Riverfront Times July 18, 2018 by Riverfront Times

JULY 18-24, 2018 I VOLUME 42 I NUMBER 29

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THE LEDE

“ My title is street sweeper, but I like to make it sound a little more pleasant and say I work in sanitation. I take pride in my job.

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

“ Sometimes you come to work and you got things on your mind, or you’re just not happy where you’re at in life, and a stranger comes up and tells you, ‘Hey, you’re doing a good job. I appreciate what you’re doing.’ And whatever I’m going through that day, I don’t really think about it no more and I probably work about 30 percent better, or 50 percent better!” Reginald davis, photogRaphed with his dog pablo on locust and 11th stReets downtown in June

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ON THE COVER

34.

The Kids Are Alright

The Burney Sisters will be LouFest’s youngest act yet

Written by

HOWARD HARDEE Cover photo by

AMBER THIESSEN

NEWS

ARTS

DINING

CULTURE

The Lede

Calendar

Your friend or neighbor, captured on camera

Seven days worth of great stuff to see and do

Politics

As Bob McCulloch vies for an eighth term, national organizations line up behind challenger Wesley Bell

Film

In The King, Eugene Jarecki goes looking for Elvis and finds America

Cafe

Bloom Cafe supports a good cause with even better food, writes Cheryl Baehr

Side Dish

Newcomer Sam Golden launches the Golden Hour, a recurring themed showcase

Clementine’s makes Good Morning America, and Pinky’s opens in the Central West End

St. Francois County Prosecutor Jerrod Mahurin has several employees saying ‘me too’

First Look

Flament Co.’s the Place American Eatery offers New York-style pizza downtown

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Profile

How Farmhaus’ Carmen Estrada chucked spreadsheets for a career in wine

I Scream, You Scream

Feature

Homespun

The Wilhelms’ latest alum showcases the songwriting duo’s musical chemistry

Out Every Night

The best concerts in St. Louis every night of the week

This Just In

This week’s new concert announcements

Savage Love

Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Sarah Fenske E D I T O R I A L Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writers Doyle Murphy, Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Editorial Interns Alison Gold, Mario Miles-Turnage, Lexie Miller, Camille Respess, Ian Scott Contributing Writers Mike Appelstein, Allison Babka, Sara Graham, Roy Kasten, Jaime Lees, Joseph Hess, Kevin Korinek, Bob McMahon, Nicholas Phillips, Tef Poe, Christian Schaeffer, Lauren Milford, Thomas Crone, MaryAnn Johanson, Jenn DeRose, Mike Fitzgerald Proofreader Evie Hemphill Cartoonist Bob Stretch

A R T Art Director Evan Sult Contributing Photographers Mabel Suen, Monica Mileur, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Corey Woodruff, Tim Lane, Nick Schnelle P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Steve Miluch Production Assistance Jack Beil

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NEWS The Man Who Could Stop Bob McCulloch Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

t. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch is accustomed to doing things on his own terms. Seven terms, specifically. He’d like to make it eight. McCulloch presided over the grand jury that issued a nonindictment of former Ferguson officer Darren Wilson in 2014, gaining worldwide notoriety in the process. Yet he hasn’t faced a political threat in more than a decade. He’s won seven consecutive elections, holding his post since 1991. As in previous years, there’s no expected Republican challenger waiting in November’s general election. That means the August 7 primary represents the only real hurdle to another four years of McCulloch. There are plenty of people who are tired of McCulloch. Critics say his decision to use the grand jury to investigate Brown’s death was intentionally designed to produce a no-bill. McCulloch, 66, has also thrown the book at protesters, including those arrested as part of

the recent demonstrations following the Jason Stockley “not guilty” verdict in St. Louis. Then there’s this: In his 27-year career in public office, McCulloch has never prosecuted an officer-involved shooting to the point of an actual indictment. Nationally, he’s become a symbol for everything wrong with the justice system. Yet in St. Louis County, a place where Democratic voters are far more pro-police than their city counterparts, he’s amassed a significant political base. He won his last primary election in 2014 with more than 70 percent of the vote. Activists and criminal justice reformers want 2018 to be different. Their hopes rest on one man: Wesley Bell. But Bell would like to frame the race on different terms entirely. “I don’t see this race as about Bob McCulloch,” he says. “When people say, ‘Are you running against McCulloch?’ I tell them, ‘No. I’m running for county prosecutor. I’m running for my home.’” The 43-year-old Ferguson resident has left a broad footprint across St. Louis County. He says that his experience as a municipal judge and prosecutor gave him a vantage point to observe the region’s much-maligned court practices — and, crucially, how those practices were fixed. He has been a judge for Velda City’s municipal court, a part-time prosecutor in Riverview and the city attorney for Wellston, all impoverished north-county municipalities that have come under fire for using their court systems as a cash cow.

Wesley Bell’s experience has come in the area’s muni court system. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI His experience is both a key part of his argument for election — and one reason some local progressives are queasy about his candidacy. But Bell says he’s been a reformer, not an exploiter. In the wake of protests in 2014, he ran for, and won, a seat on Ferguson’s city council. And as municipalities faced pressure to reform their courts, Bell stuck around. He represented Wellston as it negotiated its place in the North County Police Cooperative, and he currently serves as a prosecutor in what is now known as the Consolidated Municipal Courts, a Missouri Supreme Court-sanctioned combina-

tion of municipal courts services for St. Ann, Velda City, Charlack, Vinita Park, Beverly Hills and Wellston. Those reforms, says Bell, resulted from long processes of relationship-building. And during the push to reform predatory court practices in a patchwork of jurisdictions, Bell notes that McCulloch was nowhere to be seen. “You’re talking about one of the most tenured elected officials in our state not having any footprint on much-needed reforms in the area that he’s representing,” Bell says. Four years after Ferguson erupted, Continued on pg 10

STREAK’S CORNER • by Bob Stretch

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WESLEY BELL Continued from pg 9

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Bell says bringing reforms to the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office is long overdue. He wants to reform the county’s bail system, moving it to what he calls a “risk-based” process rather than a “cash-based” one. He also wants to expand the county’s drug courts and diversion programs — programs that he claims McCulloch “has never been committed to.” The position would also represent a significant leap for Bell, whose prosecutorial experience only includes municipal courts, which issue low-level municipal charges. Bell has never tried a felony case as a prosecutor. The job is more than experience, Bell insists. “My question for voters is, ‘What are you holding on to? What are you voting for?’” Bell says. “Our violent crime rates are up, our homicide rates are up. The opioid crisis is touching so many people directly and indirectly. It’s time for a change, and I’m not using that as a cliche.” Bell’s candidacy has attracted significant support from national groups, including Real Justice and Color of Change. (He’ll need it; campaign finance reports show his cash on hand totals roughly one-fifth of McCulloch’s.) The prosecutor’s race also is the focus of the ACLU’s nationwide campaign raising education about certain electoral races. While the ACLU still does not endorse candidates, Bell answered in the affirmative to nearly every question on its candidate survey, which sought commitments on a range of issues, including the abolition of cash bail, offering diversion programs for all low-level drug offenders and opposing the “racist and error-ridden history of the death penalty in St. Louis.” When it came to that ACLU survey, McCulloch responded in his own way: He skipped the yes-orno questions and wrote a brief essay. He also skipped the candidates’ debate the organization cohosted.

cCulloch takes a dim view of Bell’s prosecutorial experience, and perhaps an even dimmer view of the ACLU’s recent efforts. “Mr. Bell is just parroting what the ACLU is saying,” he claims. Of the ACLU, he says, “They used to be government watchdogs. Now they want to be the government and pick the office holders.” McCulloch insists that reform

efforts stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of how a prosecutor’s office actually handles cases. That’s why, when it came time to respond to the ACLU’s survey, McCulloch threw out the questions and simply summarized his office’s policies. “There are really no absolutes in my line of work,” he says. “Every case is different, and we treat every case differently.” McCulloch touts his creation of a drug court and diversion program. As for cash-bail reform, though, McCulloch argues that the issue is generally overblown. “There’s nobody in St. Louis County in jail being held on a misdemeanor because they can’t make bond,” he insists. It’s been a policy “for many years” not to hold defendants before trial on misdemeanors or low-level felonies. But, he says, that doesn’t mean he’s keen on eliminating cash bail completely. “I keep asking, ‘What’s the alternative? Don’t jail them?’ That just doesn’t work,” he says. He adds, “The two easiest things in the world are to fill up a jail and empty a jail. I’m open to every alternative there is. If there’s something we haven’t tried, I’m willing to try it. More often than not, we’ve already tried it.” Most of the time, the people being shuttled to jails and prisons are there for probation violations, which is a matter for the court system, not the prosecutor’s office, says McCulloch. He argues that much of the criticism leveled at his office arises from both ignorance of the legal system and a troubling tendency to overlook crime victims. “My focus has always been on the victims,” he says, noting that most of those victims, especially in homicides, are African American. He also points out that his office was instrumental in obtaining a $2.25 million grant in 2016, which funded efforts to reduce the number of people held at the jail by at least fifteen percent. (The county missed the goal in its first year, hitting only ten percent.) Ultimately, McCulloch is running the same campaign he’s been running since 1990. On experience. On law and order. “This election is about public safety, as every election of a prosecutor is,” McCulloch says. “The primary function of a prosecutor is to target violent criminals and take them out of the neighborhoods, and you can’t run the tenth largest law firm in the metropolitan area having never ever done the job before. You need somebody who knows what they’re doing.” n

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#ThemToo Some women say St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney

Jerrod Mahurin is a nightmare to work for.

He says itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just talk 12

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BY DANNY WICENTOWSKI

he nickname that some local attorneys and county employees have given to Jerrod Mahurin, the prosecuting attorney of St. Francois County, isn’t professional, and it certainly isn’t nice: Douchebag McBully. But then again, these people say, neither is Mahurin. Behind the nickname are allegations that stretch back years. People who have worked for the 38-year-old Democratic elected office holder say he has created a toxic atmosphere in the prosecutor’s office, especially for female employees. Lisa Davidson, a longtime secretary in Mahurin’s office, says that not only did Mahurin show her a picture of a penis, but that another employee, also a secretary, showed her a different penis photo with contact info on her phone suggesting it came from Mahurin. It’s not just Davidson. Another former employee interviewed for this story also says Mahurin has made suggestive remarks about his female employees’ bodies and commented on their sex lives. In some cases, the atmosphere spilled into areas outside the office. During an overnight training session in 2014, Davidson says Mahurin took a group of female secretaries to a strip club and asked them to keep their hotel doors unlocked. A secretary later confided to the former employee that the clerical staff decided to stop attending the training sessions because of his behavior. (Mahurin denies each allegation.) The allegations go beyond sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. People who have found themselves in Mahurin’s crosshairs — a group that includes not only secretaries but also a Farmington police officer and the former county auditor — say he wields his office’s power to exact favoritism and enact retribution. Mahurin’s six-year tenure as prosecutor has left St. Francois County divided: There are those on his good side, and everybody else. About an hour’s drive south from St. Louis, the county is mostly rolling farmland and rural townships, and like any small

town, the rumor mill plays an important social role. Everyone talks to (or about) everyone. The county seat, Farmington, is its largest city, with around 18,000 residents, and for the lawyers and county employees who pass through the downtown courthouse, it is truly a small pond. That smallness has kept the mill churning. At the same time, it’s also worked to Mahurin’s advantage. The prosecutor is a big fish here, and Mahurin has gained an intimidating reputation. Citing Mahurin’s powerful position, some of the sources who spoke to the RFT did so on the condition of anonymity. These sources say they fear what he’s capable of. “He’s so vindictive,” a local attorney says. “Like the mafia.” Davidson says she’s choosing to speak out as a whistleblower after years of concern over Mahurin’s behavior. “Things are getting worse,” she says. When Davidson first agreed to speak to the RFT, she requested anonymity, citing similar concerns as other people interviewed in this story. She said that she suspected Mahurin was retaliating against her for not reciprocating his advances or responding favorably to his suggestive remarks, and that her job duties were being improperly restricted. In late March, she filed a formal discrimination complaint against Mahurin, but even then, she didn’t want to risk losing the job she’d held for the last eighteen years. On June 12, Mahurin agreed to sit down with the RFT for an interview, during which he repeatedly denied the allegations against him. The next day, Mahurin called Davidson into his office and fired her.

ahurin joined the St. Francois County government in 2008, as an assistant prosecutor. It was a job he landed after a few years in private practice following Oklahoma City University School of Law. “He was new, he was young, I just figured he had a lot to learn,” Davidson says, describing her first

impressions of her future boss. At first, she had little interaction with him. But in a small office of around sixteen employees, word traveled quickly, and the youthful assistant prosecutor was the persistent subject. Davidson says she tried to ignore it. “The girls had been talking about it. I knew something was going on with him,” she says. “At the time he hadn’t even said anything to me, and so that was fine. No big deal. I’ve tried to just put it out of my mind, thinking, ‘If I don’t participate, and I don’t act with them, if I just do my job, I’ll be left alone.’ That didn’t happen.” For her, the trouble began two years after Mahurin started, in 2010. She recalls overhearing a secretary laughing about a dick pic she’d received. The secretary passed the phone over. There was, indeed, a penis. Davidson says the name and contact number belonged to Jerrod Mahurin. “I’ve seen it,” she says. (Mahurin denies that he’s ever sent an explicit photo of himself to a prosecutor’s office employee.) Two years later, in 2012, Mahurin’s career in county government took off. That year, Governor Jay Nixon appointed Mahurin St. Francois County prosecuting attorney. The governor’s move was a response to a vacancy after the elected prosecutor, Wendy Horn, was appointed associate circuit judge. Mahurin, then in his early 30s, had just four years as an assistant prosecutor under his belt, all in the same small town. Over time, though, Davidson says Mahurin’s behavior continued to blur boundaries. She claims to have overheard him during a training trip at the Lake of the Ozarks bragging about how many women he’d slept with other than his wife. She says he also showed her an X-ray picture on his phone that featured a man’s visible penis “that went under his knees.” In another incident, which took place around 2016, she says Mahurin approached her during a staff-wide gathering at a bar celebrating the end of a jury trial. “He wanted to know if I’d ever

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had a threesome,” she says. “And then he asked me about my little hands. He put his hand up to mine, and told me how little and pretty my hands were.” Not knowing how to respond, Davidson says she excused herself for a smoke and went home. “It was just so creepy. It threw me for a loop.” In other instances, “he made comments about him being good in bed, having a big cock,” says Davidson. “He once made a comment [that] he was good and that there’s no complaints.” In another incident, the second former employee allegedly heard Mahurin remarking to a secretary, regarding some work issue, “We can fight about this now, but we’ll take care of it in the bedroom later.” This same source says that Mahurin was warned that his comments were inappropriate. “I experienced him making comments and jokes and situations where he said stuff about a lot of secretaries,” the source says. “Things like, ‘Oh, you know her boobs are fake,’ or, ‘She had an affair.’” To be clear, Davidson says that in some cases Mahurin’s statements and overtures have been reciprocated by other employees. But not by her. “Women have sent pictures back,” she says. Still, despite her refusal to play along, she claims Mahurin continued to make suggestive comments to her. “I just never gave him anything to run with, I blew it off or ignored him or walked away,” she says. “That was not me. I’m too old for that.” Three sources inside the office — Davidson and two other former employees — indicate there was discussion about an attempt to hold Mahurin accountable. In separate interviews, they independently described how a group of four secretaries had made plans to sue Mahurin in late 2014, even consulting an attorney. (The three staffers who discussed the incident with the RFT were not a part of the group considering litigation.)

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#THEMTOO

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According to salary records, over the next two years, the clerical staff enjoyed significant raises, with several staffers seeing their yearly paychecks grow by more than $6,000. Ultimately, no lawsuit was ever filed. That’s even though Mahurin’s conduct allegedly persisted. The source who claims they heard Mahurin making suggestive comments about his employees’ bodies says they also witnessed the prosecutor continue to abuse his power over the secretarial staff. At one point, the source says, a secretary refused to deliver a check to Mahurin’s home, protesting, “Well, I just know that since his wife isn’t there, he’s going to try to make me have sex with him.” Davidson says the secretary also confided in her about same incident, expressing worry at the consequences of complying with — or disobeying — the prosecutor’s orders. Mahurin contends that the incident is a fabrication. In an interview, he says he would never ask a secretary to drop something off at his house. The secretary, Spring Henson Gray, however, tells a different version of the story. While she says Mahurin did ask her to bring the check home, she insists she never suggested to anyone that he was trying to have sex with her. “I have never been victimized,” Gray says. “I’ve never had any issues with him, he’s always been very fair. Not one of [the clerical staff] has been treated better than the other one.”

ast month, Mahurin agreed to a sit-down interview with the RFT to respond to the allegations against him. He vehemently disputes the accounts of Davidson and other sources, countering that these allegations are coming from disgruntled former employees. “I’ve had several employees that I have let go for various reasons that have said to me, unequivocally, ‘I will do whatever it takes to take you down,’” he says. Mahurin professes no knowledge of employees planning to sue him in 2014, and he says that the subsequent salary increases granted to the clerical staff were not inappropriate. (He points out that the salaries were approved by the county commission.) Responding to the individual allegations, Mahurin says the details

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are new to him, and that he’d never, as one source claims, been warned that his behavior had crossed a line. “To hear that there is anybody that has ever thought about filing a sexual-harassment suit is completely surprising,” he says. Mahurin suggests that if there were grounds for a complaint in 2014, someone would have taken legal action. “My guess is, they probably didn’t file any lawsuit because there’s nothing there,” he says. “How do I disprove a negative?”

ies, sexual comments in general, sexual innuendo, sexual advances, and now on top of that there’s this other instance where he’s showing them sexual pictures, and it certainly adds to the sexual harassment that they’re experiencing.” Kumin adds, “Any time you’re getting to the dick-pic level, I would say that’s probably severe.” But not everyone in the office believes Mahurin’s critics. During Mahurin’s interview, the prosecutor stated that he knew of several employees who wanted to add their perspectives on his tenure.

think the office is run very well.” Natasha Kennedy, who joined the clerical staff in 2017, says Mahurin “has always been professional from what I’ve seen” and maintains that the allegations don’t fit the boss she knows. “I’ve never had any problems,” she says. “I’ve never heard him speak to anybody in that manner.” That also goes for Henson Gray, who joined the prosecutor’s office as a secretary in 2002. Davidson alleges that it’s Henson Gray who showed her a dick pic with contact info that indicated it came from Mahurin’s phone. But Gray denies ever receiving such a photo.

“How do I disprove a negative?” asks prosecuting attorney Jerrod Mahurin. | FILE PHOTO

Avi Kumin, a lawyer based in Washington, D.C., who has represented plaintiffs in sexual-harassment lawsuits, says that even with a lack of hard evidence — such as text messages, photos or recordings — the allegations circulating around the prosecutor’s office fulfill the key elements of “severity and pervasiveness” that are usually featured in a sexual-harassment lawsuit. “You can’t look at any of these things in isolation,” Kumin says of the accusations. The fact that Davidson and other sources complaining about Mahurin’s conduct weren’t always the direct target also wouldn’t necessarily hurt their case, Kumin says. “If this was one instance, I’d say it’s inappropriate but it would not in and of itself rise to the level of sexual harassment,” Kumin explains. “But if this is coming within the context of unwelcome sexual comments about their bod-

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Indeed, days after interviewing Mahurin in his office, the RFT spoke with four clerical workers currently employed there. The staffers say they were not pressured by Mahurin to defend him. Each maintains that any sexualharassment allegations are untrue, and all are adamant that Mahurin has never made sexual comments, pursued sexual relationships or sent explicit photos to their phones. These current employees say there’s never been an organized effort, even an aborted one, to sue the prosecutor. Tammy Clay, who’s worked in the St. Francois County prosecutor’s office for more than a decade, says that she’s never witnessed or been the target of harassment, and that she is appalled by what she calls “slanderous” accusations. “I can personally say that nothing has ever happened. I’ve never witnessed it, and I really can’t add more than that,” Clay says. “I

tephanie Williams started working at the St. Francois County prosecutor’s office in 1996. She got out in 2014, after less than two years under Mahurin. “I didn’t think he was experienced enough to be the prosecutor, and I think the power kind of went to his head,” she says. Williams provided the RFT with printouts of sixteen emails from Mahurin. The emails include threats of summary termination for those who had apparently made the mistake of crossing him — even in seemingly minor ways. In a May 2013 email, Mahurin wrote, “It has come to my attention that some of you think that I have shown favoritism” as to whom received a previous email admonishment. To Mahurin, this was a serious offense. “I will give you to the end of the day to express those concerns to me personally,” he continued. “If you do not, I will assume you have no respect for me or my position and no longer need to work for me.” He added, “I will not tolerate insubordination in this office and I am tired of the childish games.” Six months later, Mahurin sent a second, similarly worded challenge to the entire office. “It has come to my attention that one of you has disobeyed an order I gave with regards to the day we went to [H]otshots,” he began in an email dated November 3, 2013. The outing, Mahurin wrote, was intended as a “teambuilding exercise” — even though it was held at Hotshots, a sports bar in Fenton, 50 miles away from the courthouse. The trip apparently required utmost secrecy. In the email, Mahurin reminded the employees that he’d specifically told them “no one was to discuss any events regarding the day with anyone Continued on pg 16

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#THEMTOO

Continued from pg 14

outside the office.” Williams says she remembers the day well. It was September 11, 2013. “He closed the office around 11 a.m.,” she says. “There was a couple of us who didn’t want to go, but we were worried that if we didn’t go we’d be blackballed.” This email carried the subject line “office policy and protocol,” a dry title for the several paragraphs of angry prose below. Mahurin wrote that someone had leaked information about the outing, blabbing to “a friend or family member” — and here he bolded and underlined the words — “that I would have docked your pay had you chosen not to attend.” In the email, Mahurin doesn’t deny that the threat. The email continued, furiously. Mahurin wrote that the leak of “inner office communication” meant someone was trying to take “a shot” at him. But, he added, he

Lisa Davidson was fired after complaining about Mahurin. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI then fed it Mahurin. His reaction scared her. “I just figured it was a matter of time before I’d be gone,” she says. She called in her remaining sick

vidson faxed a copy to both Mahurin and to the commission. But there was a problem. In a letter sent to Davidson March 23, an intake officer confirmed that

human rights commission. So, I don’t know, this appears to be a false document that you tried to provide me with, and I don’t understand what it means.” He continued, “Nonetheless, I’m terminating your employment immediately.” “OK,” Davison said. Mahurin told her to turn in her keys and ID cards. “Obviously,” he said, “you’ll be out of here as soon as you get that collected.” Davidson didn’t protest. “OK,” she repeated. In a subsequent interview, Mahurin denies that he fired her in retaliation for speaking to RFT — although, as with Williams’ emails, he also hints that he’s treating Davidson’s actions as a criminal matter. “Under law, I cannot tell you the reason for her termination, nor can I comment on someone under criminal investigation,” he says. “It was certainly not in retaliation to anything. Ms. Davidson’s firing was for an entirely different reason that I will not discuss.”

“The girls had been talking about it. I knew something was going on with him. I’ve tried to just put it out of my mind, thinking, ‘If I don’t participate, and I don’t act with them, if I just do my job, I’ll be left alone.’ That didn’t happen.” would allow the person who’d leaked to come forward and address it with him personally. “Since all of you are here today, I will assume that this problem will be rectified immediately,” he wrote. “Should you choose to not tell me which one of you disclosed this message, when I confirm it, you will be fired immediately and I will contest your unemployment because of insubordination and cover up.” Today, to the RFT, Mahurin says he doesn’t remember writing the email, insisting, “I don’t send emails, and I don’t send officewide emails.” “If someone is making a claim that I sent a document that I did not send, I guess I’ll have to speak with an attorney regarding defamation, or turning [sic] it over to another prosecutor for an indication of forgery charges,” he says. That “someone” is Williams, and she insists the email is authentic. She says she was also the leaker who spilled the details about the 2013 Hotshots outing, though she says it was by accident. She’d relayed her concerns about the trip to a family member, and, St. Francois County being as small as it is, word got back to a secretary, who

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time and made her retirement official in 2014. “It was time for me to go.” It wasn’t the way she’d planned on leaving, but compared to Davidson, she had it easy.

n June 13, 2018, Lisa Davidson arrived at the St. Francois County prosecutor’s office for the last time. Before leaving her car, she turned on a small wearable recorder. She’d started bringing it to the office months ago, ever since she filed a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights. Such a complaint represents the first step toward obtaining the legal right to sue for employment discrimination. Anyone can make one, even (as Davidson had done) without a lawyer. Summarizing her allegations, Davidson had written, “Jerrod Mahurin has had sexual relations with the staff [sic] because I have not I am being bulled and harassed by Jerrod and the women who had sex with him.” According to a copy of the original document reviewed by the RFT, the complaint was dated and notarized March 22. On the same date, Da-

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the commission had received her complaint but noted that the faxed document “had some issues and the charge is unledgable [sic].” The officer asked Davidson to send a clearer copy. Three months later, though, Davidson was still waiting for the attorney she’d subsequently hired to submit an amended complaint to the commission. She also waited anxiously as an RFT reporter entered Mahurin’s office on June 12 to confront him with allegations of misconduct, claims for which she was one anonymous source. The next day, a Wednesday, Davidson was in a meeting with several other employees when Mahurin pulled her aside. He mentioned the human rights commission complaint. “I need to know how that document got in my office,” Mahurin asked her, according to a recording she shared with the RFT. Davidson responded that she’d previously faxed her complaint to the office. “OK, right,” Mahurin said. “Whatever the reason being, that’s fine. Well, I need to let you know that I have confirmed that there was nothing filed with the

ther than Davidson and Williams, who are now both former employees, the two other sources speaking out against Mahurin declined to allow the RFT to use their names or identifying details, including their gender or specific professional relationships to the prosecutor’s office. Those conditions weren’t given out of convenience, they say, but fear. That’s not unusual in cases where employees allege sexual harassment, even in this newly emboldened #MeToo era. “We commonly deal with victims of sexual harassment that kind of grin and bear severe and pervasive sexual harassment for years, and they’re too fearful to come forward,” says Kumin. In many workplaces, whistleblowing can be a dangerous proposition, and the threat of retaliation encourages employees to provide silence or cover, even for a bad boss, Kumin says. “These people may want to be known as great employees, not employees who have reported sexual harassment.” In Mahurin’s case, some sources say it’s worse than just the usual

boss/employee dynamic. Mahurin, after all, has the power of the prosecutor’s office. “The only reason I’m staying anonymous is I fear that he will file criminal charges against me or find some kind of way to keep me quiet in the future. It’s not just that I’m worried about him not liking me,” says one source. Another source, an attorney who works in the region, says that in the past they’ve been explicitly warned by local officials that Mahurin was looking into filing charges against them. Multiple sources say Mahurin has been known to act rashly in response to even petty disagreements. For a lawyer, they say, getting on the prosecutor’s bad side could mean a client loses a chance at negotiating a plea deal. Or worse. “A lot of the attorneys are just scared to death of him,” the lawyer says. “The way he thinks, I think he could file bogus criminal charges at someone he’s very angry at.” Indeed, that’s what Bret Burgess, St. Francois County’s former elected auditor, claims happened to him. Burgess’ resignation in January 2017 came after Mahurin accused the auditor’s office of criminal fraud for a highly unusual reason: It allegedly processed a purchase order that lacked the signature of the presiding judge. Before the dispute exploded into criminal allegations, Mahurin and Burgess repeatedly clashed over budget issues, with the prosecutor publicly accusing the auditor of adjusting his office budget through “blackmail,” and the auditor, in response, castigating Mahurin for going over budget and refusing to implement new accounting software. In the fall of 2016, though, what seemed like a bureaucratic dispute became a Missouri State Highway Patrol investigation. Records show it was opened at Mahurin’s request. “That’s when things got very sideways,” Burgess says in an interview. Three months later, in January 2017, Burgess says he was exhausted by what he says was a made-up scandal and resigned his post. But the investigation continued under a special prosecutor appointed by Mahurin, Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Josh Hedgecorth. In the meantime, the subsequently appointed “acting auditor,” Amber Menjoulet, canned Burgess’ assistant auditor, Jan Petty, over her involvement in processing the purchase order. Burgess and Petty planned to sue St. Francois County — but that effort was diffused in June 2017,

when they both received deferred prosecution agreements from Hedgecorth. In the agreements, Hedgecorth seemed both to protect Mahurin’s interests and undercut the criminal allegation. “It is my belief that the technical elements of forgery have occurred,” Hedgecorth wrote, but then later acknowledged in the same document, “It’s my opinion that there really wasn’t any criminal intent in this incident.” In return for not filing charges, the agreement included a “special condition” that prevented Burgess and Petty from suing St. Francois County or seeking employment in the county government. In the end, Burgess and Petty signed the agreement, meaning Mahurin’s investigation essentially ended the careers of two rivals, without the danger of a lawsuit hovering over the prosecutor’s office or the county. During the recent interview, Mahurin maintains that the fraud investigation against the auditor’s office was proper under the circumstances. As for Hedgecorth, the Washington County prosecutor tells the RFT that his responsibilities carry a legal obligation to protect St. Francois County from lawsuits. Burgess is less than convinced. “I felt like I was bullied out of office, and obviously Jerrod had a hand in this [deferred prosecution agreement], and it was to escape a lawsuit.” he says. “I’m personally concerned about Jerrod’s behavior.” Then there’s the case of Ryan Miller. Last summer, the Farmington police officer posted a Facebook comment beneath a local news story detailing how Mahurin’s office had struck a plea deal for a man accused of trying to run over his girlfriend with a truck. The deal carried five years’ probation, no jail time. Officer Miller commented, “Not a big deal apparently. Good thing he didn’t get caught with drugs or he would spend his life in prison.” He concluded with two eye-roll emojis. On June 20, 2017, Miller was called into Mahurin’s office for a meeting that included Farmington Police Chief Rick Baker. During the meeting, Mahurin flatly told Miller that they couldn’t work together anymore. While Mahurin couldn’t fire him directly, any police officer who’s lost the trust of his prosecutor isn’t going to be called to testify in cases. As Miller puts it, Mahurin “rendered me useless.” Continued on pg 18

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Continued from pg 17

In a subsequent memo to the chief, Mahurin cited Miller’s Facebook post and unspecified “mental issues” as the reason Miller shouldn’t be trusted with a firearm. (Miller acknowledges that he’s been diagnosed with depression and once attempted suicide.) In a memo to Chief Baker, Mahurin wrote, “I believe Officer Miller has no credibility left.” He added, “[Miller’s] comments regarding my office and your department are highly disturbing to me, even if they are not to you.” Indeed, Baker stood up for his officer, and refused to fire Miller or even discipline him for the Facebook comment that so enraged Mahurin. However, a year later, Miller moved on from law enforcement, taking an IT job in a different part of the state. Miller concedes that his Facebook comment invited trouble. “Jerrod has a pretty notorious reputation on being extraordinarily harsh on drug offenders,” Miller says. But he says that he never expected a prosecutor to destroy his police career over a Facebook comment. After the Facebook post, Miller claims that Mahurin’s office never again called him to testify. “It was a personal attack against me, because I’d bruised his ego,” Miller says. “I’ve never lied on the stand, and I’ve never conducted myself in a way that is contrary to the oath of office that I’ve served. I can’t say the same for him.”

working collectively,” and that these sources are “working with my opponent.” Indeed, Mahurin is facing his first contested election of his political career. After his appointment in 2012, he ran unopposed as a Democratic candidate in 2014. This year, he’s facing a former St. Louis city assistant prosecutor, Melissa Gilliam, who is running as a Republican. To Mahurin, the timing is suspicious. “No one has ever made a complaint, no one has ever said anything, but during election time, now they come forward with all

these stories,” he says. “If that’s the road we have to go down to discredit me in an election, I don’t think it’s appropriate. To tear my career down over an allegation that no one has any evidence — it hurts, it really does.” In an interview with the RFT, though, Gilliam denies that Mahurin’s problems could be attributed to her campaign. “I know Mr. Mahurin is looking to divert attention away from his behavior,” she says, “but I have nothing to do with the questionable ways that he treats his employees and manages the prosecutor’s office.”

As for the sources interviewed in this story, they don’t dispute that the election is a factor in their decision to speak out. The prospect of political change, one points out, has given them new hope after years of frustration. “For the people that I’ve talked to, they feel that now coming forward actually means something. They can tell the voters that this is happening,” the source says. “Now we have a chance. Now our voices can actually have an impact on his power. Because otherwise, regardless of an article that gets written, he would just keep doing it.” n

ahurin and his defenders question the motives of those coming forward. “I assume they’re disgruntled employees who have a vendetta against him,” says Kim Brewer, a legal secretary in the office. “He’s tried to be the best boss and prosecutor he can possibly be. He’s not going to make everyone happy in that position.” But sources who have managed to put distance between themselves and the office say that it has instead taken time to feel safe enough to air grievances they’ve long privately held. Other sources who’ve interacted with the office, including Davidson and Williams, say they were emboldened by the mere fact that other voices were finally speaking out. Mahurin, though, claims the November election poses an obvious motive. He contends his critics represent a “little group that’s

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CALENDAR BY PAUL FRISWOLD

WEEK OF JULY 19-25 ous loops of loosely bunched clayyarn, a rainbow skein of fibers wrapped around itself that approximates the whorls and shape of a brain — Brooks’ work is both trompe l’oeil and trompe l’clay. A small exhibition of Brooks’ ceramics goes on display this weekend at the Duane Reed Gallery (4729 McPherson Avenue; www.duanereedgallery.com), along with Brian Smith’s abstract paintings. The show opens with a free reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 20, and remains on display 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Tuesday through Saturday through August 31.

SATURDAY 07/21 World Naked Bike Ride Actors engage in strip-acting for St. Lou Fringe on Thursday. | ALLAN CRAIN

THURSDAY 07/19 Act Your Pants Off The St. Lou Fringe is still about a month away (August 15 to 25 in Grand Center; don’t miss it), but you can get a taste of the action this week at the Monocle (4510 Manchester Avenue; www.themonoclestl.com). At 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19, St. Lou Fringe presents Act Your Pants Off, a form of competitive theatrical stripping. Local actors Suki Peters, Katy Keating, Paul Cereghino, Michelle Hand and more will go head to head with short monologues and improvised scenes that involve disrobing. Desiree Declyne and Lola Van Ella co-host and also participate in the grand finale, which apparently must be seen to be believed. Tickets are $15.

FRIDAY 07/20 Colorism Racism is an undeniable fact of American life, and for black Americans there is an extra dimension

It looks like knitting, but it’s actually ceramics. | JEREMY R. BROOKS to the problem. Black skin includes a spectrum of hues, from so light you can pass for white to exceptionally dark brown. The lighter tones are considered more desirable, even within the black community; the darker your skin, the more likely you are to face a particularly cruel form of prejudice that comes from within. Darkskinned kids grow up without seeing themselves in mainstream media (with a very few notable exceptions) and must endure a barrage of insults and slurs. In-

terdisciplinary art duo WORK/ PLAY (Danielle and Kevin McCoy) examine this insular form of racism in their new show, Colorism. Using experimental printmaking and minimal contemporary design, WORK/PLAY shows how our perception of color shapes our aesthetic sense and influences what we accept and reject. Colorism opens with a free reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 20 at the Kranzberg Arts Center Gallery (501 North Grand Boulevard; www.kranzbergartsfoundation. org). The show remains on display through September 3.

Can you hear that rustling sound? That’s the sound of hundreds of people dropping their clothes in preparation for the 2018 World Naked Bike Ride. The St. Louis edition of the worldwide event is now in its eleventh year and has grown to become one of the best-attended Continued on pg 22

Jeremy R. Brooks Ceramicist Jeremy R. Brooks is currently based in Carbondale, Illinois, where he’s teaching at Southern Illinois University. His own studies include an unusual type of clay with a rubber-like elasticity that sets up quickly. Working quickly, he extrudes paper-like slabs and long coils, which he can then use for knitting, weaving or crocheting. The resulting forms have a plasticity that seems nearly impossible. Knitted vessels made from delicate strands of clay, sinu-

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Cycle as bare as you dare on Saturday. | JON GITCHOFF

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Standup comic Julian Michael in Out on Stage. | COURTESY OF FATHOM EVENTS

CALENDAR

Continued from pg 21

rides. And why not? St. Louisans have nothing to hide, and they love to ride — the World Naked Bike Ride combines both of those elements. Riders will begin assembling at 4 p.m., and the costume contest takes place at 5 p.m. (categories include “best creative DIY,” “best dance moves” and “most hairy”). The ride itself starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 21, in the Grove (Manchester and Kentucky avenues; www.wnbrstl. org). Admission is free, but if you want to eat or drink you’ll need to stash some money somewhere on your person.

LaBute Fest The second half of the LaBute New Theater Festival kicks off this weekend. In recent years, this has been the half of the fest that contains the gems. Neil LaBute’s disturbing one-man short “The Fourth Reich” once again opens the show; it stars Eric Dean White as a pleasantly evil man out to convince you he’s a rational human being. White is so good that he almost pulls it off. Three more one-acts follow: “The Gettier Problem,” “Unabridged” and “The Process.” Performances take place at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (July 20 to 29) at the Gaslight Theater (358 North Boyle Avenue; www.stlas. org). Tickets are $30 to $35.

SUNDAY 07/22 Mamma Mia! Sophie’s impending marriage to

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Sky will be perfect, except for the fact that she’s never met her father and has no one to walk her down the aisle. So she does what any adult would do — she reads her mother’s old diary in search of her father’s name. Sophie discovers three possible candidates and promptly sends each potential dad an invitation to the wedding in the belief that she’ll know her father when she sees him. What could possibly go wrong? It’s not like she could embarrass her mother and spoil her own party, right? Mamma Mia!, the wildly popular musical built around the songs of ABBA, is presented by Stages St. Louis Tuesday through Sunday (July 20 to August 19) at the Robert G. Reim Theatre (111 South Geyer Road, Kirkwood; www.stagesstlouis.org). Tickets are $50 to $66.

TUESDAY 07/24 Out on Stage Zach Noe Towers is an out-andproud gay comic on the rise, dubbed a comedian to watch in 2018 by Out magazine. If you haven’t seen him yet there’s a remedy. Towers is the host of Out on Stage, a standup show that will feature sixteen gay-and-lesbian comics who are on the verge of breaking out. Julian Michael, Irene Tu and Gloria Bigelow are all featured in this one-night-only performance, which screens nationally courtesy of Fathom Events. Out on Stage is shown locally at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at Marcus Wehrenberg Ronnies 20 Cine (5320 Lindbergh Boulevard; www.fathomevents.com). Tickets are $15. n

FILM

[REVIEW]

Follow That Dream Eugene Jarecki takes America’s temperature with a new film about Elvis Written by

ROBERT HUNT The King Directed by Eugene Jarecki. Written by Eugene Jarecki and Christopher St. John. Opens Friday, July 20, at the Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

ugene Jarecki’s The King is about the life and legacy of Elvis Presley. It’s a biography in the form of a road trip, Jarecki cruising in Elvis’ own 1963 Rolls-Royce from Tupelo to Memphis to Nashville to Las Vegas (with pit stops in Germany and New York), revisiting the stations of the King. He lets a few guests climb in the back seat from time to time, an assortment of musicians, cultural critics, journalists, celebrities and regular fans. It’s a diverse bunch that includes Peter Guralnick, whose two-volume biography of Elvis is essential reading not just for fans but for anyone interested in American culture in the second half of the twentieth century, and Chuck D, whose 1989 hit with Public Enemy, “Fight the Power,” left no doubt about his dismissive opinion of the King. The guest list (James Carville, Alec Baldwin, Dan Rather, Rosanne Cash, Ashton Kutcher) is wide enough to open the film to a larger discussion of American culture, which is Jarecki’s intent, and to reveal the breadth of our collective obsession with Elvis. These people know the songs, the stories, the minute details of his life. Ethan Hawke claims to have been dismissive of Elvis in his youth but is clearly awe-struck. Canadian Mike Myers offers a witty alternative perspective on how Presley’s unmistakably Southern persona was seen by our neighbors to the north. Van Jones challenges Jarecki for glorifying El-

Mike Coykendall (left) and M. Ward join Eugene Jarecki to discuss the meaning of Elvis. | DAVID KUHN, COURTESY OF OSCILLOSCOPE LABORATORIES

vis, while songwriter John Hiatt is moved to tears the instant he climbs into the Rolls, seeing it as a symbol of the singer’s lack of authority over his life and his fame. Mojo Nixon had it right: Elvis is everywhere. He’s also the kindling for a rapid succession of ideas and arguments as the film expands and unwinds his story. Jarecki explores class issues in the struggling town of Tupelo, where young Presley lived in less-than-glamorous surroundings and which today barely survives on Elvis-related tourism. He also hears arguments for and against the oft-made accusations of cultural appropriation, listens to the gospel, blues and country music that Elvis helped blend into rock-and-roll, and even learns how to cook fried peanut-butterand-banana sandwiches. Elvis’ life is just one element in a collage of sounds and images, film clips and interviews, yet the real Elvis, the kid who rose from being dirt-poor to ridiculously self-conscious fame and fortune, remains oddly distant. The audio Jarecki uses of old interviews sounds almost like spirit messages slipping through the ether.

If Elvis the cultural signifier is still very much with us as an American success story (Jarecki shows Andy Warhol’s Triple Elvis being auctioned in 2014 for $82 million), the biographical Elvis is seen more as an almost inevitable tragedy. For Jarecki, Presley’s problem began when he fell under the management of the notorious Colonel Tom Parker, a hustler whose relationship with Elvis is compared to that of Carl Denham and King Kong. The comparison (both are pulled from the wild, branded as King and turned into show-biz spectacles) may be a bit forced but gives a small sense of how ill-equipped Presley was to handle his success. By his final years — from the ‘68 comeback to the Vegas residency to the final, embarrassing performances, loaded with prescription drugs and bursting the seams of his white jumpsuit — he had become a victim of fame: excessive, sentimental, self-destructive and out of control. He started out as James Dean and ended as a white-trash Gatsby. If Signifying Elvis has outlived its creator (with no end in sight: Elvis died at 42, and 41 years later

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his estate continues to make millions), it’s because he’s big enough to absorb almost any meaning you want to throw at him. He’s rich, he’s poor; he’s the hills of Mississippi, he’s the neon of Vegas; he’s an outlaw, he’s a would-be cop. Jarecki doesn’t push any single interpretation. In a final montage sequence showing events from the decades following Elvis’ death, he seems to be opening up his film to whatever connection the viewer wants to make. If Elvis is America, Jarecki and many of his passengers are skeptical about what his country has become. It is a sign of our troubled times that almost every non-fiction film of the last sixteen months, whether dealing with Hulk Hogan’s battle with Gawker (Nobody Speak) or a much-loved Supreme Court justice (RBG), has been haunted by the uneasy presence of the Voldemort of Pennsylvania Avenue. The King, which was mostly filmed in 2016 and uses the election in counterpoint to Elvis’ story, is no exception. Jarecki’s subject may be the king of rock-and-roll, but it can’t escape the shadow of the Monster of Mar-a-Lago. n

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CAFE

Under culinary director Joe Wilson, Bloom Café capably puts its spin on everything from a reuben sandwich to a cinnamon roll to a Cobb salad. | MABEL SUEN

[REVIEW]

As Good as It Gets Bloom Café supports a great cause with even better food Written by

CHERYL BAEHR The Bloom Café 5200 Oakland Avenue, 314-652-5666; Mon.Sat. 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Closed Sundays.)

he first thing you’ll notice upon entering Bloom Café is how open it is. Though there is ample seating, tables are placed far apart, and the area in front of the order counter is so spacious it could hold two dozen diners. In fact, one of the cafe’s few negative reviews on Yelp thus far

has focused on the setup — that the space seems “weirdly” oversized. That comment might amuse the folks at Paraquad, Bloom Café’s parent organization, but it belies a much more serious matter: the reason a restaurant like this needs to exist. As the area’s preeminent agency dedicated to empowering people with disabilities, Paraquad intentionally designed the Bloom Café setup to be accessible to everyone, with or without a mobility assistance device. If you question whether this is necessary, think back to the last time you nearly shoved your backside in a stranger’s face while awkwardly sliding into the adjoining banquette at one of those ultra-hip (and ultracramped) eateries. Now imagine trying to do that in a wheelchair. As difficult as that task may sound, finding gainful employment as a person with a disability is just as tough. According to Paraquad spokesman Jacob Kuerth, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities has

not changed in 60 years and is twice that of people not living with a disability. Paraquad saw an opportunity to tackle the problem. As part of an expansion that began last year, the agency converted the mid-century building it owns on Oakland Avenue into a fast-casual breakfastand-lunch café with a mission to provide training and paid internships to people with disabilities looking to get into the food-andbeverage industry. The cafe partners with St. Louis Community College–Forest Park’s School of Hospitality Studies on training and is run by culinary director Joe Wilson, who has been a chef instructor for both Southwestern Illinois College and St. Louis Public Schools in addition to serving as the Muny’s executive chef for the past eight seasons. But if its mission has you rooting for the Bloom Café, its food will have you cheering. Though it’s serving simple cafe fare, it is consistently well executed.

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That’s certainly the case with the Southwestern-inspired breakfast burrito, which is overstuffed with sausage, scrambled eggs and grilled bell peppers. Molten pepperjack cheese binds the ingredients, and a griddled tortilla holds the contents together with a crisp exterior. Mild tomato salsa is more there for brightness than spice, but not to worry; there are bottles of Cholula hot sauce available for us heat seekers. For the general population, it’s lovely without this addition. “Grandma Lucille’s Veggie Strata” is the Bloom Café’s most delightful savory breakfast offering — a fluffy, muffin-shaped egg casserole filled with a garden’s worth of fresh vegetables. Squash, zucchini, spinach tomatoes and avocados abound in this creamy, cheeseladen concoction. It’s like a small veggie omelet for your hands — because who has time for utensils when something this wonderful is begging to be devoured?

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BLOOM CAFĂ&#x2030;

Continued from pg 27

Conceptually, I appreciated the ham-and-egg â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breakfast Blooms,â&#x20AC;? which provide the focal point of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blooming Platter.â&#x20AC;? Thinly sliced ham is formed into the shape of a bowl and baked, forming a meaty, caramelized container for eggs and cheese. If those eggs were scrambled or poached, it would have been divine, but instead they are hard-boiled. They make for a dry mouthful, even when covered with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. I found myself removing the eggs and stuffing the ham shell with the accompanying breakfast potatoes. The soft cubes are laden with paprika and garlic, giving them a deep, smoky flavor that seemed destined to be paired with that ham. Perhaps it was meant to be. Lunch equally hits the mark with classic cafe fare, such as an exciting vegan version of a Caesar salad. Crisp romaine and pumpernickel croutons give the feel of a traditional Caesar, but in place of an anchovy-based dressing, the Bloom CafĂŠ uses one anchored by cashews. The flavor is surprisingly deep and brightened by lemon, but the texture is even more en-

Chilled strawberry soup and veggie frittata are among the cafĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offerings. | MABEL SUEN

joyable; the ground nut gives the sort of mouthfeel youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d get from the Parmesan cheese in a nonvegan Caesar. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like you are missing a thing. Bloom CafĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reuben is a solid rendition of the classic sandwich. Smokey corned-beef brisket is piled onto swirl rye bread, along with tangy Swiss cheese and even tangier Thousand Island dressing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s then griddled to give the bread a buttery golden exterior. Inside, the fat from the beef, molten

cheese and sauce all soak into the bread, forming a heavenly condiment that is greater than the sum of its parts. The reubenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beauty is only surpassed by the Cuban, which may be the best version Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve yet to have in St. Louis. The bread, a crucial component, is appropriately crusty and airy. Between its rectangular slices are ham and pulled pork that is so succulent its smoked-infused juices act like a sauce. Swiss cheese melts over

the meat, and Dijon mustard and pickles brighten every bite. Looking out onto the colorful umbrella-covered patio, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be forgiven for momentarily thinking you were in Miami. At this point in the meal, you might be so pleasantly sated, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re tempted to skip dessert. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Bloom CafĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cinnamon roll is the best thing at this restaurant. This warm, gooey pillow is so fluffy and soft I wanted to give it a snuggle. Every last crevice of the roll is filled with cinnamon and thick, creamy glaze â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not, as is so often the case, just the exterior. And that glaze is no thin coating of sugar. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as thick as cream cheese and positively decadent. After dining at Bloom CafĂŠ a few times, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m convinced that the only thing â&#x20AC;&#x153;weirdly oversizedâ&#x20AC;? about the place is my love of that cinnamon roll. Social enterprise or not, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be going there as often as possible to get my fix of that perfect sugary dream. That I can indulge even while supporting a great cause is the real icing on the roll â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and another reason we should all keep coming back for more.

Bloom CafĂŠ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grandma Lucilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Veggie Strataâ&#x20AC;? .............$4 Cuban .................................................... $9.75 Cinnamon roll ........................................ $3.25

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From Spreadsheets to Syrah Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

armen Estrada can pinpoint the exact moment she decided to pursue a career in wine. “I was working in administration, in the financial aid department of a college running compliance, and I just came home one day and said to my husband, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I can’t sit at a desk all day, every day, for 50-plus hours [a week] and just type.’ He told me to figure out what I wanted to do, but I knew. I told him I was going to go into the wine industry.” For Estrada, whose current gig is manager and wine director for the acclaimed Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Avenue, 314-647-3800), the change was not as abrupt as it appeared. Ever since moving to Austin, Texas, in 2006, she had been developing an interest in wine. At that time, it was a new beverage to her, having grown up two hours outside of Austin in a family whose beverage of choice was Bud Light. “It wasn’t until I moved to Austin that I even had a glass of wine,” Estrada explains. “I definitely got into it late in the game. I started out drinking Yellow Tail moscato and thinking, ‘Man, this is delicious!’ I definitely got into it late in the game.” Estrada met her husband in 2009, and as their relationship progressed, she decided to move with him to his hometown of St. Louis. Because he loved cooking, the pair found themselves throwing impromptu dinner parties — casual affairs filled with cheap wine. Estrada’s burgeoning passion was less about what she was drinking and more about the fact that wine had the power to bring people together around the table. Eventually, that passion would lead to curiosity, which reached

Carmen Estrada has been reconnecting with her Hispanic culture. | MONICA MILEUR

Estrada’s passion was less about what she was drinking and more about the fact that wine had the power to bring people together around the table. a tipping point when Estrada and her husband went on a trip to Paris in 2010. There, they went on a wine tour hosted by a man studying for his sommelier certification. Hearing him speak lit a spark in Estrada. “Listening to him talk about

wine and flavor profiles and how infatuated he was with grapes was amazing,” Estrada recalls. “In my family, alcohol was just to drink, but hearing him go on and on about tasting notes was different. It’s when I completely fell in love with it.” Not long after returning from that trip, Estrada had her moment of clarity about her admin job. She began researching wine programs and found the International Culinary Center in New York, which is run by twelve master sommeliers. Though it was a big gamble, she and her husband sold most of their things, packed their bags, rented out their house and moved to New York City. After graduating from the program, Estrada got a job working for a small Italian wine distributor in Brooklyn. Though it was a solid job, it involved a lot of paperpushing and made her feel like she was back working in administration. She left for a position at

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a boutique wine shop in the financial district where her days were spent chatting with customers about pairings and tasting notes and relishing the opportunity to connect with people over wine. Everything was finally coming together. When Estrada and her husband decided to move back to St. Louis, she began looking for jobs and came across an opportunity for a manager and wine director at Farmhaus. There was just one problem: She wasn’t qualified. “I clicked on it to apply but told my husband there is no way I am going to get this because I literally have no restaurant experience,” Estrada recalls. “I said, ‘There is no way in hell I am qualified for this,’ but I sent my resume anyway.” Estrada’s application caught the eye of Farmhaus’ owners, and before she knew it, she was offered a job. In the two years she’s worked at the Clifton Heights restaurant,

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she’s proven her worth, running a top-notch wine program at one of the city’s premier restaurants. Now, Estrada is ready to strike out on her own as she winds down her tenure at Farmhaus to explore her future in the city’s wine scene. However, she is equally focused on another new challenge: reconnecting with her Hispanic heritage. Though she was raised in a Hispanic household and encouraged to learn Spanish, Estrada rejected her roots in a sort of adolescent rebellion. In Texas, it was easy to take her heritage for granted. It’s different in St. Louis, where the absence of Latin culture feels palpable. “It was a switch that flipped in me; I started to engage a part of me that I never really wanted to engage in the first place,” says Estrada. “And it’s really freaking cool. Though when I was [visiting] Mexico City, it was really awkward because everyone thought I could speak Spanish and I didn’t know what they were saying. So now I am more appreciative — and desperately trying to learn Spanish!” Estrada took a break from her wine duties and not-so foreign language studies to share her thoughts on the St. Louis restaurant scene, why she’ll make time for a run no matter how tired she is and how she will always crave her grandma’s tamales — even if witnessing the process from start to finish was the shock of her life. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did? That although I grew up in a largely Hispanic family, I didn’t really connect with my culture. It wasn’t until the last couple of years that I decided to start embracing it, and I can’t quite say why, either. My husband and I recently took a trip to Mexico City, and the food and the wine (yes, Mexican wine) was amazing and reminded me so much of what I grew up with. I studied for about six months and tried to polish up on my Spanish, but I was still a deer in the headlights when I was spoken to. It was hilarious for my husband to watch. Moving to other cities in the country, I had people assume that I spoke Spanish or knew much about Hispanic culture. It’s not something I’m super proud of, but I’m trying to embrace and connect with it now. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you?

JULY 18 - 24, 2018

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Getting in my run. I wake up early in the morning or go late after work. It helps me clear my mind of all the daily stress of the job. Over the years I’ve wondered how so many people in the industry manage to run half-marathons and marathons, and I’ve learned that it’s just putting your mind to it and forcing yourself out the door when all you want to do is sleep. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation. I could travel the world without ever getting on plane, which for me is the worst part of traveling. My husband and I love to travel, but with our schedules, we usually end up on the first flight out, which can be really early. What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? An introduction to more “natural” wine and the acceptance of it. I’ve seen a few articles over the last year that have focused on it specifically, and I am a huge fan. Yes, sometimes the wine is funky and weird, but that’s what I love about it. It’s not something you would normally pick, but they pair so well with food. We carry a decent amount on my current list, and I hope to carry more in the future. What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see? Late-night noodle eats. I love noodles, and after a long Saturday night, the first thing I want is just a delicious bowl of pho – which is probably why my husband and I have pho every Sunday morning. It’s a ritual we started about a year and a half ago. It’s great. If there was a late-night noodle shop here, I’d be a regular! Who is your St. Louis food crush? There are so many talented people doing great things that it’s hard to narrow it down. Loryn Nalic of Balkan Treat Box comes to the forefront of my mind. She has done some amazing things … and that pide. Jesse Mendica at Olive and Oak is another. They are two very talented women. Also, Morgaine and Charlie at Olive and Oak are doing great things, and that cocktail program is on point! Then you have the kitchen staff at Farmhaus. Dillon Witte has been there for a few years and might be the most talented twenty-year-old I have ever personally met. Mike Frank, our chef de cuisine, has shown me how to marry random flavors and make them complement each other. Plus all the other great talent in

the St. Louis region — I’m looking forward to developing more food crushes in the next year. Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis food scene? Jake Sciales, our former head chef. We worked closely together over the last two years, and he recently left to run the kitchen at Spencer’s Grill in Kirkwood. He did such an amazing job at Farmhaus, and I have no doubt that he will do great things at Spencer’s as well. I am looking forward to the changes that are coming! Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? Gamay. It’s light, fun and approachable. If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing? I’d probably be working in administration for a school. Before I decided to make the jump into the wine industry, I was running a financial-aid department for a school in Glendale. It was stressful but rewarding at the same time, and I’m really good with spreadsheets. Boring, I know, but I was really good at it. Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant. There aren’t many things not allowed in the restaurant. I think the only thing I’ve ever actually said “no” to was sake, but if we did a lot of things that paired well with it, I’d probably bring it in. What is your after-work hangout? Typically my couch. However, if I do go out, it’s usually to 33 Wine Bar for a bottle of wine after Saturday service. The staff there is so knowledgeable and engaging. It’s my favorite place to unwind. What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure? Cheeseburgers. Seriously, if I could eat a cheeseburger every day I would. Just a simple Smashburger with mustard and pickles and I’m in heaven. Also Laffy Taffy. Not the banana, though; they suck. What would be your last meal on earth? Two dozen (why does that seem like a lot?) of my grandmother’s tamales. Everything from trapping the hog (I still have PTSD from watching my grandfather break this down) to making the masa was from scratch. I’ve had tamales over the years, and I don’t know if it’s because it’s what I grew up with, but man, I’ve had nothing like them since. Throw in a big glass of her way-too-sweet iced tea and I could die a happy person. n

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[FOOD NEWS]

‘Wacky’ Ice Cream? We Have That Written by

SARAH FENSKE

he ice cream at Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery (two locations, including 1637 S. 18th Street, 314-858-6100) has hit the big time. Owner Tamara Keefe’s “Sweet and Smokey BBQ,” a collaboration with Capitalist Pig on offer this summer, was featured July 5 on a segment of ABC’s Good Morning America devoted to “America’s wackiest ice cream.” Co-host Michael Strahan was tasked with taste-testing three, well, wacky flavors proffered by Bon Appetit’s food director, Carla Lalli Music — all while wearing a blindfold. “I guess vanilla/chocolate is not enough anymore,” he quipped. Clementine’s offering came first, and drew immediate recognition from Strahan. “That’s barbecue!”

Clementine’s “Sweet & Smokey BBQ” ice cream is available at both its locations. | ED ALLER

he enthused. “Very good,” Music said. “That’s exactly right. This is from Clementine’s; this is a flavor made from barbecue sauce, but there’s actually meat in it.” Indeed, “Sweet & Smokey” features actual chunks of Capitalist Pig’s smoked brisket, carmelized for the occasion. The Soulard shop’s barbecue sauce is then used in the base of the ice cream. Keefe says the collaboration has

been a hit. “Everybody wants to try it, because it’s like, ‘What?’ But once they do, some people really like it!” As for co-host Strahan, he was on the fence. “This is something that’s delicious, but I don’t actually want to try again,” he told Music. “Fair enough,” Music replied. His loss, right? For Keefe, the day was a whirlwind. She was summoned to

[SWEETS]

Central West End Parlor Offers That Touch of Pink

Pinky’s has brought sweets to a space on Boyle that used to be a clothing shop. | SARAH FENSKE 32

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JULY 18 - 24, 2018

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inky’s Ice Cream & Snow Cone Parlor (364 N. Boyle Avenue), which opened last month in the Central West End, has a fun, girly look to it. There’s a lot of hot pink — and a subtle yet distinct touch of glitter. And that makes sense when you learn that its namesake is an eight-year-old girl. When co-owner Randy Terrell’s daughter Sophia was a baby, she had a pink mark on her nose that lingered for a few years after birth. He took to calling her “Pinky” — and later bestowed the name on the ice-cream parlor he opened with his business partner Ebony Armstead. True to its name, Pinky’s offers ice cream (from Webster Groves-based Serendipity) and sno cones (made in-house, of course). You can also get a cookie or a cupcake, although the best way to sweeten up the experience may well be among the roster of toppings you can choose from. In addition to the usual sprinkles,

Southampton the night before, as the business next to the building where her third location is under construction, Macklind Avenue Deli, was ravaged by fire in the wee hours as July 4 fireworks gave way to mayhem. She watched helplessly until nearly dawn as 60 firefighters worked to battle the blaze. Fortunately for Keefe, however, the impact on her building appears minimal, with only minor water damage discovered to date. “There’s no smoke damage inside, which is a miracle,” she says. “We had no drywall or insulation, just lumber, and that’s all fine. So we’re just waiting for it to dry out.” Construction crews were expected to be back on site at Clementine’s as early as July 6. Once that roller-coaster of an early morning was over, Keefe headed back home, where she’d gotten a heads up that her ice cream would be on that morning’s Good Morning America. But even that exciting news wasn’t enough to trump a long, sleepless night. Once she was finally home and able to breathe again, exhaustion set in. Rather than stay up to watch her shop’s moment in the national media, she admits, “I passed out asleep!” But all’s well that ends well: Keefe says she later got to watch the segment on video. n

candy and Oreos, they include a variety of breakfast cereals — Golden Grahams and Fruity Pebbles among them. “I used to love putting Coco Puffs on my ice cream when I was a kid,” Armstead says. Now she can do it and call it product development. This is the first food-oriented business for Terrell and Armstead. He works in construction; she’s a paralegal. But when the large storefront on Boyle became available (A Taste of Luxurie, the clothing boutique that used to be there, moved to DeBaliviere Place), they were convinced it would make the perfect icecream parlor. “We decided it was a good place to put one,” Terrell says. “It seemed like something people would want as a treat, and want year-round.” Eventually, they hope to add coffee, donuts and other treats, too. Currently, Pinky’s is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The owners plan to soon start offering birthday-party packages, with options for as many as twenty kids, as well as, they hope, adding sidewalk seating.

—Sarah Fenske

The Carribean jerk sub is a tribute to Cory Flament’s Trinidadian heritage. | SARAH FENSKE

[FIRST LOOK]

A Taste of NYC in Downtown STL Written by

SARAH FENSKE

ou won’t find Provel anywhere at Flament Co’s the Place American Eatery (418 S. Tucker Boulevard, 314-931-2275), the casual pizzeria that opened July 4 on the western edge of downtown. “We’ve got a mozzarella-andprovolone blend,” says co-owner Cory Flament. “That’s as close as we’ll get.” The location, which sits inside the UHaul building at Tucker and Spruce, is the second outpost for Flament and his wife Brittany. Their first pizzeria, in O’Fallon, Illinois, has drawn a large, enthusiastic following. They’re confident that they can earn a similar devotion here — even, yes, without Provel. To that end, they’re offering seven subs, a half-dozen salads, wings and a host of specialty pizzas — New York style or thin and crispy. And they’ll also be the one place in St. Louis where you can get T.C. Treats, an O’Fallon-based purveyor of Italian ice (or, as they call it in true East Coast style, “Philly water ice”). And if all that’s not enough to lure you to their corner, they also plan to start selling Pharaoh’s Donuts on site. Score! But while you’ll definitely want to save room for a donut (or an Italian ice), it’s the pizza that’s the true draw here. For example, Cory Flament’s personal favorite, “the Scarface,” tops red sauce with that mozzarella/provolone blend, dabs of soft ricotta, pepperoni, banana pep-

pers, bacon and roasted garlic. It’s insanely addictive. Or check out “the Mona Lisa,” with garlic-infused sauce topped with vegetables including spinach, cherry tomatoes, red onion, roasted red pepper and Kalamata olives plus feta, among other cheeses. It’s almost too pretty to eat. The subs, too, are creative and wellpriced (a half for $7, a whole for $9). Try the Caribbean jerk, an oven-toasted sub that’s a tribute to Flament’s heritage (his father is from Trinidad). The spicy chicken is topped with curry mayo, provolone, lettuce, onion and tomato. Or try “the Spruce,” which places bacon, lettuce and tomato atop grilled chicken, with roasted red peppers and cherry-pepper relish for a subtle kick. The eatery is no frills, with a counter where you order and plenty of tables and chairs if you want to eat in. A super-sized garage-style door separates it from the U-Haul outlet next door, but it’s kept open so you can stop over and pick up some boxes or tape while you wait for your pizza. A New York native and U.S. Naval officer, Cory Flament got interested in the space while working next door at the federal building. “I saw a ‘for lease’ sign and thought, ‘I should check that out,’” he recalls. Once he realized the street address, 418, matched his birthday of April 18, he felt a sense of destiny. “It was meant to be,” he says. The shop is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as on game days — any time the Cardinals are in town, they’ll be open for two hours before the game and stay open until two hours after. The Flaments say they may do the same for the Blues. “We’ll see how things play out,” Cory Flament says. To-go orders are also encouraged; curbside pickup is available. n

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CULTURE

[PROFILE]

The Burney Sisters Will Be LouFest’s Youngest Act Yet Written by

HOWARD HARDEE

ased on dozens of YouTube videos of six-to-ten-year-olds absolutely shredding on guitar, there’s no shortage of people who become instrumentally proficient at astoundingly young ages. Emerging as a strong songwriter at thirteen years old, though — that’s something else. Such is the curious case of Olivia Burney, who is part of an acoustic folk duo with her ten-year-old sister, Emma. Olivia writes the songs for the Columbia, Missouribased Burney Sisters, but even she can’t really explain how she does it. “I don’t even know how it starts,” she says. “It’s a weird thing. I just started writing one day, and I’ve been writing ever since. Right now, I’m playing with different genres. Everything I thought that music was, I’m just trying to go the opposite way so I can make something different.” Olivia and Emma play ukulele and guitar, respectively, and sing harmony with each other. Both are multi-instrumentalists who can also collectively handle the banjo, bass and keyboards. As with many fledgling musicians, the duo’s influences are plain to hear: They play with a heart-on-their-sleeves earnestness in a similar manner to North Carolina folk-rockers the Avett Brothers. (Check out the sisters’ cover of “No Hard Feelings.”) But they’ve been making their own name lately, scoring increasingly high-profile gigs throughout Missouri and the greater Midwest. Their mother, April Bur-

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At ten and thirteen years old, respectively, Emma (left) and Olivia Burney have already written and performed a host of songs. | AMBER THIESSEN

JULY 18 - 24, 2018

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ney, acts as booking manager and press liaison. In fact, she’s on the phone as Riverfront Times catches up with the Burney Sisters ahead of their biggest gig yet — a set at LouFest in September, for which the duo was recently announced as part of the lineup. April says the girls were exposed to music early and often at home. “There’s a lot of music in my family,” she says. “My dad plays an instrument, my mom sang and my stepdad went on the road and played with some pretty awesome people. It was always ingrained in me, so singing was something I did from when the girls were newborns on up. I taught them harmony parts, just having fun with it in the car and around the house.” But nobody in the family could have figured they’d experience success as performing musicians so soon. Just a little over a year and a half ago, musician and friend Eric “Rocket” Kirchner came over for a holiday celebration in Columbia. At one point, he started picking on his guitar and Emma and Olivia got to harmonizing. Kirchner was blown away. “He asked them to help him with an album he was recording, and that’s kind of where they got the bug to do it themselves,” April says. “They went through the process of going to the studio, the CD release and radio play, and they really enjoyed it.” “Once we recorded the album with Rocket Kirchner, we kind of wanted to do our own thing,” Olivia says. “It was like, ‘Maybe we can see how far we can take this, start taking shows and playing wherever.’” Emma and Olivia began posting videos of covers on Facebook, slowly mixing in original tunes, on what they call “Thursday Snippets.” They also started meeting with their mother twice a week to set goals, like specific venues they’d like to play. “I wanted them to understand the business side of it, not just the singing part,” April says. “That really helped us get aligned and pointed in the direction we wanted to head in. We started off with 25 songs they really liked — because if I told them what songs to sing, they would never practice — and they just got to work.” They started by busking on side-

“I just started writing one day, and I’ve been writing ever since. Everything I thought that music was, I’m just trying to go the opposite way so I can make something different.” walks outside of bars, eventually setting up their first official gig at a nursing home. The sisters were spectacularly nervous and a little underprepared. “We didn’t have enough material to play the hour we committed to doing,” Olivia says. “So, after we ran through all of the songs, we were like, ‘Hey mom, are we done yet?’ It’s really embarrassing to look back at.” Looking ahead, the sisters intend to branch out musically and collaborate with other artists, and they’re in the process of recording a full-length album. Beyond that, they’d love to go on a lengthy tour, which is feasible only because their manager is also their teacher; the girls are homeschooled and able to study on the road. With so much growing up to do, it would be easy for the Burney Sisters to dream about success on the national stage, but Olivia’s expectations are grounded. For now, she’s looking forward to playing shows and supporting other artists in Columbia’s local music scene. Of course, there’s always the possibility of adding more musicians to the group. And they might not have to look far: Emma and Olivia’s eight-year-old sister, Bella, has been taking to percussion lately, and — surprise — she’s got a natural ear for harmonies. She’s just a little shy. n

Wednesday July 18 9:30PM Urban Chestnut Presents

The Voodoo Players Tribute To The Allman Brothers Friday July 20 10PM Urban Chestnut Presents

Alligator Wine and Friends Tribute To the Music of Watkin’s Glen Saturday July 21 10PM

The Aquaducks

Horn Driven Funk from Nashville Friday July 27 10PM

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Grateful Dead Experience Fri., JULY 27 at 5PM & Sat., JULY 28 at Noon

Shrimp Festival

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JULY 18 - 24, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JULY 18 - 24, 2018

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[HOMESPUN]

Two of a Kind The Wilhelms’ latest album showcases the musical chemistry between the songwriting duo Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER

ohn Wendland and Andy Ploof have never lacked for an outlet to share their music together. The men, both singers and guitarists, played together in One Fell Swoop in the mid-’90s before joining with bassist and singer Anne Tkach to form the core of Rough Shop. That the band has weathered the tragedy of Tkach’s sudden passing in 2015 — a new album is said to be in the offing — is further proof of the pair’s musical bond. In the interim, Wendland and Ploof stay busy with their acoustic duo the Wilhelms, whose sophomore album Contortionist Blues was released this month. In the mezzanine of the Tick Tock Tavern, the musicians muse on the distinctions between their two active bands and what playing as a duo affords them. “I think some songs lend themselves better to full-band arrangements,” says Wendland. “We tend to do those with Rough Shop. But I love a lot of stripped-down, more intimate-sounding stuff, and to me that works really well with this.” “We were at a point with the band where it just seemed harder to get everyone together,” says Ploof. “We wanted to play a fair amount still, so we thought, ‘Well, it’s gonna be a lot easier to get fewer people together and agree to practice and agree to certain dates to play shows.’” Ploof continues, “It was fun to focus on the acoustic duo now, and since we’re songwriters, it’s fun to really focus on the songs.” Of those songs on Blues, many show the intricate craft of topshelf folk music, with finely wrought lyrical detail and sturdy, unfussy acoustic guitar work. When asked to pick their favorite new song written by the other, both men demure slightly. “Oh man, that’s really making it rough,” Wendland laughs. “But maybe ‘Falling Down Drunk.’ That song works so well with a full band, and it works so great

Andy Ploof (left) and John Wendland have performed together for decades across numerous acts. | NATE BURRELL stripped down, and it’s just narrowed down to the basics and it just really gets across. I don’t see a lot of other bands playing stuff like that.” The song rides on a gentle, loping waltz and finds Ploof putting his weathered, husky voice in the guise of a man stumbling through his steps from both too much alcohol and a conflicted conviction. In talking about “Falling Down Drunk,” Ploof gives insight to his songwriting process. “I had the melody for a long, long time, and then the title just worked with the song,” he says. “From there, the idea of somebody trying to screw up his courage to get something done came about. I have a hard time writing words; I often think, ‘OK, do I have enough for a song? Good! I’m out. I’m not writing anymore.’” For his selection, Ploof gives credit to Wendland’s “$500 Funeral,” a funny and surreal storysong about sending a loved one to his final reward — on a budget. Ploof calls it a “really good, detailed story laid out in a song form,” and Wendland cops that his inspiration came squarely from the Gram Parsons song “$1000 Wedding.” “If he can write a song about a thousand-dollar wedding, I can write a song about a $500 funeral,” says Wendland. “That’s how I started writing it, simple as that.”

“If [Gram Parsons] can write a song about a thousanddollar wedding, I can write a song about a $500 funeral. That’s how I started writing it, simple as that.” Wendland’s song is played mostly for laughs, but the track underscores a sense of loss that permeates many of these songs. The album closes with “Meet Me on the Southside,” a tribute to the late Bob Reuter, a revered DJ, songwriter and photographer. Granite City native Michael Friedman wrote the lyrics and Wendland provided the music. “Our relationship with Bob Reuter goes back a long way,” Wendland says. “When I first moved here we’d start going to guitar circles hosted by [KDHX DJ and RFT contributor] Roy Kasten.

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That’s where I met a lot of songwriters, including Bob Reuter and Michael Friedman. “He was a rather prickly character, but I always got along with him really well,” Wendland says of Reuter. The album’s most striking song is also Wendland’s most personal. “Best Spent Time” is a tribute to his late wife Marie Arsenault, and Wendland wrote it in the month between her passing in August 2016 and her memorial service a month later. Through the grief, Wendland recalls that the music, a binding force in their relationship, provided some solace. “It just so happened that Andy and I were supposed to be playing the night before the memorial,” he says. “We just decided to do it because she was such a music fan and used to book bands for a living. “I wrote it pretty quickly,” Wendland says. “I had the melody, part of it, already, but once I had a melody in mind it just poured out. It’s a hard song to do because you want to do justice to the song, but you’re trying not to think too much about what you’re singing. You gotta try to disassociate yourself slightly to get through the damn song. “I wouldn’t change a thing about that song, from a lyrics standpoint,” Wendland concludes. “Not a thing.” n

JULY 18 - 24, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[PROFILE]

Enter the Golden Age Written by

THOMAS CRONE

t was barely a couple of years ago when a young man named Sam Golden up and moved to St. Louis, never having visited the city prior to his arrival. This was a relocation based on the best reason of all: love. His ladyfriend had received a residency offer from BJC, and Golden “decided to tag along and see what happened.” Together, the two crossed the country, from Arizona to St. Louis, with one half of the duo knowing exactly what would come next, the other taking a more free-floating approach. Armed with a degree in composition and serious competency on a host of instruments, Golden hit the open-mic scene and played a few gigs, meeting some folks that way. Mostly, though, his deep dive into the St. Louis music scene came as a result of linking up with one musician, who put him in touch with another, who put him in touch with another. He’s already had to cycle out of projects, simply because his time has become so stretched. “There’s more breadth to the music scene here than in Tucson, more genres and a lot of cross-pollination going on as well,” Golden says. “It was super easy to find bands and to make friends. Hardly any effort at all; it was really great. I said ‘yes’ to every offer and didn’t think twice. I wanted to meet as many people as I could, become a better musician that way. I trusted it to kind of sort itself out, that some bands would naturally get to make more money and play more gigs. If I had to leave something, there’d be no hard feelings. It’s been a nice, natural flow.” While his skills and easygoing personality have clinched the deal in some cases, he’s found himself locking in with folks for a host of reasons. “I think Sam may be in thirteen bands or something,” says Jenny Roques, one of Golden’s many bandmates. “He’s from Tucson, and I met him shortly after taking my first trip there. It’s a mystic area of the country to me and we bonded quickly over knowing the area.

RIVERFRONT TIMES

New to the city, multi-instrumentalist Sam Golden is already making waves. | ANNIE MARTINEAU

“He plays with me when I do solo stuff and is in my new project, Desire Lines,” she continues. “He is truly a wizard at many instruments. Sometimes on fiddle or sometimes on electric lead guitar. He adds a lot to Desire Lines with his lead work and is able to create a sound that is perfect for what I felt when I wrote the song.” OK, so that’s one band. Let’s pause for a fuller roll call ... In the genre-blending Brothers Lazaroff, he alternates between fiddle, guitar and keys. With the new(ish) Arcadia Dance Orchestra, he dons a tux and plays only the fiddle. With the “psychedelic witchcraft rock” of Sparrowhead, he’s on drums. He’s back on fiddle for a “country bar band doing covers and drinkin’ music” called the Brucetoffersons, which is a very different project than the Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra, the silent film-scoring unit in which he’s featured on piano. To varying degrees, he’s a side player in those groups, his involvement ranging from simple rehearse-and-gig status in a few to taking on a more active role in others; with the Lazaroffs, as an example, he’s scored symphonic parts when the group has played with string sections. Somewhere in all that, he’s found time for personal expression, too. There’s a solo gig on the horizon, as he’ll be performing Friday nights at Sophie’s Art-

JULY 18 - 24, 2018

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ist Lounge and Cocktail Club at .ZACK, a gig that’ll see him playing any number of genres while at the piano for a three-hour, Friday night residency. And while that gig will help pay some bills, his résumé includes one purely personal outlet: Golden Rodeo, his songwriting project that released a four-song EP earlier this year. “In the band, I play guitar,” he says. “Jack Catalanotto, a Webster U jazz grad, plays guitar and sings. Andrew Warshauer, who’s also DJ Boogieman, plays bass. Keith Bowman, who does a residency at the Dark Room, plays drums. There’s a healthy dose of jazz influences, but these songs aren’t jazz influenced as much as it’s how flexible and attuned to each other that we are as musicians.” Recently, the band got an injection of new, original material, thanks to Golden writing four songs in two weeks. “I felt incredibly inspired out of nowhere,” he explains. “Nothing particularly momentous triggered it; I just had to write some songs and the muse descended upon me. I wish it was here more often.” The group has already started some recording around those cuts, “rather than letting them stew and get stale,” Golden says. “I like working with these little chunks” of material. So a second EP could very well come out later this year. On Saturday, July 21, Golden will debut a three-band bill called

Golden Hour, which he hopes is a recurring, themed showcase. Not surprisingly, the common thread of the evening is the inclusion of Golden in all of the participating bands. In this debut version, Golden Rodeo will be joined by Desire Lines and Sparrowhead. In a sense, Golden views this night as something of a comingout party, a chance to introduce himself to the scene formally while bringing that cross-pollination element. For someone who on his own time principally listens to twentieth-century classical composers, the variety of his band pursuits is striking. For Golden, though, it’s the natural side effect of his quick, thorough envelopment into St. Louis’ music culture. “Almost without exception,” he says, “people have been welcoming and friendly. It doesn’t hurt than I can put on a lot of hats musically. “From my end, there are all these established relationships and connections in the scene and that’s motivated me to work a little harder to join these communities. I started from scratch. I’m naturally an introvert, so it forced me to get out there and that definitely paid off. It wouldn’t have happened without the whole city being as welcoming as it has been.”

Golden Hour 9 p.m. Saturday, July 21. 2100 Locust Street. Free. 314-241-2337.

OUT EVERY NIGHT

It’s Always a Party!

[CRITIC’S PICK]

The Lion’s Daughter. | JOSH ROWAN

THE LION’S DAUGHTER RECORD RELEASE SHOW 8 p.m. Friday, July 20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Avenue. $10. 314-833-3929. From its deeply unsettling album art to the overwhelming sonic bombardment etched into its grooves, the Lion’s Daughter’s latest record, Future Cult, is just plain evil. Naturally, that’s by design; the local metal act has been diligently horrifying the public at large since long before revered French label Season of Mist took notice in 2015. (This is the band’s second release with the label.)

THURSDAY 19

BROTHER JEFFERSON DUO: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CODY JOHNSON: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. AN EVENING OF JAZZ: 7 p.m., free. UMSL at Grand Center, 3651 Olive St, St. Louis. FASTER PUSSYCAT: w/ Don Jamieson, Axeticy, Torchlight Parade 7 p.m., $20-$22. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. JEREMIAH JOHNSON ACOUSTIC TRIO: 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. PAUL BONN & THE BLUESMEN: 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th, St. Louis, 314-773-5565. VICKY MICHAELS & EDICKS WAY BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

FRIDAY 20

BASTARDS OF YOUNG: A TRIBUTE TO THE REPLACEMENTS: w/ The Defeated Country, Dan Johanning, Breakmouth Annie 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. BIG GEORGE BROCK & THE HOUSEROCKERS: 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS: 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th, St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

No stranger to experimentation — see its 2013 album A Black Sea, a collaborative effort with folk act Indian Blanket — the Lion’s Daughter brought a bevy of haunting synths to Future Cult, fittingly calling to mind the creepy soundtracks of the ’80s horror movies the band so clearly reveres. If you have to die, you might as well do so while listening to the

duke’s VOTED ST. LOUIS’ FAVORITE BAR & BEST SPORTS BAR AT THE CORNER OF MENARD & ALLEN IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC SOULARD

Lion’s Daughter.

Duke’s Photos by Big Stu Media

Metal Up Your Ass: Opening the show is a who’s-who of local metal acts, including Fister, Tyranny Enthroned, the Gorge and Slow Damage. You’d be wise to catch them all.

–Daniel Hill DJ CRIM D CRAY: 9 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. DON DIZZY: 8 p.m., $12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. FRIEND FESTIVAL 2018: 5 p.m., $15-$40. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. HI-POINTE SOUL REVUE: 8 p.m., free. Element, 1419 Carroll St., St. Louis, 314-241-1674. IVAS JOHN BAND: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. J.I.M.M.Y.’S EXTENDED MIXTAPE LIVE: w/ Ackurate Tha Wise, RileyB, Nick Menn, Gritz Hoffa, DJ Stan Da Man 8 p.m., $10. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-935-7003. THE KAIJU KILLERS: w/ Lysergik, Slow Ocean, Noir Daze, The Yesterdays 6 p.m., $8-$10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. LOST DOG STREET BAND: w/ Tyler Gregory 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THE MATCHING SHOE: 8 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. THE MIND OF JAY E: w/ E-40, Mvstermind 9 p.m., $10-$20. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. PETER MAYER: 8 p.m., $23. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. PIRATE SIGNALS: w/ Tok 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy An-

Duke’s Sports Bar Where the Games Begin

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JULY 18 - 24, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[CRITIC’S PICK]

ANITA BAKER 8 p.m. Saturday, July 21, and 7 p.m. Sunday, July 22. The Fabulous Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Boulevard. $59.50 to $195. 314-534-1678. Is it better to burn out or fade away? We’ll never know with Anita Baker, because she has refused to do either. With a voice that could envelop everything in the range of human hearing and wrap it in soft, swooping layers, Baker always

that attempt to narrow soul singers. And with this summer’s farewell tour, Baker is able to go out on her own terms with a proper goodbye. St. Louis is apparently not ready to send her off just yet; the first show sold out almost instantly, so a second night was added. Everything Else: Baker’s last full-length was 2004’s My Everything, so expect a healthy tour through her catalog one last time.

–Christian Schaeffer

felt too big for the usual genre labels

LISTINGS Continued from pg 39 PROMO AD – BW 3 COL. (5.7") X 10.5" = 31.5"

chor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. RJD2: w/ DJ Mahf, DJ Alexis Tucci 7 p.m., $20$25. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. ROWEN M. HAWKES: w/ the Opera Bell Band, Ryan Koenig 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. SLIGHT RETURN: 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. SPACE DINGUS: w/ Dear Genre 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314328-2309. THE LION’S DAUGHTER: w/ Fister, Tyranny Enthroned, The Gorge, Slow Damage 8 p.m., $10. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. TREE ONE FOUR: w/ Remedy, Rota 8 p.m., $10$15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

BILLING IS N/L/T 30% TO TT TOM CRUISE IS 76.76% TO TT

(CORRECT SIZE OF TOM CRUISE IS 50%)

July 13, 2018 8:41 AM 04

INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING OF

SATURDAY 21

3 DOORS DOWN, COLLECTIVE SOUL: w/ Soul Asylum 7 p.m., $20-$79.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. ADDERALL: w/ Mom 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. ANIMA/ANIMUS: w/ Unimagined, VLE, Fallen we Divide, Neither of Me 6 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ANITA BAKER: 8 p.m., $59.50-$195. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. THE BEL AIRS: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BRAVE COMBO REUNION SHOW: 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-4986989. CALAMITYCAST VARIETY SHOW: w/ 3of5, True Friends 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. THE GASLIGHT SQUARES: 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. GATEWAY JAZZ FESTIVAL: 5 p.m., $75. Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Drive, Chesterfield. THE GET UP KIDS: w/ Racquet Club, Ageist 8 p.m., $20-$24. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. GOSPEL BRUNCH: 11 a.m., free. The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square inside Grandel Theatre, St. Louis, 314-776-9550. HEARTLAND MUSIC: 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. JOE JACKSON: 8 p.m., $55-$60. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. KAMIKAZE KOLE: w/ Frost Money 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. KENNY CHESNEY: w/ Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion, Brandon Lay 6 p.m., $33.50-$159.50. Busch Stadium, Broadway & Poplar St., St. Louis, 314-345-9600. MARQUISE KNOX BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s

Visit riverfronttimes.com /stlouis/FreeStuff for your chance to receive a code to download your passes.* *Passes are available on a first-come, firstserved basis. No purchase necessary. While supplies last. Two admit-one passes per person. This film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA. MissionImpossible.com /MissionImpossibleMovie | @MissionFilm @MissionImpossible | #MissionImpossible

OPENS JULY 27 40

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JULY 18 - 24, 2018

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Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MIDNIGHT SPECIAL BAND: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. ODDS LANE: 2 p.m., free. Molly’s in Soulard, 816 Geyer Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-6200. TIM ALBERT & THE BOOGIEMEN: 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. WHAT IS HIP? TOWER OF POWER TRIBUTE: 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

SUNDAY 22

ANITA BAKER: 7 p.m., $59.50-$195. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. BLACK & WHITE BAND: 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. DANIEL FRANCIS DOYLE: w/ Nebulosa 9 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. HISTORY SHMISTORY: 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. JACKAL FEST 3: 2 p.m., $10. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. LA GUNS: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. RIVER CITY OPRY JULY EDITION: 1 p.m., $5. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-4986989. SLAID CLEAVES: 7 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. TED NUGENT: 7:30 p.m., $45-$55. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. ZAFIRA STRING QUARTET: 3 p.m., $10. Ozark Theatre, 103 E. Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, 314-962-7000.

MONDAY 23

CHURCH TONGUE: w/ Conveyer 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ERIC HALL: w/ Primpce, Thee Oswalds, Sunwyrm 9 p.m., $5. RKDE, 2847 Cherokee Street, Saint Louis. LILY & BELLA: w/ Alexa Dexa, Tights, Details 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. THE PAUSES: 8 p.m., $7-$10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. ROCKY MANTIA & THE KILLER COMBO: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

TUESDAY 24

BIRDS IN ROW: w/ Portrayal of Guilt, Coffin Fit 8 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CHRISTMAS EVE IN JULY COMEDY SHOWCASE: w/ Yale Hollander, Michael Harrison, Angela Smith 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. ETHAN LEINWAND & FRIENDS: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

GOOD VILLAINS: 7 p.m., $9-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. LADY RE’S JUST FOR LAUGHS: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LUCY DACUS: 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. PALISADES: w/ Letters From The Fire, Savage Hands 6 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. PETER FRAMPTON: 7 p.m., $64-$84. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. SUPERFUN YEAH YEAH ROCKETSHIP: w/ General B and the Wiz 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

WEDNESDAY 25

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. KOE WETZEL: 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. SPIRIT ADRIFT: 8 p.m., $8-$10. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. STRAWBERRY GIRLS: 6 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THEORY OF A DEADMAN: 8 p.m., $28-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. TONINA: w/ Sister Wizzard, Allegra Krieger 9 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. TORREY CASEY & SOUTHSIDE HUSTLE: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

THIS JUST IN A.L.I.: Sat., Aug. 11, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO BAND: Sat., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. AMANDA SEALES: Thu., Aug. 9, 10 p.m., $25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. AMASA HINES: Sun., Aug. 19, 8 p.m., $10-$12. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. BAD HABIT: Sat., Aug. 18, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636441-8300. THE BEL AIRS: Sat., July 21, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BIG GEORGE BROCK & THE HOUSEROCKERS: Fri., July 20, 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BIG MIKE AGUIRRE: Sat., Aug. 11, 2 p.m., free. Molly’s in Soulard, 816 Geyer Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-6200. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Wed., July 25, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BLACK & WHITE BAND: Sun., July 22, 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CANNIBAL CORPSE: W/ Hate Eternal, Harms Way, Fri., Nov. 30, 8 p.m., $25-$27.50. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. CAPPELLA ROMANA: Wed., May 8, 7:30 p.m., $20. Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-4949. CHARLIE DANIELS BAND: Sun., Nov. 4, 7 p.m., $37.50-$67.50. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. CHICAGO FARMER ALBUM RELEASE: Sat., July 28, 8 p.m., $10-$13. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. CITY WIDE SOUNDS: W/ The Trophy Mules, Andrew Ryan & the Travelers, Millie, Thu., Aug. 23, 8 p.m., $5. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. DAVID LIEBE HART: W/ Chip the Black Boy, Fri., Sept. 28, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DON DIZZY: Fri., July 20, 8 p.m., $12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. ETHAN LEINWAND & FRIENDS: Tue., July 24, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. GREYHOUNDS: W/ Al Holliday and The East Side

Rhythm Band, Mathias & The Pirates, Sat., Aug. 4, 6 p.m., $12-$15. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. HAKEN: W/ Leprous, Bent Knee, Mon., Nov. 26, 7 p.m., $25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. ILIZA: Sat., Oct. 20, 8 p.m., $35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. IVAS JOHN BAND: Fri., July 20, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JOAN BAEZ: $50-$75. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JOSH ROYAL & FRIENDS: Sat., Aug. 4, 7 p.m., $10$20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. KALI MASI: Sun., Sept. 2, 7 p.m., $12-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. KALU & THE ELECTRIC JOINT: Thu., Aug. 16, 8 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. KOO KOO KANGA ROO: W/ Kitty Kat Fan Club, Thu., Nov. 29, 6 p.m., $15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. LADY RE’S JUST FOR LAUGHS: Tue., July 24, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LOOPRAT: W/ Tonina, Root Mod, Rhythm Tribe, ZenMugen, Fri., Aug. 10, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., July 22, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LUCERO: W/ Strand of Oaks, Sat., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $25-$35. W/ Strand of Oaks, Sun., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., $25-$35. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. LUDO: W/ Tidal Volume, Sat., Oct. 27, 7 p.m., $25-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. LUNASA: Sun., March 10, 3 p.m., $20. Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-4949. THE MAIN SQUEEZE: Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m., $13$16. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. MARQUISE KNOX BLUES BAND: Sat., July 21, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MIKE MATTHEWS PROJECT: Sat., Aug. 25, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. MINUS THE BEAR: Fri., Oct. 12, 9 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. MOM AND DAD: W/ Echo Base Quartet, Wed., Aug. 1, 8 p.m., $5-$7. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. NAME IT NOW EP RELEASE: W/ the Kaiju Killers, An Unfortunate Trend, Lysergik, Sat., Sept. 8, 7 p.m., $8-$10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. NEW MAYANS: W/ Little Cowboy, Brian McClelland, Sun., Sept. 2, 8 p.m., $8. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. NPR’S ASK ME ANOTHER: W/ Matt and Kim, Thu., Sept. 6, 7 p.m., $25-$55. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE NUDE PARTY: Thu., Oct. 4, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. ODDS LANE: Sat., July 21, 2 p.m., free. Molly’s in Soulard, 816 Geyer Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-6200. OF MONTREAL: W/ Reptaliens, Thu., Nov. 15, 8 p.m., $20-$23. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. PARKER MILLSAP: Wed., Sept. 26, 8 p.m., $15$18. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. PEARS: Fri., Oct. 5, 7 p.m., $12-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. PRODUCERS UNITE: Sat., July 28, 9 p.m., $5. Upstairs Lounge, 3131 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-773-3388. REMEMBER THE TIME: A MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE: Sun., Sept. 2, 4:30 p.m., $15-$25. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. RIPE: W/ The Brook & The Bluff, Tue., Sept. 11, 7 p.m., $12. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

Always Fun and Games on the Patio

duke’s duke’s

Photos by Big Stu Media

STL’s Hottest Dance Party! THURS - FRIDAY - SATURDAY FIND OUT ALL THAT’S GOING ON @DUKESINSOULARD

Continued on pg 42

riverfronttimes.com

JULY 18 - 24, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

LISTINGS Continued from pg 41 RJ: Sun., Sept. 2, 8 p.m., $20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ROCKY MANTIA & THE KILLER COMBO: Mon., July 23, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. SARAH SHOOK AND THE DISARMERS: Thu., Oct. 11, 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THE SEAMUS EGAN PROJECT: Sat., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $20. Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-4949.

[WEEKEND]

BEST BETS

Five sure-fire shows to close out the week

remix. From collabs with Japanese pop queen Hikaru Utada to Yo La Tengo and Aesop Rock, RJD2’s ability to change the shape of sound into something so distinct is definitely inhuman.

SATURDAY, JULY 21

FRIDAY, JULY 20

Rock & Roll Express Tour w/ 3 Doors Down, Collective Soul, Soul Asylum

DJ Crim Dolla Cray

7 p.m. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights. $20 to $79.50. 314-298-9944.

9 p.m. RKDE, 2847 Cherokee Street. $7. 314-669-9240.

Fresh off her 88.1 KDHX debut just last week, DJ Crim Dolla Cray brings her new weekly show Beyon’Cray (Wednesday nights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.) to the dance floor at RKDE. Taking to two turntables like a pair of big magic cauldrons, Cray conjures a crazy mix of disco rarities and regional dance songs. Her hands also travel through time, smoothly pulling from the likes of early Kraftwerk and Velvet Underground. It’s enough to transform the room around her into a realm of involuntary assshaking — so carefully consider your choice of plus-one for the night.

3 Doors Down and company were probably stoked to see that the “Rock & Roll Express Tour” was not yet taken — what are the odds? Actually, Googling that phrase brings up a pair of tough guys by the names of Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton, two pro wrestlers who date back to the early ’80s — and they’re still totally active. So maybe we’ll get two WWE hall-of-famers coming in to body slam Soul Asylum. All joking aside, if you can’t wait for the Wayback edition of Pointfest (with headliners 311 and the Offspring), this is a perfect summer substitute.

J.I.M.M.Y.’s Extended Mixtape Live w/ DJ Stan Da Man

Little Big Bangs Album Release Show w/ Glued, Jane Wave, Mom, Adderall

8 p.m. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Avenue. $10. 314-935-7003.

8 p.m. July 21. El Lenador, 3124 Cherokee Street. $5. 314-875-9955.

Nearly half a century on, hip-hop has become both a lush spectrum of sound and a vibrant culture, and the crew behind J.I.M.M.Y.’s Extended Mixtape is digging up its roots for a night that hearkens back to warehouse parties in the Bronx circa the late ’70s. Sure, the Monocle is a much more controlled space — seating, air conditioning, a fully licensed bar — but wax will be scratched and hype will be had. Ackurate, Riley B, Gritz Hoffa and Nick Menn of Doorway all lend their energy for this hip-hop history lesson with a party vibe.

Even if Little Big Bangs came from Seattle in the mid-’80s, not its actual origin point of St. Louis in 2010, it would surely still take to grunge rock as if it invented the genre. There’s little here in the way of idol worship, except when Halloween rolls around and the band pays painstaking tribute to Nine Inch Nails, Velvet Underground and even the Butthole Surfers. For nearly a decade, Little Big Bangs has been an underrated and often unsung hero of St. Louis’ seedy underbelly, all while self-releasing a pile of CD-Rs, split cassettes and records. I Like It Here is the band’s third full-length to date, and the album serves up a pitch-perfect sculpture of heady and heavy-handed rock.

RJD2 w/ DJ Mahf, DJ Alexis Tucci 7 p.m. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue. $20 to $25. 314-775-0775.

You migth be fooled into thinking RJD2 has eight arms and needs no sleep, because few producers dead or alive have been as prolific. Photo evidence shows the man has just two arms and two legs — standard stuff — so maybe he’s the X-Man born with the mutant ability to

SHONEN KNIFE: Wed., Sept. 12, 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. THE SKYLINE SINNERS: W/ NOCO Incidents, Fri., Aug. 10, 9 p.m., $5. Way Out Club, 2525 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-664-7638. SOJA: W/ Collie Buddz, Xiuhtezcatl, Sun., Oct. 21, 8 p.m., $27-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. SONIC MISCHIEF: Sat., Aug. 4, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS: Tue., Oct. 2, 8 p.m., $30$33. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. STEEPLES MIXTAPE #3 RELEASE PARTY: W/ The Bad Haircuts, Z-Major, Taylor James, DropJa,

RIVERFRONT TIMES

–Joseph Hess Each week we bring you our picks for the best concerts of the weekend. To submit your show for consideration, visit riverfronttimes. com/stlouis/Events/AddEvent. All events subject to change; check with the venue for the most up-to-date information.

JULY 18 - 24, 2018

riverfronttimes.com

Fri., Aug. 10, 7 p.m., $10-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. SWINGIN’ UTTERS: Tue., Oct. 2, 8 p.m., $13-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. THE SWORD: Sat., Sept. 29, 8 p.m., $18-$20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. TAUK: Tue., Nov. 13, 9 p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. TOBY FOYEH AND ORCHESTRA AFRICA: Sat., April 6, 8 p.m., $20. Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-4949. TORREY CASEY & SOUTHSIDE HUSTLE: Wed., July 25, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. TWENTY ONE PILOTS: Fri., Oct. 19, 7 p.m., $36.50$76.50. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888. UPON A BURNING BODY: W/ Buried Above Ground, Adrift on River Styx., Fri., Sept. 14, 6 p.m., $18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. VOODOO GRATEFUL DEAD: Fri., Aug. 3, 6 p.m., free. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. WHAT IS HIP? TOWER OF POWER TRIBUTE: Sat., July 21, 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. WILLIAM ELIOTT WHITMORE: Sun., Oct. 28, 8 p.m., $18-$20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. WINE AND JAZZ UNDER THE STARS: W/ Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers, Fri., Sept. 14, 6 p.m., $75-$90. Butterfly House, 15193 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, 636-530-0076. ZAFIRA STRING QUARTET: Sun., July 22, 3 p.m., $10. Ozark Theatre, 103 E. Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, 314-962-7000. ZOSO: THE ULTIMATE LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE: Fri., Sept. 28, 6 p.m., $20-$25. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

THIS WEEK

3 DOORS DOWN, COLLECTIVE SOUL: W/ Soul Asylum, Sat., July 21, 7 p.m., $20-$79.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. ADDERALL: W/ Mom, Sat., July 21, 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. ANIMA/ANIMUS: W/ Unimagined, VLE, Fallen we Divide, Neither of Me, Sat., July 21, 6 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-2899050. ANITA BAKER: Sat., July 21, 8 p.m., $59.50-$195. Sun., July 22, 7 p.m., $59.50-$195. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. BASTARDS OF YOUNG: A TRIBUTE TO THE REPLACEMENTS: W/ The Defeated Country, Dan Johanning, Breakmouth Annie, Fri., July 20, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THE BEL AIRS: Sat., July 21, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BIG GEORGE BROCK & THE HOUSEROCKERS: Fri., July 20, 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Wed., July 25, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BIRDS IN ROW: W/ Portrayal of Guilt, Coffin Fit, Tue., July 24, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BLACK & WHITE BAND: Sun., July 22, 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BRAVE COMBO REUNION SHOW: Sat., July 21, 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. CALAMITYCAST VARIETY SHOW: W/ 3of5, True Friends, Sat., July 21, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. CHURCH TONGUE: W/ Conveyer, Mon., July 23, 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DANIEL FRANCIS DOYLE: W/ Nebulosa, Sun., July 22, 9 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS: Fri., July 20, 8

p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. DJ CRIM D CRAY: Fri., July 20, 9 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. DON DIZZY: Fri., July 20, 8 p.m., $12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. ERIC HALL: W/ Primpce, Thee Oswalds, Sunwyrm, Mon., July 23, 9 p.m., $5. RKDE, 2847 Cherokee Street, Saint Louis. ETHAN LEINWAND & FRIENDS: Tue., July 24, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. AN EVENING OF JAZZ: Thu., July 19, 7 p.m., free. UMSL at Grand Center, 3651 Olive St, St. Louis. FASTER PUSSYCAT: W/ Don Jamieson, Axeticy, Torchlight Parade, Thu., July 19, 7 p.m., $20-$22. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. FRIEND FESTIVAL 2018: Fri., July 20, 5 p.m., $15$40. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. THE GASLIGHT SQUARES: Sat., July 21, 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. GATEWAY JAZZ FESTIVAL: Sat., July 21, 5 p.m., $75. Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Drive, Chesterfield. THE GET UP KIDS: W/ Racquet Club, Ageist, Sat., July 21, 8 p.m., $20-$24. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. GOSPEL BRUNCH: Sat., July 21, 11 a.m., free. The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square inside Grandel Theatre, St. Louis, 314-776-9550. HEARTLAND MUSIC: Sat., July 21, 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. HI-POINTE SOUL REVUE: Fri., July 20, 8 p.m., free. Element, 1419 Carroll St., St. Louis, 314-241-1674. HISTORY SHMISTORY: Sun., July 22, 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. IVAS JOHN BAND: Fri., July 20, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. J.I.M.M.Y.’S EXTENDED MIXTAPE LIVE: W/ Ackurate Tha Wise, RileyB, Nick Menn, Gritz Hoffa, DJ Stan Da Man, Fri., July 20, 8 p.m., $10. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314935-7003. JACKAL FEST 3: Sun., July 22, 2 p.m., $10. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. JEREMIAH JOHNSON ACOUSTIC TRIO: Thu., July 19, 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. JOE JACKSON: Sat., July 21, 8 p.m., $55-$60. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE KAIJU KILLERS: W/ Lysergik, Slow Ocean, Noir Daze, The Yesterdays, Fri., July 20, 6 p.m., $8-$10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314289-9050. KAMIKAZE COLE: W/ Frost Money, JDK, Marvin Louis, Del Broadway, Dangelo White, Ill Fated, Youngs Law, J Taime The Saint, Swami, Sat., July 21, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. KAMIKAZE KOLE: W/ Frost Money, Sat., July 21, 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. KENNY CHESNEY: W/ Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion, Brandon Lay, Sat., July 21, 6 p.m., $33.50$159.50. Busch Stadium, Broadway & Poplar St., St. Louis, 314-345-9600. KOE WETZEL: Wed., July 25, 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. LA GUNS: Sun., July 22, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. LADY RE’S JUST FOR LAUGHS: Tue., July 24, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LILY & BELLA: W/ Alexa Dexa, Tights, Details, Mon., July 23, 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. LOST DOG STREET BAND: W/ Tyler Gregory, Fri., July 20, 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., July 22, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LUCY DACUS: Tue., July 24, 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. MARQUISE KNOX BLUES BAND: Sat., July 21, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE MATCHING SHOE: Fri., July 20, 8 p.m., $10.

[CRITIC’S PICK]

WEEKENDS ARE FOR GOOD TIMES

Lucy Dacus. | VIA ARTIST BANDCAMP

LUCY DACUS 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 24. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $15. 314-773-3363. History, it’s said, is written by the victors, but no one told Lucy Dacus. The Richmond, Virginia-based songwriter considers herself a historian, even titling her 2018 album after the vocation, and she proves her mettle as a chronicler of this angsty age with searing smarts, unbridled vocal range and guitar-based indie

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rock that never sounds as dull as that descriptor suggests. Dacus views history as a confidential narrative of fuckups and false starts, intimations of mortality and resignations of human frailty. She’ll kiss you on the mouth and taste your spit and then take the night shift so she never has to see you again. She’s a true original. Recommended If You Like: Cat Power, Angel Olsen, Julien Baker, history written in personal lightning.

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SAVAGE LOVE CONNECTIONS BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’m a 20-year-old submissive woman. I’m currently in a confusing affair with a 50-year-old dominant married man. He lives in Europe and has two kids close to my age. We met online when I was seventeen and starting to explore my BDSM desires — out of the reach of my overbearing, sex-shaming, disastrously religious parents — and we’ve been texting daily ever since. We’ve since met in different countries and spent a total of three weeks together. Those weeks were amazing, both sexually and emotionally, and he says he loves me. (Some will assume, because of the age difference, that he “groomed” me. He did not.) I date vanilla boys my age, with his full support, while we continue to text daily. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to blow up his family if (or when) our affair is discovered. But at the same time, our relationship has really helped me navigate my kinks and my sexuality. Expecting him to leave his wife for me is a highly unrealistic cliché, I am aware. Yet I fear I’ve become dependent on his conversation and advice. I’m graduating soon and have a big job lined up in a big city. I’ll finally be financially independent, and I’d like to start making the right choices. Any perspective you have would be much appreciated. Things Must Improve He is not going to leave his wife for you, and you shouldn’t assume his wife is going to leave him if (or when) this affair is discovered (or exposed). Divorce may be the default setting in the United States in the wake of an affair, TMI, but Europeans take a much more, well, European attitude toward infidelity. Definitely not cricket, not necessarily fatal. And you don’t need him to leave his wife for you, TMI. OK, OK — you’re in love, and the three weeks you’ve managed to spend together were amazing. But don’t fall into the trap of believing a romantic relationship requires a tidy ending; film, television and literature beat it into our heads that romantic relationships end

either happily at the altar (à la Pride and Prejudice) or tragically at the morgue (à la Forensic Files). But romantic relationships take many forms, TMI, as does romantic success. And this relationship, such as it is, this relationship as-is, sounds like an ongoing success. In other words, TMI, I think you’re confused about this relationship because there won’t be a resolution that fits into a familiar mold. But you don’t need a resolution: You can continue to text with him, and he can continue to provide you with his advice and support while you continue to date single, available and kinky men (no more vanilla boys!) closer to your own age and/or on your own continent. Eventually you’ll meet a new guy you’re crazy about — someone you can see for more than one week a year — and you’ll feel less dependent on and connected to your old flame. Hey, Dan: While on vacation, I went for a full body massage. The first half of the massage — me on my stomach — was great. When the masseuse asked me to flip on my back, things took a turn. She uncovered one of my legs and began massaging my thigh. As she worked on my inner thigh, her finger grazed my scrotum. Then it happened again. And again. She was working on my thigh, but it felt like I was getting my balls caressed. I began to worry I was getting a visible erection. Then I started to panic when I felt like I might actually come. (I have always had issues with premature ejaculation.) I tried hard to clamp down and think about baseball and senior citizens, but I wound up having an orgasm. She eventually moved to my arms, shoulders, etc., but meanwhile I’m lying there with jizz cooling on myself. Am I guilty of #metoo bad behavior? Should I have said something or asked her to stop? Is it possible she didn’t have any clue? (My penis was never uncovered and I didn’t create an obvious wet spot on the sheet.) I tipped her extra, just in case she was mortified, though I didn’t get the sense she was because nothing changed after I came in terms of her massaging me. (She didn’t hurry away from my legs or rush to finish my massage.) I still feel really weird about the whole thing. I get massages frequently, this has

never happened before and I certainly didn’t go into it looking for this result. Lost Opportunity At De-escalation If it all went down as you described, LOAD, you aren’t guilty of “#metoo bad behavior.” It’s not uncommon for people to become unintentionally aroused during a nonerotic massage; it’s more noticeable when it happens to men, of course, but it happens to women, too. “Erections do happen,” a masseuse told me when I ran your letter past her. “So long as guys don’t suddenly ask for a ‘happy ending,’ expose themselves, or — God help me — attempt to take my hand and place it on their erection, they haven’t done anything wrong.” Since this hasn’t happened to you before, LOAD, I don’t think you should waste too much time worrying about it happening again. But if you’re concerned this one massage created a powerful erotic association and you’re likely to blow a load the next time a masseuse so much as looks at one of your thighs, go ahead and have a quick wank before your appointment. Hey, Dan: Living my truth permits others in my fairly conservative circles — Christian family struggling to accept a gay son, colleagues in a traditionally masculine field — to accept gay/other/different folks. I identify as a bottom, and until recently I thought I had erectile dysfunction because I would literally go soft at the thought of topping another man. I should mention that I’m black in the Pacific Northwest, so there is this odd “BBC” fixation and an expectation from many guys that I will top. However, I am usually very submissive and drawn to hypermasculine, dominant guys. But I recently noticed an attraction to married guys — specifically, submissive bottom masculine/muscular married guys who like to wear lingerie. I met a few and became this dominant guy who fit the stereotype most guys expect when they see me online or in person. Now I’m very confused. I tried topping recently, because a married guy begged me to. He said, “You’ll never know if you like it until you try it!” Which is the same thing my traditional uncles have said to me about women. My life would be so much easier if I just

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married a woman! So this sudden turn from bottom to top is troubling me. I don’t think it is possible to turn straight, but I didn’t think I was a top until a few weeks ago. So am I capable of turning straight? That would validate everything my homophobic family members have said. I’m repulsed by vaginas but fascinated by boobs. Have you seen/heard of things like this? Praying The Straight Away If you’re a regular reader, PTSA, you’ve seen letters in this space from straight-identified guys into cock. Many of these guys have described themselves as being fascinated by cock but repulsed by men; some of these guys seek out sex with trans women who’ve kept their dicks. Your thing for hot guys in lingerie and your thing for boobs might be the gay flip of this erotic script — boobs fascinate you, but you’re not into the genitalia most women have. Muscular guys in lingerie turn you on — big pecs can fill out a lacy bra just as alluringly as big boobs — and it’s possible you might enjoy being with a trans woman who got boobs but kept her dick. All that said, PTSA, discovering after years of bottoming that you enjoy topping certain types of men — masculine/muscular married guys who beg for your dick while wearing lingerie — doesn’t mean you’re “capable” of turning straight. Going from bottom to versatile isn’t the same thing as going from men to women. And being fascinated by a body part that typically comes attached to people, i.e., women, who fall outside your usual “erotic target interest,” as the sex researchers say, isn’t a sign that your uncles were right all along. In short, PTSA, you aren’t potentially straight — you’re gay and a little more complicated, interesting, and expansive than you realized at first. P.S. On behalf of all the dudes who have objectified you with this “BBC” stuff and made you feel anything other than proud to be primarily a bottom, please accept my apology. Listen to Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

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