DECEMBER7–13, 2016 I VOLUME 40 I NUMBER 49
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The Man Who Replaced
Phyllis Schlafly For decades, Eagle Forum soared. Then came Donald Trump — and Ed Martin
By Sarah Fenske
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE
11.
The Man Who Replaced Phyllis Schlafly
For decades, Eagle Forum soared. Then came Donald Trump -- and Ed Martin Written by
SARAH FENSKE
Cover by
GAGE SKIDMORE
NEWS
CULTURE
DINING
MUSIC
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19
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The Lede
Calendar
Your friend or neighbor, captured on camera
Seven days worth of great stuff to see and do
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Cameras for Shaw
With gunfire blazing, the neighborhood considers surveillance cams
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Robert Hunt surveys three new DVD releases of classic westerns, including Johnny Guitar and McCabe & Mrs. Miller
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Robert Uyemara of Local Chef Kitchen is obsessed with keeping it local
Thomas Crone checks in with a talented blues musician after a startling attack in Soulard
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Film
Stage
St. Louis Actors Studio scores in its fast-and-furious American Buffalo, while the New Jewish Theatre’s Driving Miss Daisy succeeds with subtlety
Side Dish
Food News 35
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Lauren Milford visits Rise 2.0, the new version of the coffee shop St. Louis has come to love
The best concerts in St. Louis every night of the week
First Look
Intoxicology, a new shop in the Grove, has cocktail lovers covered
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Homespun
18andCounting TheBirdsAtThisHour
Supplies
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B-Sides
Señor Pique prepares to say goodbye to Ballwin
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A Voice of Redneck Reason
“Liberal Redneck” Trae Crowder comes to Helium Comedy Club
Meet Your Elector
Danny Wicentowski explores the troubling background of one of the men choosing our next president
Breakfast Club
Cheryl Baehr raves about Egg, the south city breakfast spot that’s earned a space of its own
Out Every Night
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This Just In
This week’s new concert announcements
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NEWS
As Gunfire Blazes, Shaw Considers Cameras Written by
DOYLE MURPHY
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n a lot of ways, the Shaw neighborhood is one of St. Louis’ gems. Tower Grove Park borders it to the south, and the Missouri Botanical Garden is just to the west. Young families fill handsome, two- and three-story brick homes and push strollers along long, leafy blocks. The problem is the gunfire. The sound of blasts in the night has long fueled fireworks-or-gunshots debates among residents, but what the neighborhood has endured in the past two months is a string of unambiguously frightening gun battles. One person has been killed and at least four others wounded. Through the first ten months of the year, police recorded eighteen shootings compared to one for the same time period in 2015. “I’m 70 years old and I’m crippled,” Linda Orellana told a roomful of worried neighbors last week at a community meeting. “I don’t want anyone to hurt me or my dogs.” The meeting, emceed by Alderman Stephen Conway, was attended by between 75 and 100 people and focused primarily on options for installing surveillance cameras at the corner of Shaw Boulevard and Klemm Street. Residents, not without reason, see the intersection as the epicenter of the chaos. On October 8, as people began to gather on the corner for a vigil, a nearby dispute turned into a full-scale shootout. Witnesses reported gunmen blazing away as bystanders literally ran for their lives. Reporter Rebecca Rivas, who covered the aftermath for the St. Louis American, described police marking 58 emptied shell casings Continued on pg 9
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The corner of Shaw and Klemm has been the scene of frightening violence in the Shaw neighborhood. | DOYLE MURPHY
Once Liable for Abortion Violence, He’s Now an Elector
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n less than three weeks, Republican and Democrat electors across the country will gather in their state capitals and make their formal — though symbolic — votes for president and vice president. Among them in Missouri will be Republican elector Tim Dreste, a former militia organizer and anti-abortion absolutist who in 1999 was found liable in federal court for making threats to “kill, assault or do bodily harm” to abortion providers. Dreste was the subject of a lengthy Riverfront Times cover story published the same year as his
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
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conviction, in which then-staff writer Melinda Roth documented the St. Louis native’s path of zealotry in the 1980s and 1990s. Dreste’s fervor ultimately crossed a line, entering territory outside the bounds of the First Amendment. From Roth’s cover story: The defendants, two anti-abortion groups and 12 individuals, including Dreste, were not charged with any of the 40 clinic bombings or seven murders that took place in the U.S. between 1983 and 1999, but they were accused by two abortion-rights groups and four abortion providers of setting off some of that violence through the use of Web sites, literature and posters. Dreste, in the middle of it all, was implicated in highly coordinated campaigns and conspiracies
that the court found to be “true threats” not sheltered by the First Amendment. The accusations amounted to charges that Dreste had taken part in a conspiracy to threaten the lives of of abortion providers, thus violating the federal ban on disrupting access to abortion clinics. A jury agreed, and a trial resulted in a $109 million judgment against the plaintiffs. Dreste was found personally liable for $6 million. Key to the 1999 conviction was Dreste’s involvement in producing so-called “Wanted” posters, which listed an abortion provider’s home and work address, and even offered a cash reward for anyone who successfully persuaded the physician to “turn from his child killing.” During his previous years as an acContinued on pg 9
TIM DRESTE Continued from pg 8
SHAW VIOLENCE Continued from pg 8
tive anti-abortion radical, Dreste’s tactics traced a relationship with violence that terrified abortion providers and patients. In 1993, after the murder of Florida abortion provider Dr. David Gunn, Dreste, wearing shotgun shells on his hat, marched to the Hope Clinic in Granite City, Illinois. On his picketing sign Dreste had written: “Do you feel under the Gunn?” Dreste appears to have largely disappeared from public life since the 1999 conviction. His name briefly popped up in 2012, when, in the midst of Todd Akin’s self-destruction over comments about “legitimate rape,” it was revealed that Akin had been arrested after a 1987 anti-abortion protest that included Pro-Life Direct Action, a group Dreste would later lead. Akin was also tangentially linked to Dreste’s preferred militia outfit, the 1st Missouri Volunteers. And now, years later, Dreste is preparing to cast his vote for a president-elect whose position on abortion has veered from pro-choice to pro-life and seemingly all points in-between. (Not surprisingly in light of Donald Trump’s confusing statements on abortion, Dreste initially endorsed Ted Cruz.) But when it comes to supporting violence against abortion providers, Dreste’s stance appears remarkably unchanged from his years as an active radical. He may not be involved in protesting anymore, but in a recent interview with Politico Magazine, Dreste carefully pivoted around the issue, refusing either to endorse or condemn those who seek to bomb clinics or murder doctors. “I’m a man of actions. You see my actions. Are there any dead abortionists in St. Louis? No there are not,” Dreste told Politico. “I was a trained United States Marine. If I wanted that to happen, I don’t think I could be stopped. If they think that’s going to happen and they decide not to come into work one day because they see me out front, well OK.” Just a little reminder: Thanks to the electoral college system, this guy gets to vote for president. You don’t. As a Missouri voter, you just got to vote for electors like him. —Danny Wicentowski
when it finall ended. Three young men were wounded. The vigil was to be in memory of eighteen-year-old VonDerrit Myers Jr., who was killed by police two years before on the same corner. On November 17, a 21-year-old named Michael Murphy was shot in the back of the head during another spasm of gunfire at haw and Klemm. He made it to the hospital but later died. A 22-year-old was also critically wounded. On November 22, less than three blocks away in the 4000 block of Castleman Avenue, armed robbers surprised a young woman as she arrived at her relatives’ home. She handed over her cell phone and purse and bolted inside. When her uncle, who was also armed, stepped out the front door, one of the crooks shot at him, police say. The uncle shot back and hit one of the men in the butt. The wounded robber fired a ouple more rounds before eeing in a tru k, poli e sa . The violence persists even as housing prices climb. Once a pocket of drug violence, Shaw is now one of the most sought-after places in the city, with a number of commercial projects in development within walking distance of Shaw and Klemm. The most prominent — a new burger bar by restaurateur Dave Bailey — is set to open next spring on the northeast corner. Conway told residents that there are a couple of problem houses in the area. He assured neighbors they’re currently being addressed by the city’s nuisance property system. “I’m sorry that the people who live [near the violence] have had to live through that,” Conway said. He listed three proposed options for cameras: Privately funding and installing cameras on private buildings near the corner, raising more money to fund cameras that would feed live into the city’s crime center or lobbying to use funds from the Eighth Ward to bring in cameras. Tim and Lindsay Hordwedel launched a GoFundMe page to pay for cameras. The couple lives next to Shaw and Klemm, and on the night of the vigil, found gunmen racing through their yard. One month later, Michael Murphy was killed in front of their place. Few if any witnesses came forward to help police with the investigations, they said. People
Shaw residents meet on November 30 to discuss installing cameras to combat crime. | DOYLE MURPHY
“The answer is to get a witness who can’t be killed. And that’s a camera.” are worried about retaliation, Tim Horwedel said. “The answer is to get a witness who can’t be killed,” he said at the meeting. “And that’s a camera.” Police have made some progress in solving the recent shootings. A department spokeswoman told the Riverfront Times no one was available to discuss crime in Shaw, but she emailed a few updates on the investigations. A 22-year-old was arrested in connection with the vigil night shooting and has been released while prosecutors decide whether to file harges. After the November 22 robbery on Castleman, the wounded thief was arrested after he showed up at a hospital with a gunshot wound to his rear end, police said. The suspect, twenty-year-old Andre Durham, is facing charges of robbery, assault and two counts of armed criminal action. His accomplice, another twenty-year-old, was riverfronttimes.com
also arrested, but released pending an investigation by prosecutors, police said. Whoever killed Michael Murphy is still on the loose. Cameras and other security measures have long been discussed in Shaw, but the recent violence has boosted interest. And some key stakeholders are on board: The owner of a two-family home on the corner and the owner of the nearby Shaw Market have both agreed to let people install cameras on their buildings, Conway says. That would be the fastest option. The online fundraiser has a goal of $4,000, and supporters had alread donated , in fi e da s. The effort is aimed at the privately funded cameras; installing cameras that hook wirelessly into the city’s system would cost more — between $10,000 and $12,000, Conway said. It would also take longer, especially if they hoped to use Eighth Ward money. People at the meeting raised concerns about ownership of private cameras, the handling of the footage and whether the initiative would be effective. A few people pointed out the vast majority of attendees were white, despite the neighborhood’s mixed population. ut mostl the residents who filled the room said they were in favor of cameras. “Rather than moving, we’re going to try to improve the corner,” Tim Horwedel said afterward. “If not,” Lindsay Hordwedel added, “we’re moving.”
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The Man Who Replaced
Phyllis Schlafly For decades, Eagle Forum soared. Then came Ed Martin — and the 2016 election
O
By Sarah Fenske
n March 11, 2016, a frail political icon slowly made her way on stage at the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis to do the unthinkable: Endorse Donald Trump for president. h llis hla , , had been a conservative star even before Fox News turned that into a job description. An outspoken opponent of the feminist mo ement, hla was instrumental in uashing its s-era bid to enshrine gender equality in the constitution via the Equal Rights Amendment. Those bona fides notwithstanding, hla remained a populist outsider at heart, a merry mischief maker who loved to criticize the East Coast party bosses and backroom dealmakers who presumed to speak for heartland Republicans. For her, Trump’s attacks on that crowd were pure catnip. She also shared his views on immigration. However, on that spring afternoon, the GOP nomination was still up for grabs. Most of hla s losest allies on the right ank of the party preferred Ted Cruz. His policies and piety seemed a surer bet. Trump, meanwhile, was a thrice-married New Yorker who’d recently defended Planned Parenthood. Even if hla liked Trump s st le, man of her colleagues pleaded for her to hold off on an outright endorsement. Which might be why few of Schlafly’s trusted onfidants knew what she was planning until, suddenly, there she was on stage at Trump’s one and only St. Louis rally with a twinkle in her eye, sanctioning the outsider who many Republicans feared was blowing up their party. t four minutes, hla s remarks weren t lengthy, but to a pumped-up crowd restless for fireworks, her digressions down memor lane seemed to ramble. s hla made her wa past an ane dote about telling off Senator Everett Dirksen, who died in , to a riti ism of resident bama, the beaming big guy who had escorted her to Continued on pg 12
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Phyllis Schlafly was best-known for her work battling the ERA. | R I V E R F R O N T T IGAGE M E S SKIDMORE 11
PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY Continued from pg 11 the dais and now hovered behind her intervened. “Introduce him now,” he suggested. lright, hla said, a little thrown off. “They’re ready for him now, and I — ” Cheers swelled, muffling her words. “This year, we have the candidate who really give us — really will give us — a choice, not an e ho, hla said, referen ing the title of her first, most important book, the one she self-published in . o please gi e a big t. ouis welcome to Donald J. Trump.” At that point, the candidate himself entered stage right, and the audience went nuts. h llis hla died not uite si months later, which makes the St. Louis rally one of her last public appearances. Today some Eagle Forum associates scrutinize the YouTube footage of her remarks as if it s the apruder film, a window into hla s state of mind in her twilight period — and into her relationship with the man on her right. His name is Ed Martin, and he is the man hla brought on to
“That’s not the woman I went to work with six years ago. He pushed her out on that stage.”
Schlafly shocked some friends by endorsing Trump. Ed Martin is to her right. | GINO SANTA MARIA run agle orum in the final two years of her life. Some longtime friends and staffers say he did far more than that — and that his effect on Eagle Forum has been catastrophic. “If you’ve watched that video and you know Phyllis Schlafly, that was not Phyllis Schlafly on
that stage,” says Glyn Wright, who served as the executive director of Eagle Forum’s Washington, D.C., branch. “That was not the woman I went to work with six years ago. He pushed her out on that stage.” Others disagree with that assessment the sa hla was genuinely enthusiastic in her support
of Trump. But they all agree that hla , while still sharp, wasn t quite herself by March. She was tired. She was sick. And within a month, everything she’d worked her whole life to build — the grassroots advocacy organization with a presence from coast to coast — would erupt in infighting and litigation. For that, many longtime friends blame Ed Martin. d was in her o e e er single day — taking her to lunches, driving her car to get her oil changed, taking her to fundraisers,” Wright sa s. f ou re ears old and this decent-looking younger man
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is talking a big game, telling you all this media stuff he could do to ensure your legacy and bring in the next generation, which was so important to her … he used Phyllis. And he continues to use her name. It’s sick.” Like many non-profits with a charismatic founder, Eagle Forum was bound to en ounter di ulties with hla s passing. nd ertainly some Republicans would say its glory days were already in the past: Its greatest victory, the blockage of the Equal Rights Amendment, was decades ago. But for the women who joined hla in the fight, and ontinue to labor in the trenches for “the cause,” it was still astonishing — and painful — to see how quickly everything fell apart. Says Donna Hearne, a conservative activist who has known Schlasin e the s, hen ou e worked with somebody most of your life, somebody who was so amazing a person, and so brilliant, and such an incredible pathway for so many of us, to see her being used and maneuvered by Ed Martin, it really was heartbreaking.”
***
When Phyllis Schlafly began to focus on choosing a successor to run Eagle Forum, many people thought it would be Michele Bachmann. The former Republican congresswoman had a history of fighting abortion and other auses important to hla and, agle Forum associates say, she seemed interested in the job. hen hla somehow settled on Ed Martin instead in early 2015, many of her volunteers outside of St. Louis were perplexed. “Nobody knew him,” says Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum organization. The skepticism was immediate, Ruzicka says: “Who’s Ed Martin? Where did he come from? How is this happening?” ut if artin, now , was an obs ure hoi e to hla s agles outside of Missouri, within it, he was very much a known quantity — with a reputation that left some epubli ans uestioning hla s judgment. Martin had been the chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, a candidate for state attorney general and congressman, the chief of staff to Governor Matt Blunt, and always in the middle of controversy. Perhaps the most well-docu-
mented instance happened while he was working for lunt, in . The scandal that would become known as “Memogate” involved Martin working to circumvent public records law — and firing the aide who dared to challenge his actions. The aide would go on to win a $500,000 settlement in a wrongful termination case. In a 2010 RFT profile hroni ling Martin’s run for Congress, a Democratic strategist likened working with him to handling a “lit firecracker”: “It’s gonna explode; you just don’t know when.” The race ended in defeat, and Martin’s own communications director was angry enough about the experience to blast Martin on her personal Facebook page. “ALL politicians are: egotistical, shady, and talk out of both sides of their mouth! Many are male chauvinists!” Yes, she confirmed to the Post-Dispatch, she was talking about her former boss. After another failed campaign on Martin’s part, this one for state attorney general, Schlafly hired Martin to do some fundraising for Eagle Forum, and he became a familiar sight around its Clayton o e. t the time, he was also ser ing as chairman of the Missouri Re-
publican Party, an unpaid position that he’d won by mounting a Tea Party challenge to the incumbent chairman. Once he was running the show, he seemed to piss off half the party in short order. Former Senator John Danforth issued a stern rebuke after Martin used his party pulpit to blast senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham for their “backroom dinner party attitude.” Martin also angered top Republicans by meddling in a Mississippi Senate race. (As for Martin, he notes that controversy is not unusual in politi s n this field, if ou do our ob well, you’re going to be in the mix.”) Unlike Schlafly, though, who could be biting in her denunciations of the powers that be but was doted on b the rank-and-file, Martin was not well-liked by his underlings. During his two years at the Missouri GOP, the staff suffered total turnover. People still giggle about the email he sent after a departing staffer left with an o e chair. “Taking any property that is not one’s own is not appropriate and may well be illegal,” he wrote in an email blasted out to the entire staff. “I am getting in touch with
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PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY Continued from pg 13 the relevant authorities about this.” The matter was closed without follow-up when someone gently explained that the person who took the chair was its rightful owner. Party bigwigs might have overlooked an unhappy staff, but they couldn’t ignore the way fundraising ground to a near-halt. Big donors just didn’t ante up on Martin’s watch. When he took over, the Missouri GOP had a balance of $316,000 in its combined accounts. By the time he left less than two years later, cash on hand had dwindled below $10,000, with $110,000 in debts. That balance sheet would hamstring the party’s efforts for months. (Jonathon Prouty, the executive director brought in by Martin’s replacement, says the party didn t finish pa ing off the debts until August 2016, nineteen months after Martin’s departure.) A challenge to Martin’s reelection was inevitable, and when a former party chairman announced he was mounting one, Martin may have seen the writing on the wall. In February 2015, he announced he was leaving the chairmanship for a job as president of Eagle Forum. The Forum job paid handsomely — $150,000 a year — but it would have been difficult even for an administrator with a deft hand. ot onl was artin the first male president in an organization run almost entirely by women, but he was the first president not named h llis hla . ormed in as a nonprofit, Eagle Forum was joined nine years later by a sister organization, a 501c3 charity called the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund. The two were closely linked: Each had a board of directors to look after its interests, but as president of both, hla set both agendas, which the volunteer board members were happy to follow. Lines between the two organizations were porous, and no one thought too hard about the distinctions between them; to many, hla was the agle orum, and that was that. (State chapters had separate charters, but they too looked to hla for ision. The women who served as paid staff often rose quickly through the ranks. hla , famousl frugal, preferred to give smart young people a chance rather than invest in big names or padded resumes. Glyn Wright, for example, started as an intern in St. Louis; within a 14
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Ed Martin earned a rare Tea Party endorsement in his run for Congress. | JENNIFER SILVERBERG few years, she was running the D.C. o e and lobb ing ongress. That trust paid off in absolute loyalty. Staffers and board members alike des ribe hla in familial terms — depending on their age, they call her their sister, their mother, their grandmother. She didn’t suffer fools, but she didn’t need to: Staffers and volunteers alike were determined to live up to her expectations. And she listened, says Colleen Holmes Holcomb, a former executive director of Eagle Forum’s D.C. office. “Her Eagles were always her trusted advisors and closest friends. She absolutely loved these ladies, and a few men,” she says. “It was one of the things I noticed when I came to work for her. She really trusted their judgment. … Whenever we’d talk to Phyllis about an thing, her first uestion was, ‘What does the Eagle in the field think t made the organi ation very effective.” Holcomb says that many Eagles had concerns about Martin even before hla asked the board to vote to hire him, replacing her as president of the two organizations while she ascended to chairman. But at the time, their loyalty to hla was absolute. “They voted for him based on Phyllis’ trust of him,” she says. “Even though I knew some people weren’t fans, Phyllis is the leader. You have to carry out what she wants.”
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*** Pe ha s the only thing s ising about Ed Martin’s tenure at Eagle Forum is just how quickly everything devolved. The two Eagle Forum entities had operated without mu h if an on i t for more than four decades. Yet within fourteen months of Martin’s hire, public bickering had overwhelmed the organizations. And even if a skeptical board of dire tors a eded to hla s choice of successor, they didn’t stand by for long. Barely a year after hiring artin, the board fired him. The problem for them has been that Martin refuses to go. Martin says he realized he was stepping into a tricky situation. He sa s he spent the first months of his presidency visiting Eagles around the country, including some who would eventually turn on him. “There’s no one who’s ever going to replace Phyllis,” he recalls telling them. “It’s not that I’m trying to do that. But we have to keep going with what she wants, and I’m trying to do that.” To this day, he believes he’s done that, pointing to the New York Times bestseller he co-authored with hla and rett . e ker , The Conservative Case for Trump, as well as numerous radio gigs and other appearances to advance her agenda. “I think I sleep pretty well at night, knowing we succeeded for Phyllis,” he says. But if the board was devoted to
hla , and artin was arr ing out what hla wanted, where would conflict come from? To Martin, it basically comes down to one thing hla s preferen e for Trump. The board members, however, say they’d disagreed about politics before. It was never a problem until suddenly Martin was running interference between them and hla . nd the belie e the problem was less Trump and more their distrust of Martin. Initially, says Cathie Adams, a longtime board member and president of the Texas Eagle Forum, when the board started talking about an independent audit, it wasn’t even about Martin. For years, everyone had total faith in hla s guiding hand. ow it was a new era. e d ne er e en seen the financials, and that’s something board members should have asked for all along,” Adams acknowledges. “That’s just how you run a business. Whatever Phyllis said or asked or did, that’s what we did. ‘What does Phyllis want?’ That was always our first riteria. ut if h llis was going to be passing the baton, it felt like we’ve got to be accountable to the thousands of members of Eagle Forum.” They met stiff resistance, not only from Martin, but from two of Schlafly’s sons on the 501c3 board. John Schlafly had long been his mother’s caretaker; Andy hla was a onser ati e a ti ist who founded Conservapedia — his “trustworthy” alternative to Wikipedia. Both were on board for Martin’s agenda, even as many of their mother’s longest-serving allies balked. Says Adams, “As a board, there has never been an outside audit, e er, in lose to ears. e asked for an outside audit and then all hell breaks loose. What is that telling us?” She adds, “We’re not accusing anyone of anything, but why this huge pushback when we were simpl asking for the first outside audit in the organization’s history?” But if the call for an audit was perfectly reasonable, in a March 2015 interview with the Dallas Morning News, Adams inadvertently gave Martin the ammunition he needed to make the on i t about “disloyalty” instead. ollowing hla s surprise endorsement of Trump, the newspaper reported that many state Eagle Forum chapters were standing with Ted Cruz. Its story quoted Adams:
“‘We have no respect for that man, she said of Trump. hla s endorsement] is going to be widely dismissed. t , it is ust totall unfair to impose upon someone who has such a beautiful legacy ... I think this was very much a manipulation. hen ou re and you’re not out with the grass roots all the time, it is very much taking advantage of someone.’” For many Eagles, Adams’ quotes, while impolitic, were not inaccurate. Schlafly’s health was poor, and they believed Martin was using that fact to cloak his decisions in her name. Adams says today she meant onl that hla had been unable to travel in recent years, and wasn’t fully aware of the feelings of Eagles in places like Texas. She says she called Schlato apologi e for the way the quotes sounded — and received swift absolution. Fo r M a r t i n , though, Adams’ quotes were treason. The board had s heduled a meeting on April 11 to discuss Martin’s future. But on a “leader call” on April 8 with Eagle Forum staffers from across the country, Martin got the jump on them. Referencing Adams’ comments about Trump, he announced that Adams’ “endorsement” had been “rescinded,” according to a recording of the call. He suggested the 501c3 organization was taking action against others who had also been disloyal. Then he addressed the rumors about hla s health in full attack mode. “There has been a slur, an ageist slur, by people who say Phyllis isn’t the same as what she once was mentally,” he said. “Now of ourse h llis is , but the slur is absolutely despicable. And I want to say to all of you on this call, I believe you have a moral obligation to defend Phyllis, to promote Phyllis, when people do this. … For people to assert that and to allow that to be out there — it’s really despicable.” Then Martin dropped two bombshells. First, he reported that he had convened a meeting of the 501c3 board, and it had sent letters to six
people asking them to no longer identify themselves as being part of Eagle Forum in any way. The six people just happened to be some of hla s longest-ser ing lieutenants. All six were members of the board. The e en included her daughter, Anne Schlaori. Then, almost as an aside, Martin announced that Executive Director Glyn Wright was “no longer working in the . . o e. “We’ll be helping her transition as she would like,” he said. “We thank her for her service.” On the recording, you can hear murmuring and a few gasps, but Martin blustered on. “These are challenging times, but we’re committed to what Phyllis wants and we’re committed to doing things for her. Please pray for her and pray for me and pray for all of us.” Then he offered to take a few questions. A woman asked politely about what Eagle Forum was doing on the “transgender issue.” After Martin answered, she pivoted to her second question. “Where is Glyn Wright going?” she asked, sounding shaken. “I didn’t know about that.” Martin barely paused. “I have no idea,” he said. “I just know she’s no longer working for us.” Another voice suddenly broke through the polite murmurs. “This is Glyn Wright,” she stated. “I was called five minutes before this meeting and fired for no ause. Indeed, Wright tells Riverfront Times she was on the conference line, waiting for the meeting to start, when Martin called her cell phone and announced she was fired. e ga e no reason. ater, after she burst into the call to reveal her departure was actually a termination, he sent her a twoline email, telling her she had been fired for dislo alt . he has ne er gotten a penny of severance.) With that, the call descended into chaos. Martin had basically announced that six longtime board members were suddenly persona non grata, and that Eagle Forum’s D.C. executive director had been fired. The out r was swift. “You cannot disrespect people
“There has been a slur, an ageist slur, by people who say Phyllis isn’t the same as she was mentally.”
Continued on pg 16
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PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY Continued from pg 15 and expect you to be respected,” one woman cried. “You’re going to reap what you are sowing.” “Why are you hijacking Eagle Forum, Ed?” another woman shouted. “Why are you hijacking Eagle Forum?”
*** n il one ay a te the leader call and two days before the board s planned all to discuss Martin’s future, Martin launched a public attack on the board members — and he did it using the organization’s mailing list. The email, sent to , agle Forum donors and supporters, reported that the board was meeting in two days. But rather than explain that Ed Martin’s job was in jeopardy, it alleged that Schlafly herself was about to be ousted. The reason it gave was not her support of Trump, but rather the “Con Con people.” The movement to hold a new constitutional convention, funded by the Koch brothers, had long been an anathema to hla . artin suggested that its backers were trying to launch a coup within her own organization. “On Thursday,” began the email, “we received a tip from a longtime Eagle Forum member in South Carolina that the Con Con people are pursuing a scheme to push Phyllis hla out of agle orum. Things are happening that are disturbing. In just two days, on this coming Monday afternoon, six directors of Eagle Forum are holding a rogue meeting in violation of the Bylaws unless they are stopped. The rogue group members have a hidden agenda, and most refused to return phone calls personally made to them by Phyllis to ask what their concerns are.” Martin then included the email addresses and cell phone numbers of “the six directors in this gang of six. ... We need your help to stop this hostile takeover.” The board members were bombarded with angry messages. a h of us got or emails,” recalls Eunie Smith, Eagle Forum’s vice president and a board member sin e the s. You use Eagle Forum’s credibility to tell that kind of lie — it’s a real disservice to the people who’d put their trust in the organization. … But if you tell a big enough lie, some people will believe it.” 16
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The women who fought Ed Martin, from left: Eunie Smith, Glyn Wright, Anne Schlafly Cori, Rosina Kovar, Shirley Curry, Carolyn McLarty and Cathie Adams, with Pat Andrews seated. mith was most horrified, howe er, b the wa hla was being used. n pril , mith and other board members got letters, purportedly written by Schlafly, asking them to resign. But when Smith telephoned her old friend the ne t morning, hla assured her she hadn’t even seen the correspondence. She said she’d follow up after church. Instead, later that day, the board members got a cease-and-desist from a la ton law firm. t ordered them not to move forward with their meeting. Determined not to be bullied, the women convened by telephone on pril . The oted to fire d Martin, effective immediately — a six to zero vote. (Phyllis and John hla , who were present but not voting members, objected on both counts.) When Smith followed up with h llis hla , sa ing she d like to meet to discuss a succession plan, she instead got a formal-sounding letter. It didn’t sound like her old friend. The letter offered to remove Martin as president after a few key events that summer and early fall, but it conditioned the action on the removal of several board members — something that wasn’t within Smith’s power. She reminded hla of that in a phone all, but didn’t seem to make any headway. It was their last real conversation. nd artin, far from being fired,
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continued to act as if he were in charge. “I am still president,” he told Mark Reardon on KMOX. n pril , the si board members filed a lawsuit in adison County, Illinois. It asked the court to declare their April 11 meeting lawful — meaning Martin was, in fact, fired from the presiden . The court issued a temporary restraining order just one week later. Per the board’s request, it mandated that ohn hla and Martin allow the board to access Eagle Forum’s Alton headquarters. But until the judge had time to weigh the merits, the status quo was to be preserved. That left Martin mostly in control. All payments had to be signed off b both fa tions, but o iall , he was still Eagle Forum’s president. The judge also ordered the board to continue paying his salary. For the board members, the spring and summer of 2016 were incredibly difficult. Despite the judge’s order, they still weren’t granted access to the Alton headquarters (they tried again in court, without much satisfaction). And even though the judge had told Martin and his allies to turn over the organization’s email list, they provided excuses, saying they didn’t have the technical knowhow to access it. In May, Martin even started up a new organi ation, h llis hla s meri an agles. ts directors were Eagle Forum board
members loyal to him, including two of hla s sons, and its address was Eagle Forum property. Again the board members found themselves in court, arguing that Eagle Forum assets were being diverted to the new organization. (The suit is still pending.) e ond all the on i t, artin was a source of frustration for many Eagles. Some volunteers and state leaders say they found him unresponsive and inattentive to the details they thought were important; others felt he ignored their public policy concerns, preferring to set the agenda himself rather than let ideas bubble up from state leaders, as hla had done. nd although hla was nominally still their leader, and Martin professed to acting in her name, many longtime Schlafly associates say they believe Martin was blocking access to her, a charge he denies. Anne Schlafly Cori had long considered the Eagles her mother’s best friends. When one of them called her in late 2015 to say that the organization was falling apart, and that they had to take action, she agreed to get involved out of loyalty to them, she says. As a result, she found herself attacked through the organization’s mailing and phone lists, and cut off from her own mother. “It was heartbreaking that my mother was isolated this year from each of us and so many other peo-
FOR IRB USE ONLY DATE: 03/07/16 IRB IDAPPROVAL #: 201512092 IRBDATE: ID #: 201512092 RELEASED 03/07/16 APPROVAL DATE: 03/07/16 APPROVAL DATE: 03/07/16 EXPIRATION DATE: 03/06/17 RELEASED DATE: 03/07/16 FOR IRB USE ONLY RELEASED DATE: 03/07/16 EXPIRATION DATE: 03/06/17 IRB ID #: 201512092 EXPIRATION DATE: 03/06/17
ple that cared so much about her and her life’s work,” she said in a statement to the RFT. Gayle Ruzicka, the Utah leader, was one of the few old friends who managed to get through to hla dire tl in those final months. “As I would talk to her, she’d say, ‘Why is this happening?’ I would explain to her the problems with Ed,” Ruzicka says. “She’d say, ‘This is not supposed to be this way — he has no say over my presidents, my state leaders. Yet hla didn t want to join with the dissidents trying to remove him. “She’d tell me, ‘I just need to hang on to Ed until after the convention,’” Ruzicka recalls. (Martin insists he did not limit access to Schlafly, and that he only did what she wanted. “Phyllis was a very strong personality,” he says. “It’s convenient to put these things on me, but it’s very hateful, and hurtful.”) A big priority for some Eagles was a training dinner for RNC delegates in le eland. hla had long been obsessed with a few key issues in the party’s platform; she believed that training like-minded new delegates in parliamentary procedure was the best way to keep moderate Republicans at bay. Yet as Cleveland drew near, it became clear nothing had been planned, despite Martin’s promises. “He continually told me all the things he was doing to prepare for the convention, that training dinner, and it never happened,” Ruzicka says. “There was dinner, but no training. None. I’m still astounded and ba ed b that. full expected that Ed was following through on everything he said he was going to do and what Phyllis wanted us to do.” (Martin insists the training was held, but that some people just weren’t invited.) In some ways, Ruzicka says, the fa t that hla seemed in reasingly out of it during the convention was a relief. “I believe that the Lord was there for Phyllis,” she says. “I could see God’s hand in everything. Because Phyllis did not know how bad things were.”
APPROVAL DATE: 03/07/16 RELEASED DATE: 03/07/16 EXPIRATION DATE: 03/06/17
*** Phyllis Schlafly ie si ee s after the convention. Even Martin a knowledges that the publi fighting had taken its toll. “It’s a terrible tragedy. I think it hastened the end of her life, and certainly made the end of her life with a certain sadness,” he says. “There’s no doubt about that.” Still, Donald Trump — now the Republican nominee — spoke at hla s funeral at the athedral Basilica, eulogizing her as the “ultimate happy warrior.” “She was always smiling, but boy could she be tough,” Trump said. “Her legacy will live on every time some underdog, outmatched and outgunned, defies the odds and delivers a win for the people.” He concluded, “Phyllis, we love you, we miss you and we will never, ever let you down.” Less than a week after Schlafly’s death, however, Eagle Forum was again consumed by vitriol. Even before Schlafly’s death, many of her longtime associates had booked ights to attend the annual Eagle Council in St. Louis. But in the week before the gathering, it became clear that Martin had no intention of welcoming the “disloyal.” When Colleen Holcomb registered, she received an email from Martin in response. “Over the past months, your behavior towards Phyllis, her family, her organizations and staff have been noticed by her and others,” Martin wrote. “Phyllis objected to it. In addition, your behavior has caused discomfort for staff and others. Therefore, I inform you that you are not welcome at Eagle Council. If you attend in any way, you will be asked to leave. If you do not leave promptly, appropriate authorities will be called. This also applies to your husband and any other family members. All the best. Ed.” Others report receiving similar missives; a court order had to be negotiated giving them the right to attend. At the gathering, icy formality turned to shouting. There seemed
“It’s a terrible tragedy. I think it hastened the end of her life, and certainly made the end of her life with a certain sadness.”
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PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY Continued from pg 17 to be a lot of new faces, Holcomb says. She found herself insulted by one attendee as “a two-bit divorce lawyer.” Another Eagle told her, “Phyllis told us on her deathbed we were supposed to shame you, so shame on you,” she says. It was as if the angry atmosphere at Donald Trump’s rallies had infested what was traditionally a meeting of allies. Some of Martin’s critics had decided to wear stickers reading simply “For Phyllis” — a simple message they hoped would unify the warring factions. Instead, Martin called them out. “They’re wearing something that implies that other people aren’t for Phyllis. It’s a great disgrace for them that they’d sign on to a court order and then disrupt the proceedings,” he intoned, as the crowd booed the women. “We’re not going to allow people to disrupt things here. … If you have a problem, we’ll call security, and we’ll be able to address that. Phyllis wanted that,” he said. For many volunteers, the centerpiece of the council had long been the reports from state leaders. hla lo ed hearing what her Eagles were up to, and several attendees recall it as a good exchange of ideas from the field. But Martin scheduled the state reports for one of the final hours of the final da , and seemed in no mood to linger. When someone tried to give Eunie Smith’s report from the Eagle Forum of Alabama in her absence, Martin snapped that there wasn’t time and called for security. People started singing “America the Beautiful” to drown out the young woman. It was an appalling moment for man longtime hla allies, and spoke to a general feeling that something had changed, for the worse. “My mother taught me how to handle obnoxious and rude behavior with grace and class,” notes nne hla ori. adl , ne er expected that such un-Phyllis like behavior would come from individuals associated with Eagle Forum.” n a ideo of the fra as later filed in court as evidence, you can hear a man say, “I never thought I’d live to see this” just before another man onfronted the person filming. “You aim that thing in my face one more time, buddy, and I’ll rip off your head,” he bellowed.
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Martin remains president of the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund, but by law, the 501c3’s activities are limited. | JENNIFER SILVERBERG
*** a tin aintaine cont ol o both Eagle Forum entities for four months after the ote to fire him, but within weeks of hla s death, his allies finall went too far. And when a staffer blew the whistle, they found themselves in real trouble with the court. Through her job at Eagle Forum, Elizabeth Miller had long had a ringside seat for the strife. She’d actually helped Martin send the email blasts targeting the board, at his directive. But after September 26, according to an affidavit Miller would later file in ourt, she was under “constant pressure” to turn over passwords for the organization’s mailing lists and email to Roger Schlafly. Doing so, he told her, would “prevent the plaintiffs in the lawsuit from obtaining any ‘of our information.’” “Roger told me that he and John hla were willing to go to ail before providing any information in the lawsuit,” Miller said in the a da it. At John Schlafly’s directive, Miller reported, she had transferred ownership of eagleforum. org from the Eagle Forum to an entity controlled by the Schlafly brothers, Eagle Trust Fund.
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The website’s listed contact was changed to John Schlafly. And then, at his demand, she did so for other domain names owned b Eagle Forum. iller s a da it hanged e er thing. It wasn’t just the brazen transfer of assets during a supposed period of “status quo.” Miller’s testimony also suggested that Martin’s allies had been dishonest about being unable to access the mailing lists, at a time they were under court order to produce them. She suggested they were right there on her computer. Armed with Miller’s affidavit, the board members filed an emergency motion. This time, they had the judge’s ear. The matter, Judge John B. Barberis Jr. wrote on October 20, was now “an emergency” posing “an immediate threat to the status quo.” e on luded, The ourt finds that artin and ohn hla ha e proven themselves ... to be unwilling and/or incapable of using their positions to serve the best interest of Eagle Forum and to cooperate with Plaintiffs in connection with the management and operation of Eagle Forum.” Judge Barberis ordered all Eagle Forum property — bank ac-
counts, websites, email lists and more — to be turned over within hours. nd he de reed that neither artin nor ohn hla nor “those acting in active concert or participation with them” would be permitted to access Eagle Forum property without the board’s written authorization. Martin, he wrote, was “hereby suspended from his o e and all his duties as president of Eagle Forum …” It was a huge victory for the board members. or the first time since April, they, not Martin, were in control. And while they had to continue to set aside money for Martin’s salary, it wasn’t going into his bank account. The judge ruled that it be held in abeyance until the matter could be sorted out further. But for all the directness of the judge’s order, it wasn’t over. Not yet. The keys to the website were supposed to be turned o er in hours. But fourteen hours after the judge’s ruling, visitors to the Eagle Forum website were instead redirected to a website controlled b at least one hla brother which featured a curious blog post blasting the judge. “I do not know too much about Judge Barberis, except that he is the lowest rated judge in Illinois,” the post read. “He is busy doing
fundraisers for his campaign in an election next month to be a judge on a higher court.” The post then tried to reframe the ruling as anti-Trump. “The judge ordered that all proTrump articles posted on www.eagleforum.org since April 10, 2016 be removed,” it continued. “...I have never heard of any political advocacy organization being ordered not to express opinions on a web site. Not in the USA, anyway. I thought that the First Amendment prohibited that sort of thing.” The court order never once mentions Trump’s name. Yes, Judge Barberis ordered that recent updates to the website be removed — but only to restore the status quo under the original restraining order. Any deletion of Trump-related content was incidental. That didn’t stop a right-wing website from running with the story. “Even after her death conserati e i on h llis hla is still being attacked by the left, #NeverTrumpers and activist judges,” the Gateway Pundit reported. “Illinois Judge John B. Barberis has ordered agle orum hla s website to remove all pro-Trump articles posted after April 10, 2016. Phyllis hla was an earl onald Trump supporter. This week an activist Illinois judge ordered Eagle Forum to remove all pro-Trump articles after April 10, 2016. Unreal.”
*** ge a be is ling as a h ge setback for Martin and his backers, and it wasn’t to be their last. Just days before that ruling, Martin’s loyalists had opened a third stage of attack — this one in federal ourt. n a lawsuit filed against the s board of dire tors, they argued that Schlafly’s likeness did not belong to the Eagle Forum — that she had signed it over, as well as assets including the organization’s mailing lists, to a trust. And that trust was controlled b ru e and ohn hla . That case is still pending, but it got off to a rocky start for the Schlafly brothers. Last month, Judge John A. Ross declined to issue a restraining order or take other rapid action. The brothers, he said, had not presented evidence showing they were likely to prevail. The women who found themselves locked in mortal combat with Martin are now regrouping.
Their attorney, Erik Solverud of Spencer Fane, says they have still not gotten full access to the website or email list, despite the judge’s order. A full month later, Martin was still appearing on Fox News as “president of Eagle Forum.” “This level of disregard is shocking but altogether not surprising,” Solverud says. “Because Plaintiffs control the Eagle Forum Board, Mr. Martin’s only strategy seems to be delaying and defying the orders of the Madison County Court. I have truly never seen anything like this.” (Martin denies that and notes that he is trying to get Solverud s firm remo ed from the ase. The board members are trying, at long last, to look to the future. Way back in April, they set up a presidential search committee, but were stymied by their lack of control of the organization’s bank accounts. Now they again have the ability to spend, and they’re eager to hire a new leader. “What we’d like to do is move on,” says Eunie Smith. And what of Ed Martin? For as hard as he’s fought to keep control of Eagle Forum, today he insists it’s ust one pie e of hla s empire. Sure, it’s the organization with the name re ognition, but hla was “a serial entrepreneur,” he says, listing other entities she founded. He plans to continue her work with or without the Eagle Forum. And it’s not just her work, either. On November 3, as the postscript to a message from hla blasted out to an email list he still controls, Martin attached a coy note. “Exciting news for after the election,” Martin wrote. “Last week, Maj. Gen. Jack Singlaub, US Army (ret.) asked me to step up to lead America’s Future, Inc. which is our nation’s oldest conservative organization. I accepted and will be working with him to highlight our important work. Click on this link to find out more Clicking the link reveals an organization with a long history, albeit one largely unknown to today’s conservatives. The St. Louis non-profit boasts numerous radio programs and pamphlets. Its secretary, until this summer, was none other than h llis hla . But perhaps more important than its output is its balance sheet. America’s Future Inc. has assets totaling $2.6 million, according to its most recent tax return – and annual e penses of ust , . And its president, Jack Singlaub? es .
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THURSDAY 12/08 Bee Hive: Bookworks Launch
Humans of St. Louis takes over the RAC on Friday. | COURTESY OF HUMANS OF ST. LOUIS
Kids and books are natural companions. Through reading kids learn about the world, figure out how to do new things or just enjoy well-told stories. St. Louis Book Works helps kids deepen their relationship with literature by having them write their own stories under the tutelage of volunteer editors. Those stories are then collected in a real live book. Bee Hive: The Bookworks Literary Journal is the fifth installment of the series, and it’s officially released tonight at 6 p.m. at Subterranean Books (6275 Delmar Boulevard, University C i t y ; w w w. s u b b o o k s . c o m ) . Contributing authors will read their stories, which range from a pair of brothers on a modernday treasure hunt (“Cole and Roman’s Adventure in Florida,” by Cole) to the story of a group of turtles’ incredible exodus to their new home (“TURTELANIA!,” by Maline). Copies of the book will be sold, with proceeds going to St. Louis Book Works. If you buy one at the reading, be sure to get it signed.
FRIDAY 12/09 Humans of St. Louis If you do a lot of walking, you will encounter any number of people. You don’t really meet them, though. To do that you’d have to stop and engage in conversation, which means listening more than speaking. It’s an old-fashioned thing to do in a country dominated by social media, which is more about broadcasting our own beliefs and ideas. Humans of St. Louis (the local wing of the “Humans”
BY PAUL FRISWOLD movement started by Brandon Stratton’s Humans of New York pr o jec t), is a doc umentar y storytelling collective that aims to meet in person individual St. Louisans and give them a platform to discuss what’s on their mind. Photographers Lindy Drew, Caroline Fish and Dessa Somerside have met more than 1,200 people during the project. The art exhibition Humans of St. Louis is a collection of their favorite encounters. The show opens with a free reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, December 9, at the Regional Arts Commission (6128 Delmar Boulevard; www. art-stl.com). The show remains up through February 4, and the gallery is open daily.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Edward Tulane is a fancy china rabbit who accompanies the well-to-do human child Abilene everywhere. He’s a self-centered rabbit who doesn’t consider the feelings of anyone else, but his outlook changes when he slips from Abilene’s grasp and ends up on the o ean oor. a ed b a fisherman s net, dward begins a journey that teaches him about the value of compassion in a world that can be unexpectedly riverfronttimes.com
harsh, even to fancy china rabbits. Kate DiCamillo’s book The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane has become a standard for young readers. Dwayne Hartford has adapted the story for the stage, and Metro Theater Company mounts the production as a holiday gift for the city. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is presented at 7 p.m. Friday and at 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday (December 9 to 18) and then daily at 2 p.m. (December 26 to 30). Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum (Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue; www. metroplays.org). Tickets are $16 to $20.
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CALENDAR Continued from pg 21
SATURDAY 12/10 Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Last year more than 1,200 people wore their ugliest sweaters to Ballpark Village and set a record for the World’s Largest Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Unfortunately, Kansas University shattered the record just three weeks later so it’s time to up the ante. This year’s World’s Largest Ugly Christmas Sweater Party takes place tonight at 7 p.m. at PBR at Ballpark Village (601 Clark Avenue; www.stlballparkvillage.com). There are two ways to enter. For the first, ou pa and wear our own fugly sweater. The second option is $30, but you receive a vintage ugly sweater to wear at the party (see www.worldslargestuglychristmassweaterparty.com/purchase-tickets/ for sizing info and other details). Both options get you discounted drinks, access to photo booths and entry into three contests. The event benefits Operation Food Search, so bring a couple canned goods or some cash for the cause.
Lea Salonga and George Takei star in the Broadway musical Allegiance. | MATTHEW MURPHY Series screens a restored version of Shoes at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood Avenue; www. webster.edu film-series . eber s short subject “Suspense” precedes it. Tickets are $5 to $7.
Gateway Men’s Chorus: Glow
TUESDAY 12/13 Allegiance
The musical celebrations of the season are coming fast and furious these days, but make time to go to the Gateway Men’s Chorus’ show, Glow. The program features the 100-voices-strong chorus singing classic Christmas carols with a twist, other holiday favorites and a show-stopping performance of John Rutter’s Gloria with a brass and percussion ensemble. Oh, and this show also marks the start of the the chorus 30th season of raising their voices and raising our spirits. So go celebrate with them. Glow
A week before Thanksgiving, frequent Fox News guest Carl Higbie claimed that America’s use of internment camps for Japanese-American citizens during World War II set a precedent for establishing a government registry of Muslims. Many people were shocked, but not by his suggestion; instead, they were surprised to learn that the “greatest generation” locked up innocent American citizens during the war. Actor and activist George Takei was one of the internees, along with his extended family. The musical Allegiance tells a fi tionali ed ersion of the Takei family experience, with George in a starring role alongside Lea Salonga. How does an entire segment of the American population lose their homes, businesses, property and freedom? Quicker than you think; all you have to do is look the other way and the deed is done. You can see Allegiance locally at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Wehrenberg Des Peres 14 Cine (12701 Manchester Road, Des Peres; www.fathomevents.com). Tickets are $18.
Planning an event, exhibiting your art or putting on a play? Let us know and we’ll include it in the Night & Day section or publish a listing in the online calendar — for free! Send details via e-mail (calendar@ riverfronttimes.com), fax (314-754-6416) or mail (6358 Delmar Boulevard, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63130, attn: Calendar). Include the date, time, price, contact information and location (including ZIP code). Please submit information three weeks prior to the date of your event. No telephone submissions will be accepted. Find more events online at www.riverfronttimes.com.
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Louis Weber’s 1916 film Shoes addresses the social ills of the 20th (and 21st) century. is performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (December 9 and 10) at the Union Avenue Christian Church (733 North Union Boulevard; www. gmcstl.org). Tickets are $15 to $25.
SUNDAY 12/11 Shoes & Suspense Lois Weber went from street corner evangelist to actor to director during the silent era. eber was the first American-born woman to direct a feature film in 1914 with The Merchant of Venice, and by the end of that decade she had started her own production company. This was
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a necessary step, as she wanted to make films that addressed serious social issues such as alcoholism, abortion and prostitution (clearly, she still had that evangelical spirit). That last one is the subject of her feature film Shoes, based on Jane Addams’ novel of the same name. It tells the story of Eve, a young woman who must support her parents and three siblings with her very small salary. Her current pair of shoes is falling apart, exposing her feet to every loose nail and puddle, but there’s no money to buy another pair. Cabaret Charlie is a disreputable man who desires her company: If she were to accept his advances, he would buy her the shoes she needs. The Webster Film
CELEBRATE NEW YEAR’S EVE AT THE CLAYTON PLAZA HOTEL Why get stuck in just one ballroom for the night with just one band? At the Clayton Plaza you have access to our three elegant ballrooms and entertainment 9 PM until 1 AM. “Dance Floor Riot” in the Crystal Ballroom “Millennium” in the Grand Ballroom DJ & “The Lone Rangers” in the Clayton Ballroom
PLAN A – THE FULL MONTE: DINNER, BAR, HOTEL ROOM & BRUNCH
Open bar 7 PM – 1 AM, dinner service 7 PM – 9 PM, overnight stay accommodations, New Year’s Day Brunch & extended late check out time of 3 PM. (*Plan A requires the purchase of two packages per hotel room.) $ 193 – Steak & Lobster $ 172 – Plaza Chicken Supreme, Baked Salmon, OR Portabella Mushroom
PLAN B – DINNER & BAR
Open bar 7PM – 1AM, dinner service 7 PM – 9 PM $ 119 – Steak & Lobster $ 96 – Plaza Chicken Supreme, Baked Salmon, OR Portabella Mushroom
PLAN C – BAR, HOTEL ROOM & BRUNCH
Open bar 8 PM – 1 AM, overnight stay accommodations, New Year’s Day Brunch, extended late check out time of 3 PM. (*Plan C requires the purchase of two packages per hotel room.) $ 145 – Bar & Room
PLAN D – BAR
Open bar 9 PM – 1 AM $ 70 – Bar
SPECIAL – EXTEND YOUR STAY OPTION
Enjoy a room rate of $79 plus applicable taxes available for those who purchase plan A or C for the nights of 12/30 and 1/1.
PICK YOUR FOUNDATION: For every ticket sold we’ll make a $5 donation to the charity of your choice! Silver beads: Alzheimer’s Association Gold beads: Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
To make reservations call (314) 726-5400. Limited number of each package available and prices are subject to change until purchase. All “Plan” prices are priced per person and include gratuity and tax.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL AND NON-REFUNDABLE
Each guest is required to show proof of legal age (21) to attend. Purchase of ticket does not guarantee admittance to event.
Enjoy the ultimate evening out. Then stay the night.
PARTY ONLY
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at eventbrite.com.
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$349 Overnight stay and 2 party tickets.
Ring in the new year at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch with the Ultimate New Year’s Eve Party, featuring Dr. Zhivegas and Groovethang. The celebration starts at 8:00 PM on December 31, 2016, and runs until 1:00 AM. Enjoy a full dinner buffet, open bar, Champagne toast, party favors and confetti drop at midnight. To book or for more information, visit stlouisarch.regency.hyatt.com or call 800 233 1234. HYATT REGENCY ST. LOUIS AT THE ARCH 315 Chestnut Street St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 63102 Ultimate New Year’s Eve package available at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch only. Room package must be prepaid at time of booking and deposit is non-refundable after 12/14/2016. See stlouisarch.regency.hyatt.com for full terms and conditions. The trademarks HYATT®, Hyatt Regency® and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. ©2016 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved.
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FILM
[REVIEW]
Make it a Cowboy Christmas Three new DVD releases showcase the malleable quality of the Western Written by
ROBERT HUNT
T
he American western circa 2016 is in hiding, its appearances so rare and generally disappointing that one is tempted to finall write its obituary. But genres never really die, no matter how little sustenance they may receive. The current cycle of DVD/Blu-ray releases includes three examples of the western at its strangest and most unruly, each gorgeously restored and overstuffed with supplementary material. The long and troubled history of Marlon Brando’s One-Eyed Jacks, the only film the actor ever directed, has surpassed the reputation of the film itself, lea ing the new Criterion edition to serve two functions. It provides both a superb new print of the film and a behind-the-scenes story of its slow path to the screen, which included three source novels, a half-dozen writers (including Sam e kinpah , the hiring and firing of Stanley Kubrick, a six-month shooting schedule (with additional script changes and reshooting a year later) and $6 million before final hitting theaters in earl . s a further indignit , the film fell into publi domain in the s and, for the last three decades, has been available only on lowbudget, third-generation videos. The Criterion edition offers an introduction by Martin Scorsese, a pair of video essays offering detailed anal sis of the film and its legacy and, perhaps most interesting to Brando fans, 30
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Mercedes McCambridge (center) is the shrill adversary in Johnny Guitar.
Marlon Brando and Karl Malden star as former partners on a collision course in One-Eyed Jacks. minutes of private audio tapes of Brando discussing the script and his directorial ideas. As for the film itself, it s a brooding ps hological retelling of the exploits of Billy the Kid, with Brando as the outlaw Rio, seeking revenge against a former partner/father figure, aptly named Dad (Karl Malden).
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It’s easy to mock Brando’s grand visions and inexperience. He spent hours improvising and rewriting most scenes, and famously spent a full day waiting for the ocean waves in the background of a shot to reach an appropriately photogenic scale. But his instincts mostl pro ed right for the film, if not for the accountants. It’s a
visually stunning epic, defying genre li hes and offering firstrate performances by Brando, Malden and a long list of familiar cowboy faces. Andrew Sarris on e ga e the film faint praise b stating that “Brando has shown us that a film an be made without a director,” but in fairness, OneEyed Jacks is the work of a director still in formation, a perfectionist to a fault. Olive Films, one of a handful of home video labels specializing in preserving the neglected back shelves of the Hollywood libraries, has recently begun Olive Signature, its own Criterion-like series of features-hea film restorations. Among their initial releases are well-respected classics (High Noon, The Quiet Man), deserving rediscoveries (Welles’ Macbeth) and a few titles that are off the deep end (Night of the Grizzly?). At the top of the list is a film that fits all three of those des riptions, Nicholas Ray’s hot-blooded melodrama Johnny Guitar, a tale of lust and lynching which may also serve as screenwriter Philip Yordan’s critique of the Red Scare, restaged as a western face-off be-
Warren Beatty is confused for a gunman in McCabe & Mrs. Miller. | WARNER BROS. tween sultry bar owner Vienna (Joan Crawford) and her shrill, repressed adversary, the androgynous Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge). Caught in the rossfire are outlaws with names like Turkey and the Dancin’ Kid, and most signifi ant, the titular Mr. Guitar (Sterling Hayden), a former lover of Vienna who has traded his guns for six strings and arrives on the scene just as the woman from his past is about to start a turf war. The Olive edition pulls together several informed featurettes on Ray, Republic Pictures, the blacklist and (of course) an introduction by Martin Scorsese. All are of interest, but take a clear back seat to the crazy pleasure of Ray’s heated mix of revenge and romance, restored to its original Trucolor richness. The same genre that inspired Brando and Ray was given a serious debunking a few years later in Robert Altman’s achingly beautiful McCabe & Mrs. Miller, another exceptional Criterion restoration. ltman s film, aided by Vilmos Zsigmond’s innovative cinematography, is a hazy, snowand-smoke-veiled Western fantasy. It’s also a crossroads for two of the director’s favorite themes: the construction of a multi-character community and the scrupulous dismantling of a major American myth. When gambler John McCabe (Warren Beatty) rides into the village of Presbyterian Church, lo al gossip misidentifies him as a notorious outlaw and gunfighter, a distinction that allows him an increasing social status but also
Altman’s 1971 film, aided by Vilmos Zsigmond’s innovative cinematography, is a hazy, smokeand-snow-veiled Western fantasy. leads to his downfall. Altman, who directed dozens of hours of TV westerns in the s, shows the perils of the old West, the easy seductions of su ess and in uen e and, most of all, the danger of believing in bigger-than-life heroism. Aided by his no-nonsense business partner Mrs. Miller (a radiant Julie Christie), McCabe embraces the role of the hero and becomes its victim. The “print the legend” myth-making of John Ford’s West is stripped down, revealing a chaotic and easily manipulated society, its hymns and marching songs replaced by a sparse and lonely soundtrack of Leonard Cohen songs. The Criterion edition, with the usual extras in luding a appearan e b Altman on The Dick Cavett Show), is a worthy presentation of a bitter American masterpiece.
INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO SEE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO RECEIVE A PASS FOR TWO, EMAIL: CONTESTSTLOUIS @ALLIEDIM.COM This film is rated PG-13 for some language. No Purchase Necessary. Supplies are limited. One pass per winner. Each pass admits two. Seating is not guaranteed and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
OPENS IN SELECT ST. LOUIS THEATERS DECEMBER 16! LALALAND.Movie /LaLaLand | @LaLaLand /LaLaLand | #CityofStars #LaLaLand riverfronttimes.com
INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO
MONDAY, DECEMBER 12 7:00 P.M.
PLEASE VISIT WBTICKETS.COM AND ENTER THE CODE RFTBEAUTY TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASSES! RATED PG-13 FOR THEMATIC ELEMENTS AND BRIEF STRONG LANGUAGE. Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. No phone calls, please. Limit one pass per person. Each pass admits two. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theater is not responsible for overbooking. This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording. By attending, you agree not to bring any audio or video recording device into the theater (audio recording devices for credentialed press excepted) and consent to a physical search of your belongings and person. Any attempted use of recording devices will result in immediate removal from the theater, forfeiture, and may subject you to criminal and civil liability. Please allow additional time for heightened security. You can assist us by leaving all nonessential bags at home or in your vehicle.
IN THEATERS DECEMBER 16
Soundtrack Available Now Collateralbeauty-movie.com #CollateralBeauty
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
ST LOUIS RFT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
RIVERFRONT TIMES ST LOUIS RFT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
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THE ARTS
[ S TA G E ]
The Long Way Home A new production of Driving Miss Daisy brings warmth and subtlety to an old classic Written by
PAUL FRISWOLD Driving Miss Daisy
Written by Alfred Uhry. Directed by Sydnie Grosberg Ronga. Presented by New Jewish Theatre through December 18 at the Jewish Community Center’s Mill Studio Theatre (2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur; www. newjewishtheatre.org). Tickets are $39.50 to $43.50.
A
lfred Uhry’s Driving Miss Daisy is the kind of play that rewards the careful observer. There are no grand monologues nor histrionics, and nobody raises a fist in anger or falls into a heartfelt embrace. Big moments develop on the face of someone looking into the distance, or in the slumping of a pair of shoulders. America may be lurching through momentous social change around Daisy Werthan (Kathleen Sitzer) and her driver, Hoke (J. Samuel Davis), but the personal changes between them are of a subtler, but still transformative, nature. The New Jewish Theatre’s current production of Driving Miss Daisy is suitably quiet and remarkably warm under the direction of Sydnie Grosberg Ronga, as gentle in its progress as the passing of the seasons. The play opens shortly after Daisy has totaled another car, and her son Boolie (Eric Dean White) has decided to hire a driver against Daisy’s wishes. it er fires off ais s one-liners and assaults on her son’s perceived foolishness with admirable zest, all of which are Continued on pg 27
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Teach (William Roth) pressures Bobby (Leo Ramsey) while Donny (Peter Mayer) watches. | JOHN LAMB [ S TA G E ]
The Fast and the Furious St. Louis Actors Studio scores with Mamet’s American Buffalo American Buffalo
Written by David Mamet. Directed by John Contini. Presented by St. Louis Actors’ Studio through December 18 at the Gaslight Theater (358 North Boyle Avenue; www. stlas.org). Tickets are $30 to $35.
A
ferocious momentum is at work in David Mamet’s American Buffalo. We’re dropped into the middle of a heist scheme that is already in progress, and we race with the conspirators to its denouement over the course of one long day. That speed is driven by the whip-crack pacing of Mamet’s blistering dialogue, which is voluminous and spiked with profanities and street philosophies. But Mamet’s top speed is not enough for director John Contini, who stands on the accelerator for St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s current production of the show. Perhaps he does so to keep pace with his actors: Peter Mayer, Leo Ramsey and William Roth go hell-bent for leather through Mamet’s backroom drama about a trio of men who feel entitled to a fortune. The fact that said fortune belongs to another man
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means nothing. There’s a wall dividing them from unimaginable wealth, and they’re content to scream towards it, hands outstretched, discarding any dead weight that slows them down. This is one of the most fully realized and rewarding productions St. Louis Actors’ Studio has mounted in its ten years. Mayer, Ramsey and Roth wear their characters like second skins, each as three-dimensional as the junk shop they plot in. Even the set is a triumph; scenic designer Cristie Johnston has created a depth that seems impossible on the Gaslight’s cozy stage. Donny (Peter Mayer) is the owner of the shop, and the brains behind this plot to get rich. He recently sold an American Buffalo nickel to a customer, and now believes that the customer got the better of him. That belief eats at Donny until he realizes such a canny collector of coins must have other valuable items in his collection. It would be a simple task to break into the collector’s home and rob him blind, just like he robbed Donny blind. Donny’s sleeveless shirt, leather vest and tattoos mark him as a tough guy, but he’s free with his money and unstintingly kind in his treatment of Bobby (Leo Ramsey), a kid who’s addled his brains with drugs. Bobby works as Donny’s gofer, and he hangs on Don’s every word. Ramsey leads with his forehead, presenting it to
Mayer every time Donny gives Bobby instructions, as if the words will take better purchase in his mind if they hit his head first. Bobby’s nervous and easily distracted, but his loyalty toward Donny is absolute. Teach (William Roth) is the unwanted third man in this heist. He’s as loud as his shiny gold shirt and matching shoes, and he pontificates at length on subjects such as loyalty (a big one for him), friendship, how to discover the whereabouts of the imaginary combination of an imaginary safe and the propriety of offering a friend a cash hand-out (“I don’t flaunt it like some bust-out asshole!”). Of course things go pear-shaped for our heroes. The magic of American Buffalo is that as circumstances grow more dire, the truth about everyone is revealed. These are small desperate men who struggle to rise to the challenge of larceny, and each man accepts his personal failings in his own way. There is humor, there is violence and there is loyalty. And just when the play grows darkest, there is an unlooked-for tenderness, and it is a treasure more precious than any hoard of coins. You may see happier, more overtly heart-warming shows this holiday season. But you won’t see a better, more honest depiction of humanity in these uncertain, dying days of the year. —Paul Friswold
WHERE THERE’S CHOICE,
THERE’S HOPE.
Abortion Care Up to 24 Weeks Appointments are available this week. Most women need only one visit. Ask for student discount.
618-451-5722 | HOPECLINIC.COM Daisy (Kathleen Sitzer) does some back-seat driving with Hoke (J. Samuel Davis). | ERIC WOOLSEY
DRIVING MISS DAISY Continued from pg 26 de e ted b hite s small smile. Boolie seems to acquiesce to her wishes in this opening scene, tenderly kissing her and telling her “she’s a doodle,” but he still hires the driver. This dynamic between them plays out again and again, Dais s fire slowl engulfed and smothered in Boolie’s foamy kindness. Daisy has an entirely different dynamic with Hoke. She’s just as demanding and controlling, but all her words have less effect on Hoke. He’s a talker and a deft negotiator, seemingly agreeing with her (what else can he do as a black man in 1940s Atlanta?) while still getting his way more often than not. Davis’ portrayal is the keystone of the show; too much knuckling under and Hoke becomes an ugly caricature of the happy black servant, and Daisy likewise becomes another person oppressing him. In Davis’ sure hands, Hoke (and the rest of the production) are never in danger. Hoke’s motivations — to remain a productive member of society as he ages out of job options, to be needed by someone — are at the root of all those “yes ma’ams.” It’s that quality in Hoke that Daisy slowly recognizes over the course of the 25 years covered in the play. She warms to him, but in her own way, and not always at the pace one would hope. Part of Daisy’s problem is her sheer stubbornness when it comes to money. She grew up poor, and while she’s now rich, thanks to her deceased husband, she refuses
to acknowledge it or even think about the advantages it affords her. She also can’t imagine why Hoke would openly admit wanting to be rich. The advantages are obvious, not least being that money provides some protection from the racism and the anti-Semitism that seems to be growing as time passes. As reform Jews who celebrate Christmas, the Werthans aren’t really in the cross-hairs (although it should be noted Daisy isn’t really on board with Boolie’s gung-ho celebration of the season) — until, suddenly, they are. Sitzer and Davis create the aftermath of a synagogue bombing with shocked pauses and wary glances away from each other. Daisy can’t imagine who would do it, but Hoke knows. “It’s always the same people, Miss Daisy,” he says softly. The carnage reminds him of a horrible event from his youth, which he relives out loud as if he’s compelled by the past. Sitzer and Davis play the scene quietly, all of their confusion and pain written in those pauses and their lack of eye contact. That eye contact is eventually onsummated, and it s as fulfilling as any show-stopping kiss. After a quarter of a century together and all the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement passing through the deep South, Hoke’s “yes, ma’ams” are stilled by a piece of pie and a shared smile. Driving Miss Daisy is a necessary reminder that if we get out of each other’s way and get to know one another, we really could all just get along.
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THREEKINGSPUB.COM
MUSIC & EVENTS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 7:00PM THE SIDEMEN
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
8:00PM ROBBIE & THE ROCKIN' FOOLS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10
7:00PM FLETCHER MOLEY GROUP
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11
WINTER
HOURS
MON−THUR 4PM −1AM
FRI −SAT
11AM −1:30AM
SUN
11AM −12AM
11:00AM HOT JAZZ BRUNCH FEATURING MISS JUBILEE
7:00PM JUSTIN HOWL (CHICAGO, IL)
two shows at 7pm & 9pm
************** celebrate with us
saturday dec. 17th
7:00PM GLEN SMITH & ERIC SLAUGHTER
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15
7:00PM BRAD ELLEBRECHT WITH KYLE HONEYCUTT
512 NORTH EUCLID AVE EVANGELINESSTL.COM 314.367.3644 DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
christmas party time!
belly dancing also
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14
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olypmia kebob house
bouzouki pete & christos
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13
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HOMEMADE AUTHENTIC GREEK CUISINE
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1543 McCausland • (314) 781-1299 olympiakebobandtaverna.com
CAFE
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[REVIEW]
Breakfast Club Originally a pop up, Egg is now a restaurant of its own — and it’s truly delicious Written by
CHERYL BAEHR Egg
2200 Gravois Avenue; 314-202-8244. Tues.Fri. 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (Closed Monday.)
E
gg’s menu boasts that “breakfast came first.” That’s not quite true. It actually came second — and like many of owner Lassaad Jeliti’s restaurant ideas, it came mostly as a whim. A mathematician-turned-restaurateur, Jeliti had been enjoying the success of his acclaimed barbecue and taqueria spot, Spare No Rib. But as a self-described breakfast lover, he couldn’t help but consider expanding service. Why not do a morning pop-up on Sundays? It wasn’t much of a stretch to put together a Southwestern-style menu of breakfast tacos and hashes using the smoked meats he had already prepared for lunch and dinner service. He could have fun playing around with his favorite meal of the day and give loyal customers another way to enjoy his restaurant. Jeliti called his pop-up Egg because he assumed people wouldn’t want to come to a place named Spare No Rib for breakfast. The concept proved so popular that he quickly added Saturday service. When it became clear that Egg had enough of a following to support a standalone restaurant, he decided it should keep the space and found a new home for Spare No Rib on Jefferson Avenue. Aesthetically, not much has hanged sin e gg o iall took over for the original Spare No Rib in October. Located in the old Polar Ice and Fuel Company building, the
Egg’s carnitas breakfast sope, veggie chakchouka and corn bread benedict with smoked pork belly. | MABEL SUEN
Like its predecessor, the restaurant has a smart, modern feel. | MABEL SUEN soaring room has the feel of an industrial loft: glass façade, two-story ceilings and exposed ductwork. Black wrought-iron chandeliers add Spanish-style warmth to the otherwise modern space, as do small touches like a turntable and LPs that sit on a vintage credenza — all carryovers from the Spare No Rib days. Like the space, Egg deviates little from its former playbook, relying
on the many of the same Tex-Mex classics that made it so popular. Eggs Benedict, for example, loses its traditional English muffin in favor of Egg’s outstanding cornbread. The thick, yellow, semisweet cake soaks up a mélange of the rendered fat from tender pork belly and poached egg yolks. The pork infuses the dish with smoky a or, and the entire enterprise is smothered in what is quite possiriverfronttimes.com
bly the best hollandaise this hollandaise snob has had the pleasure of eating an honorifi do not gi e lightly. This dish alone proves Egg is worthy of a standalone restaurant. And the hits don’t stop there. The same cornbread serves as the base for a riff on biscuits and gravy. Silken pork sausage gravy — not gooey, but with just the right amount of heft — seeps into every crevice of the cornbread. Fennel perfumes the gravy, bringing something that could come off as too rich into perfect balance. Fried potato hash, covered with two poached eggs, is an ideal canvas for showcasing the restaurant’s carnitas. The luscious smoked pork shoulder is pulled apart, then placed over the breakfast fare with a mildly spiced barbecue drizzle. Crisp coleslaw cuts through the richness for a beautiful fusion of Texas and Carolina barbecue styles. The carnitas can also be placed atop crispy fried corn sopes, along with refried beans, queso fresco and a fried egg. Searing hot tomato salsa spikes the dish with red chili
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
Continued on pg 30
RIVERFRONT TIMES
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AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE!
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CHEF/OWNER RAFAEL PREPARES LUNCH & DINNER 10AM-10PM DAILY
The carnitas breakfast sope features refried beans, cheese and a fried egg. | MABEL SUEN
le, p o e P y p p a H EGG , Fun Food Drinks! Grealet, ppyPeople, heat. As enjoyable as it was, the Continued from pg 29
PeonpFood, Ha , HappyFu od Fo n Fu , le p eo eo Peo y Pn FoodG,rHea yrPod in,ks! pyea aptnpDFo ap,Gr t Dprle ink,pHs!le Fun Food, HappFu Fu Great Drinks!Great DrinGkrs!eat Drinks!
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version of the dish that instead features chorizo stole my heart. The mild Mexican sausage is packed with all the garlic, cumin and chili a ors ou d e pe t, but gets an added layer of complexity from cinnamon, cloves and turmeric — a nod to Jeliti’s Tunisian roots. If the chorizo whispers North Africa, Egg’s chakchouka yells it from on high. An homage to his homeland, Jeliti’s delectable bell pepper and tomato stew is topped with two eggs, then baked. A vegetarian version is available, though I opted for the one infused with slow-cooked beef. The effect is somewhere between a chili and a bell pepper-heavy beef stew, with eggs added for richness. You can eat it with a spoon, though you’re better off dipping the accompanying bread — so rich, it was surely griddled in sausage fat — into this magnifi ent on o tion. Only two things failed to rise to the level of perfection: the French toast and the breakfast potatoes. In the former, the blueberry compote was runny, most likely nothing more than previously frozen blueberries. And while the latter was adequate, I would expect a
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DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
sat & sun 8am - 2pm eat in - carry out riverfronttimes.com
place of Egg’s caliber to make its own hash browns rather than buying a ready-made version. Egg’s service is also a touch spotty. On both visits, dishes were delivered at differing times — and on one visit, three of us were basically finished with our meals by the time our fourth got hers. Some things simply never came at all, like breakfast meat on one occasion and coffee on another. Everyone at the restaurant is so darned pleasant that it’s hard to be upset, even when they’re withholding our first-of-the-da affeine — but don’t get me started on the harried server who subbed in milk for half and half. I’m less likely to be charitable about that. But aside from how nice everyone is, I think the real reason I’m inclined to let the little things slide at Egg is the food. I was simply too enamored with what was on my plate to care much about anything else. “They’re just busy,” I mused as I dug into some hollandaise-soaked cornbread. Hell, with food this good, I suspect they could’ve even switched me to decaf. Egg
Cornbread benedict with smoked pork belly .................. $12 Breakfast sopes ..................................$7 Chakchouka with beef................ $13.50
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SHORT ORDERS
[SIDE DISH]
A Passion for Keeping It Local Written by
CHERYL BAEHR
R
obert Uyemura of Local Chef Kitchen (15270 Manchester Road, Ballwin; 636-220-3212) traces his love of cooking back to childhood holiday dinners with his father. “My dad used to visit us for the holidays and would cook all kinds of Asian food — egg rolls, dumplings,” he recalls. “I loved it. I still thought I was going to be an accountant, though.” Uyemura couldn’t deny the passion for food that he got from his father, but it didn’t factor into his career plans. He still felt compelled to go to business school at the University of Iowa. That was where he met a classically trained French chef who worked for the university — and found himself on an unexpected career path. “It was a hobby and a job for me,” Uyemura says. “I started out as a cook and worked my way up to kitchen supervisor. He’s the one who pushed me to go to culinary school.” Uyemura was accepted to New York’s Culinary Institute of America but had to wait the requisite six months before beginning the program. He left Iowa for Dallas and worked at one of acclaimed chef Stephan Pyles’ restaurants, making the connections that would later land him a job at famed Dallas restaurant the Riviera, where he worked following culinary school. His tenure in Dallas was formative, but it was a gig with the former Eau Bistro in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel that brought him to St. Louis and ignited the passion for local ingredients that has come to define his areer. “We did a chef-farm dinner one nigh at Eau, and as I was getting set 32
RIVERFRONT TIMES
Robert Uyemura(left), with Local Chef Kitchen chef Tom Balk. | MABEL SUEN up for that, I started hanging out at farmers markets and getting to know people,” Uyemara recalls. “I was also teaching at L’Ecole, and I’d take my students to visit with farmers — many of them were city kids, so it was an eye-opener for them.” Uyemura subsequently found himself at Yia Yia’s in Chesterfield with a mission to on ert the restaurant into an unlikely farmto-table spot — well before diners realized they were ready for it. “I wanted to ip Yia Yia s to using as many local products as possible, so I started with chickens from Benne’s Best Meat,” he explains. “People were used to the large, mass-produced birds; these were smaller and more expensive. But I took the complaints and stuck to my guns.” Uyemura converted the high-volume restaurant into a bastion of local cuisine — sourcing his produce and cheeses locally and buying whole hogs and lambs — and developed relationships with local producers that inspired him to start a CSA called Local Chef.
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
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When he left Yia Yia’s in 2013, he was able to focus on the CSA full time and expand his focus to include school lunch programs. He even honed his gardening skills on a one-acre plot of land at Benne’s farm. With Local Chef Kitchen, Uyemura has taken what he did at Yia Yia s and ipped it on its head Rather than using local sourcing at an already established restaurant, Local Chef’s raison d’etre is to serve as a kitchen for the CSA — a showroom where guests can see what is possible with local ingredients, as well as get a wholesome meal on the quick. Uyemura is busy these days — he just added weekend breakfast service to Local Chef’s lunch and dinner hours — but he took some time to share his thoughts on the local food and beverage community. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did? One, I’ve been a Cubs fan all my life. Two, my father’s parents were Japanese immigrants who I never
had a chance to meet. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? Morning coffee. It’s just an automatic. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? See into the future — if the restaurant is going to be busy or not. What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see? I would like to see more truly authentic representations of ethnic cuisines that haven’t been watered down to meet the expectations of the average diner. Most people just need to be educated or shown the way to what is really the heart of different ethnic foods. Who is your St. Louis food crush? ot a who, but a what drank a lot of hla s hop samplers o er the summer. I got spoiled by all the great beers I got to try at Broadway Brewery in Columbia, where I consulted for a couple of years before opening Local Chef Kitchen. Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene? Anyone who lives and breathes the food they are serving and loves doing it. Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? Salt — average and unassuming but can make or break a dish. If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing? Growing heirloom vegetables organically and raising endangered heritage hogs. Name an ingredient never allowed in your kitchen. Kitchen Bouquet or liquid smoke. What is your after-work hangout? At home to catch my boys before they go to bed. What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure? Sushi and whiskeys. What would be your last meal on earth? A redo of my summer in Japan when I was twenty. Now that I am older and wiser I could really appreciate all the foods that I experienced that summer. n
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DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
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the Grove Written by
LAUREN MILFORD
T
he success Rise Coffee House (4176 Manchester Avenue) achieved in the Grove neighborhood led them to expand to a new space — conveniently next door to their old location. “Rise 2.0” opened on Black Friday, expecting to process 120 tickets orders. They ended up processing 275. It’s safe to say they were right about needing more seating, food options and space. The previous iteration of Rise offered a variety of baked goods sourced from other local shops, but the additional space in this new building allowed them to build a full kitchen downstairs and a pastry kitchen upstairs. Now they’re servwww. .com their own baked goods and a full 2951 Dougherty Ferry Rd. • Valley, Park Any Catering ing www. .com breakfast menu daily until 2 p.m. www. .com booked.com by October 31st www. Tuesday - Saturday 11-8ish • Sunday 11-4ish The menu includes buttermilk 2951 Dougherty Ferry Rd. for the holiday 2951 Dougherty Closed FerryMonday Rd.••Valley, Valley,Park Park pancakes, biscuits and gravy, a po2951 Dougherty Ferry Rd. • Valley, Park booked by October 31st Tuesday - Saturday 11-8ish • Sunday 11-4ish booked by October 31st tato and Brussels sprout hash, and Tuesday - Saturday 11-8ish • Sunday 11-4ish for the holiday booked by October 31st Closed Monday for the holiday Tuesday Saturday 11-8ish • Sunday 11-4ish farro porridge. A small lunch menu, Closed Monday for the holiday daily special and kids’ menu are on Closed Monday
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DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
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the agenda for the future. At the helm in the kitchen is Scott Davis, previously of Elaia, Three Flags Tavern and Brasserie. Heading the pastry kitchen is Jackie Price, a recent Saint Louis University grad. Rise’s new home dates back to 1909, when it was a grocery store; the owners of the store lived upstairs. Evidence of the building’s history remains, from exposed brick to classic woodwork, but parts of it have definitel been moderni ed. ise s owner Aaron Johnson worked with designer Sarah Doriani on the decor. For the furniture, they worked with Anew Nature, a startup that employs men with past felony convictions who are in need of employment opportunities and marketable skills. The first oor has been designed as a afe, while the se ond oor includes the pastry kitchen, a quiet area for those with coffee and laptops, and a child-friendly area with a “tree house” included. While the move was stressful, general manager Mike McKinlay says, “It would not have been possible without the community coming together.” Volunteers and frequent customers even stepped up to help paint the new space. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response thus far, the Rise team is already looking to rearrange the furniture on the first oor to s uee e a few more seats in the place, and eventually plans to add some outdoor seating behind the building. n
Extravaganza! Reserved Table * Four-Course Meal Señor Pique thrived in Ballwin for twelve years. | JENNIFER SILVERBERG
Premium Open Bar * Burlesque Show Post Show Dance Party with D.J. Alkoholik and D.J. Lady Manhattan
SEÑOR PIQUE TO CLOSE Written by
SARAH FENSKE
I
t’s been the RFT’s choice for Best Mexican Restaurant. It was declared “in a league of its own” by former critic Ian Froeb. And now, after a twelve-year run, Señor Pique has announced it will close its doors for good on January 15, 2017. The Ballwin restaurant was known for its authentic Mexican cuisine at a time when many St. Louis eateries were still trying to pass off Tex-Mex as the real deal. It served molcajete, a dish made with a large stone mortar just like they do it south of the border, as well as mole. Naturally, it found a following within the Latino community, as well as among west county Anglos craving good food. It survived the move to a new location, as well as the opening (and then closing) of a sister restaurant, Señoritas Pique, which lasted just one year in Sunset Hills before closing in 2011. The news came via a Facebook post by co-founder Angel Jiminez Gutierrez, who wrote, We have a bunch of mixed feelings but mostly excitement, my family and I made this decision together and we are taking this as a new opportunity. I believe my wife will be starting a new adventure in the makeup and hair industry; my Mom will be taking a much needed break before she decides what’s next; my
brother will focus on the car care industry and together we plan to grow The Detailing Pros even more. Finally, I will continue on my journey of self discovery, after 5 years of inquiring, meditating, reading, traveling and studying I am reaching a mindful understanding of my role at home, business and society. I can see how apart from the everyday restaurant operations I immerse myself in this commitment of providing tools, practices and knowledge to our staff to develop their inner leader, and that seems to be my passion now a days. I have found the gold from the constant feedback that life provides me and how meeting my emotions with understanding has helped me learn profoundly from past experiences and most importantly to be present and aware in every moment. ... That being said, we have one more job to do, to cook for you for another month and a half! Here we are ready to go and committed to our product and service. Allow me one more time to stress my gratitude to all of you and to everything that allowed Señor Pique to exist. So many people and so many events needed to happen every day for the last 12 years for Señor Pique to be open and because of them (you included) I feel deeply thankful. THANK YOU! If you’re sad about this news, there is a silver lining here: this is much more warning than we usually get. And so now you have another six weeks to get to Ballwin and tuck in to the real thing. n You know what to do, St. Louis.
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[SUPPLIES]
Intoxicology Gives Cocktail Lovers a Spot to Shop Written by
SARA GRAHAM
S
elf-taught cocktail enthusiasts Andy Foerstel and Melissa Pfeiffer have crafted the ultimate bar supply store, Intoxicology (4321 Manchester Avenue, 314-833-3088), filling a oid the saw t. ouis, and really all of the Midwest. While professional bartenders worth their salt know might know where to find unique specialty products and one-off accessories, there hasn’t been a place that offered such treasures all under one roof. Until now. Intoxicology has it all — from artisan spirits, bitters, shrubs and mixers to books, vintage glassware, Kold-Draft ice, specialty salts and bar tools. There’s even a small curated collection of wine and beer. Customers will also be able to sample almost everything in the store at the tasting bar, a feature not found in similar stores located on the east and west coasts. Tastings, classes and private events will add an educational aspect to the store’s offerings while a cozy corner outfitted with leather lounge chairs and a
Keetons
Intoxicology has everything a barkeep could want, from strainers to mallets. | PHOTOS BY SARA GRAHAM vintage turntable afford cocktail sampling in style. Pfeiffer brings 23 years of experience in the service industry to the venture, having worked at C.J. Muggs in Webster Groves. Foerstel’s path is a little more circuitous — recently in the retail world at . all esigns, his first areer was as a professional scout for baseball. But spirits have become a o ation oerstel has ompeted in and won several cocktail competitions over the years, including pla ing as a finalist in the te. ermaine Can Can Classic. The couple met almost twenty years ago, and their relationship — first personal, and now also
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area now and more still in the works.” The modern brick and glass storefront features floor-toceiling windows with a great view of busy Manchester Avenue. Inside, the store is ringed with open shelves filled to the brim with spirits. Books on cocktails are artfully displayed between each one. Tables throughout the space are set up with cocktail-themed vignettes. A custom-built bar is tucked into one side set up for tastings and cocktail-making. The store had a soft opening on November 26 and plans a grand opening and open house on Saturday, December 10.
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36
a business partnership — grew out of a shared love of cocktails. “We had our first Ted Kilgore experience at Monarch and we were sold,” says Foerstel. Soon, their home bar was better stocked than some retail bars. “But it was a hallenge to find e er thing we needed to take our skills to the next level,” Foerstel notes. The couple found the Grove a natural fit for the one-of-a-kind store, lo ating on the first oor of the newly built 4321Grove mixed-use apartment building. oerstel sa s, e wanted to find an equally unique neighborhood and were encouraged by the many eclectic businesses in the
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
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NIGHTLIFE
39
[COMEDY]
A Voice of Redneck Reason Trae Crowder, known as the Liberal Redneck, brings his Well Red comedy tour to St. Louis Written by
JESSICA MACHETTA Trae Crowder
8 p.m. Wednesday, December 14. Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St. Louis Galleria Street. $25. 314-727-1260.
A
mid a political windstorm that can only be described as insipid, acrimonious, exhausting and infuriating, comedian Trae Crowder burst onto the scene with his own unique — and hilarious — commentary on Donald Trump and the social issues at the center of public discourse. He has referred to the man who will soon be our commander-in-chief as a “carnie-handed mango man,” a “melted candle-ass motherfucker” and “the Quentin Tarantino of being a rich douchebag.” He once apologized to his fans: “I know it’s been a minute but damn, I’ve just been busier than Donald Trump at a Fuck Shit Up conference.” Crowder, “the Liberal Redneck,” kept his Southern conservative counterparts in check during the election via YouTube, delivering onetwo punches from his back porch in Celina, Tennessee, that quickly went viral. While the overarching theme could be summarized as “fuck Donald Trump with a prickly pear. Can’t stand that son-of-a-bitch; hope he dies in a tragic hairspray accident,” Crowder also took on a host of issues that “got his red up” — transgender bathrooms, Black Lives Matter, organized religion, opioid addiction and more, with zero apologies. It resonated. People sat up and listened. And they laughed.
Trae Crowder, aka the Liberal Redneck, flanked by writing partners Corey Ryan Forrester and Drew Morgan. | NICOL BISEK PHOTOGRAPHY We caught up with Crowder and his writing partners — Corey Ryan Forrester and Drew Morgan — somewhere near Spokane, Washington, as they travelled for the Well Red Comedy Tour, which comes to the Helium Comedy Club in St. Louis on Dec. 14. Crowder had just spent Thanksgiving with his family, who he says are also liberal rednecks. “My inlaws are not, but we didn’t go there, which was my wife’s decision,” he explains. “Which I felt like was an early Christmas present for me.” As for Forrester, he spent the day with about 50 Trump supporters, but says politics weren’t brought up. “I think it’s because, you know, they’re pretty happy right now,” he says. “I think it’s because they’re nerous, organ inter e ts. The finally got everything they wanted and it’s on them now. But honestly, my parents hate Trump and they don’t give a shit about politics. They keep all their money hidden in the basement with the guns.”
Comics are familiar with the term “walk the room,” an expression for when comedians are so bad, or so offensive, that patrons get up and leave. So, considering the touchiness of socio-political commentary, have these guys gotten under anyone’s skin on this tour? Crowder says that there was one incident in West Palm Beach, Florida. “He was a Republican but he was hammered,” Forrester says. “At first we didn’t know he was conservative; he was just a drunk guy who wasn’t making any sense. And then when we got annoyed, he got defensive and started ranting at us. We reminded him that while we are liberal, we are also rednecks, and he could meet us outside.” The three say the Well Red tour has been many years in the making. To be able to do it at long last as friends and colleagues is a dream come true. e definitel ha e a er good time. We also hate each other,” riverfronttimes.com
Crowder says. “But in the most loving way, obviously. It has its ups and downs. I feel like shit most of the time…” “…From traveling, bad food and bad decisions most of the time,” Forrester interjects. All of them agree: Now that Trump has been elected, it is more important than ever to give people something to laugh about. “We’re going to need some good comedy over the next four years, there’s no doubt about it,” Crowder says. Though the trio regularly take on hot-button political and social issues in their comedy routine, the jabs coming our way won’t be St. Louis-centric. While Crowder has issued a diatribe against those who respond to the Black Lives Matter movement with “all lives matter,” he says he’s “used up all of his good Ferguson jokes.” “If you talk about race in broader strokes, it’s easier to get a laugh,” Morgan says. “But if you start
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
Continued on pg 40
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TRAE CROWDER Continued from pg 39
Get in The Grove for exciting Drinking, Dining, Dancing, & Shopping!
DECEMBER BUGER OF THE MONTH:
BLITZEN BURGER
4317 MANCHESTER RD. IN THE GROVE 314.553.9252 LAYLASTL.COM
40
RIVERFRONT TIMES
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
ELK BURGER , MELTED BRIE , BRANDIED CRANBERRY COMPOTE , PORT WINE ONIONS AND SPRING MIX ON A BRIOCHE BUN
riverfronttimes.com
talking spe ifi all about someone being shot, don t find that funn . do, howe er, find it funn that race relations in this country are so stupid and we can’t get past it.” Still, the group notes that while the South is very different than the Midwest, on the electoral college map they look the same, and the coasts view them as one and the same, too. Missouri and the trio’s hometown of Tennessee are neighbors, and though the Mason-Dixon line divides us, we share some qualities that are profoundly redneck, including a high volume of NRA members, and trade the title back and forth almost annually for the nation’s highest number of meth lab busts. “I think this year you’ll get it back, because in recent years we’ve shifted a lot to pills,” Crowder says. “We’re really stepping it up in the pill game.” In Missouri, we tend to take pride in our Midwestern qualities, making sure we don’t get lumped in with Southerners, and are quick to poke fun at our Dixie neighbors. Our state has its own kind of coastal haughtiness — in the state’s blue regions of Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia, jokes about Branson and the Ozarks abound. “People in Arkansas think y’all are such assholes,” Crowder says. “And then they turn around and think everybody in Louisiana is a dumbass.” So why does the Liberal Redneck’s particular brand of comedy resonate with so many people? Crowder says the answer depends on where they are. “In the South and in Mid-America, I think there’s a whole lot of people that are like, ‘Finally,’” he says. “‘Finally there is someone who sounds like us and is like us but also isn’t a crazy racist hick, and not an idiot like everyone assumes we all are.’ They’ve known that for years, but they see our thing and they’re like, ‘Hell yeah! I’ve been waiting for this.’ And then in other parts of the country, I’ll be totally honest with you, I think it’s, at least initially, novelty or curiosity. Like, ‘Oh, what’s this about?’ But then after their interest piques they end up sti king around, the find that they like us. “But I think for everybody, it’s somewhat of a voice of reason coming from a type of people that they don’t often hear that from.”
holiday cheer at
2016-17season
jazz at the bistro
Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O Dec 7-8
Sponsored by Edward Jones, Eric Cunningham, Financial Advisor
A Very Manley Christmas with Jim Manley’s Mad Brass & Rhythm
OWEN BENJAMIN | DEC 8-10 “sullivan & son” WORLD FAMOUS COMEDIANS
Dec 9-10
PREMIUM EVENT SPACE
Tim Warfield’s All-Star Jazzy Christmas featuring Terell Stafford, Stefon Harris, Cyrus Chestnut, Eric Wheeler, Clarence Penn, & Joanna Pascale
Dec 14-17 Exclusively Sponsored by Garden View Care Center
Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Ellington’s Nutcracker Dec 19-21
WELLRED COMEDY TOUR
HARI KONDABOLU
DREW MICHAEL
TRAE CROWDER, DREW MORGAN, COREY RYAN FORRESTER DEC 14
“TOTALLY BIASED WITH W. KAMAU BELL” DEC 15-17
“SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE” WRITER DEC 21-23
Good 4 the Soul Dec 29-30
concerts | dinner | drinks full concert listing and info:
jazzstl.org | 314.571.6000 the harold & dorothy steward center for jazz 3536 washington ave. | st. louis, mo 63103
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DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
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.
DJ Dynamix Feel Good Inc. Midnight Toast Ball Drop & MORE!
.
THE HAUNT 5000 Alaska Ave
SAGITTARIUS PARTY thurs. dec. 8 10PM Aaron Kamm and the One Drops
fri. dec. 9 10PM Tribute To The Meters
featuring Mike Murano, Big Mike Aguirre, Andy Coco, Nate Hershey and featuring Adam Hucke and Charlie Cerpa
sat. dec. 10 10PM Jake’s Leg
Wed. dec. 14 9:30PM Voodoo Players Tribute to Paul Simon
Sat Dec 11th 3-close Music 5-9 pm No Cover Free Haunt Glass for the 1st 10 Sagittarians Saturday Dec 24h
fri. dec. 16 10PM Miss Molly Simms, Old Capital and Cara Louise Band
sat. dec. 17 10PM Clusterpluck Album Release Party with Special Guests Old Salt Union Discounted Holiday Gift Certificates NOW AVAILABLE! 736 S Broadway St. Louis, MO 63102
(314) 621-8811 42
RIVERFRONT TIMES
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
riverfronttimes.com
Krampus visits the Haunt Happy Hour 3-7 Every Day $2 domestic & Rails
B-SIDES [PEOPLE]
After a Beating, Forgiveness in Soulard Written by
THOMAS CRONE
D
aily, Tom Hall walks an exact mile from his apartment in Soulard to Aboussie Park, “the smallest park in the world,” where he sits for a few minutes and re e ts on the afternoon. He often stacks on extra mileage by looping around these deeply familiar blocks, sometimes stopping off at a lo al bar. la es like adine s, where he paused for a round last Thursda night. Trying to get home in time for the Blues game, Hall remembers making a couple decisions around p.m. that would ha e ma or onse uen es. oofing it down enard, roughl between uke s and Great Grizzly Bear, the musi ian saw a group of fi e men walking on the opposite side of the street. ssuming wrongl that the were ust bar hoppers, he ut through a wide, open alleyway for the final steps home. That, he sa s, was m se ond mistake. alking ui kl , but ne er running, the group drew e en with all. our of the oung men fanned around, then past him. s they did, they requested a cigarette, then a lighter — and suddenly Hall reali ed that something was amiss. He turned on his heels to walk the other direction, back to the safety of the busier enard. The last member of the group, though, “a really big guy,” was behind him as he spun. ithout warning, all s assailant struck with a single, direct shot to all s right e e. e er seeing the pun h oming, Hall crumpled to the ground in sudden, e treme pain but er mu h ons ious. ith the other four
Blues guitarist Tom Hall regrets cutting through an alley near his home. | COURTESY OF TOM HALL silentl wat hing, all s atta ker began ki king him. ne round of hea -footed ki ks. pause. nother round. nother pause. s blood poured from his eye, mouth and broken nose, Hall braced for a third series of ki ks. Through the shock and confusion, though, he saw a neighbor walking his dogs. Then a se ond neighbor appeared. e alled out for help and the atta k stopped. The group, as one, began “moseying on down the alleyway,” all sa s. Though da ed and onfused, he re alls them oking and laughing as the alml mo ed awa . t no point did the ask for his money, phone or wallet, suggesting that the twenty-second incident was a mimic of “the knockout game, a iolent series of op at atta ks that ha e ebbed and owed in south it neighborhoods o er the past de ade. More philosophical than some would be under such circumstan es, all figures that the atta k was part of our eitgeist a iolent, micro-expression of world-
wide power d nami s. The re dire ting their anger at the wrong place,” Hall says, of these young men and countless others. The re oung. The want to feel power and impress their friends. That s wh the do it. t s an indictment of our society, as far as m on erned. The ri h ha e power those that don t tr to get some, e en in a small, stupid wa like this. was at the wrong pla e at the wrong time and [wound up in a reall random a t of iolen e. all wonders what the re thinking when the e done something like that. wonder if the en o that, that release of anger. nd wonder about when the re or , if the ll think ba k on this and wh the did it. e had friends sa that the ll be dead or in ail b then, and guess there s some truth in that, but don t want that. That the attack happened on all s longtime home turf adds a ertain e tra sting to the situation. e re alls mo ing to the area ba k in or . t was mostl riverfronttimes.com
43
shells then. t was kinda like the Wild West in a way; you could do an thing ou wanted. t that time, the district was both working-class and bohemian, ust a ouple deades remo ed from the wre king balls that preceded the construction of - and - , whi h ripped through the neighborhood. Years remo ed from gentrifi ation, the area was home to straight-up characters — and blues musicians were ommon among that number. inding a sense of home in oulard, Hall was becoming a wellknown guitarist with groups such as i er it h thm and the e er Street Sheiks; along with band work, he gigged prolifically as a solo performer. er time, he d host a show on KDHX and perform in a series of duos, most recently in a generation-spanning act with hotshot pianist than einwand. e seen oulard hange from nothing to this business that it is now, he sa s. n the hours after the atta k, all posted to a ebook, in luding photos that graphically showed the damage done. o ens of alls, oi e messages and texts followed, and Hall turned off his phone, deeply feeling the need for immediate sola e in musi . ess than hours after the e ent, and still wra ked b iolent spasms of facial pain, Hall found himself at what he refers to as one of his wallpaper gigs. er rida at afa ette uare s Sqwires, Hall plugs in and plays a happ hour set while diners en o an earl meal or after-work drink. Though a couple of friends showed up for this weekly gig, Hall was able to the work through the stress and sho k while mostl alone, in publi . m glad did that, all sa s of the short set. had to get ba k on the horse. After talking about the incident at length for this piece, Hall wrote ba k ia te t, with one last thought. There s one more thing want to sa . ea hed b phone, he noted, ust want to sa to them that m not angr . Them. The readers of the piece? The attackers, maybe? Who? want them to them to know, he said, plainl enough, that m not angr at them. m not.
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
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44
HOMESPUN
18ANDCOUNTING TheBirdsAtThisHour soundcloud.com/18andcounting
O
“St. Louis pioneers of craft beer and live music” THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 TH Call Me Karizma and Kid Quill - Hip Hop Doors 8pm - $12
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 TH
Platinum Intertainment Winter Showcase Hip Hop - 8pm - $10
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10TH IN THE BAR AREA Geeks Who Drink Pub Trivia - 8:30pm - FREE
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11TH IN THE BAR AREA Open Mic with Mark Z - 8:30pm - FREE
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14THIN THE BAR AREA
Geeks Who Drink Pub Trivia - Trivia - 8:30pm - FREE
UPCOMING SHOWS
12/16 - HoTR, Lucas Jack, Intragrow 12/17 - Ebb & Flow 311 Tribute 1/7 - Pepperland (Beatles Revue)
6691 Delmar
In the University City Loop
314.862.0009 • www.ciceros-stl.com 44
RIVERFRONT TIMES
n a rainy Sunday night in late November, multidisciplinary artist Stan Chisholm is at work in an unheated se ond- oor loft space just off Cherokee Street’s main drag. Dubbed the Screwed Studio, Chisholm shares the space with five other artists, but tonight he has the place to himself. Chisholm, who records boundary-pushing hip-hop as 18andCounting, often accompanied by a hodge-podge of live instrumentalists, is in prep mode as he puts the finishing tou hes on TheBirdsAtThisHour, a multi-event, multimedia release that sees its culmination on Friday, December 9 with a party to celebrate the collection of songs. He calls the release a “brick of music,” and he means that literally; on this particular evening, he shows off a collection of red bricks taken from the banks of the Mississippi River. A few have already been painted black and stenciled with the album title, using the same imprint with which Chisholm has branded his work as 18andCounting — a chunky serif font with no spacing that is often used for brief, declarative statements cast on a projection screen. TheBirdsAtThisHour is a slightly more cumbersome phrase than those he s used in the past, befitting the s ope of the pro e t, whi h is his first release sin e 2012’s beats-free, vocals-only Unstrumental Raps. Those who purchase the music will get a digital download — that ephemeral, mutable format of choice for most listeners — but they’ll also walk away with one of these painted bricks. “It’s a statement, it’s a stamp — it says, ‘This is how you hear this music,’” says Chisholm of the set of songs (and its delivery method). He had considered pressing the music to costly vinyl or largely out-ofvogue compact disc, but settled on this pairing of something heavy and tactile with a modern delivery system. Heavy as they are, the bricks’ gathering and painting seems like the easy part of the project; just two weeks before the album’s release, Chisholm is still tinkering with the track listing. “It’s just its own thing,” continues Chisholm. “I just need it to be something I get done this year, and I need there to be a lot of question marks around it, because I think that’s what a lot of my work is meant to raise.” Chisholm intends for this album to serve as a marker for his music in 2016, which saw him working in a new studio space and experimenting with different collaborators. “I think the producer’s seat has returned to me this year, in a way that I like,” he says. “I can direct people to play things as well, and I can determine how a sound is going to be captured. Then I get to decide how it lays in — that’s something that is pretty exciting this year.” Chisholm’s most steady collaborators can be found in TheOnlyEnsemble, his live band. It includes the classically trained violinist Sarah Vie, Brennan England on a home-made didgeridoo and Patrick Bo-
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
riverfronttimes.com
land on drums. The only snippet from the album to be released shows hisholm s uidit with genre it’s a cover of XTC’s “Complicated Game” that mixes guttural percussion and distended pizzicato strings with Chisholm’s pitch-shifted vocals. 18andCounting’s version trades in the original’s herky-jerky New Wave production while amplifying its disorienting paranoia. While the rest of the album is a bit of a mystery, hisholm sa s that he is using the tra ks to re e t the collaborations and relationships he’s forged in his studio in 2016, including those with ICE, Loose Screwz and Mike Herr. The three TheBirdsAtThisHour shows kicked off at three different venues in October; each show amplified a different fa et of hisholm s artistr , though he looks at this album as a way to reassert his position as a lyricist and musician after several years as a high-profile around town. “The hardest thing has always been being limited and not being properly represented in the things that I’ve done — not only with what I spend my time on but what I have done very strong and solidly within this it , sa s hisholm. ing is the newest thing e been doing, but I’ve been making music and writing music since I was thirteen years old; I’ve considered myself a visual artist since I was six, and that’s still what I am.” The December 9 release show for TheBirdsAtThisHour will take place at the Screwed Arts Studio. It’s not being publicly advertised, though Chisholm encourages the curious to do a little digging to learn about it. “I think it’s too easy for people to take advantage of trends, and it’s too easy for people to purposefully get lumped into moments of popular culture,” says Chisholm. “I just don’t want any of that, and the best thing I can do is step back, step away and do odd things — to make sure people see it, experience it and appreciate it.” –Christian Schaeffer
Rhythm & Blues • Reggae Latin • Jazz
Photo by: Ed Linn
Fletcher Moley Group with Katie Turnbull
Cork
Evangeline’s
423 S. Florissant Rd, Ferguson No cover
512 N Euclid Ave, CWE St Louis No cover
Sunday, December 18 7-9pm no cover.
Saturday, December 10 7-11pm no cover
riverfronttimes.com
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
RIVERFRONT TIMES
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46
OUT EVERY NIGHT [CRITIC’S PICK]
THURSDAY 8 Iron, Dibiase, Ashell, Dad Jeans 8 p.m., $4. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. ANDREW FRANK COMEDY ALBUM LIVE RECORDING: 8 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. CALL ME KARIZMA: w/ Kid Quill 8 p.m., $12. Cicero’s, 6691 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-862-0009. DOPAPOD: w/ Pigeons Playing Ping Pong 9 p.m., $13-$16. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. ROD PICOTT: 7 p.m., $12. The Stage at KDHX, 3524 Washington Ave, St. Louis, 314-925-7543, ext. 815. SPACE JESUS & YHETI: w/ Lusid, Nettles 8 p.m., $15. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. SPIRIT ANIMAL: w/ Nico Yaryan 8 p.m., $12. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.
FRIDAY 9
Heroinside Canned Food, Blanket and Coat Drive 8 p.m. Friday, December 9. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Avenue, Sauget, Illinois. $10. 618-274-6720.
Rapper Nick Menn first started the Hero Inside organization in 2012, after losing three friends to heroin-related deaths in the span of just eight months. Inspired by Menn’s song of the same name, which resonated with addicts, former addicts and their families, the organization has worked to raise money and awareness to fight opiate dependency — Menn himself even has a standing appointment each Monday at his hometown Fairview Heights’
geous, Decedy, New Lingo, Suppy Dudes, Jet Black Alley Cat, Traveler 6 p.m., $10-$15. The
City Hall, where family and friends of addicts are encouraged to come each week and talk about their struggles. For this show the group is raising money to help place addicts in rehab facilities, as well as accepting donations of canned food, coats and blankets to be given to local charities. Hip-Hop Hooray: Menn’s connections to the local hip-hop community as a member of Doorway make for a stacked lineup sure to please rap fans. Doorway, Monhk, Colin Rich, Infamous Cartel, Chel, Bo Dean, Heir to the Throne and the Knuckles will all perform. – Daniel Hill
Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE: w/ Brownout 9 p.m., $25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. KOOL KEITH: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. MARK “PORKCHOP” HOLDER: w/ Maness Brothers 9 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-3363. PAT LISTON BAND: 8 p.m., $25. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. ROBERTA SPARROW: w/ Braddock 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. STITCHES: 7 p.m., $20-$40. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. WHITEY MORGAN: 8 p.m., $15-$75. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314833-3929.
SUNDAY 11
AL HOLLIDAY AND THE EASTSIDE RHYTHM BAND: 8 p.m., $10-$12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave.,
6161. HO HO HO POP ROCK SHOW: w/ Captains Coura-
4 HANDS 4 BANDS CHILI COOK-OFF: w/ Ashes and
[CRITIC’S PICK]
BRIDGE TO GRACE: w/ Artifas 2 p.m., $13-$15.
St. Louis, 314-773-3363.
The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-
CLARK TERRY TRIBUTE FEATURING THE RANDY
0353.
HOLMES QUINTET: 8 p.m.; Dec. 10, 8 p.m., $15-
FOR KING & COUNTRY: 7 p.m., $26-$56. Family
$20. Ozark Theatre, 103 E. Lockwood Ave., St.
Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St Charles, 636-
Louis, 314-962-7000.
896-4200.
HEROINSIDE II: w/ Doorway, Monhk, Colin Rich,
INTERNATIONAL BLUES COMPETITION WINNERS:
Infamous Cartel, Chel, Bo Dean, Heir to the
3 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S.
Throne, Mai Lee & The Knuckles 8 p.m., $10.
Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St.
STEEL PANTHER: 8 p.m., $25-$28. The Pageant,
Louis, 618-274-6720.
6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
JOHN NEMETH BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s
THE VEER UNION: w/ Lights Over Arcadia 7 p.m.,
Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis,
$12-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-
314-436-5222.
289-9050.
JON BELLION: w/ Gnash, The Madison Letter 8
WINTER JUGGALO BASH: w/ P.O.W., Yerrty G,
p.m., $25-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd.,
John Boi, P.R.E.A.C.H. 7 p.m., $5-$8. The Fire-
St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
bird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.
THE OH HELLOS: 8 p.m., $17-$20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Foxing. | THEO WELLING
ROBBING JOHN: 7 p.m., $8-$10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. TERRAPIN FLYER FT. MELVIN SEALS: 9 p.m., $17$20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. THE WINTER SHOWCASE: 8 p.m., $10. Cicero’s, 6691 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-8620009.
SATURDAY 10 CEMETERY GATEZ: w/ NOLA, Outcome of Betrayal 7 p.m., $10. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. CLARK TERRY TRIBUTE FEATURING THE RANDY HOLMES QUINTET: Dec. 9, 8 p.m.; 8 p.m., $15$20. Ozark Theatre, 103 E. Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, 314-962-7000. FOXING: w/ So Many Dynamos, Say Panther, Berlin Whale, Why Not 7 p.m., $15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-
46
RIVERFRONT TIMES
ADULT FUR: w/ TheKnuckles, Ghost Ice 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis,
Foxing
314-773-3363.
7 p.m. Saturday, December 10. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Boulevard. $15. 314-7264444.
The holiday season is upon us, and along with all the stress and excess this time of year carries with it, reunions with long-lost friends and far-flung family are a happy byproduct. So it is with no small grace that locally based (but nationally potent) heavyweight Foxing is using its debut at Delmar Hall to bring together some old friends and even older bands. Both Say Panther and Berlin Whale were nervy, spastic
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
MONDAY 12
riverfronttimes.com
pop bands that sprung from this town’s nascent MySpace-fueled underground — the same scene that several Foxing members were part of. Those two bands haven’t played a show in more than seven years, so much like a visit from the ghost of Christmas past, this season’s aging scenesters can relive their innocent youth for a few hours. So Many Bands: Long-running electro-pop wranglers So Many Dynamos will also play the show along with upand-comers Why Not. – Christian Schaeffer
MUSIC UNLIMITED: 8 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-4365222. NOBODYS: w
orror e tion, The
addonfields,
Brasky 7 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SOULARD BLUES BAND: 9 p.m., $5. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314621-8811.
TUESDAY 13 AARON GRIFFIN BAND: 9:30 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. ETHAN LEINWAND & FRIENDS: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis,
Continued on pg 48
S T N EVE R I V E R F R O N T T I M E S. C O M riverfronttimes.com
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OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 46 314-436-5222. JAMAICA LIVE TUESDAYS: w/ Ital K, Mr. Roots, DJ Witz, $5/$10. Elmo’s Love Lounge, 7828 Olive Blvd, University City, 314-282-5561. SUNNY SWEENEY: w/ Brennen Leigh, Courtney Patton, Jamie Lin Wilson 8 p.m., $12-$15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-7733363.
WEDNESDAY 14 CITY BOI: w/ Bud G, Skeez 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CODY JINKS: 8 p.m., $20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. CONDITION CRITICAL: w/ Tropical Storm, Moon Glampers, True Friends, Faustian Nihilist 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-
[CRITIC’S PICK]
289-9050. MESSAGE FROM SYLVIA: w/ Blacklite District 7 p.m., $13-$15. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St.
Sunny Sweeney will perform at Hardy Candy Christmas. | PHOTO VIA CTK ENTERTAINMENT
Louis, 314-535-0353.
INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO
THIS JUST IN ANDY SHAUF: W/ Julia Jacklin, Fri., May 12, 8 p.m., $16. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-3363. BIANCA DEL RIO: Sat., May 13, 8 p.m., $37.50-$199. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161. BONNIE BISHOP: Thu., Jan. 26, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-7733363. THE CADILLAC THREE: Wed., Feb. 1, 8 p.m., $20$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
SCREENING IS ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 19
CHRIS ROCK: Sat., April 8, 7 p.m., $46.50-$122. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-241-1888. DAN ANDRIANO: W/ Matt Pryor, Fri., March 17, 8
EMAIL: CONTESTSTL@ALLIEDIM.COM WITH “SING” IN THE SUBJECT LINE BEGINNING THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15 FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A COMPLIMENTARY PASS FOR TWO. One pass per person. Each pass admits two. While supplies last. SING has been rated PG (Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13) for some rude humor and mild peril. Please note: Passes received through this promotion do not guarantee you a seat at the theater. Seating is on a first-come, firstserved basis, except for members of the reviewing press. Theater is overbooked to ensure a full house. No admittance once screening has begun. All federal, state and local regulations apply. A recipient of tickets assumes any and all risks related to use of ticket, and accepts any restrictions required by ticket provider. Universal Pictures, Allied Integrated Marketing, Daily Utah Chronicle and their affiliates accept no responsibility or liability in connection with any loss or accident incurred in connection with use of a prize. Tickets cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash, in whole or in part. We are not responsible if, for any reason, recipient is unable to use his/her ticket in whole or in part. All federal and local taxes are the responsibility of the winner. Void where prohibited by law. Participating sponsors, their employees and family members and their agencies are not eligible. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. NO PHONE CALLS!
IN THEATERS DECEMBER 21
www.singmovie.com @SingMovie | @SingMovie
48
RIVERFRONT TIMES
p.m., $14-$17. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis,
8 p.m. Tuesday, December 13. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $12 to $15. 314-773-3363.
For fans of Christmas music, the country classics by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette hold a special place by the fireplace hi-fi. Sometimes witty, often wistful, their seasonal recordings are essential holiday mood-making soundtracks, even as they rarely leave the Xmas blues too far behind. Sunny Sweeney, Brennen Leigh, Courtney Patton and Jamie Lin Wilson, who’ve banded
together for the Hard Candy Christmas tour, know the country and folk classics, and they update them with the more rocking side of the Nashville Americana sound. All four can sing like honky-tonk angels; on stage together, they’ll deliver the yuletide spirit with plenty of twang, sass and grit. Speaking of Classics: Written by Dolly Parton, the song “Hard Candy Christmas” deserves to be better known. It’s a country Christmas heartbreaker if ever there was one. – Roy Kasten
314-289-9050. DAVE BENNETT BAND: Fri., Dec. 30, 7 p.m., free.
MODERN ENGLISH: Mon., April 3, 8 p.m., $20. Off
6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Or-
Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-
SPLIT LIP RAYFIELD: Fri., Jan. 13, 10 p.m., $20. Old
chard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061.
3363.
Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-
DINOSAUR JR.: Sun., March 19, 8 p.m., $25-$28.
MOOSE BLOOD: W/ Trophy Eyes, Boston Manor, A
0505.
Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-
Will Away, Wed., March 22, 7 p.m., $18-$20. The
STEVE MARTIN AND MARTIN SHORT: W/ Steep
726-6161.
Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.
Canyon Rangers, Thu., July 20, 7 p.m., $58-$253.
DOROTHY: Thu., Feb. 16, 8 p.m., $12.50-$15. Blue-
NEIL DIAMOND 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR: Wed.,
The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis,
berry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd.,
April 12, 8 p.m., $46.50-$126.50. Scottrade Center,
314-534-1111.
University City, 314-727-4444.
1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.
STRUGGLE JENNINGS: W/ Steve O’Brien, Kommon
EARTH GROANS: W/ Torn at the Seams, Our Last
THE ORWELLS: Mon., April 10, 8 p.m., $15-$18.
Groundz, Soldier B, Filthee Benjaminz, Crook
Words, A Promise To Burn, Fri., Jan. 13, 6 p.m.,
The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis,
Costello, Xact, Chris Matthews, Infamiz, Fri., Jan.
$10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-
314-833-3929.
20, 8 p.m., $10. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto
9050.
THE RECORD COMPANY: Mon., Feb. 27, 8 p.m., $18.
Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.
ELLIS PAUL: Sat., Feb. 18, 8 p.m., $20. Off Broad-
The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-
SUPERJOINT: W/ Battlecross, Childbite, Sat., Jan.
way, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-3363.
0353.
28, 7 p.m., $20. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto
GUNS N’ ROSES: Thu., July 27, 6 p.m., $35-$250.
RODNEY CARRINGTON: Fri., Feb. 3, 7 & 9:30 p.m.,
Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.
The Dome at America’s Center, 701 Convention
$49.50-$59.50. River City Casino & Hotel, 777
VOLCANOES REUNION: W/ Necessities, Lobby Box-
Plaza St., St. Louis, 314-342-5201.
River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777.
er, True Friends, Fri., Dec. 23, 8 p.m., $5. Foam
HENHOUSE PROWLERS: Fri., Dec. 16, 9 p.m.,
SHAM 69: W/ the Creepshow, Gallows Bound,
Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis,
$10-$13. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St.
Sun., Feb. 5, 7 p.m., $16-$18. Fubar, 3108 Locust
314-772-2100.
Louis, 314-775-0775.
St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
WHY?: Fri., April 21, 8 p.m., $15-$18. The Ready
JOE FLETCHER: Wed., Dec. 28, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Off
SHOVELS AND ROPE: W/ John Moreland, Tue., Feb.
Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-
Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-
28, 8 p.m., $22-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar
3929.
3363.
Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
WILL DOWNING: W/ The Coleman-Hughes Project,
MICKEY AVALON: Fri., March 10, 8 p.m., $20-$23.
SOUTHERN SOUL ASSEMBLY: W/ JJ Grey & Mofro,
Tue., Feb. 14, 7 p.m., $67.50. Harris-Stowe State
Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-
Luther Dickinson, Anders Osborne, Marc Brous-
University, 3026 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, 314-340-
726-6161.
sard, Thu., March 23, 8 p.m., $30. The Pageant,
3366.
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
ST LOUIS RFT THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15
Hard Candy Christmas
riverfronttimes.com
SAVAGE LOVE HUSBANDRY BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’m a 37-year-old gay man who just got out of an abusive relationship. We were together five years, moved to Portland together, got married three years ago, yada, yada, yada. He suffered a traumatic injury earlier this year, which led to PTSD, which led to a nervous breakdown, which led to our savings being depleted, which led him to leave me in October. He moved back to the other side of the country, and I’m broke and on my own in a strange city. I saw your dirty film festival when it played here, and it made me realize something: At my age, I should still be enjoying myself and evolving sexually. I was unhappy in my marriage for the last two years, but sexually I was unhappy for a long time. Recently, I had a decent one-night stand. It was a drunken, stoned hot mess, but it got the job done — and there was no guilt on my part, which to me signifies that it really is over with my ex. But I can’t help feeling like I’m starting over. Not just dating, but starting over with my sex life and my writing. My ex had me switch from LGBT media — which I am very good at — to copywriting, which sucks but is “steadier.” The point is: I want so much sexually, because I’ve been starved physically and psychologically, but I don’t know
where to begin. I feel like my marriage eviscerated me sexually. Not just the sex part of it, but the parts of my homosexuality that felt important to my personality, not just my turnons. Help. Grieving And Yearning Man Asking Nicely You’re not too old to enjoy yourself and evolve sexually, GAYMAN — you’re never too old to enjoy yourself or evolve, sexually or otherwise. But it takes time to bounce back after a committed LTR ends traumatically. So don’t rush yourself. But as soon as you can — sooner than perhaps feels right — you’ll need to get out there. You’ll need to actively and intentionally reconnect to your homosexuality and the ways in which it shaped and continues to inform your personality, your perspective, and your joy. And now some random tips… I’m not being look-ist or body-fascist here — this isn’t about having Instagrammable abs or the best torso Grindr — but join a gym, GAYMAN. Or take up a sport that kicks your ass, cardio-wise. Forcing your body to outrun your brain is a good way to get back in touch with yourself physically, emotionally and sexually. And exercising — again, I’m not talking abs here — is good for us. It’s a natural antidepressant. It gets blood pumping into our extremities. (Your dick is an extrem-
ity.) And it gets us out of our heads. It also creates a social space, if you do it regularly, where you can make friends and connections without booze or drugs or the scourge of dance music. If the gym isn’t for you, ride a bike. If biking isn’t for you, run. If running isn’t for you, walk. Just get your ass moving. Go volunteer somewhere, anywhere. Like someone or other once said, it’s hard to feel sorry for yourself when you’re making yourself useful. Please don’t succumb to meth or any of the other stupid drugs. Pot and alcohol — in moderation — aren’t stupid drugs. Reach out to friends you lost tou h with o er the last fi e ears, apologize for letting these relationships go, and ask if they’d like to reconnect. Not all will, GAYMAN — some might be too angry to reconnect right now (you may hear from them later), some might not have any extra friendship bandwidth right now (ditto). Focus on friends who want to reconnect, and don’t be bitter about friends who don’t. Masturbate. A lot. And don’t use porn every single time — try using our imagination, ip through the ol’ solodex. Be open to new experiences. Ask yourself where you’ve always wanted to go. Pick a big gay event you’ve always wanted to attend — gay days at Disneyland, In-
riverfronttimes.com
49
ternational Mr. Leather in Chicago, the World Series of Beer Pong in Las Vegas — and start setting money aside so you’ll have that trip to look forward to. Good luck, GAYMAN. Hey, Dan: I’m a Canadian gay man, married eight years to a man with a thing for men spitting in his face. It’s a degradation thing (of course), and I would do it for him but it can’t be me. It can’t be someone he loves, someone who loves him, it has to be someone he doesn’t know, someone who regards him with contempt. He finds guys to do this for him on the hookup apps, and I don’t have a problem with it. I do have a problem leaning in for a kiss when his face reeks of some other man’s spit. He likes the “lingering scent” — I do not. He says I’m kink-shaming him when I recoil and ask him to go wash his face. He’s agreed to abide by your ruling, Dan. Should he wash his damn face? Smelling Patooey Irks This Spouse You’ve accommodated your husband’s kink. He needs to return the favor and accommodate your nose. He should wash his damn face — and get his damn u shot. Listen to Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
RIVERFRONT TIMES
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120 Drivers/Delivery/Courier
DRIVERS NEEDED ASAP
Requires Class E, B or A License. S Endorsement Helpful. Must be 25 yrs or older. Will Train.
ABC/Checker Cab Co CALL NOW 314-725-9550 167 Restaurants/Hotels/Clubs
EXPERIENCED LINE COOKS NEEDED Apply in person Wed-Fri between 2-4 pm. No phone calls or e-mails. ~ IRON BARLEY ~ 5510 Virginia Ave. SERVERS, COOKS, DISH For upscale retirement community. Background check & shot records required. 314.863.7400
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314-997-4224 190 Business Opportunities
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MEDITATION
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400 Buy-Sell-Trade 450 Pets, Pet Supplies
GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPIES
AKC Registered. 7 weeks old. Black & tan. Great disposition. Parent on site. Received first shots. $500
314-395-8800 410 Antiques, Arts, Collectibles
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500 Services 520 Financial Services
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600 Music 610 Musicians Services
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DID YOU KNOW: 1.3M PEOPLE READ
Hope for a bright future
4801 WELDON SPRING PKWY. ST. CHARLES, MO 63304
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OPENS IN SELECT ST. LOUIS THEATERS DECEMBER 16! LALALAND.Movie /LaLaLand | @LaLaLand /LaLaLand | #CityofStars #LaLaLand DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
RIVERFRONT TIMES ST LOUIS RFT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
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LUXURY ONE, TWO AND THREE BEDROOM TOWNHOMES Features include Balconies, Community Courtyard, All new upgraded appliances and designer lighting. Rooftop deck, pet park Roof top pool. Free Parking space one per unit for a limited time. 3 months free electric. ASK ABOUT OUR AMAZING MOVE IN SPECIALS One Story Apartments $950-$1,395 Two Story Apartments $1,225-$2,295
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RIVERFRONT TIMES
Aux Input For Any Radio!
Two Subs & Amp! Big 12” subs with 1100-watt amp! Perfect start to a real system!
Save $40*
Save $100*
99
$
99
Save More When We Install It!
Direct antenna connection, no fussy FM modulator to worry about.
SOUTH 5616 S. Lindbergh • (314) 842-1242 WEST 14633 Manchester • (636) 527-26811
99
$
99
Save More When We Install It! Phone for illustration, not included
HAZELWOOD 233 Village Square Cntr • (314) 731-1212 FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS 10900 Lincoln Tr. • (618) 394-9479
Unless otherwise limited, prices are good through Tuesday following publication date. Installed price offers are for product purchased from Audio Express installed in factory-ready locations. Custom work at added cost. Kits, antennas and cables additional. Added charges for shop supplies and environmental disposal where mandated. Illustrations similar. Video pictures may be simulated. Not responsible for typographic errors. Savings off MSRP or our original sales price, may include install savings. Intermediate markdowns may have been taken. Details, conditions and restrictions of manufacturer promotional offers at respective websites. Price match applies to new, non-promotional items from authorized sellers; excludes “shopping cart” or other hidden specials. © 2016, Audio Express.
DECEMBER 7-13, 2016
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AUDIO EXPRESS!
Lowest Installed Price In Town — Every Time!
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