Riverfront Times, December 18, 2019 by Riverfront Times

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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THE LEDE

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

“I want people to know that somebody cares — not just on southside. Northside as well. Somebody out here cares.” NICHOLAS GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHED AT SOUTH GRAND BOULEVARD AND GRAVOIS AVENUE ON DECEMBER 15

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Chris Keating Interim Editor in Chief Doyle Murphy

COVER

Last Days at Lansdowne As the East St. Louis towers are emptied out and demolished, the remaining tenants wonder whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next

E D I T O R I A L Managing Editor Liz Miller Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writer Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Columnist Ray Hartmann Contributing Writers Mike Appelstein, Allison Babka, Thomas Crone, Jenn DeRose, Mike Fitzgerald, Sara Graham, Joseph Hess, MaryAnn Johanson, Roy Kasten, Kevin Korinek, Bob McMahon, Lauren Milford, Nicholas Phillips, Tef Poe, Christian Schaeffer Proofreader Evie Hemphill Editorial Interns Ella Faust, Caroline Groff, Ronald Wagner A R T Art Director Evan Sult Contributing Photographers Virginia Harold, Stephen Kennedy, Monica Mileur, Zia Nizami, Andy Paulissen, Nick Schnelle, Mabel Suen, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Jen West

Cover design by

P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Haimanti Germain

EVAN SULT

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

from a photo by

KAI FLANDERS

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

INSIDE The Lede Hartmann

News Feature Calendar

The plan for tax breaks in floodplain is Stan Kroenke-level bad

12 20

Film

Bombshell

Short Orders

Culture

Out Every Night

Scott Ellinger of The Brass Rail Steakhouse | Recess STL | Yolklore Miles Long | Smino The Hooten Hallers | Nate Smith

Savage Love RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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HARTMANN Flood Money Even without Stan Kroenke, tax breaks to develop a Maryland Heights floodplain are a bad idea

here’s Stan Kroenke when you need him? In June 2016, our own Lord Voldemort showed up in the news as one of the nice people seeking taxpayer benefits to help him reap ntold millions developing 1,800 acres in Maryland Heights near the intersection of Highway 141 and the Page Avenue Extension. Although Kroenke was just one of six such applicants, his desire to receive local corporate welfare went over in St. Louis like a hijab at a Trump rally. ess than five months later, Kroenke pulled out, not because of public outrage, but because, according to KMOV reporting at the time, Maryland Heights had

“elected not to go forward with any of the plans, saying none of them met criteria set by o cials This explanation was what we call spin, shorthand or not even close to being tr e ater, those o cials wo ld own up at public hearings to the fact that the city had pulled back beca se o damaging ooding in 2016, not some inexplicable failure by slick developers like Kroenke to comply with their criteria. But don’t mistake that rare candor for a mea c lpa t was not Just three years later, a somewhat larger version of the assault on the environment is moving forward. It’s apparently 2,400 acres, not 1,800. The largesse is presented as public infrastructure, not welfare, but the purpose is unchanged: To monetize some of the last agricultural land in St. Louis County and, in the process, prioritize economic riches over responsible stewardship of the environment. Tonight, December 18, a Maryland Heights TIF commission

— with county government participation — will hold a public hearing to explain why taxpayers should indirectly fund a $151 million subsidy for some ginormous development down the road in the Maryland Park Lake District. This one won’t have a face of evil like Kroenke’s to rouse public unrest. It won’t appear to be lining developers’ pockets, even though it ultimately would, arguably in greater sums than the previous deal. But even setting that aside, the ecological irresponsibility is the worst of this: It’s a terrible idea for our region, no matter how many new shades of lipstick they place on this latest environment-ravaging pig. In the best case, Maryland Heights would be solving its own ongoing ooding iss es by literally sending the waters downstream to ood someone else In some rather bitter irony, some o those t re ood victims might be other St. Louis County residents who would be subsidizing the new economic development in Mary-

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land eights to no benefit or their own communities (and maybe even some detriment through lost commerce to Maryland Heights). Lessons have not been learned here in a region where -year oodplains wo ld more acc rately be described as -day oodplains oliticians and their expert planners will rationalize elo ently in the name o ood management — still another “economic development, corporatewelfare scheme that ultimately will treat Mother Nature as some homeless lady. To be sure, this is a complex subject. It isn’t unreasonable that o cials in cities like aryland Heights want to develop new revenue sources, and as long as they’re in competition with countless other jurisdictions that are throwing public funny money at quasi-capitalists, you can’t blame them for joining the party. But not when it comes to subsidizing ecosystem damaging

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Continued on pg 8

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HARTMANN

Continued from pg 7

developments in oodplains Now, because we city folk don’t tra c all that m ch on this topic, I direct you to www.prairierivers. org, the website of the Champaign, Illinois-based Prairie Rivers Network: “Floodplains are the lowlying areas adjacent to rivers that are formed by sediment deposited by rivers and s b ect to ooding The oodplain is an integral part o a river and is essential for a healthy functioning river system. Floodplains provide a variety o benefits or people, fish and wildli e The site goes on to explain how oodplains provide prod ctive habitats or fish, plants and wildlife, including migratory birds, and how they can promote clean water, ood protection or s rrounding areas, fertile soil for farmers and recreation activities s ch as fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. My main takeaway: They’re not just some nuisance where oods happen, which is how they are too often viewed. Some of this came through in a not-so-great-for-us Washington Post story on July 13 headlined ven as oods worsen, idwest towns plan new riverfront development s i t o is needed more fine national coverage, o r region received a brief-but-starring role in the environmental equivalent of Dumb and Dumber. Consider this passage from the Post story: “This year’s historic oods thro gho t the idwest caused billions of dollars in damages; washed out highways, bridges and dozens of levees; swamped crop lands and cities; sent residents eeing or their lives and left a death toll in several states. “Decades of development have contributed to the problem. laims to F s ood ins rance program have increased rapidly in the past two decades and spread beyond coastal regions. Here in metropolitan St Louis, oods in , and are among the city’s highest 10 crests, according to National Weather Service records. eg lation o oodplain b ilding is a state-by-state patchwork, where Missouri is ‘the Wild West,’ according to Olivia Dorothy of the environmental nonprofit merican ivers At least we had some smart local people speaking up for us in the story. t s l nacy, said avid tokes, executive director of the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance. “They’re con-

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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Maryland Heights would be solving its own flooding issues by literally sending the waters downstream to flood someone else. tinuing to build in places where Mother Nature intended water to go nd there s no end to it And there was this, from Robert E. Criss, professor emeritus with the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University: “The major cause of record, recent ooding is entirely man-made the dramatic constriction of our large rivers by oversized levees, oodplain development and str ct ral narrowing or barge tra c The story did note that state Sen. Andrew Koenig (R-Manchester) introduced legislation last session that would have banned local tax breaks for new developments in oodplains t didn t pass, b t to his credit, he says he’ll try again. I have no reason to question the good intentions of the folks in Maryland Heights. Stokes, a bona fide e pert on this s b ect, tells me there are legitimate concerns for some pumping stations and other ood control meas res on behal of some landowners, including Creve Coeur Airport, some farmers and small businesses operating recreational facilities. And Maryland Heights has some legitimate concerns about how funds are managed now in a local oodmanagement district. But a giant new development in a oodplain wo ld represent a horrible attack on the environment that wo ld have ramifications ar outside of Maryland Heights. In a strange way, it’s too bad that tonight’s hearing isn’t focused on the merits of helping Stan Kroenke. His presence would put a human face on an indefensible idea, even if it were worse environmentally than as corporate welfare. If that happened, I bet everyone in town would understand how bad it is. n Ray Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1977. Contact him at rhartmann@sbcglobal.net or catch him on St. Louis In the Know With Ray Hartmann and Jay Kanzler from 9 to 11 p.m. Monday thru Friday on KTRS (550 AM).

NEWS Cop Gets Probation for ‘Rough Ride’ Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

n ex-St. Louis cop convicted in a “rough ride” case was sentenced last week to two years probation and ordered to complete an anger management class. Lori Wozniak, 48, was found guilty in November of two counts of misdemeanor assault. The veteran o cer was tasked on August 2, 2018, with driving a couple of unruly drunks to the department’s south patrol station for processing. By all accounts, the men insulted Wozniak in particularly nasty terms. She reportedly told other o cers the

Former cop Lori Wozniak. | DOYLE MURPHY

two were “assholes” and she was going to slam on her brakes at every stop sign — an old-school cop tactic that sends handcuffed, unbuckled prisoners banging around inside of a cruiser or transport van. She didn’t brake at every stop sign, but she got in one good lick toward the end of the trip. As they neared the south patrol station, Wozniak suddenly jammed on the brakes, inging her passengers forward on the metal bench

seat. One of them smashed his face against a metal grate, opening a bloody gash above his eye. Wozniak later claimed she was braking for a dog. However, the van’s dash camera did not show any dogs. Assistant Circuit Attorney Jeffrey Estes, who prosecuted the case, asked Judge Lynne Raynard Perkins to impose a suspended sentence of 90 days in prison — 30 days for each victim and 30 days for “lying about the dog” — and two years probation. But Perkins opted for two years probation with the option to impose a sentence in the future if Wozniak violates the terms, which includes a ban on possessing a gun. He said he agreed with the ormer o cer s attorney, Brian Millikan, that Wozniak “received some punishment in that she has sacrificed her seventeenyear career.” Millikan noted in court that he had recently learned Wozniak will face a civil lawsuit as a result of the incident. Wozniak declined to comment after the verdict but told reporters to “stay safe.” n

Teacher on Leave for ‘Slave Trade’ Assignment Question Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

Missouri elementary school is investigating an in-class assignment given to fifth-grade students that asked them to consider the trade value of slaves on their hypothetical plantation — and what price to assign those slaves. “You own a plantation or farm and therefore need more workers,” the assignment stated. “You begin to get more involved in the slave trade industry and have slaves work on your farm. Your product to trade is slaves.” The assignment, given during a social studies class at Blades Elementary School, included a blank line for students to set a price per slave, as well as the instruction, “These could be worth a lot.” Educationally, the assignment’s worth came under scrutiny. Last week, a Mehlville School District spokeswoman

A Blades Elementary School teacher asked students to price slaves. | GOOGLE STREET VIEW told the Riverfront Times in an email, “The teacher who created the assignment has been placed on administrative leave.” In an earlier email to parents, Blades principal Jeremy Booker acknowledged that he’d been alerted to the existence of an assignment over the weekend. He described it as an activity that had “attempted to address market practices.” “As part of both the Missouri Learning Standards for fifth-grade Social Studies and the fifth-grade Mehlville School Dis-

trict curriculum, students were learning about having goods, needing goods and obtaining goods and how that influenced early settlement in America,” Booker’s email continued. “Some students who participated in this assignment were prompted to consider how plantation owners traded for goods and slaves.” The RFT first reported on the assignment after a photo of the worksheet was shared on Facebook. In response to requests for comment from RFT, Jessica Pupillo, director of

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communications for the school district, provided the entire four-page classroom activity about the free market of the colonial era. According to the worksheets, students were assigned particular roles and commodities. For instance, some were Connecticut farmers growing grain, while others were fishermen in Massachusetts selling herring and hunting whales. And some students were plantationowning slave traders. The activity sheet made no attempt to distinguish the institution of slavery from the trading of agricultural products — except in one place. Only in the category of slave trade were students reminded, “these could be worth a lot.” At the very least, it is a strange way acknowledge the vast wealth and economic power that whites stockpiled throughout a government-sanctioned, centuries-long enslavement of millions of people. On the worksheet’s final page, titled “Reflection,” students were given room to answer questions about the ways they had priced their goods and whether they thought they had become “wealthy.” “Think about the types of items you have and how much money you have leftover,” the activity sheet instructed. “Do you think the free market economy is good to be a part of? Do you think allowing people to set their own prices and buy and sell freely is a good economy? Why or why not?” The activity sheet concludes without any further remark on slave owning. “For me, for my biracial son to come home and to see ‘$5 for two slaves,’ I was shocked,” says Angie Walker, an elementary school teacher for St. Louis Public Schools and a mom whose son is enrolled as a fifth grader at Blades. It was her son’s worksheet that was posted to Facebook. According to Walker, her son said the teacher had presented the assignment as part of “a game” to see who could amass the most wealth through free trade. He’d been assigned the role of slave owner. “First of all, the slave trade industry is never a game,” Walker says. “The teacher could have gotten the lesson across perfectly fine without using slavery. It could have been a teachable moment, and things like this in 2019 should not be occurring. We can all learn from this and do better.” In the school email to parents, Principal Booker described the assignment as “culturally insensitive.” He did not name the teacher but said he had met with the educator earlier that morning to discuss “the impact the activity could have on students.” “The teacher has expressed significant remorse,” Booker wrote. “The district is continuing to investigate this event.” n

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

Police gather on September 17, 2017, the night of an undercover officer’s beating. | THEO WELLING

Fifth Cop Indicted in Beating of Officer Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

fi th t o is police o cer has been indicted on federal charges connected to the September 2017 beating of an undercover cop who was posing as a protester. cer teve orte, , was charged last week with civil rights violations and providing false statements to the FBI. The city cop, who was hired in 2011, was part o a team o o cers acc sed of attacking Detective Luther Hall during the protests that following the ac ittal o an e -o cer on a murder charge. The police department declined to comment on orte, other than to say he has been placed on administrative leave without pay. Hall suffered severe injuries when riot police slammed him to the ground, kicking and clubbing him ne o cer, hristopher Myers, is accused of breaking the camera Hall was using to document the protests and smashing his cell phone with a baton. Myers was indicted in November along with o cers stin Boone, Randy Hays and Bailey Colletta. Hays and Colletta have already pleaded guilty — Hays to deprivation of constitutional rights and Colletta to making false statements to a grand jury — and

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are scheduled to be sentenced in the spring. Myers and Boone have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. orte was added to the indictment last week, but his name has been associated with the case for some time. Hall named him as a de endant in a civil s it he filed in September against the city. Other defendants in that suit include police Lt. Col. Lawrence O’Toole, ayor yda rewson, Boone, Hays, Myers, Colletta and two other o cers who have not been indicted — Joseph Marcantano and Jaime Pitterle. In the civil suit, Hall says he put up his hands when approached by o cers and was thrown ace first into the gro nd, picked p and slammed to the ground again be ore o cers p mmeled him e has undergone multiple surgeries following the beating and has not returned to work. The violent arrest happened on the third night of protests after white ex-cop Jason Stockley was found not guilty of murder for killing Anthony Lamar Smith, a black man police accused of selling drugs. More than twenty people have sued the city for its response to demonstrations, alleging police attacked and illegally arrested them during the long-running protests. Many of the allegations are strikingly similar to what Hall says happened to him, incl ding o cers smashing cameras to cover their violence o ar, no o cers have been charged in any of those incidents. orte lied to the FB abo t taking part in the arrest of Hall, according to the criminal indictment. The o cer is also a de endant in other federal lawsuits, including one alleging he helped illegally arrest a man who laughed at thencandidate Donald Trump during campaign rally in 2016 at what is now Stifel Theatre. n

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Last Days at Lans As the East St. Louis towers are emptied out and demolished, the remaining tenants wonder what’s next BY KAI FLANDERS

ers. An excavator digs into the wrecking-ball-smashed facade of Brenton Tower, one of four high-rises that comprise the public housing development at 2901 Waverly Avenue. Perched on an electric lift, a crewman sprays water into the mass of shattered bricks, exposed metal cables and crushed glass, trying to keep down the dust. The thwack and crunch of the equipment rise into a grating cacophony. In Apartment 408 of Rukavina Tower, the only building still inhabited, residents Eric Brown and RaChelle Stewart can’t escape the noise. “That’s the sound of what’s going to happen to us,” Brown says, pointing his finger toward the window. Forty-five-year-old Brown is a slim, confident man who talks with his hands. Stewart, who is 52, watches him from their futon, nodding knowingly and interjecting occasionally. When the couple moved to Lansdowne seven and a half years ago, most of the complex’s 365 units were occupied. “There was a community here,” Stewart says. “It was nice to have people around.” Then in May and June of 2017, Ruggeri and Brenton towers were

emptied out by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, which at the time oversaw the East St. Louis Housing Authority. The Starnes building followed in June of this year. The first two towers have been destroyed, and Starnes exists as a boarded-up shell. Brown, Stewart and all their neighbors in Rukavina have no choice but to wait for an order to leave that they know is imminent. They have no concrete information about when that will happen and where they will go. The ESLHA is tight-lipped on the subject. By email, Executive Director Mildred Motley says that “the date has not been established” for Rukavina’s destruction. “We will Continued on pg 14

Brenton Tower’s demolition gave Rukavina Tower residents a preview of their fate. | KAI FLANDERS 12

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nsdowne

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LANSDOWNE TOWERS Continued from pg 12

inform the residents before we establish the timeline for demolition,” she writes. The expectation of that day creates a palpable feeling of dread that covers Lansdowne like a shroud. “We’re the last of the Mohicans,” Brown says. hat’s left of the Lansdowne Towers occupies an area of northeast East St. Louis. The tall brick buildings seem out of place amongst the overgrown lots and roughly paved streets. Many of the surrounding houses are abandoned. Stray dogs roam through the weeds. The complex was built from 1965 to 1967, during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. Until people began being displaced in 2017, Lansdowne was the largest public housing development in East St. Louis. For much of it’s lifespan, it primarily housed senior citizens and people on disability. East St. Louis is 98 percent African American, a demographic re ected by ansdowne s remaining population. Many of the residents are elderly, but there are also some younger families with children. According to HUD, the tower was 96 percent occupied in 2017. The city, which has a median household income of $20,659, has a deep need for affordable, subsidized housing. The housing stock, however, is severely damaged. Conditions at Rukavina are deplorable by any standard, including the housing authority’s own. Reports originally obtained by The Southern Illinoisan from an August 2017 inspection of the Rukavina and Starnes buildings list a gobsmacking health and sa ety deficiencies. Thirteen were deemed lifethreatening. The 130-page report details missing electrical breakers, broken smoke detectors, unlockable windows and doors, cracks in the foundation, badly clogged drains, leaks, exposed wires, units without refrigerators, damaged walls and ceilings, inoperable sinks, mold, mildew, water damage and blocked fire e its esidents ear that the paint on the walls is full of lead. Out of a possible 100 points, Lansdowne scored a seventeen, a failing grade by several miles. Incredibly, the report also states:

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“If all buildings and units were inspected, it is projected that a total o health and sa ety deficiencies would apply to the property.” Motley, who was made executive director of the ESLHA toward the end of 2015, says the organization doesn’t have nearly enough resources to make the needed repairs. “The systems were at or reaching the end of their useful life based on a green physical needs assessment conducted in 2015,” she writes in an email. “The immediate needs for the development e ceeded five million dollars and the total needs are in excess of thirty million dollars.” The economically savaged city doesn’t have that kind of money. But since 25 percent of East St. Louis’ 27,000 residents live in public housing, every closure is a hard hit to an already struggling community. A broken roof is still a roof. That sentiment is echoed by many residents in Rukavina, who are appalled by their living conditions but feel like they don’t have anywhere else to go. “There are all kinds of problems here,” Brown says, opening the door to his apartment one afternoon, bringing Stewart a soda from the corner store. Their place is squeaky clean — they make sure of that — but in dire need of maintenance. A window is damaged, requiring a stick to hold up the frame. The ceiling above their shower is crawling with mold. Stewart greets Brown with a hug, and he settles into an armchair. A tiny television plays an episode of a game show. A picture of Brown from his time in the military sits on a nearby end table. In the photo, he looks bright-eyed, determined. “I’ve been trying to get them to fi my bathroom or two years, Stewart says. She claims that management holds late rent over people’s heads as a tactic to not perform maintenance. “Our elevators go down all the time,” she says, sipping her drink. Once, when the elevators stopped working, she ran into a neighbor sitting alone in his wheelchair. The man lived on the seventh oor and had no way to access his apartment. He spent all night in the lobby, waiting for a repairman who never showed up. “That’s a safety hazard,” Stewart says. “You’re supposed to be safe where you lay your head.” Stewart and Brown are originally from St. Louis and consider themselves Missourians. They feel isolated and displaced in Illinois. “We’re a long way from home,” Brown says.

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Lansdowne before demolition began. | CHRIS NAFFZIGER/ST LOUIS PATINA

“Our elevators go down all the time,” she says. Once, when the elevators stopped working, she ran into a neighbor sitting alone in his wheelchair. The man lived on the seventh floor and had no way to access his apartment. He spent all night in the lobby, waiting for a repairman who never showed up. Stewart doesn’t like going outside because of rampant gun violence in the neighborhood. “When I moved in they told me it’s not too dangerous over here. I’m saying to myself, ‘How much more dangerous could it be?’ I’ve seen somebody get shot dead right where I could look at him. I saw him on the ground.” “I heard gunshots last night,” Brown says. “Stray bullets don’t have eyes,” Stewart warns. Brown and Stewart pay $284 a month or rent, a significant part

of their income. About a year ago, Brown got a job loading trucks at a UPS warehouse in St. Louis. To make it to his 1 a.m. shift on time, he leaves at 11 p.m., walks ten blocks to the MetroLink and takes the train across the river. He likes the ride because it reminds him of when he used to live in St. Louis, which he still thinks of as home. Brown repeats the trek when he gets off at 9 a.m. and returns home around noon, exhausted. e p ts p with the five-ho r commute because he hopes to be a delivery driver someday and his

Brown guesses they will have to leave in April of next year. The couple isn’t sure of their next course of action. Motley says that all of the residents will be relocated to other ESLHA housing unless they choose otherwise. She maintains that everyone who once lived in the other three towers was also afforded that opportunity. Brown and Stewart have no choice but to wait and hope that they are offered a safe, clean place to live. “Doubt it,” is Brown’s succinct feeling on the matter.

Anthony Conrad (left) and Eric Brown are among the few who still live in the Lansdowne Tower apartments in East St. Louis, Illinois. | KAI FLANDERS

Formerly homeless, RaChelle Stewart struggled and eventually landed at Lansdowne after her daughter (right) died at age 23. | KAI FLANDERS managers assure him they promote from within. “It’s dangerous to walk at night, but I try to wear black clothing to blend into the dark,” Brown says. The lack of working street lights along the way aids his makeshift camo age and makes him eel safer. Brown and Stewart have been together for twelve years, through good times and bad. Eight years ago, a fire ravaged their ho se in St. Louis and they ended up on the street. Desperate, they sought tem-

porary refuge at New Life Evangelistic Center, Reverend Larry Rice’s notoriously controversial homeless shelter in the Downtown West neighborhood of St. Louis. Though New Life, which was closed for building code violations in , was a di c lt place to live, it met a basic need for the pair at a low point in their life. “You had somewhere to go besides the street,” Stewart says. About this time, Stewart’s daughter died of a drug overdose at the age of 23. When she speaks about

her daughter, Stewart’s voice trembles, on the verge of dissolving. “She’s in a better place,” she says, picking up a framed picture of the young woman in an ROTC uniform. Beset by trauma, the couple bo nced aro nd, event ally finding themselves on the eastern side of the Mississippi River, applying for public housing. Originally, Lansdowne was supposed to be a stepping stone to something better. Over time, it became the only home they had. Now that too will be taken away.

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iven the ESLHA’s extremely checkered history, Lansdowne’s fate shouldn’t come as a surprise. The housing authority’s scandals and myriad failures are so well documented that they have become a sort of lore. A particular low point came in July 1984, when ESLHA’s director Wendell Wheadon was indicted on eighteen counts of conspiracy to defraud HUD of more than $1 million. The next October, fed up with the corruption, HUD snatched the reigns of the ESHLA, which it oversaw for 30-odd years. In September of 2017, HUD Secretary Ben Carson returned it to local control, giving a ashy, congrat latory speech at the city’s administrative building. It didn’t seem to matter that 75 percent of the public housing units had failed their HUD inspections a few months before. Many other American cities have similar tales of mismanagement. Susan Popkin is an institute fellow and director of the HOST Initiative at The Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank focused on economic and social policy. She went to high school in St. Louis. She says that the story of Lansdowne is one that has happened over and over again throughout the country. Both large cities and small towns have suffered from a chronic lack of investment in public housing, corr ption at the hands o o cials and institutionally racist government policies. “In most cities these high-rises were built in areas that were predominantly African American and cut off from other parts of the city .... They were very segregated,” Popkin says on the phone from her o ce and ongress did not provide enough money to maintain them.” The average public high-rise in America is more than 50 years old and incredibly expensive to keep

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

Continued on pg 17

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Retired administrative assistant Naomi Jordan is weighing her options. | KAI FLANDERS

“East St. Louis was a different place back then. People cared about each other. Over the years, it’s just gone down.”

LANSDOWNE TOWERS Continued from pg 15

up to code. When they inevitably deteriorate, housing authorities are orced into the di c lt choice of displacing residents against their will or allowing them to remain in dangerous, inhumane situations. “Involuntary displacement is traumatizing, it’s horrible,” Popkin says. “But it’s also absolutely awful to leave people in housing that is unsafe and has health hazards.” She contends that what is missing from the situation is an e ort to give people dignified housing, employment opportunities and relocation assistance. Neither the burned-out blocks of East St. Louis or its scandalscarred city government are in a position to offer that kind of support. The result is a city that is withering on the vine while its public infrastructure crumbles into rubble.

few weeks after the wrecking ball swings on Brenton, Brown and his neighbor Anthony Conrad play a heated game of NFL Madden on Conrad’s PlayStation. The friends talk trash as they go tit for tat on long bombs to the end zone. Conrad’s apartment in Rukavina is full of CD towers and giant speakers that he once hauled to DJ gigs. He wears a turquoise bandana, an oversi ed annel and a pair of dark sunglasses that mirror the look of some of his favorite old school hip-hop artists. He likes to use the phrase: “When I tell you what I’m going to tell you, you’ll know what I’m talking about.” Conrad is 52 and has lived in East St. Louis all his life. He moved to Rukavina in 2004. There were roaches and mice, but he thought that the building was liveable. “My mindset was, ‘This is cool for right now,’” he says, as he tries to intercept a pass. But in 2014, reports of bedbugs echoed through the halls. At this Continued on pg 19

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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LANSDOWNE TOWERS Continued from pg 17

subject, Conrad’s easygoing demeanor shifts toward anger. Bedbug infestations are a particularly sore spot with residents. otley confirms that bedb gs initially became an issue in 2015. The situation worsened in 2016 [and] 2017.” She says the housing authority spent approximately $100,000 in capital funds for bedbug remediation, but that wasn’t eno gh to fi the problem Even with the issues, Conrad stayed because the place had begun to feel like home. He says when the time comes, he’ll either find other p blic ho sing or return to a little property he has “across the tracks.” He worries that residents “with nowhere to go” will end up homeless. After a couple more hotly contested rounds of Madden, the duo takes a ride in my car to pick up lunch in the nearby city of Washington Park. In the front seat, Brown quickly takes control of the music, putting on “P.S. Phuk U 2” by Penthouse Players Clique. The song, which features Eazy-E and DJ Quik, is a groovy bop about living the good life. The music’s lavish vibe is incongruous with the scenery outside the car’s windows. Driving by the boarded-up Nelson Mandela Elementary School a few blocks down the road, Conrad expresses sadness at the loss of the school, which closed in ope fiends and crackheads went through and took all the copper and plumbing out of the walls,” he says. “They just tore the place up. It used to be a cool place for the kids.” After I drop Conrad and Brown back off at Lansdowne, I drive over to the school, slip through an empty window and walk around. hattered glass covers the oor the walls are sprayed with gra ti It’s hard to imagine the sound of pencils on paper. n another October morning, the demolition rattles away outside as Brown visits his friend Naomi Jordan. Jordan, 58, lives alone on kavina s eighth oor, where she pays $281 a month for a onebedroom unit. A retired administrative assistant, she once had a part-time job cleaning the projects to help make ends meet. She saw broken windows, rodent infestations and apartments abandoned to squalor. “The towers aren’t in good shape,” she says, sitting on the

edge of her bed. “It’s time to tear them down.” Jordan has history with Lansdowne — her father lived in Rukavina 35 years ago when living conditions were much better. “East St. Louis was a different place back then. People cared about each other. Over the years, it’s just gone down.” She didn’t expect to end up in public housing herself, but when her mother died about a year ago, she relocated to Lansdowne from her family home in Washington Park. “I didn’t want to deal with the memories there,” she says, as Brown hands her a bottle of soda. Jordan drove Brown to work anytime she could until she got into a car accident three weeks prior. he has some di c lty walking, and Brown helps her run little errands. They have an easy way with one another — people who have been through more than their fair share of hardship but emanate a world-weary good-naturedness. Like many in Rukavina, Jordan expects that she’ll have to leave around April, although she fears it could be as early as January. And, like many, she is wary of the alternatives that will be offered by the ESLHA. “Roosevelt Homes are dangerous. I wouldn’t go to the Samuel Gompers,” she says, referring to two other projects in the city. Because of Lansdowne’s relative isolation, many residents believe it to be safer than other public housing in East St. Louis. Some consider Rukavina, even its state of utter disrepair, the best of a bunch of bad choices. Asked if she feels safe in the building, Jordan pauses for a moment and examines her bedspread. “Somewhat,” she says. “But things happen. I guess I’m as safe as I can be.” Jordan expects to move back into her house in Washington Park, where relatives can help take care of her. She knows that many of the residents don’t have those options. “He doesn’t have family around,” she says, pushing her chin toward Brown. “If people aren’t concerned, they should be.” Brown just shakes his head. Late that afternoon, Brown, Conrad and Stewart gather in front of their tiny television to watch a game of Jeopardy! The demolition crews have gone home for the day, and a feeling of temporary relief settles over the apartment. Alex Trebek reads a clue about a dog who helped save people from the bottom of a deep, dark well. “Lassie,” Brown says. “That’s easy.” n

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

CALENDAR

BY BY PAUL PAUL FRISWOLD FRISWOLD

THURSDAY 12/19 In Santa’s Service The Elf on the Shelf — a somewhat disquieting doll who sits in your house and watches your children for bad behavior during December — is the star of a new musical. The titular elf has graduated at the head of his scout class and has been assigned to his first amily They re not what he expected. The family is fractio s and doesn t e hibit any o the traditional signs of Christmas spirit (caroling, cookie baking, tree trimming). Will our hero leave his post on the shelf and get them to open their hearts to hristmas t s a hristmas m sical for kids, of course he will.) The Elf on the Shelf is performed at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 19, at the Stifel Theatre (1400 Market Street; www.stifeltheatre.com). Tickets are $25 to $65.

FRIDAY 12/20 Crackin’ Up aint o is Ballet s prod ction of The Nutcracker opened on Thanksgiving weekend, and after a short break, it has returned. This annual production of Tchaikovsky s most pop lar ballet eat res the company s pro essional dancers as well as student dancers and special guests in surprise roles. As always, the music and dance will be bolstered by high-quality special effects and dazzling sets. Saint Louis Ballet presents The Nutcracker at 7 p.m. Thursday, 2:30 and 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Monday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday (December 19 to 23). All performances are at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus (1 University Drive at Natural Bridge Road; www. stlouisballet.org), and tickets are $25 to $72.

A Holiday Idyll Although known more for his large-scale operas than for Christmas music, Richard Wagner was German, which means he loved

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Take a drive through Tilles Park’s Winter Wonderland. | COURTESY OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY PARKS DEPARTMENT the holiday. His wife, Cosima, was born on December 24 but always celebrated her birthday on Christmas; in 1870, Richard surprised her with a symphonic poem that incorporated references to their son, Siegfried, and daughter, Eva. The “Siegfried Idyll,” as it became known, remains a popular piece today. Opera Edwardsville performs the family gift as part of its Wagnerian Christmas concert. Sopranos Julie Tabash-Kelsheimer and Brittney Yarbrough are joined by mezzo-soprano Penelope Cousland and tenor Chase Henry Hopkins for the performance, which also includes the Persied String Quartet and the Clarion Brass Quintet. A Wagnerian Christmas is performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, December 20, at the Wildey Theatre (252 North Main Street, Edwardsville, Illinois; www. wildeytheatre.com). Tickets are $35 to $50.

SATURDAY 12/21 Ooohh, It’s Grafik Printmaker Tom Huck tightens his inky fist on the downtown area with the opening of his screenprint studio and gallery space, Grafik House (1925 Washington

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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The Elf on the Shelf musical is going to save Christmas. | KEN EK Avenue; www.evilprints.com/ grafih-ho se The new space celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, December 21, with two exhibits. “The Feast of Lord Aporkalyptus” showcases work from A Monkey Mountain Chronicle, while the other exhibit is of work by local and national printmakers. As a commercial tie-in, Evil Prints is running a sale during the opening weekend. Prints make great gifts, after all. Admission is free.

SUNDAY 12/22 The Slow Dance There are two vital bits of information you need to understand before choosing to watch Bela Tarr s cr cial film Satantango t s in ngarian, and it s seven and a hal ho rs long on t let that diss ade yo rom seeing it t s the story o an agricultural collective in postCommunism Hungary that is fall-

WEEK WEEK OF OF DECEMBER DECEMBER 19-25 19-25

New Year’s Eve celebrations

Steinberg Skating Rink has been popular for years. | COURTESY OF MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM ing apart. The farmers expect to receive a financial wind all at the end of the day, which will give them a chance to start over. When the presumed dead Irimias returns to the village, most people fear he will swindle their windfall out of their hands. The movie s leis rely pace and long, unbroken shots immerse you in the slow-moving lives of these people who aren t s re they have anything other than the present. t s a moving, tho ght l r mination on the helplessness of the youth, the blurry machinations o time s passage and the slow death of a village, a collective and a way of life. The Webster Film Series presents Satantango at 2 p.m. Sunday, December 22, at ebster niversity s oore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood ven e www webster ed filmseries). Tickets are $12, and there are two intermissions.

TUESDAY 12/24 Skate Away Ice skating and hot cocoa go together like Christmas and carols. Every year, Steinberg Skating Rink in Forest Park (www.steinbergskatingrink.com) is open from early November to late Febr ary, providing the idwest s largest outdoor rink for the low price of $8 a day. Your $8 is good for the whole day, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily through January 4. Starting January 5, hours re-

vert to 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Skate rental is another $7, which is a steal b t st beca se it s so a ordable doesn t mean yo have to bring the amily yo re tired of the in-laws, their kids or just want to get out of the house, Steinberg is there for you. Nothing clears the head like a brisk skating session and hot cocoa by an o tdoor fire

WEDNESDAY 12/25 One Last Gift The gifts are opened, the dinner has been eaten and yo ve r n o t o hristmas m sic t s all over for another 364 days, which is a real heartbreaker for some kids. If you want to give them one last holiday hurrah, Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park (9551 Litzsinger Road, Brentwood; www.winterwonderlandstl.com) is open from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Christmas night. t s a drive-thro gh light display, which means the kids can get in their jammies and pile in the back seat while you wind your way through thousands of lights. If you set the radio to Christmas m sic, they ll be ll to the brim of seasonal cheer when they fall asleep. That oughta hold them until next December, or at least ntil alloween t s cash or check only) for cars to enter the park at night. n

The Bacchanal Carnivale — An NYE Spectaculaire: Taken from Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and good times, a bacchanalia is a chance like no other to indulge your every whim and feast your every fancy. Van Ella Productions invites you to ring in the new year in the most over-the-top, decadent, debaucherous, spectaculaire in St. Louis! Featuring an all-star cast of burlesque, circus, and variety gods and goddesses, and inspired by ancient Greek, Roman and world mythologies, you won’t want to miss a single heart-stopping moment of this all-singing, all-dancing, high-flying, theatrical spectacle of your wildest fantasies! Tue., Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., $55$350, 314-610-1649, www.vanellatickets@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/ events/2600415506668876/. Casa Loma Ballroom, 3354 Iowa Ave. The Black and Gold NYE Ball: At the Dance Pizazz Ballroom, 6722 State Highway N, St. Charles, 63304. The New Year’s Eve Party in St. Charles County that you’ve been waiting for! Come and ring in the new year with live band Rhythm Of The Nite in St. Charles County’s newest ballroom. The Black and Gold Ball is guaranteed to be a good time! The event starts at 7:30 p.m. for the VIP dinner and 9 p.m. for general admission. Tickets are on sale now starting at $65 for general admission and $110 for the VIP dinner. Hotel accommodations are also available. Single and double rooms at the Hilton can be purchased as a guest. Tue., Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., $110 VIP / $65 general, 636-441-6854, nikki@dance-pizazz. com, www.eventbrite.com/e/black-goldnye-ball-tickets-7591089-0517. Evangeline’s New Year’s Eve Party: Live music of all genres begins at 6 p.m. and goes until 12:45 a.m. Full menu served until 10 p.m. with a complimentary appetizer buffet

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from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and champagne toast at midnight. No cover, cash bar, dress for FUN! Tue., Dec. 31, 6 p.m.12:45 a.m., No cover. Evangeline’s, 512 N. Euclid Ave., 314-367-3644. The Last Night: New Year’s Eve at the Last Hotel: Toast the new year in style. Limited open bar (select beer, wine and spirits): $80 per person from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Each ticket includes a selection of draft beer, wines and local spirits by 1220 Encrypted Vodka, StilL 630 The Last Rye Whiskey and Two Step Gin, as well as Espalon Tequila and J Wray Rum. All other cocktails will be served as a cash bar. Throughout the night, enjoy passed appetizers and food tastings from chef Evelyn Swoboda and a dessert bar from Suji Grant, and ring in the ball drop with a toast of bubbles! This ticket allows you access to all our bars in the lobby and rooftop. This event is 21 and over. Last Supper Dinner Seatings available. Tue., Dec. 31, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. The Last Hotel, 1501 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314-390-2500. New Year’s Eve Ballro om Bash: At Best Western Premier AltonSt. Louis Area Hotel, 3559 College Avenue, Alton, IL. Best Western Premier presents the show-stopping band Flatliner! The 2019 New Year’s Eve Ballroom Bash includes all the amenities. Featuring an open bar, appetizer buffet, party favors and champagne toast at midnight. Tue., Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-1 a.m., $70. 618-462-1220, www.bwpremieralton.com/event/bwp-nye-2020-ballroombash-with-flatliner. New Year’s Eve Karaoke with S&M Productions: This year for New Year’s Eve we’re taking a laid-back approach to the partying. S&M Productions hosts karaoke from 9 p.m.1 a.m., with a variety of drink specials Continued on pg 22

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

NEW YEARS EVE Continued from pg 21

throughout the night in addition to free party favors and a free champagne toast at midnight. Come out to sing your hearts out and ring in the new year. Tue., Dec. 31, 9 p.m. Free, 636-441-8300, nightshiftbg@gmail.com, www.nightshiftbg. com/event/new-years-eve. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Rd., St. Peters. New Year’s Eve Party 2020: A Space Odyssey: At Brennan’s Work & Leisure, 3015 Locust St., Brennan’s Work & Leisure and Anti-Agency invite you on a space odyssey to celebrate the new year. Once aboard the ship, enjoy a premium bar selection, heavy appetizers of the future by chef Josh Galliano (Companion Bakery, The Libertine) and interstellar desserts by pastry chef Tai Davis. Groove to the night’s soundscape provided by DJ Black Guy, then step into the Zero Gravity Photo Booth to send evidence of your journey back home. All passengers must report to the orbiter near midnight for a live music performance, projection show and champagne toast. Dress: modern cocktail attire / space shuttle. Tue., Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. $15-$95, 203-223-4394, hello@ brennanswl.com, www.facebook.com/ events/502355647045284. New Year’s Eve Party Featuring Vintage Vibe: At Cheer’s Bar & Grill, 61 Nationalway Shopping Center, Manchester. Admission includes live music by Vintage Vibe 8 p.m.-1 a.m., appetizer buffet 8-10 p.m., three drink tickets (domestic and rail), champagne toast at midnight and a gift-basket raffle! Please pre-order your tickets through Katt at the bar on Tuesday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. or Thursday 10

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a.m. to 5 p.m. Cash or credit accepted. No reservations! Pre-sale tickets enter at 7 p.m. Tue., Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m.; Wed., Jan. 1, 4 p.m.-1 a.m., $40. 636-2228754, Katt0125@hotmail.com. New Year’s Eve Party Cruise: Ring in the new year with a view of the magnificent St. Louis skyline. Featuring an elegant three-course dinner, open bar, DJ entertainment and midnight champagne toast. Reservations required. Must be 21. Call 877-982-1410 for info. Tue., Dec. 31, 9 p.m. Gateway Arch Riverboats, 11 N. 4th St., St. Louis. New Year’s Eve Pop 2000 Tour: Ballpark Village celebrates New Year’s Eve 2020 with added entertainment featuring the region’s best DJs along with the Pop 2000 tour hosted by Chris Kirkpatrick of *NYSNC with performances by O-Town, Ryan Cabrera and LFO’s Brad Fischetti. Plus, confetti cannons, a balloon drop, champagne toasts, the only ball drop in St. Louis and more! Tue., Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-3 a.m., $60-$650. Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave, St. Louis, 314-345-9481. NYE End of a Decade Black and White Ball: Out with the old and in with a new decade. Live music all night starting at 6 p.m. with The Matching Shoe, followed by AM Whiskey on the main stage and DJ Arty J in the Green Room! Dinner packages, booth and table reservations, as well as all-inclusive bar packages. Tue., Dec. 31, 8-11 p.m., $20-$720. Tin Roof St. Louis, 1000 Clark Ave., 314-240-5400. Roaring ’20s New Year’s Eve: Put a little Great Gatsby in your New Year’s Eve celebration. Dance the night away with Dirty Muggs performing at Boogie Nights. They rock until 1:30 a.m., when a live DJ takes over to con-

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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tinue the celebration until 3 a.m. Plus, experience the best balloon drop in St. Louis at the stroke of midnight. Boogie Nights ticket packages include a single ticket for $30, two tickets for $50 and booth packages for up to 15 people (includes a bottle of champagne) from $300-$750. Tue., Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-3 a.m., $30-$750. Hollywood Casino, 777 Casino Center Dr., Maryland Heights, 314-770-8100. Russo’s NYE Bash at Spazio Westport: Meet at Spazio Westport for Russo’s NYE Bash 2020! Featuring live music by All Mixed Up Band, six-hour full open premium bar, passed appetizers, four-course dinner including hand-carved entrees, dessert stations, midnight snack and photo booth. Hotel accommodations available. $95 per person. Tue., Dec. 31, 7 p.m.-1 a.m., 314-576-0400, emily@russosgourmet. com, www.russosgourmet.com/nyespazio. Spazio at West Port, 12031 Lackland, Maryland Heights. Russo’s NYE Party at Piazza Messina: At Piazza Messina, 5535 State Highway N. Come to Piazza Messina for Russo’s NYE Party 2020! Featuring live music by The Great Escape, food and dessert stations and full open premium bar. Tue., Dec. 31, 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m., $85 per person, 636232-0109, kay@russosgourmet.com, www.russosgourmet.com/nye-messina. 2020 New Years Eve Ball: With all the amenities, especially at the price, this event truly stands out as one of the top all-inclusive events for New Year’s Eve in St Louis! Picked by CBS St. Louis as one of the “Top-Five New Year’s Eve Parties in St Louis,” this celebration has sold out ten years in a row! Tue., Dec. 31, 7 p.m., clubcontagious@sbcglobal. net, www.nyeballstlouis.com. Marri-

ott St. Louis Airport, 10700 Pear Tree Lane, 314-423-9700. The Ultimate New Year’s Eve 2020: The event you have been waiting for is finally here! An amazing threecourse dinner, the best burlesque show in town and all you can drink. Dance into the new year with a confetti cannon explosion. Don’t wait; grab those tickets while you can. Tue., Dec. 31, 8 p.m., $105-$200 per person, 314-4367000, theboomboomroomstl@gmail. com, www.theboomboomroomstl.com/ new-years-eve-2020. The Boom Boom Room, 500 N. 14th St., St. Louis. Ultimate New Year’s Eve Party: Ring in the new decade with two ballrooms with live music and fun at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch’s Ultimate New Year’s Eve Party. The celebration includes a delicious dinner buffet, an open bar, photo booth, party favors and live music throughout the evening from Groovethang and Broseph. As the clock strikes midnight, the party will feature a balloon drop and champagne toast to welcome 2020, and late-night snacks will be provided. The Ultimate New Year’s Eve Party package starts at $369 for an overnight stay and two all-inclusive party tickets. A limited number of party-only tickets will be available on Eventbrite starting Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. 314-6551234. Tue., Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-1 a.m., $169-$369, 314-655-1234, www.facebook.com/events/422379371803365. Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch, 315 Chestnut St., St. Louis. West End Grill & Pub New Year’s Eve: Four-course dinner and a show, featuring live music by WirePilots and special guest Kim Fuller. Tue., Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m., $35-$85. West End Grill & Pub, 354 N. Boyle Ave., 314-5314607. n

FILM

[REVIEW]

More of an Implosion

Don’t forget to pick up your BOB holiday gift certificate a great deal of $35 for a $50 value.

We would love to cater your holiday party, at your place or ours!

Bombshell entertains but settles for recounting the news about the newscasters

Call 314-621-8811 to schedule.

New Years Eve is just around the corner.

Written by

ROBERT HUNT

Call 314-621-8811 to make your reservation or Preferred Seating. As always, a special holiday menu will be available in addition to our regular menu.

Bombshell Directed by Jay Roach. Written by Charles Randolph. Starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie and John Lithgow. Opens Friday, December 20.

s far as I know, it is purely coincidental that the fall of political operative and Fox News creator and chairman Roger Ailes occurred almost simultaneously with the 2016 Republican National Convention, after a campaign year that had included a very public feud between one of his network’s biggest stars, Megyn Kelly, and a certain spray-tanned misogynist candidate. Bombshell takes that lucky twist and runs with it, using both stories to create a pointed satire of sexual politics, the carnivalesque nature of television news and the grotesque old-boys network that connect them. Kelly, played by Charlize Theron, is at the center o the film, b t it’s another Fox host (and former Miss America) who puts things in motion. On July 6, 2016, Gretchen arlson icole idman filed a suit against Ailes, claiming that she had been fired rom the network for rejecting his sexual advances. Carlson’s suit looms heavily over the Fox studio, where staff and on-air personalities scramble to defend their boss; Kelly, nearing the end of her contract and targeted by conservatives goaded by the candidate she had reportedly referred to as “Voldemort,” was conspicuously silent. With Carlson staying in the background and Kelly starting to realize the scale of Ailes’ transgressions, the film adds argot obbie as a composite of various pretty young things who came to New York to work in television and fell into

Kayla and Jess (Margot Robbie and Kate McKinnon) fit the Fox News business model, which is bad news for them. | HILLARY BRONWYN GAYLE

The performances are exceptional, and the make-up that turns them into familiar news figures is simply uncanny. his path. Ailes himself, gleefully played by John Lithgow, is a monstrous presence throughout, wallowing in self-pity and lamenting that he’s been compared (not inaccurately) to Jabba the Hutt. Jay Roach is best known for his comedies (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents) but has more recently dived into political subjects. He takes a lively run through the details, sometimes having Theron address the camera directly to raise a point or cutting to real-life footage o the fig res, making this a lighter version of Adam McKay’s more didactic political comedy. (Screenwriter Charles Randolph co-wrote McKay’s The Big Short.) The performances, especially those of Theron, Robbie and Lithgow, are exceptional and the make-up that turns them into familiar news fig res cra ted by the same team that gave Gary Oldman Churchill’s face in Darkest Hour) is simply un-

Music by Funky Butt Brass Band starting at 10PM.

canny. Despite its headline-based subject, Roach adds light, surreal touches. There’s a fairy tale quality to the film, filled with bea tiful princesses facing threats from a mischievous, malicious troll, while the many behind-the-camera scenes of Fox personalities getting dressed and preparing their on-camera looks take on a dreamlike quality – an unusual crossing of The Stepford Wives and Playboy After Dark. Bombshell is brisk and entertaining but ultimately fails to do much more than sum up the news stories the audience has probably already seen. Perhaps because it trades so heavily in celebrity (in addition to the principals, there are appearances by Sean Hannity, Rudy Giuliani, Bill O’Reilly and a handful of others who I might have recognized if I had ever watched Fox News) and plays out in such a rarefied terrain, it s hard to eel much sympathy for Kelly, who largely remains aloof from the iles controversy The film raises real and important issues about sexual harassment, but assigning the role of civil rights champion to Kelly (this is the woman who indignantly insisted that Jesus and Santa Claus were white men, endorsed the use of pepper spray on protesters because it was “a food product, essentially” and lost her post-Fox NBC show for defending blackface) threatens to turn it into a media-driven version o a first world problem. n

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

THIS WEEK THE GROVE SELECTED HAPPENINGS

Day or night, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always something going on in The Grove: live bands, great food, beer tastings, shopping events, and so much more. Visit thegrovestl.com for a whole lot more of what makes this neighborhood great.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18

MOVIE NIGHT + PIZZA PARTY

HANDLEBAR'S BEER CHRISTMAS

7 PM AT GEZELLIG TAPHOUSE

6 PM AT HANDLEBAR

HAROLD NIGHT

CHRISTMAS MOVIE TRIVIA

$8, 8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

7 PM AT TROPICAL LIQUEURS

ROYAL REGGAE THURSDAYS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19

10 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

LEWBERGER

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20

$25, 7 PM AT THE READY ROOM

THE WHITE CHRISTMAS ALBUM: A

sat dec 21

Surco

winter disco iv w/ one way traffic

sat dec 28

steady flow w/ the driftaways + emerson jade

Thu Jan 16 WOOD & WIRE Fri Feb 7

chicago farmer

w/ special guests TBA

Sun Feb 8 PIP THE PANSY w/ KID SCIENTIST

Sat Feb 15 Missouri Muses:

A Celebration of MO Women in Rock Featuring: Aina Cook, The Burney Sisters, Molly Healey

4130 MANCHESTER AVE. IN THE GROVE FIRECRACKERPIZZA.COM

BEATLES HOLIDAY SPECIAL

GEC THE HALLS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23

$6, 8:15 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

100 GECS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27

80S NIGHT!

7 PM AT THE READY ROOM

WE'LL HAVE HALLOWEEN ON CHRISTMAS

10 PM AT HANDLEBAR

COMEDY SHOWCASE AT THE SHOP

11 AM AT LAYLA

$10, 8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28

HOMEBURGER AND PUTTY

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21

$12, 8:15 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

IMPROV SHOP OPEN MICROPHONE

SURCO 4TH ANNUAL WINTER DISCO W/ ONE WAY TRAFFIC

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22

8 PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

TRIBUTE TO CHELSEA

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26

THE RECORD LABEL PRESENTS BASTARD SQUAD BASTARD LUCK RELEASE

$12, 8 PM AT ATOMIC COWBOY

5 PM AT SANCTUARIA WILD TAPAS

PLAYERS LEAGUE

7 PM AT THE READY ROOM

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CAFE

[REVIEW]

Condiment Compliments Superb plantains are just one of the delights at Mandy Estrella’s Mayo Ketchup Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Mayo Ketchup 2001 Park Avenue, 314-696-2699. Wed.Thurs. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (Closed Monday and Tuesday.)

ot long after Mandy Estrella opened Mayo Ketchup, she got to talking to some customers who had first e perienced her cooking at a longpassed catering event. “It’s been two years since we’ve had your food,” they told her. “We’ve been waiting for you to open a restaurant.” No one understands that sentiment better than Estrella. For fi teen years, she s been working toward this moment, a journey that began in Orlando, Florida, where she was introduced to authentic Caribbean food thanks to her now-e -h sband strella ell in love with the avors o his ominican Republic homeland, and, after they moved back to St. Louis, she was determined to recreate them for her family. She didn’t stop there. Once settled back in St. Louis, Estrella was struck by its lack of Caribbean restaurants, an odd void considering the area’s sizable Caribbean population. Emboldened by her growing proficiency in a thentic ominican, ban and erto Rican cuisine, Estrella decided to take matters into her own hands. If you’d have asked her when she started doing pop-ups and catering four years ago, Estrella would have admitted her desire to open a restaurant of her own. However, lacking the funding to take on such an endeavor, she decided to first b ild her brand, nicknaming hersel lantain irl and building buzz for her cooking

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You can taste Mandy Estrella’s passion for the Caribbean’s vibrant culinary heritage in dishes like her beef empanadas. | MABEL SUEN in the city’s Caribbean community. If her blond locks and Midwestern upbringing raised eyebrows at first, her devotion to aribbean culinary traditions and cooking prowess earned her the respect of the local community. It also earned her a significant ollowing Catering events led to collaborations with restaurants and bars, like the ra ty hameleon and i Mile Bridge brewery. Eventually, she was approached by errick Langeneckert about running the ood service or his Tower rove South brewery Alpha Brewing Company, where she served up her Caribbean specialties under the name the Alphateria. When that partnership abruptly ended in March of this year, Estrella knew that it was time to finally take the leap and open her own restaurant; she just needed to find the right space to do it That all came together when she and her partner, Bradley ayne, came across the shuttered Laredo on the are on the corner o ark and Mississippi avenues in the heart of Lafayette Square. Though not e actly t rnkey, the space did not re ire e pensive renovations, allowing Estrella to open it without breaking the bank he and ayne revamped the old bar into a fast-

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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casual order counter, put on a few fresh coats of paint and opened for business in late August. amed a ter the bi ito s erto Rican condiment, Mayo Ketchup offers guests the Caribbean specialties they have come to love while giving Estrella the room to build upon her repertoire. It feels so right, as if she has been in the space forever; it’s a vibe that results from a combination of loyal neighborhood support and a knowledgeable and e cient service sta that eels more like a family than a group of coworkers. What ultimately makes the restaurant feel so soulful, however, is Estrella’s cooking. You taste her passion for the Caribbean’s vibrant culinary heritage in dishes like her bee empanadas, aky, golden-brown pockets stuffed with juicy, seasoned ground beef. The smaller cheese versions are no less spectacular, full of molten, funky white cheese. Estrella serves these gooey fritters with a side of tart guava sauce that electrifies the otherwise rich dish For her Cuban bruschetta, Estrella covers toasted Cuban bread with mild goat cheese whipped to the consistency of crème fraiche. The bread is so porous that the cheese concoction soaks into its crevices,

making this an appetizer that is far more satisfying than it appears. Tomatoes, onions and cilantro garnish the toasted bread, adding brightness to the decadent dish. As a proper Caribbean restaurant, plantains make a frequent appearance throughout the menu. Buffalo-style tostones (twice-fried plantains), a fun riff on Buffalo wings, are soaked in a piquant hot sauce and served with ranch and celery sticks. The result is a wonderful Caribbean American bar-food hybrid. She also offers tostones con aquacate, topping individual plantain discs with smashed avocado and pickled onion. It’s a thoughtful alternative to chips and guacamole. lantains also serve as a base for one of Mayo Ketchup’s signature sandwiches, the jibarito, though calling it a sandwich might mislead diners into thinking it’s a handheld endeavor. It’s not. Two huge rounds of smashed and fried green plantains are stuffed to the brim with succulent roasted pork (steak is an alternative option), lettuce and tomatoes. Swiss American cheese is melted over top and mi es with the accompanying garlic mayo for form a decadent concoction akin to a cheese sauce. t s di c lt to eat witho t making

a h ge mess, b t the avors make the effort worthwhile. Estrella’s Cuban sandwich is the most respectable version I’ve found in town. Roasted pork and ham are pressed with Swiss American cheese, dill pickles and mustard between two slices of Cuban bread. The salt from the ham, pork jus and cheese might be overly decadent, but the mouthpuckering pickles and mustard cut through this to brighten the sandwich. Estrella absolutely nails this classic dish. Mayo Ketchup’s bowls evoke the sort o slow home cooking yo d e pect rom a ominican grandmother ollo g isado eat res chicken braised with a whisper of citrus that’s so tender it falls apart with barely a tug of a fork. The meat is served over red beans and white rice with a pickled onion, avocado and cilantro garnish. The highlight is the layer of seasoned braising jus that seeps to the bottom of the bowl, making the rice something akin to a Caribbean risotto.

Jibarito with your choice of steak or pork, Swiss-American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and garlic mayo served on twice-fried green plantains. | MABEL SUEN For the pernil, Estrella serves slow-roasted pork shoulder over an aromatic arroz con grandule. The combination of rice, legumes and sofrito (a bell-pepper- and

herb-based puree) is at once aromatic and earthy and serves as a warm canvas for the tender meat. The ropa vieja is a bowl of pure, warm comfort. Like a Caribbean-

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style pot roast, tender ank steak is braised to the point that it falls apart, the meat and cooking juices served atop black beans and white rice. Like with the pollo guisado, the jus infuses the rice, giving it a rich, bee y avor that is brightened with a garnish of pickled onions. As a cherry on top, Estrella serves the ropa vieja with maduros, or ash- ried sweet plantains, that offer the perfect amount of sweetness to end the meal. Estrella has perfected her plantains over the past fi teen years Sticky and slightly crisp from their natural, caramelized sugar on the outside, soft but not overly mushy inside, the maduros are the work of a seasoned hand who has more than earned her stripes in the business. Now that she can finally do what she does in a space all her own, the sky’s the limit.

Mayo Ketchup Beef empanada .......................................... $4 El Cubano .................................................... $7 Ropa vieja ................................................ $14

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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SHORT ORDERS [SIDE DISH]

For Scott Ellinger, Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Key to Play Along with Your Guests Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

cott Ellinger got into the restaurant business at the age o fi teen, washing dishes at a family restaurant in his native hio e didn t know it at the time, b t the kitchen s design and his iet c riosity wo ld set him on a path to a career in the business. was a dishwasher minding my own b siness, b t the way the kitchen was set p, wo ld watch the woman making desserts, llinger e plains ne day, a ter abo t a year, the owner asked me i knew how to make any o the desserts beca se the woman le t told him knew how to make all o them That day, became their baker ow a resta rant ind stry veteran and che -owner o the Brass Rail Steakhouse (4601 Highway K, Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Fallon; 636-329-1349), llinger nderstands that the reason he paid s ch close attention to his coworker was beca se something abo t the kitchen spoke to him Tho gh it was a calling he co ldn t deny, he was too b sy with other plans to reali e it high school grad ate with dreams o becoming a s rgeon, llinger left Ohio for the University of Wisconsin with his sights set on medical school. ter two years o st dy, however, he reali ed he was on the wrong path and decided to ret rn home to hio There, he got a ob working or B alo ild ings when it was still a yo ng company with only si resta rants s soon as he t rned and was old eno gh to b y alcohol or

Scott Ellinger is chef-owner of the Brass Rail Steakhouse in Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Fallon, Missouri. | COURTESY SCOTT ELLINGER the resta rant, the owners made him a general manager ter si months, he was helping them open ranchises They sold their first ranchise in leveland and asked me to open it or them, llinger recalls had no idea what was doing, b t fig red it o t and ended p opening resta rants or them llinger worked or B alo ild ings or several years, earning his stripes as a manager, resta rate r and ind stry pro e le t the organi ation to work or the le ander s chain, b t ret rned to B alo ild ings a ter a ew years, this time as a ranchise owner

hile r nning his ranchise, llinger took night classes, earning a degree in b siness in the hopes o one day opening his own resta rant n act, or one o his pro ects, he got a mp start on the dream he wo ld reali e some si teen years later at the Brass ail wrote the first version o this b siness plan si teen years ago or one o my classes, llinger says This is so close to what imagined owever, it wo ld be more than a decade and a hal be ore those plans wo ld see the light o day nstead, a ter selling his B alo ild ings ranchise, llinger worked or ave and B ster s in

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Cincinnati before leaving the company to move to t o is ere, he got on with omano s acaroni rill, helped open ols estport rill in estport la a and eventually got a gig commuting or a resta rant gro p o t o Baltimore erhaps it was the comm te that wore him down, or the act that he d spent his entire li e working or others, b t something in him had eno gh o the track he d been on all these years e knew he needed a change To be honest, was so sick o working or other people who elt like was better at doing the ob than them, llinger e plains reached the point where was like, can st do my own thing, make my own ood and be le t alone, that s all want llinger wo ld get his chance to do st that in , when a riend told him abo t an old bar that was or sale in Fallon, isso ri corner bar o tfitted with ta idermy deer heads and st ed fish, it was nothing like he d envisioned his dream resta rant to be owever, it was basically t rnkey, and he was desperate eno gh or a change that he signed a lease, knowing that he co ld grad ally change the concept to re ect his style llinger reali ed he had tapped into something within st a ew months o the Brass ail s Febr ary opening By ay, the resta rant was reg larly packed By ly, there was at least an ho rlong wait or a table every Friday and at rday night By the ollowing year, the wait time increased to three hours. There are a co ple o chains o t here, b t as ar as independent resta rants, there s nothing aro nd here, llinger e plains o pretty m ch have to cross the bridge over the isso ri iver to get that t s nny, beca se the area is all neighborhoods filled with parents o grown children or empty-nesters with disposable income who can come o t or date nights ver the past ew years, llinger has en oyed great s ccess with the Brass ail and sees his resta rant as an integral part o the comm nity. Whether that means serving as a gathering place or local social gro ps or serving p , Thanksgiving dinners to area amilies, llinger nderstands the importance o having an impact o t-

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

Continued on pg 31

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FEATURED DINING CRISPY EDGE

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6 RESTAURANTS YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT...

THE KICKIN’ CRAB

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THEKICKINCRAB.COM

314.310.3343 4168 JUNIATA STREET ST. LOUIS, MO 63116 What began in 2013 as a passion project in the founder’s kitchen has now grown into a retail and wholesale potsticker manufacturing facility located right in the heart of Tower Grove South. Crispy Edge believes that potstickers are the perfect vehicle to explore authentic global flavors from breakfast to dessert: handheld, wrapped in dough, and CRISPY! The restaurant features indoor and dog-friendly outdoor seating, private dining room, and a café lounge. The full bar and hot beverage program highlight local specialty coffee, cocktails, and beers. All products are made in-house and sourced from the finest ingredients. From Ordinary to Extraordinary - Crispy Edge is a global community for those who want something fun, tasty, social and exciting to eat.

314.888.8688 9616 OLIVE BLVD OLIVETTE, MO 63132 The Kickin’ Crab has joined the Crustacean Nation and is here to satisfy your taste sensation. The Kickin’ Crab is a fun-filled Cajun seafood destination where patrons come and escape into flavor paradise. Offering a distinct ambiance to enjoy the finest and freshest Cajun seafood around! Kickin’ Crab is a great place to hang out with friends, family, or both! No plates...no utensils! Just your hands, a bib, and our unique and absolutely irresistible KC sauces - a combination of spicy, sweet and tangy flavors - over freshly prepared seafood that will give your taste buds satisfaction unlike anything else you’ve ever tasted. Join us and partake in the festivities and quality of seafood that The Kickin’ Crab has to offer.

POKE DOKE

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CARNIVORE STL CARNIVORE-STL.COM

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

BLKMKTEATS.COM

314.328.3421 6730 PAGE AVE ST. LOUIS, MO 63138

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

Looking for the best seafood in St. Louis or the Midwest—don’t fret, Crawling Crab is now open! Here, we drizzle everything in garlic butter and then sprinkle on our magic dust! In a fun and casual atmosphere, you’ll enjoy fresh, hand-cleaned seafood ranging from lobster, shrimp, and of course crab legs. All platters come with corn sausage potatoes and Cajun boiled eggs and shrimp that won’t disappoint. For those pasta and veggie lovers out there, there is a spot for you here too! Enjoy our double dipped garlic butter rolls along side with your meal. And if you are still not stuffed, we have homemade dessert on the menu too! Have a big family coming in or an event coming up? Enjoy our family meal options and our beautiful seafood tables. As we continue to grow, we are excited to add new items to the menu, get creative with new recipes, and give back within the community. Join us on the first Tuesday of the month for $20 platter specials, and $5 appetizers on every Wild Wednesday! Open Tuesday thru Saturday 4pm-10pm, currently located in the 24:1 Coffee House Cafe.

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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

BLK MKT EATS

CRAWLING CRAB

314.833.5900 8 S EUCLID AVE ST. LOUIS, MO 63108 314.553.9440 6316 DELMAR BLVD UNIVERSITY CITY, MO 63130

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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

SCOTT ELLINGER Continued from pg 29

side o the steakho se s o r walls nd now that he gets to do things on his own terms, he eels that or the first time in his career he finally has the reedom to do that This is the first chance ve really had a green light to do whatever want, llinger says ve been able to do little things here and there, like come p with recipes, b t this is the first time ve gotten to say the decision is mine t s either right or wrong or going to work based on what say think all o s in this b siness want to do this, and now have the chance llinger recently took a break rom the Brass ail to share his

thoughts on the local restaurant scene, his passion or ean t s and why, in the resta rant b siness, it s important to always play along with yo r g est What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did? went to college to become a s rgeon and, while working my way thro gh, ell in love with the restaurant business. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? alking my dog, B ckley If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Time travel d like to be able to talk to people rom history and the future. What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the

past year? The level o respect some o these local che s and distillers are getting t o is is gaining some act al b What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see? second Brass ail, o co rse Who is your St. Louis food crush? don t even know what this means. Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene? have no idea adly m pretty cons med in my own world and don t vent re o t m ch Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? Bee versatile, reliable and can be the star or the starter. If you weren’t working in the res-

taurant business, what would you be doing? d probably be a doctor Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant. d like to o tlaw cocon t and black olives, b t people like them, so play along a g est wants it, ll cook with it What is your after-work hangout? long walk, a hot shower and rela ing at home with my da ghter What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure? ean t s, onatos i a and ali ornia cabernet What would be your last meal on Earth? enner- sh pinot noir, the lobster roll at ishi shi and teakho se and the d mplings at oe s hanghai in ew ork ity s hinatown n

[FIRST LOOK]

Recess STL Combines Your Favorite Drinks and Games Written by

ELLEN PRINZI

f there were such a thing as an adult playground, it would look a lot like the new bar and event venue that opened last month in the Grove. Recess STL (4500 Swan Avenue, 314-818-9112) is located inside a massive warehouse space and offers a variety of games for patrons to play, including cornhole, bocce ball and ping-pong. Alongside games and picnic tables are two bars, mounted TVs, video game stations and a rotating lineup of food trucks. The entrance to Recess is located just off Manchester Road near the far west end of the Grove in a space that formerly housed a plumbing supply warehouse. The nondescript entrance is illuminated by a large red arrow beckoning you inside. The sheer size of the 50,000-square-foot space is a little overwhelming, yet it’s smartly partitioned and cleverly branded to direct imbibers throughout its generous footprint. Near the entrance, a hangout area beckons you with sleek sofas, boldly printed rugs and tables for playing board games, watching TV or socializing. Elsewhere you’ll find areas dedicated to specific games (including bowling and that bocce court), picnic tables and game setups. While some of the fun is familiar, other games, like the signature Airbowl, require some instructions (it’s essentially a football-bowling hybrid similar to cornhole). Recess is an adults-only space, so

One of the signature games, Airbowl is a football-bowling hybrid similar to cornhole. | ELLEN PRINZI to get in on the fun, patrons must register at the door by proffering a photo ID and receive a wristband. There is a $10 cover charge on Friday and Saturday, which includes unlimited access to playing games. During the week, the cover charge is only $5; Recess is open daily save Tuesday. The age limit is eased for the under-eighteen crowd on alternating Sundays, a day aptly named “Family Recess” from noon to 4 p.m. Behind the bar, you’ll find your favorite craft beer, wine, hard seltzers and cocktails, and a signature cocktail list is in the works, too. Local brewery favorites populate the beer list, including neighbors Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. and Rockwell Beer, among others. Aside from the local offerings, Recess offers a lengthy list of beer in bottles and cans that are catego-

rized by their flavor profile. Bar Manager Julie Underwood says the cocktail menu will debut in January, but currently, Recess STL can make most mixed drinks you’d desire to fuel up for a round of bowling or cornhole. Eats at Recess include a rotating selection of food trucks on weekends, and the venue also allows you to bring in your own food or snacks. “So far the turnout has been great; people are loving the concept and our first few weekends have been packed,’’ Underwood says. Recess STL is technically only a popup bar — but not to worry, the party isn’t going anywhere, as the concept will be relocating to another space on Vandeventer Avenue in the Grove next spring. The new year will also bring a new style

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of competition to Recess, as league play is introduced. Tournaments will be held on Wednesday nights while Thursdays will be dedicated to league play. Recess STL isn’t just a fun hangout, though; it’s also a great option for events and celebrations, with a private party room for up to 150 people. The lively atmosphere is a great option for bachelor parties, office gatherings or just an excuse to get together with a large group of friends. Recess STL also stays open late on weekends, offering another late-night option for the neighborhood — the bar is open until 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Ellen Prinzi is our bar columnist. She likes strong drinks and has strong opinions. You can catch more of her writing via Olio City, a city guide app she started in 2017.

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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[FOOD NEWS]

Yolklore Debuts BuildYour-Own Breakfast Sandwich Menu Written by

ELLA FAUST

ot much is better in this world than a fresh warm boiled bagel — except a fresh warm boiled bagel topped with meat, cheese and a soft, runny egg. Lucky for us, Crestwood breakfast spot Yolklore (8958 Watson Road, Crestwood; 314-270-8538) has rounded out its already delicious breakfast offerings with customizable bagel breakfast sandwiches. Yolklore’s build-your-own breakfast sandwich menu, which is now available on its new winter menu, lets you craft the brekkie sammie of your dreams. The sandwich-building process starts with your choice of bread, and chef Mary Bogacki recommends opting for one of Yolklore’s bagels, which are made in-house using four simple ingredients: flour, salt, yeast and water. Bogacki has been making bagels at

Housemade bagels are a highlight of Yolklore’s new build-your-own breakfast sandwich menu. | COURTESY YOLKLORE Yolklore for several years after noticing a lack of local options around town. “There just aren’t enough bagel places in St. Louis,” Bogacki says. “I wanted

to be able to eat good, quality bagels every day. We wanted to showcase the bagels more while also fulfilling the craving for breakfast sandwiches.”

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Handcrafted and New York-inspired, Yolklore’s bagels are boiled to perfection, with a chew that’s just right. In addition to the breakfast spot’s established plain, everything and whole wheat varieties, new flavors include French toast and cheddar-jalapeño with housemade pickled jalapeños. Bagels aren’t the only bread-y option featured on the build-your-own sandwich menu; guests can also pick between brioche, a biscuit, ciabatta and whole wheat bread, or a bed of greens, if carbs aren’t your jam. Once you’ve selected your base, choose one of six proteins — a farm egg, bacon, sausage, ham, turkey chorizo or falafel — and one topping — including cheddar cheese, goat cheese, mixed greens, Devil Sauce and pickled veggies. The customizable sammie starts at $4.50, and you can add an extra protein for $1 or extra toppings for 50 cents each. Gluten-free bread is also available for an extra $2. With so many combinations to choose from to assemble the perfect breakfast sammie, we may just have to keep visiting Yolklore until we’ve cracked the code. In the meantime, you can do your own research by visiting the restaurant during its normal hours Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. n

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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MUSIC + CULTURE

[IN MEMORIAM]

R.I.P., Miles Arshille Long St. Louis loses a polymath of the arts, music and entertainment scene Written by

THOMAS CRONE

n the last, glorious years of the Shanti, the Soulard bar was often filled on at rday a ternoons by fans of the band Liquid Gold. t was also filled, ite literally, by the band itself. They were often playing as a seven-piece, the country-and-western group taking up the entire western wall of the barroom, as players stretched in a thin alignment from the front door to the bathrooms. The musicians were no more than an arm’s length from their fans, who were usually greeted with smiles and hellos as they shimmied through the narrow path between talent and tables. On the left side of the Liquid Gold roster of that moment was a vintage-stylish young man, usually slashing away on a banjo, a shock of asymmetrical black hair bouncing across his face or tied back in a ponytail under a seaman’s cap. By then, Miles Arshille ong was firmly into his midtwenties, though he could always pass for a couple of years shy of the number tied to his birth certificate n that stage, he was the junior member by a decade or two or four. Though younger than his comrades, his spirit and musical inclinations didn’t mark him as wholly different. The time of his arrival on the planet may have differed, but he’d found kith and kin in the band, which included his father Mike “Shorty” Long on the drums as well as the latter’s wife, Jackie Niebylski, on bass. The balance of the band were uno cial ncles, the gro p a tightknit affair by any measure. In the wake of Miles Long’s death on December 5 at age 31, images of this sort have been shared

Miles Arshille Long was a man of many talents, interests and friends. He will be missed. | COURTESY THE WHISKEY RING throughout social media circles — the settings differing, but the stories basically looking back on a young man with a Zelig-like quality o fitting into all types o social, musical and nightlife scenarios. Though a member of Liquid Gold, he also played with a slew of other groups and co-hosted the Venice Cafe open mic for the better part of a decade. Becoming a welder, he’d (mostly) transitioned away from service industry work, including past stints at long-running places like the Venice and Off Broadway, as well as the Whiskey Ring and Gooseberries, both of which he helped open. At all those stops, he developed the fondness of regulars, who were drawn to his leftfield observations and well-considered opinions and who turned out in large numbers for gatherings at those places in musical memorials/ celebrations of life. While Facebook walls are typically ins cient in s mming p a person’s real life, as we each curate our own outward-facing realities, the wall of Miles Long has filled with anecdotes, photos and recollections of a singular and unique upbringing. The collective tone of it all does feel as if

it s a tr e re ection o a person (Not lost here is the fact that Miles Long always seemed like more of an analog cat than a digital one.) The stories have owed and created a fascinating look at an everevolving life. Say, photos of Miles as child on the back of a motorcycle or shots of him presiding over a marital service. Stills from the Whiskey Ring, in particular, highlight his impish sense of humor, as he checked into the work computer while “hidden” in plants or peering through the bottom of a shot glass. A selection from friends there ... Jesse Irwin: “Miles Arshille Long worked full time at making people feel included, making gifts, being positive, listening and giving sincere compliments. He just gave a damn, about everyone.The only thing we can do now is pick up the slack. We’ve got to be better friends to each other, check in on each other more often and get closer. I will be thinking about Miles in 2020, the year of deepening friendship. The year of dinner parties, deep conversations, birthday wishes and long hugs.” Kelsey Meigs: “Back in 2012, I was still pretty fresh to St. Louis

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and brand new on the scene. I was looking for new people and experiences after hitting a personal low. I met Derek [Parker] at Foam, and he urged me to attend the next Venice open mic. When I arrived, I was stupid early, sitting off by mysel , and iles was the first one to greet me. He introduced me to the regulars and made me feel at home in T or the first time ter becoming a loyal Monday night Venice-goer, Miles gave me a pin as a thank-you. I was so honored, I pinned it to my jacket and have worn it proudly on cold nights ever since. I’ll always remember Miles as a creative, genuine and positive force.” Becca Yelich: “The last time I saw Miles Arshille Long, we were huddled closely on a bench at CBGB, where he spoke passionately about St. Louis, and his family’s long, rich history here. We spoke of him wanting to love people enough to make them see better for themselves. For a while, I felt like we were the only two people who existed. I was grateful for his way of connecting from such a deeply tender and genuine place. Everyone that crossed his path knows of

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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A King’s Court

MILES LONG

Continued from pg 35

Grammy-nominated St. Louis rapper Smino spreads the love during his annual Kribmas concert Written by

YMANI WINCE

f Kribmas were a school homecoming, Smino would be king. The St. Louis native, now based in Chicago, returns every year to give back and celebrate his city. He capped off the weekend-long St. Louis tribute earlier this month by performing a soldout show at the Pageant — and welcoming his ’Lou ancestor Nelly to the stage. There’s no argument: Kribmas is the most authentic representation of St. Louis since Nelly danced with a bandage on his face under the Arch. And rightfully so. The name Kribmas is an extension of the beloved nickname natives have for St. Louis: “The Crib.” At the show, pairs of Air Force 1s adorned a Kribmas tree off to the side of the stage, while fans munched on Old Vienna chips and the DJ spun a St. Louisin enced playlist The Air Force 1 is Smino’s Bat Symbol — with Nelly and the St. Lunatics as the OGs — carrying on the sneaker culture that cemented Nike’s design as the unofficial-o cial shoe o the city A day before the show, fans packed into the salon-themed meet-and-greet with Smino in what the rapper affectionately referred to as “Smi J. Walker,” a play on Madame C.J. Walker, the pioneer in black hair care. The pop-up let fans get personal with Smino, donate to charity and try to snag one of the coveted, silklined hoodies from Smi’s music collective, Zero Fatigue. The charitable aspect is an annual tradition for the artist, and this year’s event offered fans free hair services in exchange for cash donations, coats and toys for area charities. On the night of the show, Smino told the crowd he hadn’t been home all year. And why should he? The rapper has had a big year. In November, he was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Album for contributions to Dreamville’s Revenge of the Dreamers III, on which he has two songs. His other work included a feature on

Does it get more St. Louis than Smino performing on stage with Nelly? | CURRY STREET STUDIOS Chance the Rapper’s release The Big Day, and Doja Cat’s Hot Pink. In October, Smino joined the supergroup Ghetto Sage, alongside rappers Noname and Saba. That followed a breakout 2018, when his LP Noir made its way onto the Billboard , a first or the rapper. Next year, he’ll take on a European tour across eight cities. ince his first release o S!ck S!ck S!ck, Smino’s discography keeps getting groovier, sexier, more clever and more distinct than many artists out right now. For Kribmas, Smino played a little old, some new and everything in between. Known for his sound that is hip hop meets funk and soul, the artist did not disappoint, performing hits for nearly two hours. What makes his sound so distinct is the combination of his country drawl and redesigned word pronunciation, mixed with soulful crooning, romancing and clever punchlines. Kribmas is more than just Smino’s homecoming weekend; the rapper’s team employs local photographers, videographers, stylists, businesses and artists to put each element of the show together. Possibly the most St. Louis shit to come from the show was Smino popping out of a largerthan-life Air Force 1 shoe that was hand painted by local artist Brock Seals just before the show. “He Facetimed me an hour before the show and was like ‘I got this big-ass Air Force 1 shoe — what you trying to do?’” Seals says. In a video on the artist’s Instagram profile, eals doc mented

his race to paint the shoe before fans arrived. t wasn t the first time eals has done work for Smino, either. He’s painted countless pairs of Air Force 1s for the rapper, each design unique. He’s received commissions from people across the country asking for special pieces and has created designs for professional athletes, such as Cardinals o tfielder arrison Bader and former St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins. “Seeing Smi on stage, and then he brought Nelly out — and then they did [the song] ‘Air Force Ones’ with my shoe on the stage — man that’s surreal,” Seals says. As Smino has become famous, many fans in St. Louis have waited for him to get the cosign from Nelly. During the show, Smino brought out the Country Grammar veteran, who performed snippets from “Air Force One” and “E.I.” — Nelly’s still got it, proving that St. Louis tap water is the best in the country. “I’m here for you, nephew,” he said to Smino as the pair shared the stage. Just that affectionate nickname gave fans all they needed to know. By doing the math, if we’re all Nelly’s cousin, then Smino is now the city’s cousin as well. s the show reached its final moments, Smino acknowledged the year he’s had and promised his recent Grammy nomination wouldn’t change his loyalty to St. Louis. “No matter how big this gets,” he said, “I’m bringing this shit back home.” n

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his many talents, a true Renaissance man, a poet, a welder, a musician and an artist in every possible sense, especially in the ways he shared these gifts with us all.” Justin Paul Brown: “The thing I really admire/envy most about Miles Arshille Long is the way he was always making little manifestations of his affection for people. He did it through song and through his drawings and crafts and in the way he would make a goofy face or wear a funny pair of pants just to make people laugh. He was wise and generous, and he should have lived to be an old man.” Mark Pannebecker: “I met Miles Arshille Long when he was a child sitting in the sidecar of his father’s Ducati down at the Leather Trades building where Mike had a sign-painting shop on the first oor was always amazed at how genuinely friendly and positive he was every time we met as he grew to manhood. Years would go by and I wouldn’t see him, but every time we did meet, he welcomed me like his favorite uncle. He grew up to be a damn fine yo ng man Jon Cournouyer: “We met at the Leather Trades building on Locust Street. You were on the back of your dad’s motorcycle, you might have been four. Twelve years later it was the garden at the Venice Cafe; you were wearing PJs and Batman high tops carrying your notebook. We spoke of poetry and art, particularly about Basquiat and Steppenwolf by Hesse. Later on we spent celebrating your 21st along with Sallie Durbin’s birthday at Balabans, drinking French 75s and eating oysters and talking about Andy Warhol, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground and Baudelaire’s Les fleurs du mal and whether Baudelaire was the Kerouac of the nineteenth century. I hadn’t seen you in a while but always knew when we met up there would be deep conversation, laughter and love.” And from his obituary, via his mother Julie Jany-Carnahan: “Miles Arshille Long lived his life with an open mind and an open heart. He didn’t want to be judged and he didn’t judge others. We should all follow his example. Miles was a masterpiece.” n

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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OUT EVERY NIGHT

[CRITIC’S PICK]

The Hooten Hallers. | COURTESY OF THE BAND

Hooten Hallers 8 p.m. Friday, December 20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $10. 314-773-3363. It’s not hard to find Kellie Everett playing music around town, be it in 1930s-style dance bands or one of many projects with her marital and musical partner Ryan Koenig. But Everett’s ride-or-die outfit is the Columbia, Missouri-based Hooten Hallers, a gritty, greasy and gravelly rock trio in which she holds down the low end on her baritone saxophone. Singer and guitarist John Randall, himself a St. Louis

THURSDAY 19

ALLY VENABLE BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BRUXISM #42: p m , ree chla y Tap oom, 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314-241-2337. CITRIC DUMMIES: w/ Fried E.M., Shux, Fornicators 9 p.m., $5-$10. CBGB, 3163 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. COLD WAR KIDS: w Tidal ol me p m , Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. DAVID GIUNTOLI: 9:30 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745. THE DEAD ROSES: w Brad oe, ason Boyd pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, EL MONSTERO: p m , The ageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. GREG KOCH: w Big ike g irre p m , $25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, JOANN MCNEIL: w/ Wamhoda, Grass Whistle 9 p m , ree chla y Tap oom, oc st t , St. Louis, 314-241-2337. LEWBERGER: p m , The eady oom, anchester ve, t o is, NEIL SALSICH & FRIENDS: p m , ree The Frisco Barroom, Big Bend Blvd , ebster Groves, 314-455-1090. SOULARD BLUES BAND: p m , oe s a e,

native, mirrors the bari sax’s register with his own torn-and-tattered vocals, and it’s left to drummer Andy Rehm to sweeten the load with an almost angelic falsetto ringing against so much hard-charging debauchery. The band has been holed up at Native Sound working on its new record, but this holiday-week show should be a nice chance to show off some new material and dust off old favorites. Family Reunion: The Hooten Hallers will be joined by its Big Muddy labelmates Tortuga as well as a solo set by Ryne Watts. —Christian Schaeffer

6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis. TRIGGER HIPPY: p m , Bl eberry ill The ck oom, elmar Blvd , niversity City, 314-727-4444. UGLY SWEATER & PJ BASH & SING-ALONG: w/ Laka 6 p.m., free. Seven Gables Inn, 26 N. eramec ve , layton, VOODOO PLAYERS TRIBUTE TO LED ZEPPELIN: pm, Broadway yster Bar, Broadway, t o is, -

FRIDAY 20

BENEFIT SHOW FOR SAINT PATRICK CENTER: w/ s Beans, Big tep, The pera Bell Band, The Crisis Walk-Ins 7 p.m., $5. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. BROTHER JEFFERSON DUO: 6 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE CHRISTMAS PARTY: w/ Matty Woods, Jerei, T- rak, ergiobay, elby, dam, rader pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, COSMIC CHRISTMAS PARTY: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. DAISYCHAIN: w The dge, pm, The inkhole, o th Broadway, t o is, EL MONSTERO: p m , The ageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. FROST MONEY’S TOY DRIVE: w , e s ebel aters, andostl, teve Brien, two, e p on ol gang, ay ie pm, -

Continued on pg 41

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

Nate Smith. | DENEKA PENISTON

Nate Smith Various times Wednesday, December 18, to Sunday, December 22. The Harold and Dorothy Steward Center For Jazz, 3536 Washington Avenue. All ages: $10-$36. 314-571-6000. Nate Smith’s resume is unimpeachable. The 44-year-old drummer has worked with Ravi Coltrane, Paul Simon, Brittany Howard, Betty Carter and Dave Holland, just for starters. His chops put him in the elite of jazz fusionists, but it’s his risk-taking, on dazzling display across the 2017 song cycle Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere, that puts him in the vanguard of 21st-century jazz. Smith uses hip-hop,

THIS JUST IN Continued from pg 39 op s ightcl b, onsanto ve , ast t o is, THE FUNKY BUTT BRASS BAND: p m , Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE HOOTEN HALLERS: w Tort ga, yne atts p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., t o is, JOHN MCDANIEL: p m , Bl e trawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745. JULIAN DAVIS & THE SITUATION: w yle T ttle Band p m , ld ock o se, th t , t o is, PARTYROCK LIVE: p m , ree itchen Cocktails, 612 W. Woodbine, Kirkwood, 314-965-2003. SONS OF VULCAN: w oldtooth, Tre erpenti, rta gh p m , F bar, oc st t, t o is, SUPERFUN YEAH YEAH ROCKETSHIP: w/ Celia’s letide press mo T y T p m , ree chla y Tap oom, oc st t , t o is, 314-241-2337. THREE CROOKED MEN: p m , ree The Frisco Barroom, Big Bend Blvd , ebster Groves, 314-455-1090. WILLIE’S TOUPEE: w iants n The ky, Thank o es s the band p m , The eavy nchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

SATURDAY 21

100 GECS:

pm,

The eady oom,

funk, free jazz and the melodies of lyrical (but never quite smooth) pop to craft an episodic portrait of a restless artist and a narrative of his own family’s experience with the Great Northward Migration. He does what innovative jazz leaders always do: command, by presence and trust, ensemble conversations that cohere as emotional and musical statements. Every groove and improvisation tells a story in Smith’s beautifully daring yet always accessible music. Breaking Out: If you’re looking for pure beats and breaks, Smith’s 2018 album Pocket Change spotlights the drummer solo, building groove upon radically hypnotic groove. —Roy Kasten anchester ve, t o is, BIG GEORGE BROCK & THE HOUSEROCKERS: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE BOTTLESNAKES: p m , ree The Frisco Barroom, Big Bend Blvd , ebster roves, 314-455-1090. BRIGHT LIGHTS FOR A LONG NIGHT: w/ Mommi, Dae Smooth, Miss Melanin, Dfrynce Dfrynce Dfrynce, aire mani, Bates p m , t o is kati m, 120 E Catalan St, St. Louis, 314-631-3922. DEAD FORMAT: w/ Leana, the Slow Boys, the Acid Flashback at ightmare Beach pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, EL MONSTERO: p m , The ageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. FLYING HOUSE: w The parrows p m , ree chla y Tap oom, oc st t , t o is, 314-241-2337. THE FUNKY BUTT BRASS BAND: p m , Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. GLORY PRO WRESTLING: UNSANCTIONED II: pm, op s ightcl b, onsanto ve , ast t o is, HOLIDAZED: w/ Elise, Ground Control, Friends in Secret, the Left Hooks, Wise disguise, Mr. alone, Thro gh B rning yes pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, IVAS JOHN BAND: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LIONESS: A TRIBUTE TO AMY WINEHOUSE: pm, randel Theatre, randel Square, St. Louis, 314-533-0367. MAN OF DESTINY ALBUM RELEASE SHOW: p m , $10. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. MIDDLE CLASS FASHION: p m , Broad-

Continued on pg 43

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Wednesday December 18 9PM

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players Tribute To Led Zeppelin

Thursday December 19 9PM

The Matching Shoe Friday December 20 10PM

Mom’s Kitchen

Sunday December 22 8PM

Blues, Soul and Pop Diva Kim Massie Monday December 23 9PM

Soulard Blues Band

The Longest Running Blues Jam in America! Tuesday December 24 and Wednesday December 25

Closed MERRY CHRISTMAS!

8205 GRAVOIS ROAD • ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63123 • (314) 631-3130 MIDAMERICAARMS.COM • FACEBOOK.COM/MIDAMERICAARMS

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NOT SURE WHAT TO GET? GIFT CARDS MAKE GREAT STOCKING STUFFERS!

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HAND GUNS

SAFES & KNIVES

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 41

way, emp ve , t o is, PUFF THE DRAGON: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & rill, e ico oad, t eters, ROGERS & NIENHAUS: 7 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 oadho se and itchen, ld rchard ve, ebster roves, STACKED 2: w/ Mark Angel, DJ Devil Girl, Luke ansen, cott c obot b b hen, riginal in, asar amp, Big , eavy otation pm, The rack Fo , live t , St. Louis, 314-621-6900. THE U-TURNS: p m , ree at onnolly Tavern, akland ve , t o is, TIM REYNOLDS & T3: p m , ld ock o se, th t , t o is, 4TH ANNUAL WINTER DISCO: w ne ay Tra c pm, The Bootleg, anchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

SUNDAY 22

THE BEL AIRS: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. GINUWINE: p m , Ballpark illage, lark ve, t o is, MARQUISE KNOX BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA BENEFIT SHOW: w The blic, hi, rom ings, ogtown thletic l b pm, Broadway, emp ve , t o is, SUM 41: w Broadside p m , Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

MONDAY 23

BLACK & WHITE BAND: 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. EL MONSTERO: p m , The ageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. NEW MAYANS: w the Free ears, iolet, ike the olor , att F Basler p m , Broadway, emp ve , t o is, -

TUESDAY 24

CHARLES GLENN CHRISTMAS BROADCAST: w/ the s p m , ree The heldon, ashington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. NAKED MIKE: p m , ree ammerstone s, S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

WEDNESDAY 25

JAKE’S LEG CHRISTMAS PARTY: 9:30 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ROSS AND MARK CHRISTMAS JAMBOREE: 6 p.m., ree aloon, ame oom ardshell a e, inth t , t o is, -

THIS JUST IN THE BLUE STONES: ilde, at , Feb , pm, Bl eberry ill - The ck oom, elmar Blvd , niversity ity, 314-727-4444. BLUNTS & BLONDES: W/ SubDocta, Bawldy, Th , arch , p m , ree ld ock o se, th t , t o is, BOBBY BARE JR.: Th , an , pm, Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, CHRISTIAN FRENCH: Th , arch , p m , The eady oom, anchester ve, t o is, COAST 2 COAST LIVE: W/ DJ Sno, DJ Stew, DJ hay oney, T e , an , p m , F bar, oc st t, t o is, CYCLE OF RUIN: W/ Animated Dead, the Delirium Effect, Emaciation, Despised Mourning, at , Feb , pm, F bar, oc st

t, t o is, I C ’ S, pPmI ,C K -] DANIEL DONATO:[ CatR, I T arch Bl eberry ill - The ck oom, elmar Blvd , niversity ity, DEAD HORSES: at , arch , p m , ld ock o se, th t , t o is, FIT FOR A KING: W/ Chelsea Grin, Crystal Lake, lpha ol , T e , arch , p m , The eady oom, anchester ve, t o is, FRUITION: Fri , arch , p m , ld ock o se, th t , t o is, GODEMIS: Fri , an , pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, HARRY NILSSON’S “THE POINT” LIVE: at , Feb , pm, Broadway, emp ve , t o is, HARRY NILSSON’S “THE POINT” LIVE KID’S MATINEE: at , Feb , p m , Broadway, emp ve , t o is, HEMBREE: Fri , arch , p m , Bl eberry ill - The ck oom, elmar Blvd , niversity ity, JACK GRELLE ALBUM RELEASE SHOW: Fri., arch , p m , Broadway, emp ve , t o is, KEVIN GRIFFIN: at , arch , p m , Bl eberry ill - The ck oom, elmar Blvd , niversity ity, LITTLE COWBOY EP RELEASE SHOW: hoir andals, tarwol , Fri , an , p m , Broadway, emp ve , t o is, MATT HILL: the evil s lbow, Th , an , p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., t o is, MOBILE DEATHCAMP: T e , an , pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, MOTHER STUTTER: o ng nimals, The rand pening, ee aneve, T e , an , pm, The eady oom, anchester ve, t o is, NASCAR ALOE: Th , Feb , p m , F bar, oc st t, t o is, A NIGHT OF BLUES: Brother e Big ich, ake rtis Bl es Band, Fri , an , pm, $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, PAUL CAUTHEN: the ernal, Fri , Feb , p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., t o is, PEEKABOO: Th , Feb , p m , ree ld ock o se, th t , t o is, THE RADIO BUZZKILLS: Th nderbolt reaselapper, es s hrist percar, at , an , p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., t o is, THE RICTERS: Thro gh B rning yes, The e t ooks, , shwood, ioneer alesmen, at , Feb , pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, ROSES! HANDS!: W/ Chris Moore, Jake’s Mistakes, at , ec , pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, SHAKEY GRAVES: T e , Feb , pm, ed , Feb , pm, Th , Feb , pm, $30. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, SLAP FROST REVUE: W/ Equipto, Michael arshall, - an, ocab lick, Tr e stice, mllw l , Th , an , pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, THE SLOW DEATH: W/ Breakmouth Annie, the addonfields, y organ, Fri , an , pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, STRAWBERRY BUCKSHOT: the oberts Band, Frago, Just Maple, Fri., Dec. 27, 7:30 pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, VEAUX: Thames, ear enre, T e , Feb , pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, WINTER FORMAL: W/ Cara Louise, John Henry, a ard to a Booty, atty oonfield, at , an , pm, Broadway, emp ve , t o is, YEAR OF OCTOBER: W/ Overnighter, Kilverez, n , an , pm, F bar, oc st t, t o is, n

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

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SAVAGE LOVE BLOODY BUSINESS BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I am a 60-year-old heterosexual man, and I am being told that I’m normal. I have been to several urologists, and they say I have no medical issues. But I’m having a hard time buying it, because for the last six months, my ejaculate has been extremely bloody. This is embarrassing, especially since oral sex — giving and receiving — has always been my favorite. The urologists’ explanation is that as you get older, there are blood vessels within the penis that can break during an erection. They gave me some pills to ensure there was no infection, but then they told me that I’ll probably have to use condoms for the rest of my life. My partner doesn’t need contraceptives, so we haven’t used condoms for decades. If I were bleeding out of any other orifice, there would be a team of doctors helping me. Is there really no hope? Tell Me It Ain’t So “Hematospermia — blood in the ejaculate — is usually not considered a big deal, in the sense that the vast majority of the time it’s not a sign of cancer,” said Dr. shley inter, a board-certified urologist, the cohost of The Full Release podcast and my go-to expert on all blood-in-spunk-related matters. “I’d want to know how much he’s actually bleeding and what they’ve done to check him out. But that said, sometimes a guy with a large prostate will bleed with orgasm.” For everyone out there panicking because they saw blood in their semen one time a decade ago, Winter says a one-off bloody load isn’t something to worry about. But if you saw blood in your semen that one time and you have health insurance and you’re a hypochondriac like me, Winter recommends a visit to a doc for a short consultation and a quick physical exam. “But in a case like TMIAS’s, where the issue is ongoing and the subject is over 55,” said Winter, “a typical evaluation would include a PSA blood test (a prostate cancer screening test), as well as testing

for STIs (such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and herpes), along with a urinalysis to check for blood in the urine and urinary infections. If those tests were not revealing, I would consider doing an ultrasound or MRI of the prostate and surrounding organs, as well as putting a camera up the urethra (called cystoscopy) to check out the plumbing.” Assuming you’ve had all those tests, and your prostate was present on photo day, and the doctors found no sign of cancer or infection, TMIAS, then what the hell is going on? “Typically, the cause would be something such as dilated blood vessels along the ejaculate exit route,” a.k.a. the urethra. Quickly: The urethra is a tube that connects the outside world (and all those piss bottoms) to your bladder; it’s the tube we all piss through. In males, the urethra pulls double duty, men also ejaculate through it (and some women do, too!) — it runs through the prostate gland, a gland that produces about a third o the seminal id n enlarged prostate squeezes the urethra, which can make rination di cult and uncomfortable, and can also result in — you guessed it — blood in the semen. ne possible fi or an enlarged prostate is a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), which basically amounts to “a ‘roto-rootering’ of the prostate,” as Winter so vividly put it. A doctor shoves something called a resectoscope up your urethra and slices away chunks of prostate tissue. “The problem with these procedures is that they can cause a person to stop ejaculating at all,” said Winter. “So if TMIAS has already had a fairly robust evaluation, then either using condoms or just having his sex partner adapt to the presence of blood may be the best solution. And in the absence of an infection, shooting a bloody load into your partner is not dangerous. Couples have intercourse during menstruation without harm, and plenty of F-F couples have sex during menstruation as well.” But hold on and back up and wait just a goddamned minute: Didn’t your doctors say everything looked normal? Doesn’t that mean your prostate isn’t enlarged? “A ‘normal’ prostate generally

“When is the right time to bring non-monogamy up if you meet someone in real life first?” means that it is not cancerous and normal in size for your age,” said Winter. “As you get older, your prostate gets bigger. So it’s highly probable that what TMIAS has is a big-ass-but-normal-for-his-age prostate. And bigger prostates tend to have larger blood vessels lining the urethra and are therefore more likely to bleed when he experiences those lovely contractions associated with orgasm. When TMIAS was told that ‘there are blood vessels within the penis that can break,’ I suspect his doc was referring to this and was trying to simplify the explanation.” And while the presence of blood in your ejaculate may not be normal or ideal, TMIAS, it’s likely your normal, and there’s nothing your doctor — or a team of them — can do about it. ometimes a lack o a fi is not dismissiveness, it’s just an admittance that a lot of things medical folks do/offer aren’t perfect,” said Winter. Follow Dr. Ashley Winter on Twitter @AshleyGWinter, and check out The Full Release podcast, which she cohosts with comedian Mo Mandel, at www.thefullreleasepod.com. Hey, Dan: I’m a woman with a dating profile on OkCupid that states I’m non-monogamous and only looking for the same. Recently, I had two great dates with a guy who described himself as monogamous on his profile. However, after our first date and a lot of messaging, I intuited that he hadn’t actually read the fine print on my profile. Usually guys bring that up when they’ve read it, and he hadn’t mentioned it once. So I brought it up at the end of our second date when we were having post-dinner drinks at a bar. In retrospect, I should have set up a time to seriously discuss this, not spring it on him while we were drinking, but I felt like the longer it

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went unsaid, the more “betrayed” he might feel. And boy, did he have a reaction. He went from “This is not a deal breaker” to “Oh my god, I can’t do this, I should just go” in 20 minutes, and then rushed out of the bar. We cleared the air the next day, and he apologized for being a jerk and bailing. But clearly we’re not going to be dating going forward. Maybe this was always how a guy like him was going to react, but when is the right time to bring nonmonogamy up if you meet someone in real life first? Or if it’s clear someone didn’t read the damn fine print on your profile before jumping straight to infatuation? He claimed his meltdown was an emotional response to the conflict he was feeling between (a) the expectation that serious relationships need to lead to monogamy and (b) the great time he was having with someone who turned out to be (gasp) non-monogamous. Was there a better way to have shared this information? A time sooner or later? We were really clicking, so his freak-out was a huge surprise. Read The Fine Print de sho ld have read the fine print on yo r profile e sho ld have done his screw diligence — but you should have done yours, too. Or followed through with yo rs o read the fine print on his profile, TF , yo knew he described himself as monogamous, but you went on a date with him anyway — you went on two dates and swapped a lot of messages — without stopping to ask him the dreaded direct question (DDQ): y profile says m non-monogamous and only looking for the same, and yours says you’re monogamous. Are you making an exception for me because I’m amazing, or did you not read my whole profile o sho ld have asked this guy the DDQ not to spare him the horror of your company and avoid wasting his time, RTFP, but to spare yourself that stupid scene in the bar and avoid wasting your time. Check out Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 18-24, 2019

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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