Riverfront Times November 7, 2018 by Riverfront Times

NOVEMBER 7-13, 2018 I VOLUME 42 I NUMBER 45

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THE LEDE

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

Nazario Bell: “We’ve been all over. California, San Diego, all the way up to San Francisco. She still loves it here. I’ve been trying to get her to move, but she’s like ‘No, I like St. Louis.’” Yvonne Bell: “There’s no place like home.” Nazario aNd YvoNNe Bell, photographed at CitYgardeN oN NovemBer 4 riverfronttimes.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Sarah Fenske

E D I T O R I A L Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writers Doyle Murphy, Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Editorial Interns Tom Hellauer, Desi Isaacson, Dustin Steinhoff Contributing Writers Mike Appelstein, Allison Babka, Sara Graham, Roy Kasten, Jaime Lees, Joseph Hess, Kevin Korinek, Bob McMahon, Nicholas Phillips, Tef Poe, Christian Schaeffer, Lauren Milford, Thomas Crone, MaryAnn Johanson, Jenn DeRose, Mike Fitzgerald Proofreader Evie Hemphill Cartoonist Bob Stretch

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COVER The Legend of Allen Barklage He was a daredevil, a savior and a man who cheated death. But it was the life he took that made him famous Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI Cover illustration by

EVAN SULT from a photo by Allen Barklage

INSIDE The Lede News Feature Calendar

5 9 14 26

Film

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P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Jack Beil M U L T I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G Sales Director Colin Bell Senior Account Executive Cathleen Criswell, Erica Kenney Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel Multimedia Account Executive Michael Gaines, Jackie Mundy Event Coordinator Grace Richard C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Kevin G. Powers E U C L I D M E D I A G R O U P Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services Stacy Volhein Creative Director Tom Carlson www.euclidmediagroup.com N A T I O N A L A D V E R T I S I N G VMG Advertising 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com

Carol Burnett | Graphic Revolution | Die Fledermaus | Aelita: Queen of Mars

Bohemian Rhapsody

A R T Art Director Evan Sult Contributing Photographers Mabel Suen, Monica Mileur, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Corey Woodruff, Tim Lane, Nick Schnelle

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NEWS

County Police Change Policy on ‘Wanteds’ Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

In additon to a racial slur, the home was vandalized with a spray-painted swastika. | COURTESY OF JOSSALYN LARSON

Fire Followed Racial Slur Written by

DUSTIN STEINHOFF

ossalyn and John Larson were driving by Gary Masten’s home in Crawford County, located east of Rolla, when they noticed the words “N**** Fucker” were spray painted onto the side. Shocked by the sight, they visited Masten’s home with paint in hand, offering to help cover up the racist remark. But the epithet wasn’t all they found: On the back of the house, they discovered a badly drawn swastika. Working together, the three were able to obscure the graffiti but ran out of paint to completely cover the hateful message. But paint would soon be the least of their worries — Masten’s house

was burned down two weeks later. Masten, who is white, lived with his son in the home off Highway 19, KSDK reports. Police arrived on the morning of October 27 to find the residence engulfed in flames. Multiple area fire departments ended up responding, including those from Cuba, Owensville and Bourbon, according to the Cuba Fire Protection District. Masten told police that he and his family were not home at the time of the incident. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office is in the middle of a preliminary investigation to find out whether the house fire is connected to the property damage, it said in a press release. Masten downplayed the racist message in an interview with KSDK last week, and seemed to rebuff the suggestion that there was a connection between the bigoted messages and the blaze. “It’s some moron with a paint can. It’s got nothing to do with who actually lives here,” he said. The afternoon after the fire took

place, the Larsons created a fundraiser through Facebook, labeling it “#NotInOurTown #StandUpAgainstHate.” As of press time, the Larsons’ Facebook donations reached $8,755, surpassing the $5,000 goal. The Larsons wrote on the fundraising page, “Fire Marshal and Sheriffs are investigating. They know where the fire began, and suspect that the fire is likely connected to the vandalism. This may also be connected to severe bullying at school. Local friends — talk to your kids and neighbors. Somebody is going to brag about this. Direct all leads to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department at 573-775-2125.” The Larsons added that the home’s resident was “a cherished neighbor.” “He is a twenty-year Army Airborne Vet following a patriarch that was a Navy Seal who served at the Bay of Pigs,” they wrote. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to several messages seeking comment. n

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n October 5, a judge ruled that the St. Louis County Police Department’s policy of making arrests without warrants did not violate the constitutional rights of suspects. But one month earlier, in September, the department quietly moved to change its internal policies — and did away with the practice when it comes to misdemeanor offenses. “Officers shall only place a wanted on a suspect for felony crimes,” the new policy reads. “Wanteds shall not be utilized for ordinance violations or misdemeanor crimes.” The policy change was first reported by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. In the parlance of the legal justice system, a “wanted” functions similarly to a warrant, with one crucial difference: An officer can issue a “wanted” for a suspect’s arrest — and unlike a warrant, it doesn’t require a judge’s approval. The practice gave cops the power to essentially make warrantless arrests, and in St. Louis County, the practice came under fire in 2016 with a federal lawsuit from ArchCity Defenders. The lawsuit sought class-action status for anyone arrested on a wanted in the last five years. The civil rights law firm estimated the number was in the hundreds. And that initial estimate proved to be way off. The police eventually released documents indicating the department had issued wanteds for around 15,000 people from 2011 through 2016. Those wanteds led to some 2,500 arrests. Each arrest allowed the department to detain a suspect, and the lawsuit contended that those people had suffered the loss of liberty that usually comes with an arrest, but without the protections that come with a warrant that’s passed through a judge’s office. In Ferguson, the wanteds policy was featured in a scathing 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Justice, which labeled it an “end-run around the judicial system.” But in St. Louis County, U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey granted summary judgment to the police department in response to ArchCity’s lawsuit, ruling against the plaintiffs and their lawyers on October 5. Central to the judge’s ruling was his Continued on pg PB

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Rural MO Prosecutor’s Meddling Backfired Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

sually, when a prosecutor decides to play hardball with a drug suspect, that suspect is in for a bad time. But two years ago, in the case against Sam Green, St. Francois County Prosecutor Jerrod Mahurin overplayed his hand — to the point that Green’s sentence was changed after the fact, and jail time was taken away. Green, a 23-year-old St. Louis resident and college student, faced misdemeanor charges for marijuana possession, paraphernalia possession and speeding. He pleaded guilty, and on February 17, 2016, he faced a judge for sentencing, court records show. The judge handed Green a suspended sentence for the drug charges — meaning Green’s conviction wouldn’t show up in background checks so long as he followed the rules during two years of probation. The judge also ordered Green to pay $800 in fines and spend ten days of shock time in the county jail. That’s where the matter could have ended. But Green’s lawyer, Renee Murphy, says Mahurin was enraged by the sentence. “After we left the courtroom, while my client and his family were still in the courthouse, Mr. Mahurin stormed up to me,” Mur-

The St. Francois County prosecutor’s actions led to a weaker sentence. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI

Jerrod Mahurin. | FILE PHOTO

phy claimed in a lengthy post to a private Facebook group last week. (She both confirmed the story in a phone interview with the RFT and gave us permission to quote from the post.) Murphy continued: “[Mahurin] was visibly infuriated. He told me

STREAK’S CORNER • by Bob Stretch

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that he wanted me to know that he had called my client’s employer and told them about my client pleading guilty to marijuana possession.” Mahurin’s statement came as a shock to Murphy. Her client had a job lined up at a St. Louis brewery, and in court she had argued that Green deserved a suspended sentence in order to preserve the opportunity for gainful employment. The judge had agreed. Mahurin apparently didn’t. Murphy immediately filed a motion to the court, asking the judge to reconsider the conditions of Green’s probation. In a motion dated the same day as the sentencing hearing, Murphy wrote, “Since the state of Missouri may have sufficiently punished the defendant by interfering with his employment, defendant respectfully requests that this court reconsider the special conditions herein.” The judge, Rob Fulton, accepted the request. Green was sentenced

a second time, this time to a lighter sentence: no shock time, one year of probation, $800 in fines. That wasn’t the end of it. Mahurin again confronted Murphy after the hearing. In the Facebook post, Murphy wrote that Mahurin “was furious.” In his tirade, she claims, he told her that he’d been bluffing about calling Green’s job. “He told me that he hadn’t actually talked to the human resources people,” Murphy wrote, “but that he intended to do so immediately. I was stunned again.” After all, if Mahurin was to be believed, his bluff had achieved precisely the opposite effect of what he’d desired: a lighter sentence. Mahurin did not respond to questions about the incident sent by email last Thursday afternoon. As for Green, the college student eventually got the job at the brewery, but he’s now relocated outside of St. Louis. Murphy says that her former client gave her permission to publicize the story; in her post, she offered an apology to her family and friends “for any unpleasantness they will have to face because I came forward.” In July, Mahurin was the subject of an RFT cover story detailing allegations of unprofessional behavior, including claims that the prosecutor had sexually harassed members of his all-female clerical staff. One former clerical worker in his office, Lisa Davidson, who initially spoke to RFT as an anonymous source, was fired from the office one day after Mahurin sat down with a reporter to address the allegations. Mahurin has denied harassing anyone, and during an interview in June, countered that he is the victim of politically motivated attacks. A Democrat, Mahurin was facing Continued on pg 12

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LEGAL BACKFIRE Continued from pg 10

the first contested election of his tenure on Tuesday. His Republican opponent was a former St. Louis City assistant prosecutor, Melissa Gilliam. (Election results were not final as of press time Tuesday.) But politics alone don’t explain Mahurin’s conduct toward Green — or what colleagues and lawyers who’ve dealt with him say is hotheaded behavior. As detailed in the RFT cover story, in 2017 Mahurin clashed with a Farmington police officer who had commented on Facebook in response to a news story about how Mahurin had settled a domestic violence case with a guilty plea that featured no jail time. The officer, Ryan Miller, had commented, “Good thing he didn’t get caught with drugs or he would spend his life in prison.” In response, Mahurin went to Miller’s chief, saying that the officer “had no credibility left” and that the prosecutor’s office would no lon-

ger work with him. Miller eventually left law enforcement. Mahurin’s office is also currently the subject of a state audit that was launched in August following “credible” allegations of financial mismanagement. In the days leading up to election day, Mahurin was campaigning hard. In an ad running in the area’s local paper, the Daily Journal, he touted his conviction rate — 97 percent — and accused his opponent Gilliam of “slinging mud and making baseless accusations.” The ad also contends that the former St. Louis prosecutor was drawing support from outside St. Francois County. “Which candidate has the thoughts and concerns of St. Francois County and its values at heart,” the ad reads, “and which has the thoughts and values of St. Louis?” Those comments echoed an earlier Facebook post. “Mark your calendars for November 6th!” Mahurin wrote on October 30. “Keep [St. Francois County] a safe and great place to raise a family! Keep this from turning into STL!” n

St. Louis County quietly changed its “wanteds” policy earlier this fall. | FLICKR/PAUL SABLEMAN

WANTEDS

Continued from pg 9

finding that two officers listed as defendants hadn’t issued wanteds out of thin air, as “the wanteds in question were based on probable cause.” Still, it’s important to note that the officers who actually arrested those plaintiffs didn’t know what that probable cause was; they had simply run the suspects’ names through the system, seen the wanted bulletin and then made the arrest. And that was OK, the judge ruled. “[A] wanted based on probable cause that a subject committed some offense is sufficient to support a warrantless ar-

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rest for that offense,” Autrey wrote, “even though the wanted lacks a description of the circumstances and facts supporting probable cause.” But even though St. Louis County prevailed in the lawsuit, department brass had apparently already decided to update its wanteds policy. In a general order dated September 4, the department specified that wanteds should only be used for felony cases. In a statement to Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Police Sgt. Shawn McGuire said he didn’t know whether the policy change was connected to the lawsuit, or if the change was already in the works before that. For now, apparently, the wanteds system remains in place for felonies. n

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inety-two feet above the Mississippi, the man on the bridge wept as he talked into an early-model portable phone. It was just after 6 a.m., rush hour on June 13, 1991. The man had already swung his legs over the side. He wanted to jump. But the phone call provided distraction for the two officers inching closer. Sauget Police Detective Vito Parisi had offered the man the phone and a suggestion that, at the very least, he should talk to his family before ending his life. Minutes into the call, Parisi and a second Illinois cop wrapped their hands around the man’s arms and shoulders. The three struggled, pitting gravity and one man’s self-destruction against the efforts of two cops. It was a classic St. Louis summer day, humid and hot. The man was dripping sweat, and Parisi felt his grip coming loose. He remembers the next seconds seeming to stretch into minutes. “He just slipped right through

our hands,” the detective recalls. “There was nothing that we could do, except look.” There was the man, falling with unbelievable slowness, impossibly distant, arms flapping wildly. There was the shape of a body hitting the water, and the man disappeared into the cloudy wash of the Mississippi. And then there was the sound of a helicopter. Parisi looked up and saw the yellow-and-black machine diving out of the sky. It was Allen Barklage. A traffic reporter and pilot, Barklage had broadcast the report on the suicidal man that originally roused Parisi into action. “There’s a jumper on the bridge,” Barklage told radio listeners. Sauget lies a few minutes’ drive from the Pop-

Flying for KSDK, Allen Barklage’s “Yellow Jet Copter” (above left) was part of St. Louis’ landscape.

lar Street Bridge; the detective arrived just in time to try to stop the man’s jump. A different pilot might have continued with the traffic run, leaving the tragedy for the police and the morgue to sort out. Barklage was not that kind of pilot. From inside the cockpit, Barklage could see the man fall. He radioed back to his passengers, who included an off-duty O’Fallon cop, to get ready for a rescue. Then Barklage tilted the helicopter toward the Mississippi. The impact of the fall had broken the man’s rib and punctured his eardrum, but he was alive, and he was now fighting to stay that way. While Barklage kept the helicopter in a hover, the O’Fallon cop balanced himself on the landing gear and hauled the man from the river onto the skid’s metal surface.

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Soaking and exhausted, the man grasped the skid as the helicopter ascended, but his arms gave out a few moments later. He dropped back into the water. Barklage swung around for a second attempt, and this time, the man hung on just long enough for Barklage to drop him on a nearby barge. Two TV stations had captured the heroic save — though KSDK, whose chopper Barklage had flown, wasn’t one of them. In the coming weeks, Barklage smiled for award photos and commendations. He attended fundraisers with the station’s helicopter, meet-and-greets and luncheons. It wasn’t the first time he had been called a hero. For more than two decades, Allen Barklage buzzed above St. Louis as traffic reporter for KSDK as well as virtually every radio station in town. He was the voice on both AM and FM, a gearhead bantering to motorists about an overturned vehicle on the highway or a police pursuit in East St. Louis. Through it all, Barklage never stopped chasing thrills, and emergencies seemed to chase him as well. When he wasn’t reporting traffic, he raced go-karts and happily flew under bridges for the fun of it. There must be something wrong with him, his wife would

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if they’d known how much he enjoyed flying helicopters, they would have paid him less.” Barklage loved flying too much to be scared by it. “I’ve been shot down three times in Vietnam,” he would tell new radio traffic reporters. The boast was meant to be reassuring — that he could handle anything.

A former Vietnam combat pilot, Allen Barklage made his second career as a traffic reporter. | KSD PROMOTIONAL IMAGE

ALLEN BARKLAGE Continued from pg 15

sometimes remark. Sometimes, she was only half-joking. Going by newspaper accounts alone, Barklage’s helicopter skills saved several lives, including that jumper in June 1991. But it was also a helicopter that killed Barklage. He died twenty years ago, days after a fatal malfunction plummeted his helicopter into the ground. A second anniversary involving Barklage also takes place this year. Forty years ago, Barklage ended a hijacking by shooting Barbara Oswald in the head 500 feet above the U.S. penitentiary in Marion, Illinois. That was the day he became a hero. That was the flight that made him a legend. The killing haunted him for the rest of his life.

ene Hoffmeyer met Barklage in the fourth grade at St. Joseph Catholic School in St. Charles. “He never worked at anything he didn’t enjoy,” Hoffmeyer recalls. The two spent their childhoods tinkering on cars and motorcycles, fishing and hunting rabbits in the forests and farmland around St. Charles County. They were briefly separated when Barklage’s family

moved to Eureka, but the childhood friends reunited at McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, where they both landed jobs after high school. The year was 1966. “Of course, that was when the Vietnam War was getting hot and heavy,” Hoffmeyer recalls. “One day, Allen’s girlfriend called me up and said, ‘Come over here and talk him out of it, he’s talking about joining the Army.’” It didn’t quite work out that way. “I went over to talk Allen out of it,” Hoffmeyer says, “and instead he talked me into it.” The eldest of the three Barklage boys, Larry, had joined the U.S. Army intending to gain admission to flight school. He advised his younger brother to do the same, to act before the draft forced him into infantry combat. Why fight in the trenches, Larry told his younger brother, when you could soar above them? Allen Barklage chose the sky. Hoffmeyer enlisted a month later. Both were eighteen. Barklage wound up in the 192nd Assault Helicopter Company and began his flying career behind the controls of heavily armed Huey gunships. The Viet Cong shot Barklage shot down multiple times over the next years; photos show the young pilot in green military fatigues grinning near the wreckage of some unfortunate piece of Army property. Barklage

would later tell an interviewer that he’d nearly died in Vietnam when a piece of shrapnel blew a hole into the cockpit. But he’d given up his regular seat for that flight; the man in it died. Barklage was lucky, but he was also very, very good at his job. After his first tour, the young combat pilot came home for additional training. He later told a reporter that he was uncomfortable with the version of America that greeted him, a place caught up in protest and anti-war fever. He wasn’t ready to come home for good. Hoffmeyer chose not to reenlist. Twenty-five percent of his class at flight school, some 300 pilots, had died in that first tour. For Hoffmeyer, beating the odds once was more than enough. Not so Barklage; he remained in the Army until 1972. After his discharge, Barklage joined Hoffmeyer back in St. Louis, where both took jobs as commercial pilots, ferrying tourists and TV and radio reporters. Barklage was undoubtedly overqualified, but he was also lucky to find work. The war’s end had saturated the market with helicopter pilots, says Larry Barklage, who himself took a job with the Federal Aviation Administration. “He was a natural-born pilot, instinctual. He put on a helicopter like you’d put on your shirt every day,” he says. “I used to joke that,

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llen Barklage first became a media darling in 1976, with a headline that read, “Tourist’s Copter Ride Ends in the River.” The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that a family had entrusted Barklage with giving a helicopter ride to their daughters: thirteen-year-old twins and their six-year-old sister. Seconds after takeoff, though, the rear rotor jammed. Barklage did the only thing he could do — he turned off the engine, sending the aircraft into a 40-foot plunge and a jarring water-landing on its twin pontoons. The twins claimed they wanted to finish the helicopter ride. Their mother told the paper, “We’ve all had enough excitement for one day.” Barklage, though, never seemed to reach that point. Around that time, he started flying around with KMOX’s Don Miller. When Miller took days off, Barklage pulled double duty, doing both the flying and the reporting. The helicopter news business was booming in St. Louis. By the final years of the 1970s, even local media stations had realized that the incredible popularity of traffic reporting outweighed the cost. At one point, KMOX reportedly spent upwards of $100,000 a year to keep Miller on (and in) the air. Commercial flights kept Barklage and Hoffmeyer busy, too. At their employer, Fostaire Helicopters, it was common for the two pilots to swap jobs throughout the day just to keep up with the demand. That’s what happened on May 24, 1978. Hoffmeyer was tied up with a Post-Dispatch photographer who needed snapshots of Six Flags, but he had another job waiting at a floating heliport on the St. Louis riverfront, a passenger who had chartered a 5:30 p.m. flight for an aerial survey. Running late, Hoffmeyer radioed Barklage, asking if he could reschedule the charter flight or ask the passenger to wait 30 minutes. But Barklage had just returned early from another job. “Don’t worry, I’ll take this one,” he told his friend.

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military herself, noticed a change in her mother during their occasional visits. “I remember seeing her one day, and she was really dressed up,” MR says. “She looked nice, makeup, pantsuit from Saks. I said, ‘Where are you going?’” Her mother answered, “I’m going to visit Garrett.”

ALLEN BARKLAGE Continued from pg 16

Hoffmeyer remembers telling Barklage everything he knew about the charter, which wasn’t much: Some real estate agent wanted to look at property. It seemed unremarkable at the time. “I didn’t even know her name,” Hoffmeyer says. Soon, the entire country would.

arbara Oswald joined the U.S. Army in 1968, one year after Barklage entered flight school. She was a single mother of five whose childhood began in poverty and essentially ended at age twelve when she was deposited in a Lutheran orphanage. At seventeen, she became a sex worker to pay the bills. Most people knew her as “Bobbie.” “Prostitution, it wasn’t something she wanted to do,” says one of Oswald’s daughters, speaking about her mother for the first time publicly. She changed her name decades ago and asks to be identified only by the initials MR. Growing up, MR says her mother’s profession wasn’t a secret to her. “She actually ran a small brothel in an apartment building in Maplewood,” she says. “She’d take me to the White Castle, and she taught me how to spot undercover cop cars in the parking lot. ‘See that one? It has a no whitewalls and no hubcaps. That’s a police car.’” In 1968, Barbara Oswald extricated herself from a marriage with an ex-con, someone whom MR, who was thirteen at the time, remembers as manipulative and verbally abusive to her mother. Oswald found herself raising five kids alone. But she surprised her family by joining the Army at 33, attending air-traffic school while the kids went to live with relatives. Oswald advanced quickly, and in 1973 she was transferred back to St. Louis and became a recruiter. After her death, Oswald’s past would be unearthed by the national media. The New York Times reported that she was known to local reporters — she’d even tried to sell her story of orphanhood and prostitution to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat to pay to bail out her criminal husband. “I don’t think Bobbie ever thought she did anything wrong,” one Globe-Democrat reporter remarked to the Times. “Her view of things was that this was a jungle and you had to be alert and willing to kill to survive in it.”

Barklage (second from left) and childhood friend Gene Hoffmeyer (second from right), with traffic reporters Don Miller and Sue Mathias, both became pilots. | COURTESY OF GENE HOFFMEYER The military seemed to provide new opportunities. “It suited her and she did really well,” MR recalls. “She made rank right away.” But then Oswald fell off a motor-

was then doing time in an Illinois prison. Its pages portrayed Trapnell as a devil-may-care rogue, a romantic figure who married and exploited multiple wives, robbed

Barklage later described his calculations for survival: He considered the prison, its tall guard towers and armed officers. He didn’t trust Oswald or the three prisoners. He did trust the guards to try to shoot down all of them. cycle. Dealing with a serious back injury, Oswald was placed on disability leave and with no certain future. She moved her family to Richmond Heights and enrolled in a master’s program at Columbia College. It was while researching a paper that she encountered the book that would change her life all over again. The Fox is Crazy Too is a pulpy, all-too-smitten biography of a convicted hijacker named Garrett Trapnell, who

a string of banks in Canada and used the insanity defense to his advantage. The paperback’s cover proclaimed Trapnell “Skyjacker! Supercon! Superlover!” The author had included Trapnell’s mailing address, and Oswald sent him a note. MR says, “She wrote what was probably an innocent letter to Trapnell with whatever questions she had. That’s how it started. That’s how he sucked her in.” MR, then 23 years old and in the

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n the morning of May 24, Barbara Oswald visited Trapnell in prison in Marion. She’d visited seven previous times that month, four times with at least one daughter in tow. Her eighth visit would be her last. Trapnell, skyjacker and supercon, was six years into a life sentence connected to a 1972 hijacking and ransom attempt — he’d smuggled a pistol on a plane as part of a caper that ended when he was shot by an FBI agent. Still, Oswald found the jailed Trapnell just as captivating as the book had promised, and in a few months her feelings for the skyjacker deepened to absolute loyalty. He promised her a life together. In Australia, he said, the laws couldn’t touch them. He showed her a photo of the house where they’d live. She believed him. After conferring with Trapnell, she drove back to St. Louis that day and packed a briefcase full of guns. Then, at 5:25 p.m., Oswald arrived at Fostaire Helicopters for her flight with Barklage. Earlier that week, she’d called in a reservation under the pretense that she was a real estate agent looking at flooded property near Cape Girardeau. In a statement submitted to the coroner’s inquest, Barklage described her demeanor as friendly, even talkative. But half an hour into the flight, Oswald reached into the briefcase and pulled out a pistol. She disconnected Barklage’s radio and put the gun to his head. She told him to fly east. Cape Girardeau is 30 miles from Marion, a short hop for a helicopter. Oswald informed Barklage of the basics: They were picking up three prisoners at the federal penitentiary. In her pocket she carried a hand-drawn map; it showed a rough approximation of the prison yard. She’d made an ‘X’ on the spot where she wanted Barklage to land the craft. Barklage later described his calculations for survival: He considered the prison, its tall guard towers and assuredly armed officers. He didn’t trust Oswald or the three prisoners. He did trust the

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In addition to a briefcase of guns, Oswald carried hand-drawn maps and instructions for the prison escape. | NATIONAL ARCHIVES AT KANSAS CITY One line of Barklage’s flight log for May 24, 1978, simply read, “Hijack.” | DANNY WICENTOWSKI

ALLEN BARKLAGE Continued from pg 18

Barklage kept several photos in his scrapbook of his helicopter covered in Oswald’s blood.

Martin McNally and Garrett Trapnell were each arrested in 1972 after failed skyjacking attempts. In prison, they became accomplices.

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guards to try to shoot down all of them. Barklage claimed he tried to talk Oswald out of it, but, he said, “it was to no avail.” So he started his own scheme. In Barklage’s statement, he describes offering unprompted advice. The side door was heavy and difficult to open, he told her. Opening it in the air, he said, would save precious moments on the ground. She believed him, and leaned forward to work the door’s handle. Barklage recounted: “While she was trying to open the door, she put the pistol that she had on me in her left hand, I noticed her finger was not on the trigger.” All of Barklage’s combat experience had taken place in the air, but it had generally involved spraying ammunition at ground troops. He’d never engaged an enemy in close combat, let alone disarmed one mid-air. Still, he made his move, snatching the pistol from Oswald’s hand. Of course, he also had to take his hands off the controls. But now he had the pistol. “The heli was going down,” Barklage wrote. He turned back to the instruments to stabilize the suddenly falling craft, and in the mirror he saw Oswald rummaging in her briefcase. She selected a .45. “Well, I have another,” Barklage heard her say. Barklage turned back around, raised the pistol and fired five times, hitting Oswald twice in the torso and once through the head. A fourth bullet blew a hole in the helicopter’s skin. Barklage turned back once again to regain control of the helicopter. In the mirror, he could see Oswald slumped against the chair, unmoving.

The helicopter landed gently near the prison administration building. Barklage sprinted through the entrance and into a communications room. He stabbed at various buttons on the intercom system, desperately trying to make a call when the first group of guards found him. Corrections officer Clyde Jones was among that group. “I met Mr. Barklage right at the front steps,” Jones later reported to his superiors. “He was running and waving his arms, he was extremely excited to the point of being incoherent for a few minutes, and I couldn’t make it out just what he was trying to say.” Barklage’s words came out in a jumble: “Hijacked,” “I had to kill her,” “She’s dead, I know she’s dead.” The guards took Barklage outside. The pilot was “in pretty bad shape,” Jones wrote. The officer tried to reassure him. “I kept telling him, maybe she’s not dead.” Oswald’s blood had pooled along the helicopter’s outer door, and it dripped from the side, thick and red, leaving drops like melted candle wax on the landing gear. A medical assistant was called, and the pilot and two guards lifted Oswald’s limp form and placed her on the grass of the prison yard. She was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m.

o this day, MR says she cannot reconcile her mother’s descent into Trapnell’s madness. After all, Oswald had worked as a prostitute for years to support her family. She had left that life behind, yet suddenly at 43 years old she lost herself in a career sociopath — because of a book? It was all too much. “Mom was somebody who really knew what was up, and had been around the block a few times. To see her fall underneath Trapnell’s spell …” MR sighs. “I think she just

was tired of being alone.” But to MR, the mysteries of her mother’s mindset are less troubling than the actions of the man who killed her. “No one could figure out why he had to shoot her in the head,” MR says. For a long time, MR says, the Oswald children suspected a conspiracy behind Barklage’s actions. The coincidence of a decorated Vietnam combat pilot being hired for their mother’s flight seemed too outlandish to be real. Facing new charges for kidnapping and air piracy, Trapnell encouraged the Oswalds’ paranoia. In his arguments to the court, Trapnell claimed Barklage was actually in on the escape plan, alleging that the pilot had been paid expressly to ferry the prisoners to Perryville. They planned to leave him handcuffed to his helicopter to cover up the plot, Trapnell said. The claim fell apart when Barklage took the witness stand. He pointed out that, if not for a 30-minute delay, it would have been Gene Hoffmeyer flying Oswald, not him. In MR’s mind, though, Barklage still went too far. “I think he had other options, and he didn’t take them,” she says. “I’ll believe that until I’m gone.” One of Trapnell’s accomplices doesn’t agree. Martin McNally, 74, an ex-con now living in St. Louis, has described his mindset in Marion as “pure escape mode.” That included the willingness to kill any guards who tried to stop them. Trapnell, he says, was a “phony monster” responsible for enticing and exploiting Oswald — and McNally, too, sees himself as a monster in this story. He admits, “We destroyed a family.” Both convicted skyjackers and residents of the same cell block, McNally and Trapnell had spent months in 1978 plotting their escape. McNally read over Trapnell’s letters to Oswald, encouraging the web of lies that ultimately brought her to them in a helicopter. Today, when asked about bestpossible scenarios for that afternoon in 1978, McNally’s mind conjures the escapees embarking on an epic crime spree, skyjacking planes and robbing banks in the South. “There’s no telling how it would have gone, but we would definitely have been America’s most wanted,” he says. And as for Barklage, McNally bears no bitterness. “Heavens no,” the old hijacker says, “He was a hero. He did what he had to do.”

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Oswald, shown here in a newspaper photo, had reinvented herself in the military.

he hijacking changed Barklage’s life. For months, reporters breathlessly followed the action as the defendants prepared for trial, interviewing Trapnell through several hunger strikes, describing his frivolous lawsuits and the announcement of his presidential campaign conducted behind bars. But while the headlines proclaimed Barklage a hero pilot, he was a mess at home. His wife filed for divorce. His younger brother, Richard, eventually set him up on a date with a mutual friend, Chris. She had secretly harbored a crush on the pilot after meeting him several months before. The two quickly bonded, and by 1979, Allen and Chris were a couple. She wasn’t intimidated by his fame. “He didn’t act like a celebrity,” she says. (She remarried after Barklage’s death and is now Chris Berry.) For one thing, she says, he dressed “like a hoosier.” She says she threw away most of his clothes after they got married in 1980. “He was caring,” she recalls. “He had a good heart, and Allen was totally fearless. I don’t think there was anything he was afraid of.” In December 1979, the two were on a date when Barklage got a message on his pager. It was the FBI. About 100 miles away, in a federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois, a jury was listening to Continued on pg 22

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ALLEN BARKLAGE Continued from pg 21

a prosecutor’s final arguments against Trapnell and his accomplice McNally. Trapnell had chosen to represent himself, a decision that put him at a distinct disadvantage in legal expertise, but did grant him one key privilege: the opportunity to interview defense witnesses. Among them was seventeen-year-old Robyn Oswald. Robyn was a Clayton High School cheerleader who shared her mother’s wavy blonde hair and decisive streak. Before her mother’s death, Robyn had accompanied her on visits to Trapnell, forming a bond that grew stronger in grief. In Robyn’s mind, they had become a family. A “father figure,” as some news reports put it. Years later, Robyn would tell a TV documentary crew that Trapnell was “a selfish human being.” “Trapnell was really good at being creative,” she recounted to FBI: The Untold Stories. “[He made] you visualize things, like a big beautiful home, all the clothes a sixteenyear-old could want, the Jeep that I wanted ... He said he’d wrap a big red ribbon around the engine and put a rose on the steering wheel as my birthday present.” It may have gone further than even that. McNally claims that Trapnell bragged about obtaining topless photos of the teen. In a story in the St. Louis Times, a purported high school friend said, “Trapnell attracted her more as a lover.” Trapnell didn’t hesitate to use the teen just as he’d used her mother. On the morning Trapnell faced a possible jury verdict on charges of hijacking and kidnapping, Robyn boarded a TWA flight in St. Louis. Five minutes before landing in Kansas City, she asked her neighbor to signal for a stewardess. Beneath a shapeless cardigan and scarf, Oswald revealed what looked like three sticks of dynamite strapped to her body. She demanded the release of Garrett Trapnell. The plane was diverted to Marion, where a standoff began that would stretch into the night. The teen had more than 80 hostages under her control. But the hijacking only shut down court proceedings temporarily. The judge ordered the jury sequestered and then sealed the courtroom from reporters. Trapnell and McNally were moved to a

cell to wait out the crisis. That’s when the FBI started making calls. An agent tracked down MR in Oregon, where she’d retreated in the aftermath of her mother’s death. The agent pressed her: She was Robyn’s big sister. Robyn would listen to her. But MR turned the FBI down. “I can’t do it. I’m done,” she told the agent. The crisis of her mother’s death and her sister’s hijacking was too much to bear. “I just couldn’t be involved and survive myself.” As for Barklage, when he got paged at dinner with the news, he assumed the girl wanted revenge. Berry says he immediately offered himself as a bargaining chip. “Tell her, if she wants me, she can let the people go and she can have me,” Berry recalls him saying. Robyn Oswald, however, demanded only the release of Trapnell. And unlike her mother, the teen wasn’t armed. The sticks of dynamite were road flares, the “detonator” made from harmless items purchased at a hardware store. Over the next hours, dozens of passengers managed to sneak off the plane as Robyn repeatedly called the FBI for updates on Trapnell. One hostage later described her to a reporter a “calm, cool and collected doll.” Another claimed Robyn had quipped to a stewardess, “Aren’t I the nicest hijacker?” But the hours wore on the teen. At one point, a witness later claimed Robyn announced that if Trapnell was not on the plane in half an hour, “All 72 people [left on the plane] are going to be blown from the face of the earth.” The FBI called her bluff. Thirty minutes came and went. Hostages crept away in greater numbers. Finally, after ten hours, Robyn Oswald surrendered to the FBI. From there, she seemingly disappeared into the juvenile justice system. MR, who is estranged from her siblings, believes Robyn is currently living in St. Louis along with her children and grandchildren. Berry says she watched her new husband struggle to handle the wave of coverage over the second hijacking, the wall-to-wall stories of a daughter’s anguish and vivid retellings of Barklage’s actions inside the helicopter. She recalls him complaining about the reporters. “He always begged the newspapers,” Berry says. “He’d say, ‘Please, if you can put it in your story and let Robyn know, I did

Barklage kept these stills from a TV broadcast in his scrapbook. They show a suicidal man hanging onto Barklage’s helicopter during a successful rescue. | ALLEN BARKLAGE PERSONAL EFFECTS 22

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not mean to kill her mom, I did not want to kill her mom.’” But the papers never printed that. The ink had already dried on the legend.

or the next twenty years, St. Louis’ skies belonged to Allen Barklage. As many as 30 times per day, commuters listened to his voice, and each year at Christmas, he landed Santa in Tilles Park. He’d show up at car dealerships and charity events, even grade schools, swooping a Jet Ranger onto a field in front of crowds of awestruck kids. “He was well known everywhere, wherever radio reached in the St. Louis area. And people talked about him like they knew him,” says Larry Barklage. For years, he endured the ritual of strangers invariably remarking

“more ornery than usual,” Ford recalls the pilot pushing the helicopter to 100 mph flying north on the Mississippi. In front of them lay the old Chain of Rocks Bridge. “If we don’t pull up we’re going to go right under that bridge,” Ford warned his colleague. Barklage did not pull up. Rumor holds that the pilot once touched his helicopter’s skids to the top of the Gateway Arch. To this day, the tale remains unsubstantiated, but it seems entirely plausible. Barklage regularly abandoned his traffic assignments at even the barest hint of something more interesting. One day in 1998, flying over the Mississippi, Barklage got a call from a station employee monitoring the police channel: there was an empty boat drifting in the middle of the river. Its two passengers were now stranded in

When he wasn’t reporting traffic, Barklage raced go-karts and happily flew under bridges for the fun of it. There must be something wrong with him, his wife would sometimes remark. on his last name, “Oh, you’re Allen’s brother?” “Allen loved that part of it,” Larry says. “He loved the celebrity of it.” The public seemed to love him back. In the age before cable, TV networks and radio stations owned the media market. By the early 1980s, competition between the various outlets meant that as many as five helicopters were trying to observe the same city traffic. When his helicopter had an open seat, Barklage was known to indulge friends on a trip he called the River Run. Traffic reporter and on-air personality Paul Ford, who goes by “Captain Mac” on 92.3 (WIL-FM), remembers Barklage had a different name for it: the Vietnam Flashback Tour. According to Ford, Barklage would push the engine to its max, roaring down the Missouri River with just a few feet of clearance between the helicopter and the blur of water below. Then, without notice, Barklage would climb the aircraft to 300 feet. “He would stall,” Ford says, “So you’d be weightless for a bit. Then he would take back control of the stick and get it under control.” On another occasion, when Barklage was apparently feeling

the water, and only one of them had on a life jacket. The other held onto a piece of wood. Ford remembers Barklage getting his attention in the back seat. “I’m going to let you out,” Barklage said. Ford didn’t argue, and Barklage dropped him off on a sand bar and zoomed away. KMOX’s Joe Sonderman, who was still inside, watched as Barklage hovered the chopper over the water. Then Sonderman felt the aircraft tip on its side, further than he’d ever felt it tip before. It took a moment to realize what Barklage was doing. “The thing was acting like a big giant fan, you could see it was creating a wake.” Sonderman says — the rotors blew the stranded swimmers to shore while Sonderman hung perilously by his seatbelt. “All I could think about was, ‘Jesus Christ, what if this seat belt lets loose?’” It didn’t. Barklage’s instincts got him through multiple close calls, including a takeoff on a TV news chopper that literally ripped the machine apart, throwing metal and rotor pieces around the airfield and nearly killing Barklage Continued on pg 24

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Barklage performed aerial stunts in his Mini 500 helicopter. In this photo, he’s practicing snatching a hula hoop with the craft’s landing gear. | COURTESY OF GENE HOFFMEYER

ALLEN BARKLAGE Continued from pg 23

and a co-pilot. Another time, someone on the ground shot a bullet through the side of the helicopter. Barklage laughed it off. “He was bulletproof,” Sonderman says now. “You couldn’t imagine him dying.”

he Revolution Mini 500 helicopter cost about $24,000, arrived in boxes and provided pilots of modest means the rare opportunity to own a oneseater aircraft. All they had to do was build it themselves. Barklage was both a daredevil and a lifelong tinkerer who worked around professional mechanics every day — the perfect customer for the Mini. He appropriated a corner of a hanger at his employer’s airfield, and over some months, the boxes and parts became a delicate-looking flying machine with a bubble front. The Mini stood barely eight feet tall and weighed less than 900 pounds. The news choppers Barklage usually flew cost more than $1 million and weighed 1,500 pounds. With that weight (and cost) came sophisticated safety features, including crumple zones in the landing gear designed to absorb the force of a crash. By comparison, the Mini was a soda can with rotors — but pilots reported that it was spectacularly fun to fly. One day, traffic reporter Tori Lyons witnessed the tiny white helicopter diving and swooping toward the ground, aiming squarely at a hula hoop being proffered by Chris Berry. Behind the controls of the Mini, her husband deftly snatched the hoop from her hand mid-dive. The Mini then darted up into the sky, like a small bird

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who’d caught a worm. Lyons remembers seeing the helicopter while it was still under construction, and thinking, “No flipping way is he going to fly in that.” “Obviously he could fly it,” she says now. “It was a helicopter.” Still, Lyons didn’t like the look of the Mini. “I know I said it to him, ‘You’re going to die in that thing,” she recalls. Barklage scoffed that he’d already survived Vietnam and a hijacking. He told her, “I’ve already had plenty of chances to die.” In fact, Berry says her husband was so confident in the product that he agreed to speak at the manufacturer’s conference, attesting to the aircraft’s safety and stability. It’s not clear whether he was aware of the mechanical limitations in the Mini 500’s guts, particularly the Rotex engine, whose 1994 owner’s manual buried a warning on the very last page: “This engine, by its design, is subject to sudden stoppage! Engine stoppage can result in crash landings. Such landings can lead to serious bodily injury or death.” On September 19, 1998, Barklage took off in the Mini 500 from the airport in Cahokia. In a later report by the National Transportation Safety Board, a witness reported seeing the helicopter clearing the tops of telephone wires and flying in a wide turn around a hangar before making its way west toward St. Louis. Barklage and his Mini were less than 200 feet off the ground. Then, the witness heard a pop. Sudden silence replaced the whine of the helicopter’s engine. The helicopter started to drop. At 30 to 40 feet, the craft seemed to level out, but it was still coming down. The helicopter struck nosefirst, cartwheeling into the ground

Barklage regularly abandoned his traffic assignments at the barest hint of something more interesting. One day Barklage learned of an empty boat drifting in the middle of the Mississippi. Its two passengers were now stranded in the water, and only one of them had on a life jacket. The other held onto a piece of wood. Barklage turned to his passenger. “I’m going to let you out,” he said. and finally coming to rest in a soybean field north of the airport. In such a light craft, the crash wrought catastrophic damage to Barklage’s head and spine. He was in a coma for six days. Berry knew he was gone at the moment of impact. On September 25, she asked the doctors to unhook the machines keeping her husband’s body breathing. The federal investigation concluded that Barklage’s engine had seized up — specifically, “a loss of engine power due to cold seizure of the power-takeoff cylinder” — a malfunction that was already proving fatally common in the line of kit helicopters. Dozens of accidents were recorded after the Mini 500’s release in 1994. By the time the manufacturer folded in 1999, nine pilots had died in its helicopters. Barklage had been the fifth.

wenty years later, the world has moved on from Barklage’s flying days. No helicopters hover over highways

anymore. In 2017, the last two holdouts, KTRS and KMOX, joined the rest of the local media in grounding their airborne traffic operations. Traffic reporters like Tori Lyons now sit in front of a computer screen watching maps compiled with GPS data. These days, she delivers reports to radio audiences in Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis, as well as Wichita and Omaha. GPS makes the job easy. Barklage would have hated it. On Lyons’ first day on the job in 1992, she remembers Barklage inviting her up to his office and pulling out a thick blue scrapbook. She had just moved back to St. Louis, and wasn’t familiar with the Barklage mythology. He

flipped the album through pages of newspaper clippings, a picture of Trapnell, a gory photo of a helicopter dripping with Barbara Oswald’s blood. But the scrapbook contained more than carnage. Later passed to Barklage’s brother, and then to his former sister-in-law, the album’s 87 pages trace a life of bravery and good luck: a boy staring out of his school portrait, a high school track star, a combat pilot, a tireless reporter. Multiple pages are devoted to the 1978 escape, the headlines and follow-up stories preserved behind adhesive plastic. There are no stories about Robyn Oswald. On page 77, the scrapbook opens to a four-picture spread, grainy photos captured off a TV screen. The photos show a man hanging from the skid of a helicopter, his feet kicking above the Mississippi. A life saved. It is that version of Barklage that his friends remember the best. Surely that’s the case for Jim Cavins, the O’Fallon patrol officer riding along with Barklage on the day of that rescue in 1991. Cavins had seen the man fall from the bridge just as Barklage made a pass, the helicopter hovering for a moment over the sea of blinking red brake lights and gawking motorists. Barklage turned in his seat, and gestured to Cavins. “Undo your harness and open the door,” Barklage instructed. Below them, the man in the water struggled to keep his head above water. Cavins remembers Barklage’s voice, steady and unpanicked. It was the voice of a pilot who didn’t think twice. “Allen just says, ‘We’re going to get him,’” Cavins says. “And then we just dove.” n

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CALENDAR

BY PAUL FRISWOLD

Carol Burnett.

THURSDAY 11/08 (Tarzan Yell!) Carol Burnett wasn’t always a showbiz legend and comedy icon, but even early on in her career, she seemed to be breaking new ground. When she appeared on Ed Sullivan’s show in 1957 with her standup act about the different kinds of actresses you encounter at theater auditions, it was a glimpse of the future of comedy. Burnett’s schtick was more comic acting than comedy, and it stood out among the impressionists, acrobats and some guy named Elvis Presley (he was pretty good). Within ten years Burnett had her own variety show, which she graciously shared with comedy heavy-hitters Harvey Korman, Tim Conway and her protege, Vicki Lawrence. Burnett famously opened each show by taking questions from the audience, which she’ll do again at Carol Burnett: An Evening of Laughter and Reflection. The night also includes video clips from her longrunning show and reminiscences about the cast. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 8, at the Stifel Theatre (1400 Market Street; www.stifeltheatre.com). Tickets are $65 to $175.

the stage, and his most popular work remains Die Fledermaus. The operetta is a comic tale of mistaken identities, disguises and a mostly harmless plot to exact revenge on a friend for a past prank. Eisenstein is a wealthy Viennese gent facing a brief jail sentence for insulting an important person, but forestalls his time in the clink by a day so he can go the season’s big ball. What Eisenstein doesn’t know is the whole ball is a setup arranged by Falke, the target of Eisenstein’s last prank. Mrs. Eisenstein is there to trap her husband in a near-infidelity, the maid is in on it, and all Falke has to do is watch his friend put his head in the noose. Winter Opera St. Louis opens its new season with Die Fledermaus. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday (November 9 and 11) at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts (425 South Lindbergh

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local artists to construct unique, small-house models. Each model is then captured from all sides and angles using digital video, which is then fed into a computer using a special program. The computer file is exported to a state-of-theart, full-color 3D printer, which forms a three-dimensional model to be placed inside a globe, creating a one-of-a-kind keepsake. See and bid on the finished products at the Snowball’s silent auction, with proceeds going to St. Louis Winter Outreach’s Assisi House, which helps homeless people transition to housing. The Snowball runs from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, November 10, at Rockwell Beer Company (1320 South Vandeventer Avenue; www. itsasnowday.com), and also features live music by the Heavenly States, DJ Thomas Crone (he does many other things as well, including write for the RFT) and co-hosts Kat Kissick, Maxi Glamour and Michelle Schaeffer. Admission is free.

The Swashbuckler’s Swashbuckler

The Queen of Mars is surrounded by schemers. Boulevard; www.winteroperastl. org). Tickets are $35 to $55, but the company’s new student night on Friday allows young patrons to enjoy drinks and pizza before the show in addition to $10 tickets for the opera. Advance reservations recommended.

Sex Game FRIDAY 11/09 The great Alexandre Dumas began writing career in the theater The Original Batman his as a dramatist, with the occasionWhile known as “the Waltz King,” Johann Strauss II also wrote for

farce about lovers and a seduction contest. Vladimir Zelevinsky has loosely adapted and condensed the story down to a more manageable length in the two-act comedy, The Great Seduction. It’s about a duke and countess who are paramours (but not exclusive), and Gabrielle, a fresh country girl just arrived in Paris. The duke is immediately taken with her, while the countess has set her sights on the handsome Raoul. Incensed by the young competitor’s presence, the duke bets Raoul he can seduce the first woman he sees. Care to guess who shows up? (It’s Raoul’s fiancee, Gabrielle.) West End Players Guild presents the bedroom farce The Great Seduction at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (November 9 to 18) at the Union Avenue Christian Church (733 North Union Boulevard; www.westendplayers. org). Tickets are $20 to $25.

al comedy as well. His Mademoiselle de Belle Isle was a five-act

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SATURDAY 11/10 Snow on Saturday Have you thought about snow globes lately? The cool souvenir of your childhood is coming back in a big way thanks to Snow Day. The St. Louis-based company makes custom snow globes using cutting-edge technology, and you can see the results at the Snowball. Snow Day commissioned Alicia LaChance, Sarah Paulsen, Justin Tolentino and more than 30 other

It’s no understatement to say that Douglas Fairbanks was one of the people who made Hollywood what it is today. The silent-age actor was both dashing and daring, playing a jaunty Robin Hood and an exuberant Zorro while doing his own stunts. At the time Fairbanks was working, Hollywood was more artists’ colony than cinematic capital of the world. When he joined with his fiancee Mary Pickford and friends Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith to create the United Artists studio, they laid the foundation for the modern showbiz industry. The documentary I, Douglas Fairbanks uses film clips, newsreels and first-person narration (provided by actor Peter Facinelli) to tell the story of the “King of Hollywood” and how his kingdom came to be. Also on the bill is the Alan Dwan silent film The Halfbreed, Fairbanks’ stab at being a serious actor, with the original score and live accompaniment by the Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra. The double bill is shown at 7 p.m. Saturday, November 10, at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (477 East Lockwood Avenue; www.cinemastlouis.org) as part

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 8-14 hungry during the Thanksgiving season, it’s best to send your gift early — the sooner you do it, the better everybody’s holiday dinner will be. Cranksgiving, the annual cycling-based fundraiser presented locally by St. Louis Bicycle Works, is a great way to do your part. Participating cyclists gather at the Schlafly Tap Room (2100 Locust Street; www.bworks.com/cranksgiving) at 8 a.m. on Sunday, November 11, pay the $10 to $15 entry fee and then pick a route to ride. Along the way they stop at participating grocery stores and buy non-perishable food, particularly canned tuna or chicken, peanut butter and Mandarin oranges. Upon return to the Tap Room, all of the groceries and entry fees are donated to Operation Food Search. Last year the St. Louis event resulted in more than 8,400 food items, more than any other city; it would be nice to break that record this time out.

MONDAY 11/12 Soviet Sci-Fi

Robert Rauschenberg, American, 1925–2008; Signs, 1970; screenprint; 42 7/8 × 34 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Honorable and Mrs. Thomas F. Eagleton 311:1986 © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation of the St. Louis International Film Festival. Tickets are $20.

SUNDAY 11/11 Revolutionary Art The 1960s were a period of social upheaval and radical change in America, and no art form captured that churning spirit better than printmaking. Printmakers have always had one foot in the commer-

cial art world and one in the realm of fine art, and that hybrid nature allows them to adapt to new technologies and new thinking more quickly than, say, sculptors. Graphic Revolution: American Prints 1960 to Now, the exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum (1 Fine Arts Drive; www.slam.org), is a treasure trove of startling images. Featuring more than 100 works drawn from the museum’s holdings and local private collectors, Graphic Revolution includes

landmark prints by the big names (Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup II, Robert Rauschenberg’s Signs) and less famous but no less astonishing pieces by modern masters such as Julie Mehretu and Edgar Heap of Birds. The show is open from Sunday, November 11, to February 3. Tickets are $6 to $14, but free to all on Friday.

Bike for Food If you want to donate food for the

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The Kemper Art Museum wraps up its Technofutures Film Series with the early Soviet Russian film Aelita: Queen of Mars. Los and Spiridinov are engineers who receive a startling radio message that was transmitted around the world, even as Los feels as if he’s being constantly watched. Compelled to discover who it is observing him, he builds a spaceship and journeys to Mars with a revolutionary comrade. There he finds that it’s Aelita, the Queen of Mars, who has been observing him. But why does the highly advanced Martian society keep its working class in cold storage when they’re not on the job? And who really runs Mars? The film’s subtext is very Soviet in nature (it was made barely six years after the revolution), but the costumes and scenery are cuttingedge Constructivist masterpieces courtesy of designer Sergei Kozlovsky, painter Alexandra Exter and theater artist Isaak Rabinovich. Aelita: Queen of Mars is shown at 7 p.m. Monday, November 12, at the Landmark Tivoli Theatre (6350 Delmar Boulevard, University City; www.kemperartmuseum.wustl. n edu) and admission is free.

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FILM

[REVIEW]

Pretender to the Throne Bohemian Rhapsody is a timid take on what should be a toothsome rock & roll fantasy Written by

ROBERT HUNT Bohemian Rhapsody Directed by Bryan Singer. Written by Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan. Starring Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee and Mike Myers. Opened Friday, November 2, at multiple theaters.

reddie Mercury — the biggest rock star ever to come from Zanzibar — was a charismatic talent who combined the cocky stage presence of Mick Jagger with a rich voice that could purr or explode over four octaves and gleefully hitched a ride on the Bowie/Bolan wave of androgyny while never looking back. Or maybe he was just a hardworking guy and a loyal son who wanted to make his immigrant parents proud. That’s the choice provided by Bohemian Rhapsody, a watered-down biography of the Queen vocalist that runs dutifully through the band’s catalog of hits but strains itself trying to avoid controversy. Bohemian Rhapsody bends a few details to create a contrived plot in which Mercury loses his way, succumbs to sex, drugs and fame, but is redeemed by the power of rock & roll. Forced dramatic arc aside, there’s not much more to the film than a few career high points, told along the same lines as every old MGM musical biography where an off-screen narrator tells us, “And then I wrote ...” The biggest problem with this kind of biography — especially one that treads so carefully around the wilder threads of Mercury’s life — is that it’s kind of dull. Sure, the band has conflicts, but not for long. We see, for example, some of the members dismissing a new song as “disco” — until they start playing it and it turns out to

Mercury’s sexuality, as much a factor in his stage presence as his voice, is reduced to crude nods and smoldering glances worthy of a 1940s GI scare film about syphilis. be “Another One Bites the Dust.” Mercury questions one of guitarist Brian May’s song ideas, until it turns into “We Will Rock You.” Thomas Edison may not agree with the formula, but in this film, musical genius is 99 percent inspiration and 1 percent bickering. It’s not entirely surprising that the film is a directionless mess; director Bryan Singer left the production early amid reports of on-set clashes with the cast and off-set sexual misconduct. (His replacement, Dexter Fletcher, receives no credit but will be earning his rock bio stripes next year with the Elton John biography Rocket Man.) But what could all

the fighting have been about? The film itself is the model of timidity. Aside from one clever touch — ending the title track with excerpts from its harshest reviews — the filmmakers don’t seem to have much passion for the music or the players. Aside from the climactic recreation of Queen’s appearance at Live Aid in 1985, the concert scenes are reduced to cliched montages: a few snippets of music while names of the cities where Queen performed float across the stage. Even Mercury’s sexuality, as much a factor in his stage presence as his voice, is, for much of the film, reduced to crude nods and smoldering glances worthy of a 1940s GI scare film about syphilis. Rami Malek provides a great deal of energy as Mercury, although inevitably the performance takes on the quality of a parody, a recreation of the images we’ve already seen on MTV. Unfortunately, the filmmakers make a great deal of Mercury’s dental condition (he had four extra teeth in his upper bridge, which he credited for his vocal range), and the actor often seems worried to distraction by his prosthetic teeth. Biographical films, especially about flamboyant characters like Mercury, always walk a thin line between recreation and caricature. Rockstar impersonations are a delicate thing, and a bad dental plate is all it takes to turn an earnest performance into a well-intentioned but shallow pastiche. n

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CAFE

[REVIEW]

Consider the Lobster (Pizza) Surprisingly sophisticated CWE pizzeria Cork n’ Slice offers a refreshing take on everyone’s favorite dish Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Cork n’ Slice Wood Fire Bistro 4501 Maryland Avenue, 314-833-3283. Tues.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. noon-7 p.m. (Closed Mondays.)

he moment you walk into Cork n’ Slice it hits you: the aroma of roasted garlic. But it’s not just the room’s pungent perfume that provides such a warm welcome. The restaurant’s large brick oven sits at the end of a narrow walkway opposite the entrance. Next to the delicious smell, it’s the first thing you notice when you enter, its vibrant orange flames licking vigorously around its interior like an inferno. You’ll feel as if you’ve been wrapped in a fuzzy electric blanket before you’ve even sat down at the table. You might be surprised to find out that such an inviting scene has been set by a first-time restaurateur. However, owner Cornell Thirdkill is no stranger to creating moods. Though he’s new to the restaurant business, Thirdkill cut his teeth as a tour manager, a gig that took him around the world doing everything from managing a production team and handling budgets to making sure green rooms were properly stocked and artist riders accurately executed. One of the biggest perks of the job was trying different foods. A self-described foodie, Thirdkill took every chance he got to experience the cuisines of the 30 or so countries he visited working as a concert manager. He would

Cork n’ Slice’s margherita is topped with wood-fired tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, balsamic glaze and basil. | MABEL SUEN joke with his brother that one day, maybe when he was 50, he would leave the music business and open a restaurant of his own. It happened twenty years early. After leaving the concert industry and settling back in his native St. Louis, Thirdkill obtained his real estate license with the goal of flipping properties. When an agent showed him an attractive property downtown, he decided not only to buy the building but to run it as a series of nightclubs and lounges. For three years, he ran these popup style events while increasingly feeling the pull to open a restaurant of his own. He tried on a few occasions to partner with people on different restaurant projects, but none of them stuck. The right opportunity came after Pizzeria Mia closed in the Central West End. When Thirdkill’s agent showed him the storefront, a lovely windowed space complete with a wood-fired pizza oven on the ground floor of an older apartment building, he was transported back to one of his favorite restaurants. Berri’s Pizzeria in Los Angeles had always stuck with him because it represented all that a pizzeria could be — elegant but approachable, comforting yet unexpected

enough to be interesting. Thinking about Berri’s signature lobster pizza, he knew he’d found his spot. Though the restaurant was basically turnkey, it took Thirdkill roughly a year and a half to translate his vision into reality. The majority of that time was spent trying to develop his menu. Thirdkill had ideas, but he wasn’t a trained chef and ran into problems getting the flavors and recipes right. Increasingly frustrated, he mentioned his struggles to a friend, who introduced him to chef Kyle Parks. The industry veteran and L’Ecole Culinaire instructor loved Thirdkill’s vision, and the pair immediately clicked as they worked together to perfect the concept and menu. In February, they felt comfortable they had it right and opened Cork n’ Slice to the public. Thirdkill has always been attracted to the fine-dining side of the restaurant business, and it shows in the aesthetic changes he’s made to the space. Gone is Pizzeria Mia’s neutral palette, replaced with a striking red, black and white color scheme that gives the room a dramatic modern feel. Walls have been painted candyapple red, and a mix of red and black chairs and black leather

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banquettes provide seating. A three-dimensional, black-andwhite photo of wine barrels aging in a cellar covers one of the walls and creates the illusion of additional space. Such an upscale setting befits Cork n’ Slice’s refined approach to pizza. Taking Barri’s lobster pizza as a jumping-off point, Thirdkill invites his guests to see his pizzas the same way you would a high-end entree — just one that happens to be served on chewy, wood-fired crust that is speckled with pleasantly bitter char. The style is similar to Neapolitan — soft in the middle, puffed up and chewy around the edges — though Parks emphasizes that he is not chained to the parameters of that designation. His margherita evokes the classic version, but isn’t a literal translation. The crust is covered in San Marzano tomatoes, ovals of fresh mozzarella and verdant basil leaves. However, Parks adds a balsamic drizzle and whole cherry tomatoes that roast in the oven to the point that they pop open when bitten. These elements add a bright, mouth-watering burst of tartness; they’re a welcome addition.

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CORK N’ SLICE Continued from pg 33

On the “West End,” luscious béchamel and molten fontina cheese are generously slathered over the pie, their creaminess punctuated by succulent chicken, bacon and funky blue cheese. Balsamic and pickled red onions cut through the richness, and fresh arugula — smartly added after the pizza comes out of the oven — adds a peppery bite. It’s a wonderful Cobb salad in pizza form. The heavenly smell of the “Hunting for Truffles” pizza is as alluring as Cork n’ Slice’s garlic perfume. Pungent truffle oil greets you before the pizza even arrives at the table; however, Parks hasn’t overused the powerful oil, adding just a whisper to the béchamel-based pizza. It infuses the cream sauce, wild mushrooms, goat cheese and delicate prosciutto with delightful yet powerful funk, but it does not take over (a testament to his deft touch). And the prosciutto — finally, a pizzeria has managed to add the paper-thin pork to a pizza without overcooking it. Hallelujah. Thirdkill and Parks try their hands at both jerk-seasoned and gyro pizza, with successful re-

sults. “What a Jerk” pairs the Caribbean seasoned chicken with jalapeños, peppers, onions and cilantro. Mango-pineapple relish cools down the pie’s searing heat. I did find myself wishing there was more depth to the jerk seasoning, but the “My Big Fat Greek Pizza” proved perfect as is. Tzatziki subs in for traditional pizza sauce, and is covered in gyro meat and its traditional condiments. Green olives provide a wonderfully briny bite. Cork n’ Slice proves equally adept at something as simple as a cheese pizza. Here, however, it’s whimsically called the “Kevin McCallister,” a nod to Home Alone, and presents as a delectably gooey mix of cheese and tomato sauce. Mozzarella, fontina, smoked gouda and Parmesan combine with crushed San Marzano tomatoes, offering a layer of complexity beyond a single cheese blend, but not so much as to take away from a cheese pizza’s simple comfort. Of course, Cork n’ Slice’s pièce de résistance is its nod to what inspired this endeavor in the first place: the lobster-and-shrimp pizza. I’ll admit I was skeptical; visions of rubbery frozen lobster covered in cheese nearly prevented me from ordering it. I will eat my words. Better yet, I’ll eat

this masterpiece. For the base, a creamy “rosé” sauce mimics the luxurious texture and subtle sweetness of lobster bisque. On top, tender lobster that has been poached in citrus and fresh herbs is paired with equally tender roasted shrimp. The shellfish is sprinkled with orange-tarragon gremolata, perfuming the pizza with bright, licorice refreshment. Were I served lobster and shrimp of this quality at a seafood restaurant, I’d be impressed. That such beautiful shellfish exists after being fired in a thousand-degree oven is simply mind-boggling and perfectly encapsulates Thirdkill’s vision. Though pizza is the star attraction at Cork n’ Slice, the restaurant offers a handful of appetizers and salads. “Bánh Mì Tacos” feature fork-tender, if not a bit salty, hoisin-braised pork paired with fresh vegetables. White-bean hummus is a fun riff on the classic chickpea version, though it would benefit from some seasoning. A “Strawberries & Champagne” salad pairs arugula, sliced champagne-infused strawberries and red onion with a luscious wedge of mild blue cheese, walnuts and balsamic. My favorite appetizer was the

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“Mamma Mia Meatballs,” a perfectly seasoned sphere of beef, herbs and milk-soaked bread (our server dished on the secret to their tender texture). Covered in simple tomato sauce and shaved Parmesan cheese, these were a bite of pure comfort. The only problem is that they were out of them on one of my visits. This happens — but the restaurant was also out of the spinach-artichoke cheesecake appetizer and all but two (out of approximately ten) red wine offerings on both visits. The food was good enough that the missing pieces warranted only a semi-raised eyebrow. Thirdkill openly admits that he is still learning how to run a restaurant, and that snafus like that hole-ridden wine list are the growing pains of a first-time restaurateur. He shouldn’t be so hard on himself. He has the tough part down — a thoughtful, wellexecuted repertoire of offerings that provides a refreshing and unexpected take on a ubiquitous dish. When you can provide that, the sky is the limit.

Cork n’ Slice “Mamma Mia Meatballs” .......................... $6 Margherita pizza ...................................... $14 Lobster and shrimp pizza ........................ $24

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With aims of being the best sandwich shop in the city, Snarf’s award-winning sandwich shops has carved out quite a delicious niche in St. Louis. Owners Jodi and Maty Aronson opened Snarf’s first successful St. Louis location after Jodi’s brother Jimmy Seidel founded the concept in Colorado. Currently at four locations, Snarf’s is readily feeding the Gateway City’s appetite for fast, flavorful, toasted sandwiches using only the finest ingredients. Choosing a favorite from more than 20 classic and specialty sandwich options is difficult, but try the New York Steak & Provolone, with juicy bits of premium meat cooked to perfection and accented with cheese and Snarf’s signature giardiniera pepper blend for a kick. All sandwiches are made with Fazio’s locally made fresh-baked bread and can be customized with a variety of fresh toppings. Don’t forget to check out the salads served with homemade dressings, rotating soups, sides such as Zapp’s gourmet potato chips, and desserts. Snarf’s also offers vegetarian options, a gluten-free menu, a full catering menu and delivery.

“Laissez les bons temps rouler” typically is what you’d hear in New Orleans, but thanks to the southerncomfort cooking at Highway 61 Roadhouse & Kitchen, there are plenty of good times rolling in St. Louis, too. The Webster Grove hotspot blends the voodoo of the bayou with hearty fare and drinks for a spicy experience. In a charming, funky space with colorful blues paraphernalia lining the walls and live music throughout the week, kick off the night with deep-fried wontons stuffed with shrimp, Cajun grits, bacon and a blend of pepperjack and ghost cheese. For a real taste of Louisiana, order the D.D.D. Sampler; named for the “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” episode that visited Hwy 61, the sampler includes the restaurant’s signature red beans and rice, BBQ Spaghetti and CajAsian potstickers. If you’re really hungry, opt for platters that feature the smothered catfish, stuffed chicken or blackened meat medallions served with a variety of kickin’ sides. Wash it all down with plenty of beers, wines and specialty cocktails.

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For a transcendent wine experience in St. Louis, Copia is the place to be. Named for the Roman goddess of abundance, wealth, pleasure and harvest, Copia pours plenty of vino alongside its classic New American fare. Experience the world through dozens of wines, available by the bottle or by the glass; for the adventurous, there are wine or spirit flights that offer tastes of Copia favorites. The wine doesn’t stand alone, though – at Copia, the food is as thoughtful as the drink. For dinner, feast on slow-roasted prime rib or slow-braised lamb shank, each succulent and served with delectable sides. From the sea, try jumbo jalapno and cilantro shrimp jambalaya, served with cajun-spiced andouille sausage and creole rice. And now there’s even more Copia to go around – 14 years after opening the flagship location downtown, Copia recently has added a location in Clayton and also soon will be in West County.

As one of the premier vegetarian restaurants in the St. Louis area, Frida’s has earned accolades for serving hearty meals that are as tasty as they are nourishing. Owners Natasha Kwan-Roloff (also the executive chef) and Rick Roloff elevate vegetarian cuisine by marrying high-quality, local ingredients with innovative flavors. All items are made from scratch, have no butter or sugar and use little to no oil – but with the flavors and creativity at Frida’s, you won’t miss anything. The University City restaurant’s newest hit is the Impossible Burger – a massive plant-based patty that has the texture and juiciness of meat and often fools carnivores. Frida’s award-winning signature namesake burger is no slouch, either, with its tahini-chipotle slaw topping and local bun. The menu also boasts decadent favorites like tacos, wraps, pizzas and desserts, and a new Sunday brunch that just launched in April. Beer and wine are available, and many of Frida’s menu items can be modified for vegan or gluten-free diners.

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Everyone needs a hideaway – a place that’s “yours,” where you can find good food, good drink and good friends. In St. Louis, Blood & Sand is such a special spot. The acclaimed downtown parlour has become known for excellent cocktails like its namesake, a tribute to the Rudolph Valentino silent movie; other favorites are named for popular songs, such as the Wannabe (Spice Girls) and The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff). Blood & Sand has an carefully crafted New American menu to complement those drinks, as well. Kick off dinner with the ceviche, featuring king diver scallop, aguachile and avocado before moving on to main courses like wild boar loin or roasted quail. At the end of the meal, don’t miss the Candy Bar, a decadent log of coffee, chocolate, dulce de leche, coconut and almond. Previously available for its membership only, Blood & Sand now has opened its doors to the public, though members will continue to receive extra touches like preferential pricing and special tastings.

The fast-fresh, made-to-order concept has been applied to everything from pizza to pasta in St. Louis, but the sushi burrito surprisingly had no Gateway City home until BLK MKT Eats opened near Saint Louis University last fall. It was worth the wait, though, because BLK MKT Eats combines bold flavors and convenience into a perfectly wrapped package that’s ideal for those in a rush. Cousins and co-owners Kati Fahrney and Ron Turigliatto offer a casual menu full of high-quality, all-natural ingredients that fit everything you love about suAVERAGE SUSHI SPOT shi and burritos right in your hand. TheNOT SwedishYOUR Fish layers Scandinavian cured salmon, yuzu dill slaw, Persian cucumbers and avocado for a fresh flavor explosion. Another favorite, the OG Fire, features your choice 9 SOUTH VANDEVENTER DINE-IN, TAKEOUT OR DELIVERY MON-SAT 11AM-9PM of spicy tuna or salmon alongside tempura crunch, masago, shallots, jalapeño and piquant namesake sauce; Persian cucumbers and avocado soothe your tongue from the sauce’s kick. All burrito rolls come with sticky rice wrapped in nori or can be made into poké bowls, and all items can be modified for vegetarians.

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SHORT ORDERS

[SIDE DISH]

Michael Wise Is a Chef Who Packs a Punch Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

ichael Wise was exposed to the restaurant business from an early age — growing up in Florida as the son of a chef, it was an experience he could not avoid. Both parents were in the industry, and they even owned a few restaurants of their own. Of course, they put their son to work as soon as he was old enough. What Wise didn’t realize, though, was that his father was doing it to dissuade him from going into the industry. “My father always put me to work doing really tedious things,” Wise recalls. “I started working for him when I was nine or ten years old, and I have this one memory that always sticks in my head. He’d have me tie asparagus together with a leek for string. He made me do all of these tedious, old-school things to thoroughly discourage me from going into the industry.” These days, Wise’s dad is happy with his son’s career path, with the young chef having worked his way up from those humble asparagus-tying beginnings to his current role as chef de cuisine at the charming St. Louis Hills spot Edibles & Essentials (5815 Hampton Avenue, 314-328-2300). Wise, too, is pleased with the direction his life has taken, even though it’s not what he had originally intended. His plan was to become an architect, and after graduating from high school, he left Florida to pursue those studies at Idaho’s Boise State University. Wise was at Boise State for about two-and-a-half years, but left the program and moved to the ski resort town of Sun Valley. Though he relished its beauty, the cost

Michael Wise’s parents tried to warn him away from the restaurant industry, but he’s glad he didn’t listen. | JEN WEST of living was exorbitant, and he needed to figure out his next step. When his partner’s father offered to move the pair to his hometown in southern Illinois, Wise figured, “Why not?” That move would prove fateful in jump-starting Wise’s career in the restaurant business. When he arrived in Illinois, he got a job as a barista but quickly moved to the kitchen after asking the owner to pick up some shifts. The experience awakened his passion for food and knack for cooking, which he would further develop when he got a job at a Thai restaurant. Wise had always loved Thai food — at an early age, he’d join his mom at Thai restaurants — so he jumped at the opportunity to take a deep dive into the cuisine. Though he came to the restaurant fairly inexperienced, he caught on quickly and soon was working shoulder to shoulder with Thai cooks who commanded his respect. “I learned a lot there, especially how important working hard is,” Wise says. “I was the youngest person there at 24 or 25 years old. There was this one guy who still

worked there in his 70s. He’d be there all day, lifting these heavy pots and woks, and it made me realize, ‘How can I complain when there is this guy 30 years older working next to me?’” Wise worked at the Thai restaurant for a year before moving across the river to take a job at Three Flags Tavern in St. Louis. When that restaurant closed, he moved on to Juniper and then Olive + Oak before settling into his new role at Edibles & Essentials this October. As chef de cuisine, Wise works side by side with owner and executive chef Matt Borchardt — a boss who is both willing to collaborate and encouraging of Wise’s creative freedom. You may see some Gulf Coast influences in dishes added to Edibles & Essentials’ menu; Wise admits he misses his native region’s excellent seafood. However, don’t expect him to leave for the ocean anytime soon. “I actually had a close encounter with drowning once,” Wise says. “I have no desire to return to the water.” Wise took a break from his new

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chef duties to share his thoughts on the St. Louis culinary scene, his love for animals (he actually briefly worked for Stray Rescue) and why you will only see realdeal butter in his kitchen. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did? I’m a huge animal lover and rescuer. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? Being presentable and looking my best. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? To be able to travel anywhere at instant speed. What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? Vegetable-forward cuisine. What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see? Thai street food — especially a food truck. Who is your St. Louis food crush?

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Continued on pg 39

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COME TASTE WHAT OTHERS ARE TALKING ABOUT! St. Louis Magazine’s WINNER FOR FUSION FOOD

Kalbi Taco Shack

Cocktails at Holiday go far beyond egg nog and wassail. | MELISSA HOM

[BAR NEWS]

Pop-Up Bar Brings Back Holiday Spirits

iracle, the holiday-themed popup bar, is coming back to St. Louis for the third year — with Small Change (2800 Indiana Avenue) again playing host beginning November 23. The Benton Park bar is owned by acclaimed bartenders Ted and Jamie Kilgore, along with business partner Ted Charak, so it’s not like it doesn’t have a dose of magic to offer on ordinary days. But for the Christmas season, things get extra special, with “nostalgic holiday decor,” a host of special cocktails and popularity to the point that reservations are recommended. Miracle STL is part of a national popup that began in New York City in 2014.

MICHAEL WISE Continued from pg 37

Jesse Mendica of Olive + Oak. Everyone knows she’s an amazing chef, but they don’t know she’s also an amazing person. Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene? Anyone innovative and not afraid to cook from the heart. Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? Chile peppers. They’re deceptively small but pack a punch. If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing? Architecture or interior design.

It came to St. Louis in 2016, occupying a vacant space on Chouteau (“Miracle on Chouteau” — so cute!). Last year, it set up shop for the first time in Small Change. This year’s iteration is one of 80 (!) planned across the country. Press materials promise a host of fascinating new cocktails, including the “Christmas Carol Barrel” (aged rum, Aquavit, Amaro, pumpkin pie, Demerara syrup, lime, vanilla, Angostura bitters) and “A Partridge in a Pear Tree” (Reposado Tequila, pear brandy, mezcal, Spiced Demerara syrup, lime, egg white, club soda, Angostura bitters, cinnamon). It’s all very much of the modern mixology moment, but also totally approachable. Who doesn’t love Christmas-y flavors like cinnamon and pear? The pop-up will run from Friday, November 23, to Saturday, December 29. Reservations can now be made online a TockTix.com. — Sarah Fenske

314-240-5544 2301 CHEROKEE ST

Kalbitacoshack.com

WED–SUN 11AM-5:30PM

DELIVERY AVAILABLE

Vegetarian, vegan & GF options

Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant. Margarine. I mean, what the hell? It doesn’t even decompose. What is your after-work hangout? Work — or local bars on the east side like L.C.’s Pub. I’m very casual outside of my career. What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure? Sour Patch Kids. They just satisfy a need, but I’m always looking for acidity in food or elsewhere. What would be your last meal on earth? I love Thai food. It would be laarb ghai or a beef salad. I’m not going to lie, foie gras would be my first choice, but I’ve opted out of eating it for ethical reasons. n

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NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[FIRST LOOK]

Sze Chuan Brings the Heat on Olive Written by

DESI ISAACSON

he food at Sze Chuan Cuisine (7930 Olive Boulevard, University City; 314-925-8755) is hot, both in temperature and spice. Recently opened in the former home of Asiana Garden on Olive Boulevard in University City, Sze Chuan Cuisine has a large menu full of classic Szechuan dishes and Americanized favorites. The restaurant space is big, large enough for a raised section in addition to the main dining room, which keeps each table feeling intimate. The bricks splitting the two areas are painted black, the better to contrast with the sleek white tables and bright red chairs. The place feels quite modern. The walls are covered in a dark gray wallpaper with a hodge-podge of words describing dining at the restaurant. One that you might notice heavily repeated: “spicy.” This is either a warning or a promise, depending on how you feel about the Szechuan region’s famously numbing heat. The menu is really big, and we felt pretty lost trying to figure out what we should order. We looked

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The chef’s special chicken is spicy; be prepared. (We weren’t.) | DESI ISAACSON at the tables around us, and their options looked amazing. One table had a griddle with some meat and sauce that was literally bubbling in front of them as they took bites with their white rice. Still, you can go for the Americanized stuff if you have no interest in adventure. My friend ended up ordering dumplings and sesame chicken. Here he was in a restaurant with real Chinese cuisine, and he ordered the same stuff he would get at Panda Express. Lame. But we didn’t just go for the boring stuff: I ordered the “Brussels Sprouts Hot Griddle” and the chef’s special chicken dish. The moment I ordered the chicken, our waiter looked down at me with a concerned look and warned that it was “spicy.” I ignorantly believed I would be fine. I was not.

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I was careful with my first few bites of chicken, and I found myself impressed by the flavor, but not overwhelmed by the heat. No sweat! Then I got one of the chilis. I was almost through the bite when it hit me like a hammer over the head. I was dying for more water and then a bite of the brussels sprouts (spicy too!). Finally, a bite of rice calmed me down. But now I was on edge and careful the rest of the meal. (By the time I walked out, I was sweatier than after a full workout.) While my friend was enjoying his boring (but very good) sesame chicken, I forced him to try a pepper. He thought he was fine too until it hit him; then I got some sympathy. My problem is I kept going back for more because it tasted so damn good; I couldn’t stop myself despite the pain.

The brussels sprouts (which seemed to just be cabbage?) came out on the promised griddle, which proved to be something like a hot pot and kept them bubbly hot the whole time. It was fun to add a little flame to the table. They were spicy too, but not nearly as searing as the chicken dish. All of the portions we ordered were huge, and probably meant to be shared. You will have lots to take home after, which is nice because Sze Chuan Cuisine isn’t as cheap as Panda Express; depending on what you order, dishes range from around $12 to $30. Sze Chuan Cuisine is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and then again from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, as well as Friday until 10 p.m. On Saturday it’s open from 4 to 10 p.m. and on Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m. n

BREAKFAST. LUNCH. OPPORTUNITY. O RD ER O N L I N E F O R PI CK U P O R D EL I V ERY 5200 Oakland Ave. in St. Louis 314-65-BLOOM | thebloom.cafe Open Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

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Bloom Café serves a fresh take on casual dining while helping people with disabilities grow their independence through a unique job training program. Just steps away from Forest Park and the St. Louis Science Center, Bloom Café serves breakfast and lunch six days a week.

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF DOGTOWN

lunch • dinner

sunday brunch come enjoy our

new fall menu 6335 Clayton Ave. St Louis,MO 63139

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MUSIC & CULTURE

[HOMESPUN]

Back at the Piano Again After battling back from a nearfatal hit-and-run, keyboardist Dave Grelle takes on something new: a soul-jazz project called Playadors Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER Dave Grelle’s Playadors 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10. Ferring Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Avenue. $20. 314-571-6000.

t was just about two years ago that Dave Grelle, a local keyboardist, bandleader and firstcall session musician, was run down by a motorist as he crossed South Grand Avenue. The November 2, 2016, hit-and-run accident left Grelle with broken legs, broken ribs and a lacerated liver, among a host of other injuries. He counts it as no small blessing that his hands — his most articulate artistic tools, his money makers — remained unharmed amid the other trauma. His recovery was an intensive process, and Grelle still walks with the aid of a cane and cops to memory losses and bodily fatigue. But alongside physical therapy, he used his own personal form of musical theory to regain his faculties. “In my wheelchair, I could roll out of the hospital bed and wheel over to my Nord piano I had set up,” Grelle recalls. “My scapulas were both broken, so I had very limited range of motion, but I could play. So I worked on touch.” It’s that touch that has made Grelle such an in-demand keyboardist over much of the past twenty years. He served as the lead singer of the Feed, a borderbusting rock group that often used Grelle’s electric piano in place of the guitar, and he’s been a vital presence in groups that veer from Brazilian jazz (Kevin Bowers’ Nova) to live-band hip-hop (Mathias + the Pirates), New Orleans

Dave Grelle plays with many of the city’s most exciting and accomplished musicians. Now he’s leading his own project. | NATE BURRELL street-funk (the Funky Butt Brass Band) and KSHE-certified classic rock (the Zeppelin cover band Celebration Day). Now, two years after being left for dead in the middle of the street, Grelle is doing something he has never done before: leading his own project at the Ferring Jazz Bistro, a venue that has long been a brass ring for the city’s instrumentalists. Grelle’s group, which he’s called Dave Grelle’s Playadors, takes the stage this Friday and Saturday night for a program of originals and covers in a soul-jazz vein. “The nice thing about getting hit by the car was that due to physical limitations, it made me start saying no to gigs, which I needed to do if I ever wanted to start doing more creative stuff,” Grelle says. “Because it’s easy, and I’m super fortunate to play with so many people, but you can easily play four or five nights a week.” The time in recovery away from the grind of weekly gigs gave Grelle time to write music around a band of old friends and musical allies. Ben Reece and Kevin Bowers, who buttressed Grelle in the Feed, will play woodwinds and drums, respectively; Zelina Star, with whom Grelle studied music

in college, will sing on a few tunes; and Dee Dee James, who toured with P-Funk legends Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell, will play guitar. Grelle has been working on the original material for this show since January. As he prepared for a Monday night rehearsal at his basement studio space in the T. Rex building on Washington Avenue downtown, the veteran keyboardist walked through the set list for his Bistro shows. Up first is an original composition, “Fractured Light.” It’s moody and rhythmically dense, with clusters of notes sitting uneasily atop each other, as if Grelle’s right and left hands are just out of sync. “I don’t trip out and have trauma or flashbacks too often, but I do remember the first thing I saw when I woke up on the ground,” Grelle says of the song’s inspiration. “I could see light between all these tires; I was in the middle of Grand.” He calls it “kind of a heavy tune” and plays a brief snippet of each of the sections, using spare piano chords to lay a plaintive foundation and a dulcet patch on his Minimoog synthesizer to punctuate the mood. Later in the

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evening, he shows the changes to bassist Zeb Briskovich, and the pair lock into the atypical groove as the song ends on a tense, unresolved chord. Two years after the accident, Grelle has no need for reminders of his new reality; his omnipresent cane, topped with a carved eagle’s head, underlines it, and he routinely pulls out tiny slivers of windshield glass that have become embedded in his skin. But he does keep another reminder of a higher purpose on his keyboard rig. Before his accident, when his son Julian was a few months old, Grelle and his wife Kasey rushed the boy to Children’s Hospital due to a respiratory virus. Grelle had to leave the hospital to play a gig, but he put his hospital nametag — a grainy mugshot that identified him as the parent of a sick child — on the upper right of his electric piano. It remains there today. “I used to get really fucking hard on myself about gigs and music and rehearsing and all that shit,” admits Grelle, who is now a father of two. “And then at the end of the day, it’s good to look at that and say, ‘OK, this isn’t that big of a fucking deal.’” n

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 7 9:45 PM Urban Chestnut Presents

the voodoo players

tribute to the allman brothers thursday november 8 9 pm

jason nelson trio

friday november 9 10 pm

seth walker

from new orleans saturday november 10 10 pm

jakes leg

wednesday november 14 9:45 pm Urban Chestnut Presents

the voodoo players

tribute to john hartford

RIVERFRONT TIMES

NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 2018

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[VENUES]

Belleville Theatre Turns to Live Music Written by

THOMAS CRONE

he venerable Lincoln Theatre has been found at the intersection of Main and High streets in downtown Belleville since 1921, holding down its corner since vaudeville was a form of nightly entertainment. It’s weathered every type of attack on the role of cinema in our culture. Even during major periods of internal renovation, it never closed, not once, and it’s chugging toward a century of continuous operation having beaten back the forces of television, cable, home video, multi-plexes, video streaming and the conversion from film to digital presentation. It’s a time-tested landmark, the Lincoln, but even at 97, it’s not done reinventing itself for a modern audience. For twenty of its years, Richard Wright owned the handsome, multi-story brick building, operating the business from 1980 to 2000. A decision he made early in that tenure proved a wise one. As other single-screen theaters were splitting into dual- or triplex moviehouses, dividing their main house into multiple rooms, Wright went the opposite direction. The main floor of the Lincoln still contains 550 seats atop its sloped floor; the massive Cinemascope screen that once all but obscured the proscenium was removed. It was the balcony, instead, that was converted in 1982 into two 140-seat houses, allowing for three screens and a stage that reflected the feeling of the Lincoln’s earliest days. And if you were to follow the bouncing ball, Wright’s decisions in 1982 allowed his family to rethink the space as a part-time music venue in 2018 and beyond. Wright’s daughter Sandy Schoenborn and her husband Dave are the owners today; she grew up in the theater and is helping shepherd in live music today. Earlier this year, Old Salt Union filled the main house and, more

The Lincoln Theatre originally booked vaudeville acts, then turned to movies. | THOMAS CRONE recently, KSHE staple Edgar Winter made an appearance just prior to Halloween, performing his seasonally appropriate instrumental hit “Frankenstein.” While classic rock might be a hook, it won’t be the only one, the owners suggest. “We’re looking at a lot of different genres of music,” says Dave Schoenborn. “Maybe even comedy, if we do it right and it’s an occasional thing. A really good comedy show once or twice a year could pack in a good house. We’ve done some live events in the past, and we’ll be producing them with a professional production company; this should be an awesome room for production. And we can also do local artists, who might not need as much production compared to national touring acts. It’ll be nice to be known for live entertainment, movies, concerts.” The Schoenborns are quick to credit Wright for keeping one main hall intact. In doing so, he allowed for a classic, big-room moviehouse to exist inside the Lincoln, even as contemporaries were competing with new suburban theaters with more screens, arcades and lounges. Sometimes, the formula worked; other times, not. “Because he did that, it’s allowed us to venture into these other areas,” Dave Schoenborn says of his father-in-law. “A lot of other buildings of that time were repurposed or took their stages out.” Since 1921, of course, multiple changes have occured to the space. Dave Schoenborn can maneuver through every square inch of it, pointing out where a wall once stood or a ticket booth exist-

ed. Even the old air-conditioning system, which ran until 2004, has a story: It’s being considered for a union museum, he says, “since it was union built and union maintained all those years. It ran like a top.” Everything in the Lincoln’s basement, it seems, has a story, with Dave Schoenborn an able storyteller. That basement arguably calls back the olden days most vividly. To stand in that space is to feel history emanating off the walls. Getting down there, you scramble down a short, steep flight of metal steps. At the bottom, you’re greeted by a wall of thin, recessed dressing rooms. In these rooms, troupes of vaudeville performers once prepped for shows, with short films silently screening between their performances. With live music coming back to the Lincoln, these narrow spaces are being cleaned up for a new generation of performers, who’ll once again be climbing the stairwell straight up to stage left. With winter coming, the Schoenborns attacked a basement filled with, well, stuff. Sandy Schoenborn notes that her dad was a “pack rat” ... OK, he was maybe, at times, at a borderline “hoarder” level. His addition of a pipe organ in 1996 meant that even more stuff from the pipe-organ subculture was coming through the doors, with heavy, metal bits and bobs scattered all through the basement. Along with friend/music booker Stan Sirtak, the theater’s owners have been attempting to recreate a bit of early-twentiethcentury spark in that space even as they clean out the clutter.

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Of course, the subterranean spaces of the Lincoln won’t be seen by many other than the theater’s staff of a dozen, plus the occasional performer or sound tech. Another addition that came with the return of live entertainment, though, will be enjoyed by the wider audience upstairs: The Lincoln has been granted a liquor license, and Dave Schoenborn has already figured out how the lobby can be adapted to accommodate a pair of satellite bars. As long as KSHE is broadcasting, of course, the greater St. Louis region is going to need rooms for the rock acts of yore. For years, the Wildwood Springs Lodge in Steelville has been serving up intimate classic rock shows. Touring acts regularly dot the calendar of the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville. And rooms closer to the city center, like Pop’s, field the odd classic rock show, too, creating real competition among talent bookers. Asked about having a wish list for the Lincoln, Sirtak is quick to say “yes.” But he’s equally quick to note that until contracts are signed, he’d best keep that list close to the vest. Already, some of his leads have come up empty, acts booked at other venues after initally showing interest. “We’ll have a calendar of concerts out [shortly],” Dave Schoenborn says. “We’re moving into the winter season, when the movie season slows down.” The Lincoln is back in competition again. This time not against laser discs or stadium seating, but against music venues. Which the Lincoln Theatre seems to be once more, all these years later. n

NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

SAINT LOUIS ORCHESTRA

Spellbinding

Stories

ROBERT HART BAKER Conductor

Friday, November 16, 2018 8 pm Purser Auditorium, Logan University 1851 Schoettler Road Chesterfield, MO 63017

Saint Louis Symphony principal horn Roger Kaza joins the Philharmonic as soloist in a program of enciting musical storytelling. KMOX radio personality Charles Brennan is narrator.

Sibelius:

Karelia Suite, Op.11

Haydn:

Horn Concerto No.1 in D, Hob. Vlld:3

Dukas:

Villanelle for Horn and Orchestra. Roger Kaza, French horn soloist

Vaughan Williams:

Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis

Prokofiev:

Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 Charles Brennan, narrator FOR TICKETS OR INFORMATION

(314) 421-3600

www.stlphilharmonic.org 46

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[COMEDY]

Flyover Comedy Fest Returns to the Grove Written by

THOMAS CRONE

here are times, Zach Gzehoviak admits, when he and his Flyover Comedy Festival cohorts think ahead. With performers booked for the second annual event this weekend, with venues set, with the basic mechanics finalized, there’s only the small matter of waiting for the weekend to pass in winning fashion before the whole process begins again. So to discuss “what’s next…,” well, it’s a natural part of the process. “Year three has come up between organizers and members of the board, like Rafe Williams and Emily Hickner,” Gzehoviak, the festival’s co-founder, says. “We toss out ‘next year’ all the time. And that’s what we hope happens, of course. We’re feeling confident about this year, where we are financially and the shows. We think about plans for next year and all have thoughts on acts.” The festival has its eye on the bigger picture. “Years four and five haven’t come up,” he says. “But we did go into this longevity in mind and as something that we can grow in the Grove. There are multiple goals. We want to get some industry folks to these events, to provide opportunities for local comics. For traveling comics, we want to give them one more reason to come through here and perform, give them a few ten-minute sets in front of people who might be good contacts.” And, of course, there’s the matter of giving St. Louis fans a chance to catch local, regional and national acts in one central location. While this year’s festival remains in the Grove, there are mild variations from 2017. The side room at Gezellig, in action last year, has become a pizza parlor and so is out of the venue mix. In lieu of it is the Monocle. The Improv Shop predictably, with

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Cameron Esposito is just one of the artists performing at this year’s fest. | VIA ROGERS AND COWAN its two stages built for the art of comedy, is the festival’s centerpiece. Unless you want to tag the Ready Room that way, as the club will host three nights of headlined comedy this year, up from one such show last year. And Handlebar will host open mics. The mix of venues, Gzehoviak believes, will provide those who buy weekend-long wristbands a chance to see multiple forms of comedy, only one parking spot needed. Thirty-plus events are scheduled across three days. “So many festivals out there do all standup,” he says. Flyover adds “some variety shows, some podcasts. We’re offering improv, sketch shows. That gives people a reason to go to more than one show a night. From producing shows, we know that people can tap out after 75 minutes of standup. This allows them an opportunity to go to a show, grab a drink somewhere else in the Grove, then hit up another show that’s completely different later that night. There’s something cool in that. And there are even things like karaoke planned for Friday night at the Ready Room, which’ll be a fun thing to attend, a party.” With the Ready Room now a full-time festival venue, organizers were able to increase the talent level across all the rooms, adding headlining standup talents in Cameron Esposito, Janelle James, Shane Torres, Ben Kronberg and JC Coccoli, as well as noted groups the Improvised Shakespeare Co. and Matt Damon Improv. Gzehoviak and his co-founders — Brady McAninch and Kris Wernowsky,

the latter a former contributor to the RFT — all have their own picks for can’t-miss shows, including the group efforts Late Late Breakfast, Arguments & Grievances and Adult Spelling Bee. “From a growth standpoint,” Gzehoviak says, “we’ve invested a lot more into talent this year. We’re pretty excited from a talent standpoint level, and not just the Ready Room, main headliner acts.” Plenty of local standups are represented, including such standouts as Justin Luke, Angela Smith and Libbie Higgins, plus one of the city’s most unpredictable, amusing sketch/variety shows, Fatal Bus Accident. “Something I’ve definitely wanted since we started last year is to be inclusive,” Gzehoviak says. “There’s a good amount of St. Louis comics, in addition to the submissions performers. So much of this is about highlighting the local scene and providing a platform for them. “Last year,” he adds, “we were surprised at the turnout. We really were. I thought I might be going up to comics from outta town and saying, ‘Sorry this show was kinda light, but thanks for coming out.’ But every show was full. At this point, wristband sales are up over last year and individual tickets are on sale and we’ll push the heck out of those. People are more aware of the festival this year and we hope they’ll be more interested in going to one show, or even the whole weekend.” For tickets and more information, visit flyovercomedyfest.com.

OUT EVERY NIGHT

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Cloud Nothings. | DANIEL TOPETE

Cloud Nothings 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 14. Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street. $15. 314-588-0505. On its latest album, Last Building Burning, Cloud Nothings attacks its punk-flecked rock songs with an energy and intensity so fervent that you’d think the band was releasing its first album instead of its fifth. It’s something to marvel at: Hasn’t the band been pummeled by ennui just like the rest of us? But what started as a

THURSDAY 8

CAROL BURNETT: 7:30 p.m., $65-$175. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. THE FLOOZIES: 9 p.m., $22-$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. FLYOVER COMEDY FESTIVAL: BEST OF THE LOU: w/ Jeremy Essig 7 p.m., $10. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. IVAS JOHN & BRIAN CURRAN: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JASON BOLAND AND THE STRAGGLERS: w/ Mike and the Moonpies 8 p.m., $17-$30. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. JASON COOPER BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE LOS ANGELES GUITAR QUARTET: 8 p.m., $35$40. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. OLD WOUNDS: w/ SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Chamber, Reaver, Brute Force 7 p.m., $10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. THE SUFFERS: 7 p.m., $15-$18. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

one-man project for Dylan Baldi quickly coalesced into a band that could spin off catchy indie-rock jams and, increasingly, sharp-elbowed excoriations that would feel like dirges if they weren’t flinging volume, speed and vitriol at 100 miles per hour. Catch this iteration of Cloud Nothings before Baldi takes another detour; this is the band at its most forceful. Temp Job: Temporal Marauder, the local fractured-pop duo of Joe Raglani and Erica Sparks, opens the shows. —Christian Schaeffer

FRIDAY 9

BASSAMP AND DANO: w/ The Fighting Side, Shame Finger 8 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. BEN RECTOR: 8 p.m., $29.50-$39.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. CAMERON ESPOSITO: 8 p.m., $25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. ELLEN FULLMAN AND THE LONG STRING INSTRUMENT: 8 p.m., $10-$20. The 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University City, 314-421-3600. FUNK YOU: w/ Dr. Slappinstein 8 p.m., $10-$13. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. THE HOLY HAND GRENADES: w/ The Many Colored Death, Ben Diesel 9 p.m., free. Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314-241-2337. HORSESHOES & HAND GRENADES: w/ Grassfed Mule 8 p.m., $12. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. HY C & THE NEW START BLUES BAND: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JASON COOPER BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

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St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. KILBORN ALLEY BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. KIM MASSIE: 7:30 p.m., $10. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. KUNG FU CAVEMAN: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. LARRY GRIFFIN & ERIC MCSPADDEN: 4 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MONTU + EGI: w/ Brother Francis and the Soultones 8 p.m., $7-$10. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. NICKI BLUHM: w/ Gill Landry 8 p.m., $15-$18. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. ROKY ERICKSON: 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. THE SKATALITES: w/ Murder City Players, BoomTown United 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR: 8 p.m., $30-$60. Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-4949. WALK OFF THE EARTH: 8 p.m., $32.50-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

[CRITIC’S PICK]

[WEEKEND]

BEST BETS

Five sure-fire shows to close out the week

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Ellen Fullman

8 p.m. 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Avenue, University City. $10-$20. 314-935-9231.

Memphis-born, Kansas City Art Institute-educated Ellen Fullman reaches beyond the mantle of performer — but just how far? We reckon 90 feet, the approximate length of her signature Long String Instrument. Played with rosin-coated fingers, this device is a large-scale installation that explores the sonic qualities of the space that it fills. (As Fullman once explained, “My whole body is a finger moving along a fretboard.”) While Fullman has recorded her work, namely on 1985’s The Long String Instrument, seeing and hearing her perform live is an entirely different experience. Presented by New Music Circle, the event at 560 Music Center continues the organization’s 60th year, which has already featured Anthony Braxton and Joe McPhee. A show from Lonnie Holley is still to come.

Keith Sweat & Blackstreet

7 p.m. Chaifetz Arena, 1 South Compton Avenue. $45-$75. 314-977-5000.

A forefather of modern R&B and a legend in his own right, Keith Sweat continues to pump out new music while retaining the timeless sound he established in the ’80s. Released just weeks ago, Playing For Keeps is a rather fast follow-up to 2016’s Dress to Impress, a record that still feels fresh from the oven. Sweat’s constant and consistent output shows an artist still in his prime.

Kinesis Afterparty 2018 w/ Alexis Langevin-Tétrault, Pamela Z, Head Dress

10 p.m. Innovation Hall STL, 4220 Duncan Avenue. $35.

While Venture Café fundraiser Kinesis is an exclusive event — an invite-only dinner with an awards ceremony — the after-party is a public and much more raucous affair. Montreal native Alexis Langevin-Tétrault headlines the full-on sensory overload with a string-based installation and a light show that reacts to its sound. Pamela Z and Head Dress each offer their own explorations of electro-acoustic music, while Matt Hope, Disnovation, #NewPalmyra, Evan T. & Stacy Smith and Ian Patrick Cunningham offer an immerContinued on pg 49

RIVERFRONT TIMES

SUNDAY 11

The Skatalites. | VIA SIMON SAYS BOOKING

The Skatalites 8 p.m. Saturday, November 10. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Boulevard. All ages: $20 advance, $25 day of. 314-726-6161. You think EDM has too many genres to comprehend? Try wrapping your body around the world of Jamaican music, with its mento, rock steady, dub, two tone and, of course, ska, the original and toughest of all island dance styles. One of the foundational bands of ska, the Skatalites, is still churning out the deceptively complex yet always elementally syncopated sound. The Skatalites’ original recordings, cut in one blistering fourteen-

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 47

JILL SOBULE: 8 p.m., $20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. KEITH SWEAT: w/ Blackstreet 7 p.m., $48-$128. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000. KINGOFTHEHILL: 8 p.m., $17-$20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. NICK GUSMAN ALBUM RELEASE PARTY: w/ Allie Vogler, Brother Francis and the Soultones 8 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. POWER PLAY: 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. PVMNTS: w/ WSTR, Hold Close 7 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THE WARBUCKLES: 9 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090.

SATURDAY 10

BIG MIKE AGUIRRE & BLUE CITY ALL-STARS: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

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month stretch from 1964 to 1965, make up the Rosetta Stone to all the varieties of reggae (and more) to follow. The music of the Clash, the Police and even No Doubt would not exist without this band. Much of the original lineup has passed on, but the Skatalites still know how to school a packed and sweaty dance hall. Study up and get ready to skank. Moveable Fest: Along with the formidable headliners, this year’s St. Louis Skafest also includes major movers the Murder City Players, Boomtown United and Brick City Sound System, which kicks off the festival at 7 p.m. as doors open. —Roy Kasten

BILLY PEEK: 8 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. BUILDINGS: w/ The Conformists, Maximum Effort 9 p.m., free. Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314-241-2337. DRAKE AND MIGOS: 7 p.m., $49.50-$179.5. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888. FLYOVER COMEDY FESTIVAL AFTERPARTY: 11 p.m., free. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. THE GASLIGHT SQUARES: 9 p.m., free. The Frisco Barroom, 8110 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-455-1090. GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS: 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. HEALTHCARE FOR ALL BENEFIT SHOW: w/ Redbait, Bone Roaster, Babe Lords, Daytime Television 7 p.m., $6. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY: 7 p.m., $25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. JAMFEST: 4 p.m., free. Casino Queen, 200 S. Front St., East St. Louis, 618-874-5000. JOE BONAMASSA: 8 p.m., $99-$179. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. JOE METZKA BAND: 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth

ARMY JAZZ AMBASSADORS: 3 p.m., free. Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-4949. THE BLACK LILLIES: 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. FRANKLIN COHEN, BETH GUTERMAN CHU, BJORN RANHEIM AND PETER HENDERSON: 7 p.m., $5$20. The 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University City, 314-421-3600. GUSTER: 8 p.m., $30-$35. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. LILA DOWNS: 7:30 p.m., $30-$45. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. RAVEN ROGERS BAND: 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE REPUTATIONS: w/ Mammoth Piano, The Native Sons 7:30 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. RIVER CITY OPRY: 1 p.m., $5. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THAT 1 GUY: 8 p.m., $13-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

MONDAY 12

CMSSL CLARINET MASTER CLASS: w/ Diana Haskell 4 p.m., free. The 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University City, 314-421-3600. GALLAGHER: 7 p.m., $35-$45. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. JAKE SIMMONS & THE LITTLE GHOSTS: w/ Fight Back Mountain, Moses Moses 7:30 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. MUSIC UNLIMITED: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ROGER HODGSON: 7 p.m., $59.50-$79.50. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777.

TUESDAY 13

DEAN MINDERMAN: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ETHAN LEINWAND & FRIENDS: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. EVERY TIME I DIE: w/ Turnstile, Angel Du$t, Vein 7 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. PROF: w/ Mac Irv, Dwynell Roland, Willie Wonka 7:30 p.m., $17. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. ROZWELL KID: w/ Prince Daddy & The Hyenas 8 p.m., $12-$14. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

TAUK: 9 p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. WYVES: w/ Bastard and the Crows 7:30 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

WEDNESDAY 14

ALL GET OUT: w/ Homesafe, Household, Sunsleeper 7 p.m., $12-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CLOUD NOTHINGS: w/ Nap Eyes 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. EAST SIDER REVIEW: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JAY LARSON: 8 p.m., $20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. SHRED FLINTSTONE: w/ Necessities, Slow Boys, Young Animals 7:30 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. TYLER CHILDERS: 8 p.m., $18-$21. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. WADE BOWEN: 8 p.m., $20-$30. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

THIS JUST IN A CHRISTMAS SHERYL: A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF SHERYL CROW: W/ Beth Bombara, Stacey Winter, AV & The Dirty Details, Jenny Roques & Friends, Fri., Dec. 21, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. AARON KAMM & THE ONE DROPS: Wed., Nov. 21, 9 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. AMIGO THE DEVIL: Fri., Jan. 18, 8 p.m., $13-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. THE AMITY AFFLICTION: W/ Senses Fail, Bad Omens, Belmont, Tue., Jan. 29, 7 p.m., $25-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. BASSAMP & DANO’S 3ND ANNUAL PRE-THANKSGIVING TURKEY TOSS BASH: Wed., Nov. 21, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. BIG MIKE AGUIRRE & BLUE CITY ALL-STARS: Sat., Nov. 10, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Wed., Nov. 14, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BOXCAR: Wed., Nov. 21, 7 p.m., free. 50Fifty Kitchen, 3723 S Kingshighway Blvd, St. Louis, 314-8759623. Sat., Dec. 8, 8 p.m., free. Stone Spiral, 2500 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, 314-335-7388. BRUNCH WITH BOXCAR: Sun., Dec. 9, noon, free. Webster Groves Garden Cafe, 117 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, 314-475-3490. CHRIS D’ELIA: Sat., Jan. 12, 8 p.m., $29-$39. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. CHROME SPARKS: Wed., Feb. 13, 8 p.m., $18. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. CLASSIC TRIBUTE BAND: Fri., Nov. 23, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. DEAD HORSES: W/ The Brother Brothers, Thu., Jan. 31, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. DEAN MINDERMAN: Tue., Nov. 13, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE DEVON ALLMAN PROJECT: W/ Duane Betts, Wed., Dec. 26, 8 p.m., $30-$35. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. DIVA JAZZ ORCHESTRA: Fri., April 12, 8 p.m., $35. Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-4949. DRU HILL: W/ Silk, Troop, Thu., Dec. 13, 7 p.m., $40-$65. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE EARLS OF LEICESTER: Sun., March 10, 7:30 p.m., $40-$50. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington

Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. EAST SIDER REVIEW: Wed., Nov. 14, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ERIC BROWN COMEDY ALBUM RELEASE SHOW: W/ Brandon Judd, Thu., Dec. 13, 8 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. ETHAN LEINWAND & FRIENDS: Tue., Nov. 13, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. FINDING EMO: Sat., Dec. 1, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. FLYOVER COMEDY FESTIVAL AFTERPARTY: Sat., Nov. 10, 11 p.m., free. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. FUNK YOU: W/ Dr. Slappinstein, Fri., Nov. 9, 8 p.m., $10-$13. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. FUTURE WRLD: W/ Future, Juice WRLD, BlocboyJB, Gwoppaveli Dash, LA4SS, Sun., Dec. 16, 7 p.m., $47-$203. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000. GARTH BROOKS: Sat., March 9, 7 p.m., $94.95. The Dome at America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza St., St. Louis, 314-342-5201. GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV: Wed., Jan. 9, 8 p.m., $22.50-$26. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. THE HAMILTONES: Sun., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., $25-$35. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. HY C & THE NEW START BLUES BAND: Fri., Nov. 9, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. IVAS JOHN & BRIAN CURRAN: Thu., Nov. 8, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JACOB REBER: W/ Ella Fritts, Thu., Nov. 15, 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. JAKE’S LEG: Fri., Dec. 7, 9 p.m., $7. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. JAMFEST: Sat., Nov. 10, 4 p.m., free. Casino Queen, 200 S. Front St., East St. Louis, 618-874-5000. JASON COOPER BAND: Fri., Nov. 9, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JASON COOPER BLUES BAND: Thu., Nov. 8, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JASON D. WILLIAMS: Fri., Dec. 21, 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. JOE METZKA BAND: Sat., Nov. 10, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. JON WAYNE AND THE PAIN: W/ Rota, Sat., Dec. 8, 8 p.m., $12-$15. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. THE KAY BROTHERS: Sat., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $7-$10. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. KELLER WILLIAMS’ PETTYGRASS: W/ The HillBenders, Sat., March 23, 9 p.m., $30. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. KILBORN ALLEY BLUES BAND: Sat., Nov. 10, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. KIM MASSIE: Sat., Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m., $10. Sat., Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m., $10. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. KRISTEN COTHRON: Thu., Nov. 15, 7 p.m., free. The Wolf Public House, 15480 Clayton Rd, Ballwin, 636-527-7027. LARRY GRIFFIN & ERIC MCSPADDEN: Sat., Nov. 10, 4 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LAURA JANE GRACE: W/ Mercy Union, Control Top, Thu., April 4, 7 p.m., $22-$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. THE LOS ANGELES GUITAR QUARTET: Thu., Nov. 8, 8 p.m., $35-$40. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., Nov. 11, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LOW WEATHER: W/ The Ricters, Sat., Nov. 24, 9

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 49 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. MAGGIE ROGERS: Sun., April 7, 8 p.m., $29.50$32.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. MAGIC GIANT: $15-$17. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. MARC REBILLET: Sat., Jan. 12, 8 p.m., $10-$15. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. MONTU + EGI: W/ Brother Francis and the Soultones, Sat., Nov. 10, 8 p.m., $7-$10. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. MUSIC UNLIMITED: Mon., Nov. 12, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. NICK MASON’S SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS: Sun., March 31, 7:30 p.m., $45-$99.50. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN: Sun., March 31, 7:30 p.m., $35-$45. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. OZOMATLI: Thu., Dec. 6, 8 p.m., $22. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH: Wed., June 26, 6 p.m., $29.50-$250. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. PATTI & THE HITMEN: Fri., Nov. 30, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG: Wed., Feb. 13, 8 p.m., $18-$20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. POWER PLAY: Fri., Nov. 9, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. QUINN XCII: Tue., March 19, 8 p.m., $28-$32. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. RAVEN ROGERS BAND: Sun., Nov. 11, 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. RIVER CITY OPRY: Sun., Nov. 11, 1 p.m., $5. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THE ROSS BELL BAND: Fri., Nov. 16, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe,

BEST BETS

Continued from pg 48

sive art-tech exhibit. The night is also a ribbon-cutting of sorts for Innovation Hall STL, a new workspace and programming hub.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Buildings w/ the Conformists, Maximum Effort

9 p.m. Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street. Free. 314-241-2337.

Buildings’ gut-wrenching guitar howls atop bass lines that carry its dissonant rip. The vocals here are half-sung, halfspoken from behind gritted teeth, and they offer a tense undercurrent that ultimately results in an aggressive release. While each song differs in terms of tempo, timing and dynamics, this crew from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, rarely veers off the noise-rock path paved by aluminum guitars. The vibe is fierce, but it never feels overbearing or too performative. Sure, the bass drum fires off like an old, untended cannon, but it

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1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. SECOND ANNUAL MISSISSIPPI NIGHTS REUNION: Sat., Jan. 5, 7:30 p.m., $10. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. SORRY PLEASE CONTINUE: Wed., Nov. 28, 8 p.m., $5. Wed., Dec. 26, 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. ST. LOUIS MUSIC FESTIVAL: W/ Charlie Wilson, Babyface, Joe, Fri., Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., $52.50$253. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000. THE STINGERS: Sat., Nov. 17, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. THANKSGIVING EVE WITH THE RUM DRUM RAMBLERS: Wed., Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. THOMAS ERAK: W/ Andrés, Fri., Nov. 23, 7 p.m., $13-$15. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. TRIPPIE REDD: Fri., Dec. 7, 8 p.m., $45-$99. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. ULTIMATE JAZZ ALL-STARS BIG BAND: Sat., April 13, 8 p.m., $35. Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-4949. WHISKEY & THUNDER: W/ Kill the Creature, Fri., Nov. 16, 8:30 p.m., free. Red Fish Blue Fish, 7 Hawks Nest Plaza, St Charles, 636-947-4747. YO GOTTI: Sun., Dec. 2, 8 p.m., $45-$65. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

NEXT WEEK

AARON KAMM & THE ONE DROPS: Wed., Nov. 21, 9 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. ADVANCE BASE: W/ Hunter Dragon, From a Cloud, Wed., Nov. 21, 8:30 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. AMANDA KIRKPATRICK: Sat., Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m., free. The 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University City, 314-421-3600. ASHES TO STARDUST: THE MUSIC OF DAVID BOWIE: Wed., Nov. 21, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THE BAREFOOT MOVEMENT: Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $25-$65. .Zack, 3224 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-533-0367. BASSAMP & DANO’S 3ND ANNUAL PRE-THANKS-

does so with a purpose — to serve every shredded and angular song.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 The Reputations w/ Mammoth Piano, The Native Sons 7:30 p.m. Foam, 3359 South Jefferson Avenue. $7. 314-772-2100.

Only days removed from the release of Electric Power, the Reputations should be at the top of the AM pop game. The Austin-based neo-soul collective feels plucked out of ’60s and dropped into 2018 — perfect for Foam’s cozy club vibe. St. Louis’ Mammoth Piano provides a bold foil with its own noisy collision of blues and funk. It’s an underrated fusion that feels like it was founded on the banks of the Mississippi, beached and thirsty for Stag and/or PBR. —Joseph Hess Each week we bring you our picks for the best concerts of the weekend. To submit your show for consideration, visit riverfronttimes. com/stlouis/Events/AddEvent. All events subject to change; check with the venue for the most up-to-date information.

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 50 GIVING TURKEY TOSS BASH: Wed., Nov. 21, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. BEARTOOTH: W/ Knocked Loose, Sylar, Thu., Nov. 15, 7 p.m., $25. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. BLAC YOUNGSTA: Wed., Nov. 21, 8 p.m., $13-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BRETT YOUNG: W/ Tyler Rich, Rachel Wammack, Sun., Nov. 18, 7 p.m., $30-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. BRIAN WILSON: W/ Al Jardine, Blondie Chaplin, Thu., Nov. 15, 6 p.m., $55-$100. Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St Charles, 636-896-4200. DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER AND THE MEMPHIS SOULPHONY: Sat., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $30-$45. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS: Wed., Nov. 21, 8 p.m., $35.50-$128.50. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. FLESH MOTHER: W/ Coffin Fit, Dear Satan, Vacation Drugs, Thu., Nov. 15, 8:30 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. FOR LOVERS ONLY: A TRIBUTE TO BABYFACE & EL DEBARGE: Sun., Nov. 18, 6 p.m., $20. Voce, 212 S. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, 314-435-3956. G HERBO: W/ Southside, Queen Kay, Sun., Nov. 18, 7 p.m., $15-$130. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. THE HAMILTONES: Sun., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., $25-$35. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. HANDS LIKE HOUSES: W/ Emarosa, Devour the Day, Sat., Nov. 17, 6 p.m., $20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. JACOB REBER: W/ Ella Fritts, Thu., Nov. 15, 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. JANET EVRA ALBUM RELEASE PARTY: Sun., Nov. 18, 2 p.m., $10. .Zack, 3224 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-533-0367. JEFF AUSTIN BAND: Sat., Nov. 17, 9 p.m., $17$20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. JON MCLAUGHLIN: W/ Matt Wertz, Scott Mulvahill, Sat., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $25. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. JOY WILLIAMS: W/ Anthony da Costa, Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $20-$22.50. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. JULIEN BAKER: W/ Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Thu., Nov. 15, 7 p.m., $23-$25. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. KASBO: Tue., Nov. 20, 8 p.m., $15-$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. LASSO SPELLS: W/ Desire Lines, Boreal Hills, Thu., Nov. 15, 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. 13TH ANNUAL LAST WALTZ & THE BAND CELEBRATION: W/ The Stag Nite All-Stars, Wed., Nov. 21, 6 p.m., $15. South Broadway Athletic Club, 2301 S. Seventh St., St. Louis, 314-776-4833. LET’S NOT RECORD RELEASE SHOW: W/ Mammoth Piano, the Defeated County, Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. LIL DUVAL: Sun., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., $40-$62.50. Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd, North St. Louis County, 314-869-9090. LIL YACHTY: W/ Bhad Bhabie, Mon., Nov. 19, 8 p.m., $27.50-$30. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. LOOPRAT: W/ Mathias and the Pirates, Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $20. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. LUCERO: W/ Strand of Oaks, Sat., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $25-$35. W/ Strand of Oaks, Sun., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., $25-$35. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. MARC BROUSSARD: Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $22$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

MAXWELL: Thu., Nov. 15, 8 p.m., $32-$122. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. OF MONTREAL: W/ Reptaliens, Thu., Nov. 15, 8 p.m., $20-$23. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. ONE WARM COAT BENEFIT SHOW: W/ The Midlife, Better Days, Slow Damage, Tensions Rising, Arm’s Length, Sat., Nov. 17, 7 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. PONO AM: W/ The Schizophonics, Fri., Nov. 16, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. QUEEN NAIJA: Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $20-$65. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. RAZAKEL AND THE SLICE GIRLS: W/ Histio, Douuble You, Hard Jawz, Crackle Capone, Wed., Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m., $10-$13. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. REDISCOVERY: Fri., Nov. 16, 7 p.m., $5-$15. The 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University City, 314-421-3600. ROAST OF RONNIE RADKE: Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ROBYN ADELE: Thu., Nov. 15, 7 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ROGERS & NIENHAUS: Wed., Nov. 21, 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. THE ROSS BELL BAND: Fri., Nov. 16, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. RUSTON KELLY: W/ Katie Pruitt, Sun., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. SENSOR SHAKE: W/ Lumet, Golden Curls, Fri., Nov. 16, 9 p.m., free. Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314-241-2337. SMOKING POPES: W/ Amuse, Sat., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $15-$18. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. SONIC MISCHIEF: Wed., Nov. 21, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. THE STATE PROPERTY REUNION TOUR: W/ Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Young GUNZ, Peedi Crakk, Wed., Nov. 21, 8 p.m., $25-$50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE STINGERS: Sat., Nov. 17, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. STREET SECTS: Tue., Nov. 20, 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THANKSGIVING EVE WITH THE RUM DRUM RAMBLERS: Wed., Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. THE THROWBACK: Sat., Nov. 17, 9 p.m., $5-$20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. UNEARTH: W/ Fit For An Autopsy, The Agony Scene, Traitors, Fri., Nov. 16, 7 p.m., $18-$20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. VINCE GILL: Fri., Nov. 16, 7 p.m., $56.50-$72. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. WAITING FOR FLYNN: Fri., Nov. 16, 11 p.m., free. Halo Bar, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-1414. WHITECHAPEL: W/ Chelsea Grin, Oceano, Slaughter To Prevail, Tue., Nov. 20, 7 p.m., $20$24. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. WHY? PLAYS ALOPECIA: Wed., Nov. 21, 7 p.m., $15-$18. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. WOOD CHICKENS: W/ Bucko Toby, Echo Shampo, Sun., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. THE WRECKS: W/ Badflower, Deal Casino, Sat., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $16.50-$20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. ZIGTEBRA: W/ Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship, Bounce House, Party Dress, Sun., Nov. 18, 9 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. n

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NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 2018

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NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 2018

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SAVAGE LOVE WHAT AIN’T BROKE BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about myself and my sexuality and my romantic self. I can log on and easily find someone to fuck. I’m a bear-built top guy. There are ladies in my life who choose to share their beds with me. I can find subs to tie up and torture. (I’m kinky and bi.) What I can’t find is a long-term partner. The problem is that after I fuck/ sleep with/torture someone, my brain stops seeing them as sexual and moves them into the friend category. I have friends who I used to fuck regularly and now it’s a chore to get it up for them. Sure, the sex still feels good, but it’s not passionate. And when it’s all said and done, they’re still in the “friend” category in my brain. Some of them have suggested being more, but I’ve recoiled. There’s nothing wrong with them, but they’re friends, not potential partners. I’m 32, and my siblings are married and having kids, and the people I grew up with are married and having kids. And here I am not able to find a long-term significant other. Am I broken? Should I just accept that, at least for me, sexual partners and domestic/romantic partners will always be separate categories? Always Alone What if you’re not like most everyone else? What if this is just how your sexuality works? What if you’re wired — emotionally, romantically, sexually — for intense but brief sexual connections that blossom into wonderful friendships? And what if you’ve been tricked into thinking you’re broken because the kind of successful long-term relationships your siblings and friends have are celebrated and the kind of successful short-term relationships you have are stigmatized? If your siblings and friends want to have the kinds of relationships they’re having — and it’s possible some do not — they will feel no inner conflict about their choices while simultaneously being showered with praise for their choices. But what are they really doing? They’re doing what they want,

they’re doing what makes them happy, they’re doing what works for them romantically, emotionally, and sexually. And what are you doing? Maybe you’re doing what you want, AA, maybe you’re doing what could make you happy. So why doesn’t it make you happy? Maybe because you’ve been made to feel broken by a culture that holds up one relationship model — the partnered and preferably monogamous pair — and insists that this model is the only healthy and whole option, and that anyone who goes a different way, fucks a different way, or relates a different way is broken. Now, it’s possible you are broken, of course, but anyone could be broken. You could be broken, I could be broken, your married siblings and friends could be broken. (Regarding your siblings and friends: Not everyone who marries and has kids wanted marriage and kids. Some no doubt wanted it, AA, but others succumbed to what was expected of them.) But here’s a suggestion for something I want you to try, something that might make you feel better because it could very well be true: Try to accept that, for you, sexual partners and domestic/romantic partners might always be separate, and that doesn’t mean you’re broken. If that self-acceptance makes you feel whole, AA, then you have your answer. I might make a different suggestion if your brief-but-intense sexual encounters left a lot of hurt feelings in their wake. But that’s not the case. You hook up with someone a few times, you share an intense sexual experience, and you feel a brief romantic connection to them. And when those sexual and romantic feelings subside, you’re not left with a string of bitter exes and enemies, but with a large and growing circle of good friends. Which leads me to believe that even if you aren’t doing what everyone else is doing, AA, you’re clearly doing something right. P.S. Another option if you do want to get married someday: a companionate marriage to one of your most intimate friends — someone like you, AA, who also sees potential life partners and potential sex partners as two distinct categories with no overlap — and all the Grindr hookups and BDSM sessions you like with one-

The only “problem” here is that your brother’s obsession makes his dick hard — and the problem is yours, not his. offs who become good friends. Hey, Dan: I knew my little brother had an odd fascination with rubber that would likely become sexual. He would steal rubber gloves and hide them in his room, and there was a huge meltdown when our mother found a gas mask in his room when he was twelve. My brother is in his 30s now and has a closet full of rubber “gear” that he dresses in pretty much exclusively. (When he’s not at work, he’s in rubber.) All of his friends are rubber fetishists. When he travels, it’s only to fetish events where he can wear his rubber clothing publicly. He will date only other rubber fetishists, which seems to have severely limited his romantic prospects, and he posts photos of himself in rubber to his social media accounts. I read your column and I understand that kinks aren’t chosen and they can be incorporated into a person’s sex life in a healthy way. But my brother’s interest in rubber seems obsessive. Your thoughts? Rubbered Up Baby Brother’s Erotic Rut If your brother were obsessed with surfing or snowboarding and built his life around chasing waves or powder — and would date only people who shared his passion — you wouldn’t have written me. Same goes if he were obsessed with pro sports, as so many straight men are, or Broadway shows, as so many gay men are. The only “problem” here is that your brother’s obsession makes his dick hard — and to be clear, RUBBER, the problem is yours, not his. An erotic obsession or passion is just as legitimate as a nonerotic one. And even if I thought your brother had a problem — and I do not — nothing I wrote here would result in him liking his rubber clothes, rubber buddies or rubber

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fetish events any less. Hey, Dan: I’m a 28-year-old straight man married to a 26-yearold straight woman. My wife and I were watching a video about sex and the female orgasm, and they were talking about how, unlike men, women don’t have a refractory period after orgasm. We were confused because we are almost the complete opposite. I have never experienced drowsiness, lessened sensitivity or quickened loss of erection after orgasm. My wife, on the other hand, doesn’t even like me kissing her bits after orgasm. She says they feel tender and sore afterward, and this feeling can last for hours. Is this normal? Newlywed’s Orgasms Rarely Multiply What you describe isn’t the norm, NORM, but it’s your norm. Most men temporarily lose interest in sex immediately after climaxing. It’s called the refractory period, and it can last anywhere from 15 minutes (for teenagers) to 24 hours (for old-timers). It’s a hormone thing: After a guy comes, his pituitary gland pumps prolactin into his bloodstream — and prolactin blocks dopamine, the hormone that makes a dude horny and keeps him horny. But some men release very little prolactin and consequently have short refractory periods; a handful of men have no refractory period at all and are capable of multiple orgasms. You don’t mention the ability to come again and again, but you do sound exceptional in that you don’t lose your erection after you come. Your wife also sounds exceptional, NORM, since most orgasmic women are capable of having multiple orgasms — but most women ≠ all women. (I’ve always loved what groundbreaking sex researcher Mary Jane Sherfey wrote in 1966: “The more orgasms she has, the more she can have — for all intents and purposes, the human female is sexually insatiable.” Emphasis hers.) But again, NORM, there’s nothing wrong with either of you. It’s just that your norm isn’t the norm — and that’s only a problem if you choose to regard it as one. Listen to Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter

NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 2018

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NOVEMBER 7 - 13, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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HAPPY HOUR WEEKDAYS TIL 7PM $2 WELLS & DOMESTICS 1730 South 8th Street | Soulard

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