think every year I see more and more locally owned restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and craft beer spots opening up in the city. This is really inspiring to me. I grew up in the city in a time when a lot of these neighborhood businesses seemed to be disappearing, and now to see them reemerge and ourish is a great thing.

What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see?

We do have a lot of great bakeries in the city — Pint Size, Knead Bakehouse, La Patisserie Choquette, to

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ELISE MENSING Continued from pg 35

name a few — but having visited France a few times, I still pine for that European-style neighborhood where ou could find a different patisserie or bakehouse around every corner. Maybe not a reality for St. Louis, but a girl can dream.

Who is your St. Louis food crush?

I have been doing this cooking thing for a little while now and can honestly say that each chef that I have worked with has taught me a little something new about food and how to love it. And so many of the chefs that have worked with Gerard [Craft] have gone on to do such great things too. I guess I have multiple crushes!

Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene?

One person! I can’t. But — call it bias if you like — I have to mention our front of house managers, Jen Masur and Justin Holley, both of whom make Brasserie

such a great dining and work experience, and Alex Feldmeier, our chef, one of the smartest guys I know and a very talented cook.

Also, Brian Moxey, at Sardella, is another very talented cook and a super nice guy. Matt Wynn next door at Taste is a great cook and nice guy. And of course, there are all the pastry women I have worked with: Sarah Osborn, Summer Wright, Meaghan Coltrain. I also have to mention Sean Turner over at Louie. He’s so talented.

These are all people I know and have worked with and respect.

That list is not short, and if I haven’t named someone here, it’s only because I am trying to keep it brief. I also know that the pool of very talented people within the city is not small, so keep exploring and trying out those newly opened places.

Which ingredient is most representative of your personality?

At the risk of sounding boring, vanilla. It’s subtle, reliable, makes the sweet things sweeter and is maybe a little more complex once

you get to know me.

If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing?

During my “quarter-life crisis,” when I chose to go into cooking, I also considered creative writing, art therapy, art restoration, some sort of museum work and, also brie teaching reschool. I guess one of those things.

Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant.

Anything pre-made. It’s all from scratch.

What is your after-work hangout?

Home. I am a creature of comfort.

What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure?

Ice cream and a little chocolate never hurt anyone.

What would be your last meal on earth?

Every good dish I ever remember eating, from my mom’s homemade applesauce to the last dinner I ate at Louie, and sitting at the table with everyone I love, from this world and the next. n

[FIRST LOOK]

Turmeric Opens in the Loop Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Ranjul Dayal has never owned an Indian restaurant in St. Louis. In fact, he’s never been in the restaurant business, period. Neither have his three other business partners. All IT professionals, the colleagues refused to let that lack of experience stop them from bringing to town something they felt was missing in the city’s restaurant community: an Indian restaurant that dares to push beyond the standard playbook.

“We want to change the perception of what people think of Indian food,” Dayal says. “All of the Indian restaurants in town are the same. We wanted to do something different.”

That vision led the partners to open Turmeric (6679 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-899-9955), a pan-Indian restaurant which opened on August 9 in the Delmar Loop. The restaurant replaces the short-lived Fox Fire, which occupied the space for three months. Before that, the storefront was the popular Latin American-inflected Público, which opened in 2015 and enjoyed an almost four-year run.

As Dayal explains, he and his partners would regularly go out for Indian food around town but wanted some-

Turmeric, a pan-Indian restaurant, is now open in the Delmar Loop. | CHERYL BAEHR thing more. Not only did the standard Indian restaurant template fail to capture the immense diversity of Indian food, it also presented Indian dishes in the same format.

“We’re using the same ingredients, and the flavors are similar, but we are presenting them in different ways,” Dayal explains. “That makes all the difference.”

To carry out their vision, Dayal and his business associates brought on Alagesan Panneerselvam, a Bay Area restaurant veteran, as Turmeric’s executive chef. His menu, a mix of small plates,

mid-courses and entrees, displays an elevated approach to Indian cuisine represented by composed plates and thoughtful interpretations of traditional flavors and dishes. The restaurant has a full bar, including a specialty cocktail menu that uses fresh squeezed juices and incorporates Indian flavors into the drinks.

Wine and beer are also available.

Turmeric is open seven days a week.

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day. Dinner is served from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. n

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[FOOD NEWS]

Partying the Booze-Free Way Written by

KATIE COUNTS

W

e’ve all heard that St. Louis is a drinking town with a sports problem.

It’s a funny, seemingly harmless string of words, but the sentiment speaks to the prominent role that alcohol plays in the city — one that the Wellness Council is trying to change. n a liate of the ational Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADA), the Wellness Council of St. Louis recently launched Sans Bar STL, a program designed to give people an option for enjoying nightlife without the booze. As Brandon Costerison, the MO-HOPE project manager for NCADA explains, the point is not to be sanctimonious about an alcohol-free lifestyle, but to give people choices.

“These events are not focused on preaching that alcohol is bad or people shouldn’t drink,” Costerison says. “It’s not really focused on that. It’s more focused on being mindful and present in the moment.”

Sans Bar STL was inspired by Chris Marshall, who founded the alcohol-free Sans Bar in Austin, Texas. Marshall, a substance abuse counselor who has been sober since 2007, wanted to create an alcohol-free space for people to socialize. Since then, Marshall has taken Sans Bar on a national tour, with stops as far-reaching as Anchorage, Alaska. he first ans ar e ent was a pop-up on March 1 at Third Degree Glass Factory. Marshall himself was on hand at this alcoholfree event which featured craft NA (non-alcoholic) cocktails and a variety of activities to create a social — and sober — atmosphere.

Sarah Roberts, a St. Louis native and Wellness Council founder, says one of her goals is that events like Sans Bar can bridge the gap between people in recovery and people who aren’t.

“It’s just a nice way that you can normalize being in recovery with people who aren’t in it and see that they’re normal people,”

Sans Bar STL is offering an alcohol-free alternative for St. Louis’ nightlife scene. | MEREDITH MARQUARDT

Roberts says. “They’re just having a different kind of fun than what we’re used to.”

Roberts felt like there was a gap in NCADA’s outreach, which is why she helped found the Wellness Council in June 2018. The NCADA has a variety of programs geared toward prevention among children, but she didn’t feel like there was a space for adults. It’s part of why people have to be over 21 to attend Sans Bar events.

“It’s a perfect transition from showing kids that they can have fun without drugs and alcohol to showing adults that they can have fun without drugs or alcohol,” Roberts says.

However, it wasn’t until Annie O’Donoghue joined the Wellness Council in October of last year that Sans Bar STL came about.

O’Donoghue, who is president of the Wellness Council and also a St. Louis native, connected with Marshall while she was working for a non rofit in ew or . hen she came back to St. Louis, she knew she wanted to create a sober bar.

“It was kind of just the perfect storm of wanting it to be and almost needing it to be,” O’Donoghue says.

When planning Sans Bar STL, the Wellness Council’s original goal was to get more than 300 people to attend its inaugural event. As an alcohol-free function in March on a Friday night, people told O’Donoghue it wasn’t going to happen.

“I think they immediately get awkward like, ‘I can’t go out with-

out drinking,’” O’Donoghue says.

“I think society as a whole (thinks) nightlife and drinking go hand in hand. They can’t even imagine it.”

O’Donoghue proved the naysayers wrong with that March event, estimating that she not only met the goal but exceeded it, with more than 300 people at the event.

Since then, she says, the positive feedback has been pouring in.

“A lot of people are calling it a trend, and we’re calling it a movement,” O’Donoghue says. “It just keeps gaining traction.”

Indeed there has been significant momentum surrounding the alcohol-free movement over the past year in St. Louis, with a great deal of credit going to WellBeing Brewing Co. Founded by Jeff Stevens in 2017 as the first trul craft beer company, WellBeing has gained traction for being a delicious alternative for people who choose not to drink — or choose not to drink as much. Stevens’ high-quality products, including his Hellraiser dark amber and Heavenly Body golden wheat, have gained prominent followers in the St. Louis food and beverage community, including industry veteran and sober-lifestyle advocate Tom Halaska and Pop’s Blue Moon owner Joshua Grigaitis, who launched “NA Saturdays” at his bar in the winter of 2018.

Sans Bar STL hopes to add to this momentum by offering attendees a vibrant, fun alternative to booze-fueled socializing. Cover at Sans Bar STL includes unlimited drinks and activities. According to

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O’Donoghue, Marshall sets up the events this way to prevent anyone from having to pay at the bar for a drink, which can be a triggering experience for someone who struggles with addiction. Sans Bar STL’s March event cost $20 online and $25 at the door. t the first ans ar e ent the Kenny DeShields Experience band performed, followed by a DJ. The event also featured glassblowing demonstrations and a tarot card reader. Just outside, people could grab a bite to eat from a hot dog stand.

The Wellness Council wants its alcohol-free events to be fun.

Some of its taglines include “Let’s get wild, not wasted,” “Shaken, not slurred” and “Let’s get blissed.” Even the alcohol-free or “AF” drinks had creative names li e t. unatic here’d ou Go to High School?” and “Flower Grove Park.” Ingredients like lavender, lemon and tonic were used to make some of the drinks.

O’Donoghue, now sober, says going through recovery can feel like you’re living a double life. Depending on where someone is at in recovery, people might not feel comfortable going out to bars with friends. And if they do, there’s always the chance of having to explain why you’re not drinking.

O’Donoghue says she still gets asked that question — which is why events like Sans Bar can be so powerful. ou don’t ha e to fit into a box,” she says.

That being said, O’Donoghue says Sans Bar STL isn’t just meant for people going through recovery from addiction. It doesn’t matter if you’re sober or “sober curious” or just want to check it out; O’Donoghue insists the event is welcome to all.

“I would say try it once,” she says. “If you don’t like it, you don’t like it.”

The Wellness Council has more Sans Bar-style events in the works for this fall and would like to expand into several avenues. One of its biggest goals is to eliminate the stigmas surrounding alcohol-free events.

“I think it’s going to take a while to change that narrative,” O’Donoghue says. “But really seeing how St. Louis and really the whole U.S. is so ready for [this] is pretty inspiring.”

For more information about the Wellness Council’s alcoholfree events, visit its website at thewellnesscouncil.org/sans-barstl. Information about the national Sans Bar program can be found at thesansbar.com. n

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Wednesday September 4 9:30PM

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players Tribute To Phish

Friday September 6 10PM

Roland Johnson and Soul Endeavor Sunday September 8 8PM

Christian Ethridge is upping Taco Circus’ game with a new expansion in Southwest Garden. | MABEL SUEN

[FOOD NEWS]

Taco Circus Snags Top Talent Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

C

hristian Ethridge gets right to the point when he talks about the new Taco Circus (4940 Southwest Avenue, 314-899-0061) location that will open soon in Southwest Garden: It’s going to be epic. “We’re adding an element of liveliness, culture and nightlife into this comfort food experience,” Ethridge explains. “Our original place was utilitarian, but now, we have a place where people can relax in huge groups and have a fuller experience. This is still about food, but it’s also about being able to have laughs with a bunch of people.”

Since Ethridge announced the closure of Taco Circus’ wildly popular original restaurant in Bevo Mill this past April, anticipation has been building for its forthcoming location. The new and expanded digs will occupy the former home of Three Flags Tavern, which closed in March 2017 after a well-received three-year run. Now, there is even more reason to get excited.

Ethridge recently announced that he has added Cesar Correa and Eric Inthaluexay to the Taco Circus team; Correa will serve as head chef and chef de cuisine, and Inthaluexay will co-manage the brand-new bar program alongside Casey Colgan, who is also part owner of Parlor and Takashima Records.

Correa and Inthaluexay show how serious Ethridge is about transforming Taco Circus from a humble — albeit outstanding — fast-food-style operation to a bonafide dining and nightlife destination. Correra is a longtime kitchen veteran who, most recently, served as a lead line cook at the Botanical Heights hot spot Nixta.

Soul and Blues Diva Kim Massie Monday September 9 9PM

“Cesar has a lot of fine-dining experience, and him understanding this food — his food — is important to me,” Ethridge explains. “We’re using classic techniques and applying them to comfort food to make sure we are executing to be the standard-bearers of this type of cuisine. Having such a skilled chef who is also Latino and can bring his own regional cuisine to our style of Tex-Mex is great.”

Ethridge is also excited about bringing on Inthaluexay, a talented bartender whose resume includes Atomic Cowboy and Nixta, to help carry out his vision of a cantina-style experience. “The old place closed when the sun went down,” Ethridge explains. “When we opened, we had originally planned on getting our liquor license and making the place a nice cantina, but the tables were so small, and people could only come in one or two at a time. Now, we have the room to very much be that cantina with everything from lunch drinking to late-night happy hours.”

As Ethridge explains, these new hires and the overall expanded Taco Circus concept are finally bringing to life the big plans he’s had for Taco Circus all along.

After enjoying initial success in Bevo, he’d been thinking about the best way to take the concept to the next level, and he got that opportunity when he was approached by Sean Baltzell of the Grove arcade and bar, Parlor. Baltzell was looking for someone to assist him in creating a new vision for the former Three Flags space, and after talking to Ethridge, he knew Taco Circus was the right fit.

Though no opening date has been released, Ethridge insists he and his crew are working hard to get the doors open as soon as possible. However long that takes, he insists it will be worth the wait.

“We intend on being that place where people bring people from out of town to show them that we have top-notch Mexican food and a great late-night experience here in St. Louis,” Ethridge says.

“If we execute all of those things as we envision, it’s going to be great.” n

The Longest Running Blues Jam in America hosted by Soulard Blues Band

Wednesday September 11 9:30m

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players Tribute To The Eagles

Thursday September 12 9PM

Al Holliday and the East Side Rhythm Band

RFT’s Best Male Vocalist and Best R&B Artist

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MUSIC + CULTURE

43

[HOMESPUN]

In Living Color The Opera Bell Band aims to make every show a surreal circus experience Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER

F

or eight years running, the Maness Brothers have taken time out from making wooly, bruising, bluesy garage rock to plan and throw the Whiskey War Festival. This year’s event was like years past — more than twenty bands played throughout the day at the Broadway Athletic Club, and showgoers could get a guided tour of some of St. Louis’ finest acts in one da .

But when local bizarro-folk quintet Opera Bell Band took the stage, a life-sized still-life scene loomed in front of them. Paints and brushes sat nearby. Calling it a “Living Coloring Book,” the band encouraged the audience to add some color to the all-white scene.

“Essentially, we painted a bunch of objects white and created a living-room scene that we set up in front of the stage,” explains singer, guitarist and band mastermind Shane Devine. “We had an actor friend of ours dress as a cowboy character — he was in a robe and cowboy boots.”

That interactive quality would, seemingly, be enough of a marvel, but the Opera Bell Band likes to inject equal parts whiz-bang silliness and running-gag callbacks in its set. So as the show went on and the all-white set became mottled with color, the cowboy’s storyline evolved: His driftless langour turned into born-again enthusiasm as he received a call from an old comrade. Soon enough, the out-of-work cowboy was back in the saddle — and in vibrant color.

Devine explains the idea behind the staging as “bringing the color back into his life story.” That idea provides a nice analogue for how

The Opera Bell Band is dead serious about not taking itself too seriously. | VIA THE BAND the Opera Bell Band approaches its music and s ecificall its li e shows. Devine and his multi-instrumentalist bandmates — Jess Adkins, Jake Everett. Kristina DeYong and Grant Martin — look more like a raggedy vaudevillian troupe than a band, and its charmingly antiquated folk songs seem to come from some imagined past, populated by jazzy 7th chords, twinkly xylophones and seemingly nonsensical lyrics about produce.

In a town where most bands will follow the routine of a live show — modest introductions and awkward banter between songs — the OBB seeks to inject color and liveliness onto stages across town (and, with a recent tour under its belt, across the Midwest and South as well).

“The main thing that we’re trying to do is to leave it to the audience to decide how serious they want to take it,” Devine says. “There is a lot of care put into the songs and the staging, but there is a carefree silliness to it. You can enjoy it for what it is on the surface, which is a big, colorful circus.”

That carnivalesque mentality is apparent from the band’s on-stage

uniform, which consists of yellow attire o hats and ainted red noses. Often, the stage is saddled with props; most shows feature an emcee called Butternut the Pilot.

“The importance of it to us is that we want to do things that are entertaining to us,” says Devine. “We want to surprise ourselves and that we as concertgoers would be surprised to see. With every new show, we try to think of something that we haven’t done before.”

That immersive spirit was in the air at the release show for the band’s full-length debut Bell-Slide, which took place at Off Broadway in June. The afternoon show included a shrimp boil and a bevy of interactive activities.

“It was supposed to feel like a family reunion,” Devine explains.

“We had cornhole set up in the venue, and a watermelon spitting contest and a pie eating contest.

We had these little competitions built into the framework of the whole day.” era ell and wal s a fine line between novelty act and serious band — and showgoers would be forgiven for thinking of the music as secondary to the spectacle. But Bell-Slide introduces

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Devine as one of the sharper sui generis lyricists in town, and the music the band plays sounds like an indiscriminately old-time pastiche.

Part of that sound comes from Devine’s record collection — he counts Harry Nilsson, Van Dyke Parks and Smile-era Beach Boys as inspiration for this project. nd those in uences es eciall that of Parks, come through on the first single reen emon Buggy,” a song that marries two of the band’s e fi ations: food and travel. In it, Devine envisions an automobile made up of comestibles, traipsing over wordplay (“cucumber bumper,” “celery accelerator”) several times a verse.

The song travels on the back of a wheezy melodica and some Spike Jones-esque marimba, and while it sounds eetingl familiar the Opera Bell Band succeeds in being impossible to pin down.

“I get a little disappointed if I write something that fits too perfectly in an old-timey genre,” Devine says. “I love ’30s folk music and ’40s pop music, arrangement-wise, but to me I’m not really interested in being faithful to those genres.” n

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[PREVIEW]

Sunsets and Lovers Kijani Eshe to headline Pü Fest with smart, lo-fi bedroom pop and a keen ear for melody Written by

KE LUTHER

B

edroom pop musician Kijani Eshe is equal parts endearing slacker and nascent diva, with an open, inviting manner only slightly undercut by a prominent tattoo that reads “fuck you pay me.” A native of St. ouis Eshe first became interested in a career in music when their mother, a guitar player, married a record producer who introduced them to the mastering process and who built his own effects pedals.

Four years ago, at the age of seventeen, Eshe began working at the Mud House on Cherokee Street, meeting prominent members of the local music scene. A classically trained violinist, they taught themselves bass in high school, and at the time, it served as their primary instrument. Eventually, Eshe was invited to play with a few acts around town.

“In St. Louis, for most things, you have to know somebody,” Eshe says.

“And so, once you know somebody, then it all becomes accessible.”

In July 2018, Eshe built on these e eriences to release their first solo EP, DEMO, under the moniker SEX BAM BAM. While admittedly raw, the wild experimentation and keen ear for melody on display hinted at a major talent.

Then, earlier this year, Eshe officiall arri ed as an artist with two impressive song collections: St. Louis Is for Lovers, which dropped in February, and Sun Sets Over Ikea in June.

The former took more than six months to record, and by the end of the process, Eshe was feeling burned out. But they “really wanted to do a summer album, a heartbreak summer album for all the hurters.” So Eshe completed the second project within a matter of weeks. And despite, or perhaps because of the quick turnaround, Sun Sets Over Ikea demonstrates a newfound confidence and clarit of vision — especially tracks like “$$$” and “Devil Don’t Pay / But

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Kijani Eshe will close out the second night of Pü Fest on Sunday. | MADY PATTY Prayers Don’t Pay My Bills,” which use sharp hooks and precise lyrics to subtly deconstruct capitalism and its in uence on art.

Thanks to those efforts, Eshe is one of the rising stars of Pü Fest VI. The event was founded in 2014 as a tongue-in-cheek underground rejoinder to the family-friendly mainstream approach of LouFest.

Until last year, the two festivals were scheduled to occur on the same weekend. But with the demise of the larger gathering, Pü Fest now functions independently. The 2019 installment, which takes place Saturday, September 7, at Foam and Sunday, September 8, at Off Broadway, features a typically eclectic lineup — including a farewell show from screamo band Anodes and the highly anticipated reunion of Demonlover.

It says a lot about St. Louis that Pü Fest, the celebration of D.I.Y. fortitude, outlasted its commercial namesake by two years and counting. In many ways, it’s a testament to the diversity and reach of local artists, as well as the loyalty of their fans. But it also speaks to the way the festival articulates a common vision — simultaneously familiar and strange, accessible and just gritty enough to feel relevant — for a music scene that often struggles to feel cohesive.

It’s an idea that tends to attract musicians like Eshe, whose work relies on those dualities. While Eshe listens to and takes inspira-

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tion from commercial acts like Frank Ocean, Smino and Solange, they create their own albums from a much more intuitive place.

On both St. Louis Is for Lovers and Sun Sets Over Ikea, Eshe wrote, performed and recorded all of the parts alone. For most of the tracks, Eshe used an Akai drum machine that they borrowed from a friend, who later forgot about it, and a broken Korg synthesizer that was similarly abandoned. “It was all about the musical aspects of it,” Eshe notes — experimenting with new instruments and techniques.

As Eshe gains experience, though, they are becoming more intentional with the glitches and idiosyncrasies in their production, using the results to build a distinctive sound. Eshe recently revisited a song from St. Louis Is for Lovers, which was recorded entirel on a smart hone. t first they were disappointed by the unusual “wavy feedback” on the track — a byproduct of running the instruments through an amp.

But after a few listens, Eshe was so taken by the noise that they sampled it for a new composition.

“I’m trying to get a little weirder with it,” Eshe says. “But I don’t now. I’m figuring it out.

Some of that reluctance inol es the inherent con ict between popularity and authenticity. In a charming approximation of a Buddhist koan, Eshe says, “I want to be rich for sure. Because

I have no goals in my life.” At the moment, Eshe’s music shares a raw, improvised quality with fellow Midwesterners like CocoRosie and White Flight. But there are also hints of Smino and early SZA, artists who used their outsider appeal to break into the mainstream. Eshe hopes that their own albums become e uall definiti e for listeners, the soundtrack to a particular moment in their lives.

They try “to set an atmosphere, you know, and tell a story. I want it to be an experience every time.”

Still, Eshe is in no hurry to become a celebrity. They only perform once or twice a month to avoid burning out.

“I’m mostly trying to get paid for the shows I play,” Eshe laughs.

Between concerts, Eshe obsesses over television, watching the same episodes of Gossip Girl and The Office on repeat. But after Pü Fest, they plan to take a short break to focus on the next album.

This time, they are working more slowly, listening to the same track “a thousand times” before stepping away and deciding how it fits with the bigger icture. nd as the music changes, Eshe grows along with it.

“I feel like there are good things to come.”

Pü Fest 5 p.m. Saturday, September 7, at Foam, 3350 Jefferson Avenue, and 5 p.m. Sunday, September 8, at Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $20 to $30.

Soulfly is just one of the artists performing at Full Terror Assault this year. | VIA 33 & WEST

[ M E TA L ]

Ten Reasons to Attend Full Terror Assault Fest in its Fifth Year Written by

JUSTIN POOLE

A

merica’s first true o en air heavy metal festival turns fi e this ear. o celebrate Full Terror Assault is bringing in big names, surprise reunions and annual favorites to the Hog Rock campgrounds in Cave-in Rock, Illinois, September 5 to 7. A hard-hitting lineup headlined by 30-year hardcore veterans Ringworm, Canadian death-metalers Kataklysm, groove metal pioneers Exhorder, early ’90s death metal act Jungle Rot, crossover legends M.O.D, Swedish death metal originators Grave, Max Cavalera’s oul and one of the onl Midwest appearances of legendary Bay Area thrashers Vio-lence promises to have something for fans of every heavy metal genre out there.

This reporter took a break from ac ing the cooler for a fifth to talk with Full Terror Assault

jack of all trades Shane Bottens about the festivals past, present, and future.

“My favorite thing is all the cool people I’ve met doing this thing,” says Bottens, organizer of the fest.

“For me that is the best part about it: the people. Sometimes it’s what keeps me motivated, just knowing how much this fest means to all of them.” A festival this size would normally be operating with a staff of hundreds, but Bottens and his small crew undertake the entire event year after year with the bare minimum.

“The biggest thing I have learned so far is you have to build a fest like this, and that takes time and patience unless you have a shitload of money, which I do not,” Bottens sa s. It’s been fi e ears and the fans that come every year are lifers. Every year we are getting a little bit bigger, so every year we try to make our lineup better than the year before and keep the prices as low as possible.”

If bring-your-own-food-and-beverages camping and heavy metal legends at a bargain price aren’t enough to get you on the road, FTA offers even more bang for your buck with all day and night entertainment options including DJs, movie screenings, gravy chugging competitions, mechanical bull riding, tattoo parlors, regional beer swaps, rock & roll merchandise vendors and surprisingly appetizing food trucks. Catch your favorite rock stars cruising the grounds in golf carts after their sets looking for beer and high fi es. a e a di in Lake Hepatitis, where the juggalos once swam, or a stroll on the banks of the beautiful Ohio River. Lay out under the stars with a loved one and drift peacefully off to sleep to the piercingly shrill screams of the

King Diamond karaoke contest.

Still on the fence? We’ll convince you with a list. Presented with little to no bias or feasible order, here are the top ten reasons you should attend Full Terror Assault.

1. Community. Camping and cooking and dancing and singing and moshing and drinking with a somewhat small but always growing grou of misfits and metalheads from all over the country for three days leaves you with no shortage of opportunities to meet and reconnect with new and lifelong friends.

2. The Bands. Thrash, death, black, power, grind, prog, hardcore, slam, gore and a bunch of other words that mean “heavy metal” — Full Terror has them all. Over 50 bands over the course of three days means there will be something for every metal fan out there, even the most cynical old head talking about how he had to push his Marshall stack upstairs to load in and out of venues in his day.

3. The Ghosts of Juggalos Past. Explore the campgrounds that formerly played host to the Gathering of the Juggalos. Go on a hatchet man scavenger hunt. See the infamous whoop whoop barn or listen to local legends of Juggalo beef gone wrong. There are still plenty of interesting characters roaming the campgrounds eager to share memories of the golden days.

4. BYOB! As long as it’s not in a glass container you can bring in as much booze and food as your vehicle can carry. Grab a cooler with wheels and you have your drinks and your concert seat all in one. The convenience and affordability of watching bands while pounding hot dogs straight from the cam fire can’t be beat.

Bring an extra round of meat for

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late-night grilling and barter for boo e and high fi es from cam site neighbors.

5. You Need a Vacation. Let’s face it: eing cram ed u in an o ce or a kitchen or stuck on a job site all day sucks. Summer is almost over and you spent way too much time indoors. This is your last chance to not totally blow it. Get your ass out on the road and head to the woods.

A few days of pristine riverfront views and wide-open starry skies will do wonders for your gunkedup brainworks.

6. Exhorder. You know, the band that everyone says inspired Pantera, or as a lot of metal fans like to say, the band Pantera ripped off. Check ’em out live for yourself and form your own opinion. Is Exhorder the grooviest metal band of all time? Or do hip old metal fans just love to bash Pantera?

7. Supporting Your Metal Brothers.

Full Terror Assault is an independently owned and operated festival run by hardworking fans of heavy metal. In order to continue the growth of this awesome event, Full Terror needs all the metalheads of middle America to come together and spread the word to keep the turnstiles turning. The bigger the turnouts, the bigger the bands — and the better the show will get.

8. Beer Swap! Have you heard of that new cryptic dark lager available only on the East Coast after midnight during the passing of a full moon? Someone coming to FTA probably has it! Hit up the Full Terror Assault regional beer swap and trade your way to a tour de force of nationally selected hops and barley.

9. Soulfly. Max Cavalera and oul will robabl la at least a few Sepultura songs, right?

We’re certainly hoping so.

10. Hammerhedd. Kansas City’s own pre-teen thrash prodigies and viral video sensation kick off Saturday’s lineup. Come see the future of thrash as these three young brothers play one of their first road shows.

Still not convinced? Bottens says just go ahead and take the plunge, because once you experience Full Terror Assault, you’ll be hooked.

“Come out and see what you’ve been missing,” he says. “If you come once, I’ve got you, ’cause you will be back every year. There really isn’t anything like this in the United States. I mean BYOB, camping and heavy metal? The real question is, ‘Why are you not already here?’”

For more information on Full Terror Assault, visit the fest’s official website at fullterrorassault.com.

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SEPT 4-8

BOB BIGGERSTAFF Bob & Tom Last Comic Standing

SEPT 18-22

APRIL MACIE Netflix Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready Howard Stern Show

SEPT 12-15

NICK GRIFFIN Conan O’Brien Amazon Special “Cheer Up”

SEPT 26-29

SARAH TIANA Host of the Roast of Justin Bieber and Rob Lowe Chelsea Lately

BROWNS BACKERS Prizes, Raffles, Food and Drink Specials! Catch all the Cleveland Browns Games Here!

SEASON OPENER SUN. 9/8 vs. Tennessee Titans 12pm MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL MON. 9/16 at New York Jets 7:15pm

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SAT. 9/14 Billy Peek at Backstreet Jazz & Blues Club

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

Elizabeth Cook. | VIA NEW FRONTIER TOURING

Elizabeth Cook 8 p.m. Saturday, September 7. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $20. 314-773-3363.

The country music industry remains a patriarchal machine, and artists like Elizabeth Cook have had to learn how to bypass the system and generate their own kind of power. The Florida native and Nashville resident wears her Dolly Parton influences smartly, hosts a killer country program called Apron Strings on Sirius XM radio and has a standing gig at the Grand Ole Opry. Her songs are frequently hilarious

THURSDAY 5

AMOS LEE: w/ Madison Cunningham 7:30 p.m., $59.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

BILLY BARNETT BAND: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

THE CLINIC: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

JEREMIAH JOHNSON: 8 p.m., $15. Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis.

KACEY MUSGRAVES: 8 p.m., $32-$62. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.

KOE WETZEL: 8 p.m., $18-$20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

PRETTY MATTY: w/ PONY, the Slow Boys 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

SATAN’S GOD & GOOGZ (SATANPLEXIA): w/ Seed of Satan, Satan & the Rules 9 p.m., $7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

SHINYRIBS: 8 p.m., $18-$30. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

YA BOI KT: w/ King Zay, Preme, Genre, Jonah Boy, Hxppa, Cayrenegade, Koshiz 8 p.m., $10.

Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

FRIDAY 6

ADAM ANT: 8 p.m., $37.50-$55. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

ALISON SUDOL: 8 p.m., $15-$18. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University

(the trash-talking “El Camino,” for starters) and often devastating, whether she’s writing about a death in the family, divorce or rehab. The unvarnished twang in her voice is a weapon: Sometimes she wields it for satire, often for heartbreaking truths.

And don’t be fooled by her willowy glamor: She is tough and sharp as stilettos.

Cajones: Country radio ignored Cook’s wicked single “Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman,” and the Opry banned her from singing it onstage. You can bet she’ll let it rip at this seated show.

—Roy Kasten

City, 314-727-4444.

BACKSTREET BOYS: 6 p.m., TBA. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

BLUES CITY SWING: 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061.

THE DAMMIT JANETS: w/ The Defeated County, Sunset Over Houma 8 p.m., $7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

DEAD RIDER: w/ R6 Implant 8 p.m., $10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

FALLING FENCES: 8 p.m., $12-$15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

MY MUSIC MY CHOICE: A BENEFIT FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD: 5:30 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

NEIL SALSICH: 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090.

NELLY: 8 p.m., $27.50-$38. Liberty Bank Ampitheater, 1 Riverfront Drive, Alton Township.

NITE OWL “TRIBUTE TO HIP HOP”: 10 p.m., $10.

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

PAA KOW PROJECT: 7 p.m., $20. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

REBIRTH BRASS BAND: 7 p.m., $20-$23. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

STRANGE ENCOUNTERS OF THE EAST SIDE: w/ For The City, Inimical Drive, The Fuck Off And

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

Dirty Rotten Imbeciles. | VIA ARTIST WEBSITE

D.R.I. 8 p.m. Sunday, September 8. Fubar, 3108 Locust Street. $20. 314-289-9050.

Some 37 years ago, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles — better known by most fans as simply D.R.I. — turned the worlds of hardcore punk and metal upside down with the release of The Dirty Rotten EP, a 22-song affair comprising just 18 minutes of material. Played at blindingly fast speeds virtually unheard of at the time, the band’s punk-leaning debut release served as an excellent primer of its sound to come, which would later incorporate elements of thrash metal into the mix. D.R.I. combined these approaches to form the genre known as “crossover” in the early ’80s, alongside the likes of S.O.D., Sui-

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Dies, Ignore The Lights, Ryan Cheney 7:30 p.m., $5-$10. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

TORONZO CANNON: 7 p.m., $20. National Blues Museum, 615 Washington Ave., St. Louis.

UNKNOWN HINSON: 8 p.m., $18-$20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

ZZ TOP: 7 p.m., $18. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

SATURDAY 7

ANTHOLOGY – A TRIBUTE TO THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND: w/ Mike Zito, Danny Liston 8 p.m., $23-$27.50. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

BIG EASY: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300.

BILLY PEEK: 8 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061.

BLACKWATER ’64 ALBUM RELEASE: w/ Thames, Fluorescent 6 p.m., $10. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

BRIAN REGAN: 8 p.m., $42-$62. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.

cidal Tendencies and Corrosion of Conformity. The band achieved considerable success during this time, touring the world and releasing seven full-length albums by 1995. More than twenty years later, in 2016, the band released its first new material since its heyday, the five song But Wait...There’s More! EP. Fast as fuck and straight to the point, the band’s new songs prove that D.R.I. still has what it takes to get a pit moving.

Go Ahead, Punk: This night is part of a nice little run of shows at Fubar that demand the attention of punk fans, with pop-punkers Teenage Bottlerocket, anarcho-punk act Conflict and NYHC pioneers Murphy’s Law all playing in the days that follow.

—Daniel Hill

CANDYLION: w/ Wes Hoffman’s Positive Punk 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

ELIZABETH COOK: 8 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

GIANTS IN THE SKY: w/ the Jag-Wires, Even Then 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

IVAS JOHN BAND: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

JINJER: 7 p.m., $18-$125. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

THE LADY J HUSTON SHOW: 7 p.m., $15. National Blues Museum, 615 Washington Ave., St. Louis.

MATHIAS & THE PIRATES: w/ Daemon 8 p.m., $8. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

NOTES FOR HOPE: SUICIDE PREVENTION SHOW BENEFITING HOPE FOR THE DAY: w/ Down Swinging, Local Man, Darling Skye, Morning Mtn., Tom Kennedy 4 p.m., $7. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

PU FEST VI NIGHT 1: w/ Nadir Smith, Final Order, Acid Leather, Mentira, Miami Dolphins, Ebony Tusks, Anodes, Q, BENNI, Dimesack, Buddy Crime, Radiator Greys, Demonlover 5 p.m., $20-$30. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

PUNK VS. METAL NIGHT: w/ Bastard, Bastard Squad, Animated Dead, Horror Section 8 p.m., $10. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave,

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster. | VIA NICK LOSS-EATON MEDIA

Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster 8 p.m. Tuesday, September 10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $10. 314-773-3363.

Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster has a restless spirit that has led him through a host of musical guises over the past fifteen years. He made his biggest splash as the singer, guitarist and songwriter for Water Liars, and that project led him to form Marie/Lepanto with Will Johnson, the former Centro-matic leader and one of KinkelSchuster’s musical heroes. And St. Louis fans may still recall his tenure as part of

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St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

ROLAND JOHNSON & SOUL ENDEAVOR: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

SKEET RODGERS & INNER CITY BLUES: 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ON LAND: w/ Brian Culbertson, Grace Kelly, Eric Darius 3:30 p.m., $30. hesterfield m hitheater eterans lace ri e hesterfield.

STEVE EWING CONCERT: 2 p.m., free. Mount Pleasant Estates, 5634 High St., Augusta, 800-467-9463.

TALIA STEWART: 2:15 p.m., free. Downtown Clayton, Forsyth Blvd. & S. Brentwood Blvd., Clayton.

THE WARBUCKLES: 9:30 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090.

WINDOW AT THE 560: 7:30 p.m., $5-$25. The 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University City, 314-421-3600.

THE WORLD BEAT MUSIC FEST: 9 p.m., free. Fellowship STL, 3453 S Jefferson Ave, St. Louis.

SUNDAY 8

BAD SUNS: 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

D.R.I.: w/ Deathwish, Dibiase, Boneroaster 8 p.m., $20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

DEBBSTOCK 2019: w/ Al Holliday and The East Side Rhythm Band, The Scandaleros, Big Mike Aguirre & The Blu City All-Stars, Jackson Stokes, Joe Bizelli Music, Matt Wynn 4 p.m., $10-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

FRUITION: w/ TK & The Holy Know-Nothings 6 p.m., $13-$16. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140

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the four-headed beast of chaotic energy that was Theodore, a band that was the best the city had to offer for many years.

But with Take Heart, Take Care, his just-released solo album, the singer-songwriter puts his honeyed Arkansas twang in front of plangeant electric guitar and enough melodic underpinning to help his switchblade couplets soar.

Tres Hombres: Get there early for opening sets from Mississippi native Spencer Thomas and local quartet Bo & the Locomotive.

—Christian Schaeffer

Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

GENESIS JAZZ PROJECT: 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

HOT SNAKES: w/ Des Demonas 8 p.m., $23-$27.

Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

PU FEST VI NIGHT 2: w/ Him Horrison, Half Tramp, Brendan Wells’ Plant Music, Pryr, Simon Joyner, David Nance, Katarra, Hash Redactor, David Beeman, Kaleb Kirby, Kijani Eshe 5 p.m., $30. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

SY SMITH: 5 p.m., $10. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N Grand Blvd, St. Louis, 314-533-0367.

THE TEMPTATIONS: 7:30 p.m., $30-$60. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

MONDAY 9

BLEACHED: w/ The Paranoyds 8 p.m., $18-$20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

DEAD NEIGHBORS: w/ Honey Poney, Inches From Glory 9 p.m., $7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

MUSIC UNLIMITED: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET: w/ Mean Jeans, Clowns, Jen Bombpops 7:30 p.m., $16. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

TUESDAY 10

CONFLICT: w/ Bastard Squad 8 p.m., $20-$22.

Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

EMPRESS OF: 8 p.m., $15-$18. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

JUSTIN PETER KINKEL-SCHUSTER: 8 p.m., $10$12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 50

LARRY GRIFFIN & ERIC MCSPADDEN: 7 p.m., $5.

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

LENNY KRAVITZ: 8 p.m., $39-$99. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111.

NGHTMRE + SLANDER: w/ Seven Lions, The Glitch Mob 8 p.m., $35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

RED SEA: w/ Crumbie, Bounce House, Big-Step 9 p.m., $5-$7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

ROLAND JOHNSON & SOUL ENDEAVOR: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

THE TOASTERS: 8 p.m., $13-$15. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

WHITNEY: w/ Hand Habits 8 p.m., $25-$28.

Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

WEDNESDAY 11

JOSIE DUNN: 8 p.m., $10-$12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

THE MOVEMENT: 8 p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

MURPHY’S LAW: 7:30 p.m., $18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

NIIICE.: w ermont the cid lashbac at ightmare Beach, Wise Disguise 8 p.m., $7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: w/ John Ford 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

SON LITTLE: 8:30 p.m., $15-$18. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

ST 37: w/ Tone Rodent, David Morrison, Alex Cunningham 8 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

TASH SULTANA: w/ The Teskey Brothers 8 p.m., $39.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

TOM HALL: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

THIS JUST IN ACOUSTIC MUSIC & CRAFT FESTIVAL: W/ Rum Drum Ramblers, Cowboy Randy Erwin, Sadie Hawkins Day, Jack Grelle, River Kittens, Jenny Roques, Sun., Sept. 15, noon, $20. Museum of Transportation, 2933 Barrett Station Road, Kirkwood, 314-965-6212.

ANAMANAGUCHI: Tue., Nov. 5, 8 p.m., $23.50$26.50. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

A BASTARD HALLOWEEN: W/ Bastard Squad, Maximum Effort, Jay-Coast, The Power Company, The Curse, Sat., Oct. 19, 8 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

BEN LAMAR GAY: Sat., Oct. 5, 8 p.m., $10-$20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

BLAKE BERGLUND: W/ Les Gruff and Billy Goat, Wed., Sept. 25, 8 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT CONCERT: Tue., Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m., $30-$75. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, 314-534-1700.

DAYBRINGER: W/ Alan Smithee, Path Of Might, Sat., Oct. 12, 9 p.m., $10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

DIVIDED HEAVEN: W/ Bent Trees, Preacher Clark Band, Sat., Sept. 14, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

DRAGON FALCON: W/ The Most, Wise Disguise, Fri., Sept. 27, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

EMO HALLOWEEN: W/ Finding Emo, Fri., Oct. 25, 9 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

GLORY FELL: W/ Eyes From Above, Defcon, Dead Wolvs, Wolves But Wiser, Sat., Sept. 21, 7 p.m., $5-$8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

GUERRILLA THEORY: W/ Dead Format, Ignore the Lights, Kamikaze Cole, Egan’s Rats, J-Rebel, Sat., Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m., $10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

HAY ZIE P BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: Sun., Sept.

29, 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

HVRTBOY: Sat., Jan. 11, 7 p.m., $8. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

ISSA PARTY: W/ J Money, Ugly Bruh, Brodie 8500 & Trady Tray, T-Mali, Rocky, Lil G, Pagedale Zo, Streetmoney kb, Sat., Oct. 5, 8 p.m., $5-$10. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

THE LIFE AND TIMES: W/ Dibiase, Seashine, Fri., Oct. 4, 9 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

LITTLE LIZARD: W/ Sister Wizzard, Big Step, Thu., Sept. 12, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

THE LIZARDTONES: W/ Bear Call, The Mindframes, Thu., Oct. 10, 8 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

MOZART’S REQUIEM: Sun., Oct. 27, 3 p.m., $10$45. First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood, 100 E. Adams, St. Louis, 314-965-0326.

THE NATIVE HOWL: Sun., Oct. 13, 7 p.m., $15.

Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

NINE’S 65TH BIRTHDAY CONCERT: W/ Marty Stewart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Sun., Sept. 22, 7 p.m., $65. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

NO LIMIT REUNION TOUR: W/ Master P, Mystikal, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, Fiend, Sat., Nov. 2, 7 p.m., $55-$128. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000.

OVER THE RHINE: Sat., Dec. 14, 8 p.m., $25-$30.

The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

P.R.E.A.C.H. & A.O.2.: W/ Big Lou Stl, Rip James, D’frynce, R.G.D., Skinny B, Lil Robby 314, $tu, and Hvrt, Fri., Sept. 20, 8 p.m., $8-$12. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

THE RASKINS: Tue., Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m., $10.

Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

SCUM & ROZZ DYLIAMS: W/ Sawblade, P.O.W., he eal ar o la e ro ane ed.

Sept. 25, 6:30 p.m., $15. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

SHARPTOOTH: W/ Limbs, Wristmeetrazor, Dead Wolves, Thu., Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

SORRY PLEASE CONTINUE: W/ Kenny Kinds, Jeremy Hellwig, Wed., Sept. 18, 8 p.m., $5. W/ Kenny Kinds, Jeremy Hellwig, Wed., Oct. 30, 8 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

STEVE O’BRIEN & J REBEL: W/ Goodwill, Smileyboy, Marzo, Fraedo, Louie McDon, Sat., Sept.

14, 7:30 p.m., $10-$15. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN TRIBUTE: W/ Steve Pecaro, Tony Campanella, Mike Zito, Sat., Nov. 30, 8 p.m., $20-$22.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

SYNTHFEST IV: tacian ud u oltage Control, Wolf the Musician, Trauma Harness, WXJL, Wax Fruit, Ethik’s Mind, JoAnn McNeil, Captured Planet, Sat., Oct. 12, 7 p.m., $15. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

THE DR. ZHIVEGAS FAMILY REVIVAL: Fri., Oct. 25, 9 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN: METALLICA TRIBUTE: Sat., Oct. 19, 8 p.m., $5-$15. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

TOM HALL: Wed., Sept. 11, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

TWIZTID: W/ Kottonmouth Kings, Aaron Romero, Sat., Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m., $20-$45. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

WEIRD PAUL PETROSKEY: Thu., Nov. 14, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

ZUNIS: W/ Sensor Shake, the Slow Boys, Thu., Oct. 3, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. n

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SAVAGE LOVE PHYSICAL IDEAL

BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I don’t listen to your podcast religiously, but as soon as I told my best friend this story, she said, “That’s a question for Dan Savage!” Backstory: I have a monogamous partner who I live with. It’s a heterosexual relationship, but we are both bisexual.

That little inkling of homosexuality really drew me to him when we first met. He also told me early on about his previous girlfriend, who looked like a “suicide girl” (tattoos, short skirts, dyed black hair, heavy eye makeup) but had serious issues (they had sex only ten times in three years). I’m by no means a suicide girl. I’m pretty average looking with natural hair and no tattoos. I don’t wear makeup, and I have an affinity for baggy T-shirts and jeans. I love having sex, but rarely do I present myself as “sexy.”

Recently I learned that my boyfriend follows hundreds of women on Instagram, and 95 percent of them look absolutely nothing like me. (Remember the hot suicide-girl girlfriend? They mostly look like her.) It made me really upset. I felt insecure about myself. I felt distrustful of his positive comments about how I look, like he doesn’t actually think I’m sexy. It certainly doesn’t help that I want to have sex way more often than he does. He’s always “tired.”

I was angry at him and instantly craving to go back to a sexual relationship with past partners who thought I was the bee’s knees. He has no idea why I would be upset.

He says he feels like he’s supporting these women and that they feel “empowered” by all the men leaving comments like “Show me your boobs” and “I wanna shove my cock in you.” He says he deleted his Instagram just to make me happy, but I still feel shitty about the whole thing. Am I being oversensitive? Is he being insensitive? Could we be sexually incompatible? At this point, I’m ready to look outside of our relationship for sexual interactions.

Your Very Ordinary Instagram Girl I don’t listen to your podcast, either,

YVOIG, so that makes us even. (I assume you have a podcast. Everyone does these days.)

Zooming out: If we’re going to tell people they shouldn’t be so shallow as to date only their “ideal” physical types and we’re going to tell people they can learn to find a broader arra of eo le attractive and we’re going to tell eo le the can find a erson’s insides so attractive that they warm to their outside — and it’s mostly men people we tell these things, as women people seem less hung up on/entitled to their physical ideals — then we also need to tell people not to freak the fuck out when they stumble over evidence that they aren’t their partner’s ideal physical type. Additionally, we need to tell people that just because their partner has a particular type, that doesn’t mean their partner isn’t also attracted to them.

Zooming in: You don’t have a great sex life with your boyfriend, YVOIG, as you seem to have mismatched libidos — and one partner “always” being tired isn’t a problem that gets better over time.

These are both signs that you probably need to end this relationship.

(Already looking outside your monogamous relationship for sexual interactions? Another sign.) But you can end things without having a meltdown about the fact that your soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend was also or usually or, hell, even exclusively with one notable exception (YOU!) attracted to “suicide girl” types. Instead of telling yourself that every compliment your soonto-be-ex-boyfriend ever gave you was a lie, you could tell yourself that while your soon-to-be-exbo friend definitel has a t e he also found you attractive. Because you are attractive. You’re so attractive that you caught his eye despite not being his usual type.

In other words, YVOIG, you don’t have to feed your self-esteem into a shredder as you end this relationship.

P.S. Your soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend may have deleted his old Instagram account, but I promise you he quickly created another one. And here’s hoping your soonto-be-ex-boyfriend only directs “empowering” comments like “I wanna shove my cock in you” at the kind of people on Instagram who regard those types of comments as “supportive.” They’re

Just because your partner has a particular type doesn’t mean your partner isn’t also attracted to you. out there — men and women — but there are fewer of them out there than too many men, gay and straight, seem to believe there are.

Hey, Dan: I’m a 28-year-old straight guy with one kink: I want to be collared and on a leash.

That’s it. In private. Basically, I just want to curl up at my girlfriend’s feet with the leash in her hand. Just me on the floor next to the couch while she watches television, or me on the floor next to the bed while she reads. I’ve had three serious girlfriends, and all three laughed in my face when I told them about this. I’m dating a girl now that I like a lot, and she actually asked me if I had any kinks, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell her. I’m worried about her laughing in my face, too.

Laughter Erases All Sexual Hopes People often have knee-jerk, sex-negative reactions to kinky requests not because they necessarily think peeing on someone or leashing someone is hopelessly perverted or disqualifying, LEASH, but because they’ve never imagined themselves peeing on someone or keeping a boyfriend on a leash. The request conjures u a mental image that con icts with a person’s self-conception — they never thought of themselves as the peeing-on-other-people or keeping-the-boyfriend-on-a-leash type — and nervous laughter is a common response to that particular brand of cognitive dissonance.

It would be better if people didn’t have this reaction, of course, but you should brace yourself for it, laugh/shrug it off, and then proceed to explain why this is such a turn-on for you and what’s in it for her. (It sounds like a pretty easy way for her to crank you up when she’s feeling horny.)

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If the reactions of the last three girlfriends left you scared and scarred, LEASH, tell your current girlfriend via text. (“Hey, remember when you asked if I had a kink?

I do: being on a leash.”) Then, if her first reaction is to laugh ou won’t be there to hear it. You might get a “LOL, what?” in response, but don’t let it shut you down. Keep texting, keep it light and playful, show her that you have a sense of humor about it and ou could finally end up on that leash.

Hey, Dan: I’m a 43-year-old woman who has been enjoying the company of a much younger man (he’s 24). His energy, enthusiasm, and straight-up bravery in the face of the current horrors of the world are giving me a renewed sense of purpose. Plus, the sex is phenomenal. What’s giving me pause is that my generally sex-positive friends are deeply creeped out by this relationship due to our age difference.

He lives on his own, he has a degree and a career, and he supports himself — so this isn’t a “sugar mama” situation. I have no authority over him in any capacity. I also have no delusions of this lasting forever.

Am I really so wrong for enjoying this while I can? My friend circle includes all manner of kinky and queer folks, so their reaction is really throwing me for a loop.

This Older Woman Needs Youth My hunch is that your sex-positive friends have made two assumptions. First, they’ve assumed you have more power in this relationship because you’re older (as if youth and maleness don’t confer their own powers!). And, second, they seem to have assumed you have to be abusing your power somehow. It’s a legitimate concern — power is so often abused, and we should all be thoughtful about it. But “often abused” does not equal “always abused,” TOWNY, and in no way are you abusing this grown-ass 24-year-old man.

If your sex-positive friends give you any more grief about the age difference, give them grief about their ageism and misogyny.

Listen to Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

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HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS CRISPY EDGE Located in the heart of Tower Grove South, Crispy Edge is St Louis’ first and only potsticker restaurant. Voted as one of St. Louis’ best new restaurants, Crispy Edge’s menu boasts an impressive list of internationallythemed dumplings seared to perfection. Many of its potstickers, like the savory and sweet ‘Chorizo Date’, are also available as vegan version.

The restaurant is elegant, modern, and dark. Purple grow lights accenting a hydroponic living wall create warm mood lighting and an atmosphere worthy of date night. A dog-friendly

SPONSORED CONTENT

patio follows the corner of Juniata and Bent and is ideal for brunch.

Pair your potsticker with one of Crispy Edge’s many hand-crafted cocktails like the Fizzy Nut- a delightful gin, coriander, and coconut milk concoction, or indulge in a glass of sake.

Crispy Edge is open from 11am -10pm Friday and Saturday and 10am-2pm for brunch on Sunday. After you have had your fill in the restaurant, be sure to take home some frozen potstickers or pick them up from local grocery stores!

CRISPY EDGE | 4168 JUNIATA ST, ST. LOUIS | CRISPYEDGE.COM

HAPPY HOUR