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JULY 4-11, 2018 I VOLUME 42 I NUMBER 27

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“ I’m born and raised in Brazil, and this is one of the places where you can be as natural as you are watching soccer. You can scream, you can bring your horn, you can bring drums and just make noise and cheer for your team, and it’s no big deal... After the last World Cup I was a little bit upset because I couldn’t make it home. So I decided that this time, I’m not gonna miss a game. I’m here every day so far. Swear to god.”

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE

12.

Hometown Hero Bishop Stevens wants to be America’s next action hero — and he intends to do it without leaving north county Written by

MIKE FITZGERALD Cover photo by

ZIA NIZAMI

NEWS

ARTS

DINING

CULTURE

The Lede

Calendar

Your friend or neighbor, captured on camera

Seven days worth of great stuff to see and do

Civil Rights

Josh Hawley held a faculty gig that involved an onerous speech code and fighting the “homosexual agenda”

Galleries

At Monaco, Cole Lu’s bas reliefs are inspired by both Thomas Mann and Walt Disney

Cafe

Opened by a family of refugees, Majeed is serving delectable Syrian cuisine in Bevo Mill

Side Dish

Nathaniel Reid dreamt of herpetology but made his name in dessert

First Look

Elections

Blue Box Pizza doesn’t have blue boxes. But pizza? That it has

An upset in NYC has Cori Bush in the spotlight as she takes on U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. in MO-1

Homespun

St. Louis’ Americana Festival expands in its second year

Artisans

Timber Longboard Co. brings Missouri craftsmanship to wherever the waves are

Preview

Le’Ponds is teasing her upcoming album

Out Every Night

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

This Just In

This week’s new concert announcements

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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

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NEWS

The Southern Poverty Law Center notes that the organization’s global chapter has argued in favor of laws requiring mandatory sterilization for transgender people.

As Law Prof, Hawley Worked with Anti-Gay ADF Written by

SARAH FENSKE

n June 2013, Josh Hawley, then a law professor at the University of Missouri, was flown to Phoenix to serve as a faculty member for the “Blackstone Legal Fellowship.” The job was cushy — for what appears to have amounted to an hour-long address, Hawley was paid $2,500, given a flight and extra money for expenses, and put up in the Ritz-Carlton. But the gig also came with some drawbacks — namely, “language guidelines” urged upon all faculty members. Those guidelines stipulated that Hawley shouldn’t refer to hate crimes, but rather “so-called hate crimes.” They said he shouldn’t say “sexual education” but rather “sexual indoctrination,” and not “gay,” but rather “homosexual behavior.” The speech code was commemorated in writing. “We are providing a confidential copy — not to be distributed or reproduced — to you because Alan Sears, our President, CEO, and General Counsel, is asking that where at all practicable, all

Attorney General Josh Hawley has a long association with Alliance Defending Freedom. | VIA FACEBOOK persons serving as faculty conform their remarks, hand-out materials, and audio-visual materials to the Lexicon,” the fellowship’s organizers explained in an email. The Blackstone Legal Fellowship is funded and organized by the Alliance Defending Freedom, or ADF, a Christian-based organization that has come under fire in recent years for its emphatic opposition to gay marriage and what its CEO has called “the ho-

mosexual agenda.” The Southern Poverty Law Center has called it “an extremist group.” Hawley, who is now the state’s attorney general and hoping to be its next Republican senator, replacing Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri), has ties to the organization going back years. He and his wife, a fellow Mizzou law professor, have earned a collective $8,700 from ADF since 2013, according to his candidate disclo-

sure forms and emails he received at Mizzou. (So much for the confidentiality the fellowship sought to ensure; because the ADF emails were sent to Hawley’s taxpayer-funded email address, they eventually turned up in a Sunshine request.) Kelli Ford, a spokeswoman for Hawley’s campaign, said the candidate had no regrets about his affiliation with ADF. “The Alliance Defending Freedom is a Christian legal advocacy organization that has won nine cases at the Supreme Court in the last seven years,” she said in a written statement. “Josh and Erin were invited to address Christian law students as part of their Continued on pg 11

STREAK’S CORNER • by Bob Stretch

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

Lacy Clay Challenger Bolstered by NYC Upset Written by

SARAH FENSKE Last Tuesday night, as election returns from New York City’s outer boroughs suggested that a community organizer might topple a sitting Congressman, few people were more excited than Cori Bush, the activist and organizer who hopes to have the same impact on Congressman William Lacy Clay Jr. (D-St. Louis). It wasn’t just that Bush saw the echoes of her own campaign — although that was certainly part of it. It’s also that she and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had become friends as they mounted their quixotic challenges. They’d spoken that very afternoon, and Bush says Ocasio-Cortez was philosophical: “We did the best we could do” — the sort of things people say when they’re staying hopeful but assume they’ll lose. And who wouldn’t make that assumption? Ocasio-Cortez wasn’t just taking on a high-ranking member of Democratic leadership in his own backyard; she’d been outspent 18 to 1. Yet the returns didn’t lie. “I kept refreshing my screen,” Bush recalls.

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Missouri Congressional candidate Cori Bush counts Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as an ally. | DOYLE MURPHY “When the AP called it, I was so overjoyed I couldn’t stop crying.” It wasn’t just Bush thinking of OcasioCortez. In her moment of victory, OcasioCortez was also thinking of Bush. In one of her first tweets after being declared the winner, the 28-year-old tweeted, “There are more of us, too: @CoriBush, @Chardo2018, @AyannaPressley & more. We need to elect a corporate PAC-free cau-

JULY 4 - 10, 2018

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cus if we’re going to get things done.” The tweet drew more than 11,000 likes. The combination of the high-profile tweet and the clear similarities between the races were enough to put Bush on the best kind of blast. “Oh my goodness, my phone, my Facebook, my Twitter, my Instagram — it’s all blowing up,” she says. “I can’t keep up!” When Bush first met Ocasio-Cortez

more than a year ago, Bush already had one campaign under her belt, a longshot run in hopes of taking down Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri). Jason Kander beat her in the primary, but the race put Bush on the radar of various national groups. Last year, Brand New Congress, which had been founded by former Bernie Sanders staffers, reached out and ultimately made Bush its first 2018 endorsement. And so when the group was looking at other races, and Ocasio-Cortez was on the fence, its staffers connected her with Bush. The two women clicked. The two shared a commitment to progressive values — and, like Sanders, to saying no to donations from corporate PACs. “That’s something that’s very important to me,” Bush says. “I’ve been offered plenty, but I’ve turned them down.” The reason, she says, is simple. “When corporations are your main donors and have been for many years, you have a particular loyalty because of that. You may not even realize that’s what’s happened. But you lose the voices of the people who are actually voting you in.” Of Clay, she says, “That’s what I’m hearing and seeing in the first district.” But while Ocasio-Cortez was running against a white male, a symbol of entrenched party power, Bush has a more complicated fight. Congressman Clay isn’t just black — he’s the son of a civil Continued on pg 11

ANTI-GAY LAWYERS Continued from pg 9

Blackstone Program. Josh and Erin aren’t going to apologize for their faith. They take their faith very seriously and it’s a privilege to speak with Christian law students.” Ford did not respond to two questions asking whether Hawley had objected to the lexicon. She also did not address whether he agreed that “hate crimes” should be characterized as “so-called hate crimes” or sex ed as “sexual indoctrination.” In its brief on the ADF, the Southern Poverty Law Center notes that the organization’s global chapter has argued in favor of laws requiring mandatory sterilization for transgender people seeking to live as a gender other than that on their birth certificate. The executive director of that chapter also praised the 2013 court ruling in India that made homosexuality a crime, saying, “When given the same choice the Supreme Court of the United States had in Lawrence vs. Texas, the Indian Court did the right thing. India chose to protect society at large rather than give in to a vocal minority of homosexual advocates.” Hawley’s spokeswoman, Ford, didn’t refute those views, instead focusing on the messenger. “The Southern Poverty Law Center has become a liberal advocacy group that attacks anyone who disagrees with their left-wing ideology,” she said. “They put Dr. Ben Carson on their ‘extreme’ list and have attacked nuns, veterans, Christians and anyone else who believes in the Bible and supports conservative values.” Hawley’s address at the 2013 fellowship didn’t focus on gay rights. The agenda shows he spoke about “Genius, Grace and Guts: The Constitution’s Birth and Ratification.” Other speakers, however, put the issue front and center, including the ADF’s senior counsel, who spoke on “Same Sex ‘Marriage’ and Its Relatives,” while a senior pastor spoke on “Grappling with ‘Gay Theology’: What Would Jesus Say About Homosexuality?” The lexicon, of course, had plenty to say about all that. Legal fellows were urged not to use the word “transgender.” Instead, they were told, use “cross-dressing, sexually confused.” Also, they were told, don’t use “homosexual lifestyle.” “Note,” the lexicon read. “Alan notes that it’s not a lifestyle — tragically, it’s a way that often leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).”

The lexicon also noted, “Homosexuality is a personal struggle; however, homosexual behavior is sinful. Alan adds, ‘It isn’t a condition.’” The lexicon also instructed attendees not to use the terms “affair,” “liaison,” or “extramarital relationship” — instead, it said, call it “adultery.” But the speech code wasn’t entirely Old Testament verbiage. Another term Hawley and his fellow professors were instructed not to use? “Winter holiday/break.” Use instead, the lexicon instructed, “Christmas.” n

CORI BUSH

Continued from pg 9

rights icon. Bush doesn’t shy from addressing that. “At first, I would hear that: ‘We are loyal to Lacy Clay’s father,’” she says. “Well, if you’re loyal to his father, then you’d think the legacy of that would be to vote for someone like him, someone from another generation following in the same footsteps. That, to me, is the legacy.” A prominent face during the protests that broke out after Jason Stockey’s ac-

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quittal last fall, Bush is also an ordained minister and a gifted public speaker. At 41, she’s a bit older than the 28-year-old Ocasio-Cortez, but still very much an outsider and a member of a different generation than the one in power (and in bed with big donors). She notes that Missouri has never elected a black congresswoman, but thanks to the shot in the arm from her colleague’s upset in New York, she’s convinced this will be the year. “What people just witnessed in New York, that’s doable here if we do it together,” she says. “It’s time to stop looking at it like it can’t happen.” n

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BISHOP STEVENS wants to be Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next action hero ...and he intends to do it without leaving north county

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he email landed in St. Louis filmmaker Johnny Xeno’s inbox in late July 2015. The message, accompanied by photos, was from Bishop Stevens, a former pro wrestler who the year before had embarked on a

new career as a screen actor. In the email, Stevens listed the roles he’d already won — recurring featured parts on the TV shows Empire and Chicago P.D.,

plus parts in several independent films. “I am looking to advance into those types of roles for major film, television and commercials,” Stevens wrote. “As you can tell by my size and look I’m truly a type casted tough or bad guy (and I love it).” It was a good sales pitch. The indie filmmaker cast Stevens in his directorial debut, a science fiction movie called No Good Heroes, whose plot revolves around space aliens who cross paths in some unpleasant ways with the humans they meet. Stevens played Clint, a reclusive, battle-scarred Marine who, alone in the woods, goes hunting during a night of drinking. Suffice it to say, strange things happen and all hell breaks loose. The role had originally been written for a white actor, but as soon as he met Stevens, Xeno knew he would have to rewrite the part. “This big, muscular black guy in this small town,” Xeno recalls. “I wanted just something different. Not some redneck, good ol’ boy out there. I wanted him to have some kind of different something.” Stevens’ part was small, involving only two scenes and a short bit of dialogue. “But he brought it,” Xeno says. “Probably one of the most professional actors I worked with.” Before they could begin filming his scene, a night shoot in West Tyson Park just east of Eureka, Stevens spent half an hour picking up broken glass and trash along the road. Stevens had declined the mat the crew offered to cushion his falls during a scene in which he trips over a log. To keep the ac-

tion as realistic possible, Stevens used his wrestler’s training to hit the ground sans mat. On the final take, Stevens recalls, “I literally slammed the back of my head on the ground. I fell over this big log and ... bam!” But he wasn’t done. That wrestler training isn’t just good for stunts; it’s also good for picking yourself up when they don’t go exactly as planned. “Let me try one more,” Stevens pleaded. He says today, “I got one more good one. And, boy, I went back and, bam, I hit my head. And they’re like, ‘That’s it.’” No Good Heroes, which is set to drop on iTunes on July 24, represents Stevens’ latest credit in his quest to transform himself from an over-the-top pro wrestler to a bona fide action star. If the showbiz gods continue to smile on him, you could be seeing a lot more of Stevens. He’s been picked to play the titular character in a TV series under development as The Steam Punk Adventures of Salem Tusk. He hopes to begin shooting a concept trailer soon. Stevens describes Tusk as a cross between Doc Strange and Indiana Jones. He leads a multicultural team of a covert operatives who, in the words of series creator Tom Rasch, “battle megalomaniacal mad men, steam powered robots, voodoo kings, Arabian sorcerers and time-traveling dinosaurs …”

A former WWE wrestler, Bishop Stevens has appeared on The Walking Dead, Empire and Chicago P.D., in addition to scoring bigger roles in a host of indie films. | ZIA NIZAMI

Rasch is a Marvel comic-book artist. And for Stevens, a self-described comic-book nerd, this latest opportunity is a dream come true. “We’re going to be steam punk’s first live-action superheroes,” he enthuses. Since an injury forced Stevens’ retirement from the ring four years ago, he has steadily carved out a niche for himself as the musclebound tough guy who kicks ass and takes names, no matter who the adversary — lethal space aliens, rioting jail inmates, even (in a role he’s shooting later this summer) a plastic pumpkin possessed by a demon. Stevens checks off all the major action-hero boxes. With his shaved head, baritone voice, massive arms and a game face that could drill holes through Kevlar, Stevens looks born to play the role of the super-badass master of arms of an outlaw biker gang — which, not coincidentally, is the role he’s signed to play in an upcoming horror flick shooting outside central Illinois under the title Trick and Treats. He’s also mastered the art of toggling easily between a fierce glare and a quick smile, all the while radiating bucketloads of upbeat energy. Several things make Stevens stand out — his size, his work ethic, his pro-wrestling background. But as far as would-be Hollywood stars go, one of the most unusual may be this: He has no intention of leaving St. Louis. Stevens lives in the same northcounty neighborhood where he grew up, and he has intentionally based his career right here in the Gateway City. That might strike some folks as counterintuitive. If you want to make it in Hollywood, don’t you have to move there? Stevens is convinced the answer is no. The former wrestler points out the filmmaking industry has become so de-centralized that it’s a big advantage to live in the center of the country, since so many film and TV projects are shot in Chicago, South Carolina, Kentucky and elsewhere owing to the tax-credits system vital to entertainment-industry financing. “People always say ‘the Midwest, the Midwest, you can’t make a career there,’” Stevens says. “But it’s the same thing I did when I was wrestling. Being that big fish in the pond that everyone knows, that everyone wants to work with. Less competition.”

rowing up in north county, Stevens was raised by his mother, a nurse at rehabilitation facilities in the area, and his father, who worked the assembly line at the General Motors plant in St. Louis. After that factory closed in 1981, the elder Stevens signed on at the GM plant in Wentzville. Stevens can be cagey. He declines to state his true age on the grounds that doing so could hurt his screen career. “We try to keep everything we can on that young level,” he says. “Because if we don’t, the young guys will take your jobs. And I’m so close now.” Nor will Stevens disclose his relationship status, or whether he’s been married or if he has any kids. “I keep my personal life away from my business life,” he says. When actors mix the two, “it’s a recipe for disaster.” At the public high school he attended — whose name, naturally, he doesn’t want to disclose — he says that he was not a jock, nor did he take part in plays or musicals. “I was a nerd,” Stevens recalls. “I was a skinny little dweeb until my senior year.” Stevens starting lifting weights in his junior year, after years of being picked on by bigger boys. “The same guys who were picking on me, now I’m in the gym with them,” he says. “After a couple summers, I was having those muscle growth spurts. By the time I got out of school, I was not picked on.” After high school, Stevens started working at local gyms, including Bally’s, so he could continue weight-lifting. He got into pro wrestling after a friend began taking him to shows at the South Broadway Athletic Club, south of downtown St. Louis. One of the wrestlers began urging him to get into the ring and give it a try. Stevens at first refused. “‘I can’t get up there,’” he recalls, chuckling. But after his first match, some time in the 1980s, he thought, “‘I can do this.’ It was that opportunity.” Stevens wrestled professionally for nearly two decades under various names, including Atomic Dogg, as well as his real name, Steven Sharp. Stevens moved up from the St. Louis wrestling scene in the late 1990s to World Championship Wrestling, which was bought out in 2000s by World Wrestling Entertainment. A mishap in 2014, in which Stevens landed outside the Continued on pg 14

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HOMETOWN HERO Continued from pg 13

ring on hard concrete, seriously hurting his hip, led him to quit wrestling. Stevens started his acting career with TV commercials and small roles in shows including Empire, The Walking Dead and Chicago P.D. He’s since graduated to a slew of increasingly challenging parts in independent films that have him sharing the screen with such established screen actors as Michael Pare, Kate Mara and Ellen Page. In the months ahead, you’ll be able to catch Stevens’ growing body of work via the various internet-streaming services that have upended Hollywood and transformed the filmmaking industry. He’s set to appear in four feature films due to come out between now and the end of the year, while acting in five more. Stevens’ intense work ethic and relentless focus on his career have placed him on the radar of some of Hollywood’s top casting directors. In April, he was asked to audition for a role in an upcoming Clint Eastwood film, making it to the final round of two. In the end, Stevens didn’t land the role, but the experience left

him pumped for the year ahead. “I definitely see it as next year will be my year, when I start becoming that name people will say, ‘Well, we can’t get Terry Crews because he’s like $10 million, but we can get Bishop Stevens,’” Stevens says. “‘We can get him for $1 million.’” He’s not afraid of being typecast. “If you got a tight end in football, OK, is it bad for him to be known as one of the best tight ends in the business?” Stevens asks. “Exactly.” Plenty of well-known movie actors have been typecast in their careers — John Wayne, Danny Glover, Clint Eastwood himself. Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock, he notes, pretty much plays himself in every movie. “We all grew up watching him wrestle,” Stevens says of the superstar. “All his characters are pretty much the same that he did at some point in his wrestling career. You never see The Rock try to play a Tom Cruise. You never see The Rock trying to play a Denzel Washington-type role. And one or two times when you try to go that way, you fail. I play myself.” He adds, “If you’re looking for the tough, big, bald-head black guy, whatever else that plays them, it’s Bishop. ‘He does it, we already know.’”

In No Good Heroes, Stevens crosses paths with space aliens. | COURTESY OF BISHOP STEVENS Indeed, if there is any precedent for the kind of career Stevens could have, it’s The Rock. The retired WWE superstar was Hollywood’s second-highest paid actor last year, pulling down an estimated $65 million. He’s not alone: Also cashing big movie paychecks last year were pro wrestling icons Dave Bautista and John Cena. Los Angeles filmmaker Massimiliano “Max” Cerchi thinks Stevens has all the tools for stardom. Cerchi, who cast Stevens as a police captain in the upcoming thriller Lockdown, says he was impressed with Stevens’ work ethic and natural talent. “He is a nice guy. Very down to

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earth,” Cerchi says. “A good person. He did a good job, he didn’t complain too much. Actors always complain. But he did a good job, and I would love to work with him for our next movie.” Cerchi, who’s been making films for nearly 25 years, says it remains to be seen how far Stevens can get in the industry. “In this business, it depends if you can find a niche,” he says. “The big movie stars, they’ve been doing it for a long time. Bishop just started it. It all depends on his will and determination and luck, which is also a huge factor. And who do you know and who Continued on pg 18

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HOMETOWN HERO Continued from pg 14

you don’t know. It all depends on these factors.” Cecil Lowe, a close friend of Stevens’ who wrestled under the name Saber, says he isn’t surprised by Stevens’ burgeoning success as an actor. “No, he’s one of them guys when he puts his mind to it, he gonna make it happen,” says Lowe, who after retiring from wrestling makes his living as a professional video-game player. Lowe points to the acting classes Stevens takes part in when he’s not working on a project, as well as the videos Stevens has posted offering tips to newcomers on how to break into TV and film. “He’s not one of those guys who, once he starts making it, he puts everyone else to the side,” Lowe says. Lowe recalls an acting class the two took part in, during which Stevens had to act fierce and intimidating. “Oh, my God, he’s gonna tear my head off,” Lowe recalls thinking. Yet, he adds, “as soon as the guy said ‘cut,’ he was back to his normal self again, chit-chatting and laughing and joking.”

FAMOUS AMONG FRIENDS 18

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ven as Stevens is working with top actors in TV shows and indie movies, he’s paying the bills in part through acting in horror movies. In that, he belongs to a time-honored tradition; the list of stars who launched their careers in lowbudget horror and sci-fi films is a who’s who of Hollywood royalty. Jack Nicholson first made his mark in 1960’s Little Shop of Horrors, joining a long list of up-andcomers who got screen time via Roger Corman’s American International Pictures, which cranked out an endless supply of B-movie fodder for the then-booming drive-in circuit. Later, in the era of multiplexes and cable TV, a new generation of future stars developed their acting chops in horror flicks, including Tom Hanks in He Knows You’re Alone (1980) and Johnny Depp in Nightmare On Elm Street (1984). There are obvious reasons that low-budget horror flicks provide a good starting point. The movie industry loves making them because they have a built-in base of superfans who don’t care what the critics say. And because they can be shot quickly and cheaply with a cast of low-priced unknowns, they can make a ton of money. Of the ten all-time most profitable films,

six fall into the horror genre. The all-time champion is 1999’s indie phenomenon The Blair Witch Project. Made for a paltry $60,000, it pulled in a profit of nearly $250 million — a return on investment of more than 410,000 percent. Eric Hector is the creative director and founder of Heroic Age Studios, in Mt. Zion, Illinois, about two hours northeast of St. Louis. He’s currently shooting his first feature film, Trick and Treats. Stevens plays a biker-bar bouncer and master of arms. Like The Rock, Hector notes, “Stevens has a tough-guy exterior but a very friendly nature. That’s a good formula to be in right now, and I think he’s in that same kind of place.” A big factor driving the industry today, Hector says, is the intense demand for new shows and movies. Streaming services like iTunes, Amazon and Netflix are all looking not only for the next big thing but a bunch of smaller things to generate buzz and keep customers tuned in. “Hulu needs [a rival to] a Stranger Things so that people talk about it, and not just Netflix,” Hector says. “So there are so many places that need content.” Studio support used to be essential for a successful launch. But in the era of social media, a trailer going viral can have just as big an impact, Hector says. While shooting Trick and Treats, Hector and his studio partner plan to post their trailer online. “So that hopefully by the time the remainder of the film comes out, we already got 200,000, 300,000, 400,000 views on our trailer, just like a big-budget movie so that people are saying, ‘This is cool, I’ll pass this around,’” Hector says. “And just kind of show what we can pull off with that, and then go to a big distributor like a Blumhouse or something, and like sit down and make a deal.” Horror movie success is often a function of building a franchise with legs, on the order of Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street. That’s what Hector is trying to do with Trick and Treats, which he hopes will be the first in a series. To that end, Heroic Age has created Frightful 5000 Films. In return for forking over $60, horror fans get to attend a producer’s screening of Trick and Treats and then vote on the next film in the series. “We are making movies that will be helped determined by the fans of those films,” Hector says. “So that alone gives you that jumpstart, and we’re hoping we’ll be able to take it with that fan base Continued on pg 20

HELPING SCHLAFLY NAME: Kyle Roden ROLE: Cellarman YEARS WITH SCHLAFLY: 3 RESIDES IN: Shrewsbury WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCHLAFLY EVENT? My favorite Schlafly festival is our Art Outside festival because it really shows the talent that our great city has to offer when it comes to art. Â© 2018 The Saint Louis Brewery LLC, Saint Louis, MO

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HOMETOWN HERO Continued from pg 18

to a good horror distributor with a better deal because of what we already got.” Heroic Age got its start more than twenty years ago when it became the first studio to use PhotoShop to color comic books. Since then, it has branched out into TV and film production. After writing the script for Trick and Treats, Hector submitted it to the big studios, which took an interest in it, but kept upping the price tag of producing it until it hit the $10 million mark. Then something happened to Hector’s script that happens a lot in Hollywood. It got stuck spinning on the rotisserie of Hollywood creative hell. It wasn’t going anywhere. Rather than allowing it to sit on the shelf indefinitely, Hector says he and his partner took back the script and decided to make the movie themselves with the hightech cameras and computer-generated graphics his Mt. Zion studio could provide. “We changed the way comics look. Now we’re trying to change the way indie film is, too,” Hector says. “People like Bishop are a big part of that.” Acting is something movie fans pay close attention to, Hector says. “Very few people watching a movie go, ‘Oh, what terrible lighting. Or sometimes, ‘What terrible [computer-generated] effects,’” he says. “But everybody comments on, ‘What a crappy actor.’ So having good actors matters. Because everybody feels they’re able to judge that.”

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ean Williams, the president of the Central Illinois Film Commission, says he knew as soon as he met Stevens that he had a big career waiting for him in TV and movies. Stevens had reached out to Williams, who lives in Springfield, Illinois, while recuperating from the injury that had ended his career in 2014. “He called me up and said, ‘I wanna be a movie star. Do you know a good photographer?’” Williams recalls. “So he came up and I shot him for free. Then he says, ‘What do I do next?’” Williams, who has spent more than 35 years as cinematographer, actor and on-set photographer, called a friend in Chicago. That call landed Stevens a role on the TV show Chicago Fire. “I opened the door, but he

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walked through it,” says Williams. Stevens’ past career as a pro wrestler proved excellent preparation for screen acting, Williams posits. “A pro wrestler knows his body is his money,” Williams says. He notes that Stevens lost 30 pounds to play a role in one film, and then gained weight for another film. In addition, wrestling prepares actors in how to be mechanical in their technique. “Everything revolves around one-camera shooting,” Williams says. “So the actor has to be mechanical like he does in wrestling. So in other words, whenever he moves his hand, it has to be the same way each and every time or it will not cut. He also has to remember if his head was up or his head was down.” It’s a big advantage over most actors, Williams says. “In the wrestling field he had to be mechanical. He had to be able to drop his shoulder at a certain way,” Williams says. “When a guy had to jump on his back, he had to stiffen himself. There are so many things in wrestling that are the same thing in the motion-picture industry.” Williams has no problem recalling the trait that led him to take up Stevens’ cause and become his mentor. “In one word: drive,” Williams says. “‘What does it take? What do I need to do? I’m willing to go.’ Most people say, ‘I want to be a movie star,’ but they don’t want to do anything for it. In other words, they don’t go to school, they don’t listen. They don’t network. They don’t take the opportunities that are available for them.” Stevens knows that trying to make it as a movie star is a gamble. But he’s used to rolling the dice. “When I started on Empire, it was $75 to be there,” he recalls of the show’s day rate for parts like his, playing a security guard. “By the time I drove from St. Louis to Chicago and back, I had already spent that. So I slept in my car on the lot of CineSpace studios.” It was the same thing when he was wrestling, he says. “You drove all the way across the country for 25 bucks before I got that WCW contract,” he says. “I became a big fish in a small pond in my wrestling days. And I’m doing the same thing with my acting. But again, to be that big fish, you got to start out as a guppie, you know?” Mike Fitzgerald, a contributing writer for the Riverfront Times, can be reached via email at msfitzgerald2006@gmail.com.

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FRIDAY 07/06 H.M.S. Pinafore Time has slightly blunted the edge of Gilbert and Sullivan’s satiric blade, sadly. Their best operas once came with the sting of the high and mighty being mocked for their presumptions, but our less rigid society doesn’t understand why the characters of H.M.S. Pinafore are so overwrought about marrying above their station. It’s simple, really. Ralph is but a humble sailor aboard the aforementioned Pinafore, the pride of the British Navy. He loves his captain’s daughter, Josephine, from afar, and she loves him, but in those days the children of naval officers didn’t marry people from the working class. The captain has his own lower-class admirer, but despite his curiosity about the woman, he can’t lower himself to admit it. All of these people sacrifice love and happiness for decorum, which makes them idiots. But what if they hadn’t been born to such a lofty station? What joy they could experience — if only. Union Avenue Opera opens its

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season with the classic light opera about love among the emotionally repressed. Performances take place at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (July 6 to 14) at the Union Avenue Christian Church (733 North Union Avenue; www.unionavenueopera.org). Tickets are $32 to $55.

LaBute Festival Now in its sixth year, St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s LaBute New Theater Festival is a win-win situation for the local theater scene. Seven new one-act plays will debut at the festival, which is win number one; win two is the fact that all seven

productions will be performed, crewed, directed and costumed by local theater artists. As is tradition, namesake patron Neil LaBute always has a new work of his own in the show, which this year is titled “4th Reich.” There’s a lesser-known third win hidden in here as well. The festival includes a special category for young playwrights who are still in high school, and these emerging artists get to see their work performed by professionals for an audience. This year’s edition takes place at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (July 6 to 29) at the Gaslight Theater (358 North Boyle Avenue; www.stlas.org). Tickets are $30 to $35.

SATURDAY 07/07 Flora Borealis

Last year’s LaBute New Theater Festival was excellent. Can this year’s version top it? | JOHN LAMB

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Summers in St. Louis are no picnic, what with the brutal heat and oppressive humidity. At night conditions improve a bit, and that’s the time to get outside and experience the city. The Missouri Botanical Garden (4344

WEEK WEEK OF OF JULY JULY 5-11 5-11 Forest Park (www.muny.org) at 8:15 p.m. Monday through Monday (July 9 to 16). Tickets are $15 to $100.

WEDNESDAY 07/11 Little Shop of Horrors

AA triptych triptych that that demonstrates demonstrates what what Flora Flora Borealis Borealis isis all all about. about. || © © WESLEY WESLEY SCHAEFER/MISSOURI SCHAEFER/MISSOURI BOTANICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN GARDEN Shaw Boulevard; www.mobot. org) takes full advantage of the nocturnal respite with Flora Borealis, a nighttime-only special exhibition. Thanks to the artistic and technical brilliance of AVI Systems Inc., a section of the garden is temporarily transformed into a new experience with active lights, moving images and sounds that alter and enhance the familiar landscape. Tickets for Flora Borealis are $10 to $25 and are sold for specific time slots each night (Thursday through Tuesday through August 26). While you’re waiting for your scheduled time you can take advantage of MoBOT’s new tented biergarten, which features live entertainment on select nights.

RoboCop When Dutch director Paul Verhoeven wanted to make a film that doubled as an analogy for the life of Jesus Christ, he chose to do so in the visual language of science fiction. Peter Weller stars as Alex Murphy, a police officer in a dystopian, near-future Detroit that is ravaged by crime. When Mur-

phy dies, a corporation revivifies him to be the world’s first cyborg police officer: RoboCop. What follows is an ultra-violent spectacle that outdoes even the Old Testament for bloodshed. The Landmark Tivoli Theatre (6350 Delmar Boulevard, University City; www. landmarktheatres.com) presents RoboCop as part of its Reel Late series of midnight movies. It’s screened at 11:55 p.m. Friday and Saturday (July 6 and 7), and tickets are $8.

that not only could they sing, they could write their own chart-topping material as well. Jersey Boys follows their meteoric rise, their brushes with heartache and mobsters alike, and friction within the band, all conveyed through more than 30 Four Seasons songs. Jersey Boys takes over the Muny in

Before Little Shop of Horrors was a beloved musical, it was a low-budget black comedy shot in two days by the legendary Roger Corman. The plot is definitely darker than that of the musical version. Seymour is a meek young assistant in Mushnick’s flower shop who cross-breeds two plants and ends up with a killer hybrid. Seymour accidentally kills a few people (you know how it is) and feeds their corpses to the exotic Venus flytrap-style plant he’s named Audrey II after his crush, the beautiful shopgirl Audrey. The police start tracking all these missing people, and fortuitously end up at Mushnick’s shop just as Audrey II’s buds are about to open. Things really get grisly from there. The Strange Brew division of the Webster University Film Series presents this dark slice of 1960 horror at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, at the Urban Chestnut Grove Brewery (4465 Manchester Avenue; www.webster.edu/filmseries). Admission is $5.

MONDAY 07/09 Jersey Boys The Muny’s centennial season is a sort of greatest-hits celebration of musical theater, but the producers still made room for that most special of shows, a Muny premiere. In the case of Jersey Boys, it’s essentially a two-fer; while the show itself is wildly popular, it still counts as a first for the Muny. It’s the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, the quartet of working-class New Jersey boys who discovered

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[GALLERIES]

Sculptures Inspired by TB — and Disney Written by

IAN SCOTT

isual artist Cole Lu returned to St. Louis last weekend for the opening of her new exhibit, Animal Fancy. The show is now on display at Monaco (2701 Cherokee Street). The gallery opened on Cherokee Street last December as an off-shoot of the neighboring Luminary. Lu is a promising young artist currently based in New York City — though she spent many of her formative years in St. Louis. She says her work in the show was influenced heavily by Disney, particularly Beauty and the Beast. “There is so much coding in Disney films — if someone is queer or colored or suffers from an illness, they are often coded as someone non-human, or as a beast,” Lu says, “Othering is a really common theme in entertainment that we consume on a daily basis.” Animal Fancy is meant as a way to illustrate the harmful social effects of “othering” through a series of bas-reliefs, or sculptures with less detail and more pronounced backgrounds. The theme of illness and isolation is strongly featured as well. Much of this comes from Lu’s own backstory; an immigrant from Taipei, she contracted tuberculosis last year. She was placed into quarantine, which, along with the haunting loneliness that can come from being abroad in a new land, led her to begin creating the art for this show. In addition to Disney and her own experience, Lu looked to German author Thomas Mann for inspiration. A quote from his 1924 novel, Magic Mountain, provides the epigraph to the exhibition. It reads, “And life? Life itself? Was it perhaps only an infection, a sickening of matter? Was that which one might call the original procreation of matter only a disease, a growth produced by morbid stimulation of the immaterial?” In the story, Hans Castorp leaves

Thoroughbred (no caster of weather foretold), 2018, concrete. | WORK BY COLE LU, PHOTOGRAPHED BY NORA LUOK

“Othering is a really common theme in entertainment that we consume on a daily basis.” his cushy life to go visit his gravely ill cousin in the Swiss Alps — and then contracts tuberculosis. The combination of a man adjusting to a different place and the secluded power of illness affected Lu deeply. The centerpiece of the show is “monsterism,” and how loneliness, disability, illness and foreignness all coalesce into a modality that discourages differences and rewards conformity. To this day, the monster remains an effective way of telling a story — and similar codes still apply in popular entertainment. “‘Monstering’ someone is a coping mechanism,” Lu says. “When something bad happens, it is comforting to be able to finger-point and look to the monster as the thing that is responsible.” Animal Fancy will be on display through July 27. n

Detail from a work in progress. | COLE LU riverfronttimes.com

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TO CELEBRATE OUR 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WE’RE HOLDING A RAFFLE EVERY MONTH THROUGH NOVEMBER ENDING WITH A GRAND PRIZE WINNER! RAFFLE TICKETS ARE $5 EACH OR 5 FOR $20. Tickets available at Pappy’s, Bogart’s, Southern, Dalie’s and Adam’s. Winners receive a complimentary meal at Pappy’s for four with a bonus SpeedPass (no waiting in line) and tickets to one of our city’s notable attractions.

Monthly RafFLe Prizes SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER

Year-Long Membership to The Saint Louis Science Center

4 Tickets to The Gateway Arch and the VIP Brewmaster Tour at Anheuser Busch

$300 Gift Card for the Peabody Opera House

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Year-Long Family Membership to The City Museum

Year-Long Festival Membership to the Missouri Botanical Garden which includes The Butterfly House & Shaw Nature Reserve

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CAFE

Majeed serves all the classics that its owners offered at their former restaurant in Syria, including baba ganoush, a mixed grill, baklava, quatif and a falafel sandwich. | MABEL SUEN

[REVIEW]

Ain’t That America At Majeed, some of the city’s newest refugees offer a spectacular taste of Syrian food in the heart of Bevo Mill Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant 4658 Gravois Avenue, 314-282-0981; Mon.Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

he bombing of the school is what did it for Mamdouh Majeed. His small town, Hama, hadn’t exactly been safe since the first rumblings of the Syrian civil war began around 2009. It’s why he had sent his wife and

youngest son to live in Turkey. However, he and his elder sons had made the decision to stay behind in their hometown, opting to maintain the land, business and extended family ties that provided them with a good, middle-class life. Surely, better days would come. That calculus changed on the evening of Eid al-Adha in 2011. Majeed and his sons had gathered to celebrate the holiday when they heard the explosion. The school nearby was leveled, shaking not only their house but also their confidence in the idea that things would get better. Though it pained them to their very core, the Majeeds decided that staying in Hama was no longer an option. They left everything behind and fled to Turkey. Reunited with their matriarch and youngest sibling, the Majeeds began to create a new life in Turkey. Though language and cultural barriers made that difficult, they felt that they were beginning to rebuild and achieve some stability. However, at the urging of an in-

ternational refugee nonprofit in Turkey, the elder Majeed was persuaded to apply for refugee status in the United States. He was hesitant at first but eventually saw the opportunity such an arrangement could provide. He applied, was approved, and before he knew it, the family was landing at O’Hare in a country they had only seen in photos. Chicago was a one-day stopover for the Majeeds before they were informed they would be placed permanently in St. Louis. With the help of the International Institute, they got a place to live and a crash course in American culture. It was difficult. They did not speak English, had no car and lacked the support structure they’d had back home. Still, they persisted, taking on odd jobs at Middle Eastern markets, grocery stores and restaurants around town to get on their feet. Back in Syria, the Majeeds had two businesses of their own — a construction design company, where Mamdouh Majeed made a name for himself doing stone-

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work that made new buildings look historic, and a restaurant. Determined to reclaim some of their identity and strike out on their own in their new home, his sons decided to follow in their father’s entrepreneurial footsteps. In that spirit, Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant was born. Majeed opened this past January in Bevo Mill, a neighborhood with a history of welcoming refugees. Prior to its current incarnation, the building housed Papagayos, a Honduran restaurant that relocated to Northampton in 2016. With Mahdouh Majeed’s health not the greatest, his eldest son, Abdullhak, has taken the lead on the restaurant, serving as owner and co-chef. Together with his younger brother Ibrahim, Abdullhak has transformed the Central American-inflected space with Middle Eastern décor, like low-lying banquettes covered in traditional tapestries and Syrian serving vessels. Photos of Middle Eastern locations, including Turkey’s Blue Mosque, hang from the salmon pink walls,

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and contemporary Arabic-language music videos fill the room with the same sounds that would have filled the Majeeds’ family restaurant in Hama. Music is not the only thing that connects Majeed to the family’s eatery in the old country. The restaurant serves a nearly identical menu of Syrian specialties, such as beef fatayer, a half-moon-shaped pastry filled with ground meat that perfumes the air with white onions and spices when pierced. The flaky, samosa-like shell soaks up the rendered beef jus, making an additional sauce unnecessary. Grape leaves, rolled with a mixture of ground lamb, beef and rice, are at once rich and bright. Unlike other versions of the dish, the stuffing here is the main flavor; the grape-leaf wrapper is but a tart accent. Baba ganoush is another example of a ubiquitous Middle Eastern dish that is elevated at Majeed. The smoked eggplant is blended, but not pureed, for a pleasantly rustic texture, and a liberal squeeze of fresh lemon cuts through the garlic and earthiness of the vegetables. It’s positively luxurious. Hummus matches the baba ganoush’s decadence. Though the dip is merely a blend of chick peas, tahini and olive oil, Majeed’s take on the staple Middle Eastern dip has a perfect ratio, transforming these humble ingredients into a sumptuous, velvety concoction. It’s the best version in town. Majeed’s chicken shawarma also excels. Somehow, each individual hunk of chicken is both succulent and caramelized on the outside. Lemon zest and garlic enliven meat that would be delicious even on its own. Slathered with a cloudlike garlic puree and wrapped into a pita, it’s transcendent. Even a simple grilled-chicken kabob, the shish tawuk, is thrilling, its tender meat infused with herbs, garlic and lemon. The edges of the chicken are kissed with char, but the interior is as juicy as a braised piece of meat. The shish kefta is equally well executed. For this kabob, the poultry is ground and infused with black-pepper garlic and Middle Eastern spices. Beef kefta, so often a driedout, lackluster kabob choice, is as juicy as a composite of slowcooked pot roast. The meat pulls apart at only the slightest prodding; each bite is verdant with fresh parsley and garlic. Served over a platter, it is wonderful; wrapped in pita and covered in

garlic sauce, it is sublime. Majeed’s falafel is my least favorite of its offerings. I prefer a style that has a more loose, grainy texture. This version is more of a deep-fried chickpea paste that is less seasoned than the restaurant’s other offerings. The better vegetarian offering is the bitanjan, a sumptuous eggplant-andtomato stew that evokes a Middle Eastern eggplant Parmesan. Ladled over rice, it’s pure comfort. The stew is a window into Majeed’s knack for slow-cooked dishes. A braised leg of lamb easily pulls off the bone and onto a bed of fragrant biryani rice. The meat’s cooking liquid acts as a jus that soaks into the rice like a rich lamb stew. The highlight, however, is the Syria chicken, a leg and thigh quarter that is seared to crisp the outside skin, then slow-cooked with potatoes, olive oil and spices. The fat from the chicken forms a deep, schmaltzy gravy that caramelizes like brown butter. It soaks into the softened potato slices, giving the same rich effect you get from cooking potatoes in duck fat. I don’t know what is more impressive: the superb execution or the price. Majeed’s menu is shockingly inexpensive, and this dish is a steal at just $9.99. Ibrahim proudly says that people tell him the food reminds them of their mothers’ home cooking. He also emphasizes that Majeed is the only restaurant in town to serve traditional Syrian desserts, including hiawat jibn, a cheese-filled sticky-dough pastry coated in crushed pistachios and scented with rosewater. The quatif is my favorite: a fried, nut-filled dough that’s like a cross between baklava and a quintessential German apple strudel. Perhaps the Bevo Mill’s towering presence just a block down Gravois is what brings to mind apple strudel. And the dessert also seems not all that different from the baklava-like flaky pita at J’s Pitaria, the Bosnian shop just around the corner. On this Fourth of July, I can’t help but think about these connections — how each generation has welcomed a wave of immigrants who left behind their homelands to create new lives in this little slice of south city. That they have been able to do that, and have made our lives more delicious in the process, is what makes America so wonderful. Scratch that. It’s what makes America great.

Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant Hummus Chicken shawarma sandwich Beef kefta platter

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SHORT ORDERS

[SIDE DISH]

Nathaniel Reid (Always) Feels Like Chocolate Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

athaniel Reid likes to say that while his mother’s advice to go into the culinary arts seemed out of left field, when he reflects on it, it was actually a long time coming. “I always liked being in the kitchen as a kid, but it was mostly making a mess. There wasn’t anything successful being made,” Reid says. “My mom was good about letting us play around and experiment in ways other parents wouldn’t because it was extra work for [them]. But she saw we were enjoying ourselves and created a fostering environment. If I had been reprimanded for doing it, I probably wouldn’t be here today.” For Reid, “here” is Nathaniel Reid Bakery (11243 Manchester Road, Kirkwood; 314-858-1019), the acclaimed pastry shop he opened with his wife in August 2016. Reid is internationally renowned for his craft, and it’s difficult to imagine him doing anything else in life. But it wasn’t all that long ago that he was on a much different path. Growing up in Farmington, Missouri, Reid was singularly focused on becoming a biologist beginning in kindergarten, and he pursued that career path all the way to Mizzou. However, after a summer internship left him questioning what he wanted to do with his life, he reached out to his family for advice. That’s when his mom made the suggestion that would change his life. “There we were, sitting at this family meeting, and it was the first time I had been unsure about what I wanted to do with my life since I was six years old,” Reid re-

Nathaniel Reid, with wife Lee Lee, dreamed of a career in herpetology before gaining national acclaim for his desserts. | MABEL SUEN calls. “But when she said I should pursue culinary — and everyone said it — it was an ‘aha’ moment, like a destiny feeling.” At his mom’s suggestion, Reid changed majors from biology to hospitality management and got a job in the restaurant business, working his way up from dishwasher to fry cook to the sauté station. He had his eye on the pastry kitchen and begged his boss, chef Chris McDonnell, to let him make desserts when the full-time pastry chef had to leave because of an illness. McDonnell was less than enthused. “I was bothering him, and he was like, ‘No, no no!’” Reid laughs. “I think he finally just got tired of me asking and was confident I would try, fail and then leave him alone.” Reid admits it wasn’t smooth sailing for him at first — for every dessert that made it on the menu, there were several iterations in the trash can. Still, he persisted, and eventually began to get in his groove. That confidence propelled him to apply to the pastry program at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where he excelled and impressed his teachers — so much, in fact, that they floated his name to a famous New York chef who was interested in taking him under his wing. The day after gradu-

ation, Reid hopped on a plane back to the U.S., convinced he was well on his way. Unfortunately, that job never happened. Plagued by a perpetually delayed start date, Reid had to accept that he could no longer wait for the position. As he struggled to secure work, he found himself working with his dad in the construction business to make ends meet. “I was all pumped up and excited, and here I was, back in Farmington pouring concrete with my dad,” Reid says. “It’s not that there is anything wrong with that; it’s hard and real work. It’s that I was so ready to start cooking, and it was hard to wait.” Reid would eventually get hired on at the Ritz-Carlton in Las Vegas, a gig that propelled him to the highest levels of the pastry world — Joël Robuchon’s elite properties in Las Vegas (where a stay required an invitation and a $50 million credit limit) and the ultraswanky St. Regis in southern California. However, though he was achieving at the highest levels of his industry, he had his sights set on opening a place of his own one day and decided it was time to pursue that. After some consulting work, a position with the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton and numerous teaching gigs, Reid and his wife, Lee

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Lee, finally realized their dream, opening up Nathaniel Reid Bakery two years ago. Though the neighborhood ethos at the bakery may seem like a different world than the elite pastry one where he made his name, Reid does not approach the two all that differently. “You can have a coldness at the high end, and our pastries would fit in that world seamlessly, but that is not my style,” Reid explains. “My goal is to have a place that feels like a 1950s icecream parlor, where it is friendly and there is engagement and all types of people feel welcome. And you can have the best version of something for three bucks, which means that anyone can come in here and is able to experience, in my opinion, one of the best things in the city.” Reid took a break from making desserts to share his thoughts on the St. Louis food-and-beverage scene, his junk-food Achilles heel and the one ingredient you will never see in his kitchen. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did? Even though I’m busy at the bakery on a daily basis, I also work as a consultant and educator for other chefs and businesses around the country. I consult with

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NATHANIEL REID Continued from pg 31

Sasa Demarle to help develop new products for the baking products brand, and I also travel around the country as an ambassador for Valrhona Chocolates, teaching other chefs how to work with their premium chocolate. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? Now that I’m a dad, I have other priorities in my life. I have a great team in place at the bakery, and it allows me to wake my daughter up, steal some hugs and then head into the bakery. It’s the best way to start the day! If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I always wish that there were more hours in the day. If I was like the Flash, I could work at lightning speed, still have time to test out the new desserts and items that I want to create, and then slow down to get home and spend time with my family. What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? Consumers are now craving artisan food products with high

craftsmanship. I think this transcends from the pastry world to beverages as well. Genuine excitement about quality allows people like myself to do more and more things, and I see that continue to grow in the community. What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see? There is a vast amount of new technology and techniques in chocolate with the most amazing quality of cacao right now. I’d like to see more chocolate companies opening that showcase those advancements. Who is your St. Louis food crush? My wife Lee Lee, of course! She’s an amazing chef, not just with pastry but also savory. The cookie and brownie recipe in the bakery are hers, and I crave them. Everything that she does impresses and surprises me. Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene? Qui Tran from Mai Lee and Nudo House. I know that he’s well known, but I think that he’s one to watch from an entrepreneurial standpoint. He took a risk to step outside of his family’s business to open Nudo House. Now, he’s become a restaurateur in his own

experience

right. He’s a steward for all of us in the St. Louis dining scene, and he just brings people together. He’s so passionate and loves what he does, and I think that we both share a similar philosophy on hospitality — take time to say hello to your customers, get to know them and really care. I admire him for that, and he’s been a great support to us at the bakery. Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? I would have to say chocolate. Not just because it’s something that I’m super passionate about, but chocolate is very versatile. It can be used in so many things from fancy showpieces to the perfect, simple chocolate-chip cookie. This bakery is my passion project, so I’m here a lot. I have to wear many hats, so I can relate to the adaptability of chocolate. If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing? I would be a biologist — a herpetologist, to be exact. That’s what I was originally studying in college. Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant. Margarine. Why would you ever use the fake stuff? We use this beautiful butter from Wisconsin that wasn’t available in

St. Louis until we brought it to the market to open the shop. The cows in Wisconsin make the best butter and cheese. There are a lot of false claims about using “the best ingredients,” so I encourage consumers to ask people what is in the products that they eat. What is your after-work hangout? Straight to the house with the family. No better place to be. What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure? Red Hot Riplets. Sometimes when I buy a bag, it doesn’t make it home. What would be your last meal on earth? OK, I’ve got this one coursed out. I’d start with a Salume Beddu charcuterie platter with some cheese from Baetje Farms, with olives, pickled vegetables and one of my jams. Second course, John Dory fish with fava beans and morels followed by chicken roasted on a spit with root vegetables, and then barbecue duck with hoisin and scallion pancakes. To finish, I would keep it light with a homemade fruit sorbet and chocolate bonbons. My favorite flavor combination is lemon dark chocolate ganache with crispy hazelnut praline. n

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[FIRST LOOK]

Pizza, and Much More, in the Loop Written by

SARAH FENSKE

t’s probably wise to get one thing out of the way about Blue Box Pizza (3694 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-696-2028), the new fast-casual eatery in the Loop: Its pizza boxes are not blue. “Everybody asks us that question!” says co-owner Ben Deloya, laughing. “That’s the plan. We will have blue boxes.” They just don’t have them yet. Indeed, for now, Blue Box Pizza is a work in progress. The restaurant opened June 9 in the space that previously held Doughocracy, but the grand opening is still weeks away. The owners are waiting for the sign they’ve ordered for the front of the building, as well as a liquor license (they hope to eventually offer a full bar). And they’re frank about the fact they’re still working through some kinks. Still, Deloya and his co-owners — who include parents Arlene Galve and Angel Deloya, plus his 22-year-old brother, Erik

Blue Box offers build-your-own pies and house ones, such as “the Swine.” | SARAH FENSKE — have the kitchen revved up and serving its full menu. The remaining details are just that: details. If the space’s previous tenant applied the Chipotle model to pizza, Blue Box Pizza raises the stakes far beyond that. Like Chipotle, you order at the counter and watch your food being prepared before you. But unlike Doughocracy, it’s not just pizza on offer here — you can customize a twelve-inch pie, sure, but you can also build your own sandwich,

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wrap, burrito or salad. For each, you choose from a variety of dairy (everything from “pizza blend” to Parmesan), proteins, greens (which include, oddly, everything from corn to pickles), sauces and dressings. Some flavors, like the pulled-pork achiote and the mole-style cacao sauce, give real international flavor. “We wanted to show people you can enjoy pizza a different way,” Galve says. And that’s not all. In addition to the

boozy slushies the owners hope to offer once they get that liquor license, the kitchen also offers nachos and quesadillas, braided hotdogs and even delicate pastries, including macarons and petit fours. The reason for the pastries? The family also owns (with Galve’s brother) Pastries of Denmark, the cafe in Creve Coeur. But this, their first restaurant on their own, is fulfilling a longtime dream. Galve’s background is in education. After following her sister from Spain to Missouri decades ago, she earned a master’s degree and then a doctorate. Her son Ben later followed in her footsteps, working as a teacher. But all the while, they wanted to open a restaurant. Says Galve, “We have been talking a long time about this.” They saw pizza as an ideal canvas for creativity and unique flavor combinations — and the Loop as an ideal location. “It’s so diverse,” Ben Deloya says. “We figured we’d get people from different backgrounds, and they’d be likely to enjoy our pizza.” When the Doughocracy spot became available, they jumped at its turnkey aspect. “The setup was already there,” Deloya says. Now they’re just waiting on a few missing pieces. But don’t let the lack of sign, or even blue boxes, stop you from visiting. Come on by; the kitchen is open. n

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Made in America St. Louis’ Americana Festival expands in its second year Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER

ocal music boosters will remind you — ad infinitum, at times — of the many bona fides that St. Louis can claim as a musical city. We are the birthplace of the blues, of course, and home to everyone from Miles Davis to John Hartford. And while the city is too far west from Nashville and too far north of Texas to be considered much of a hotbed for country music, St. Louis can claim a pretty big stake of what became termed alt-country, thanks primarily to a Bellevillebased trio called Uncle Tupelo. As a term, alt-country had a brief but powerful run in the early and mid-’90s, but these days the preferred nomenclature for twangy, roots-indebted sounds is Americana. Like all genre tags, it has its limits and an inherent vagueness, but it remains, for now, an aegis under which to gather artists with an ear toward blues and country roots and an eye for expanding those borders. Adam Donald, who organizes the now-annual Americana Festival, sees St. Louis as a crucial but under-represented community of musicians who play in that vein. So, for the fest’s second year, he is expanding both the lineup and the stylistic reach, taking over the Atomic Cowboy grounds on Saturday, July 7, with a locals-focused lineup that includes Beth Bombara, Ryan Koenig, Roland Johnson, the Hillary Fitz Band and Old Capital. Over a bucket of Busch beer at the Clifton Heights haunt Babe’s, Donald and Scotti Iman, who both play in the Cara Louise Band (also performing at the festival), talk about programming the event and its growth from last year, as

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Festival organizers Adam Donald (guitar) and Scotti Iman (drums) will also perform with the Cara Louise Band. | AUSET SARNO well of the difficulty in pinning down the term “Americana.” “It’s a broad term — that’s why I love it so much, because it is broad,” says Donald. “Yet, when people hear it, they have an image in their head of what it is to them. To some people, it’s bluegrass. To some people, it’s Woody Guthrie. To some people, it’s Ryan Adams or modern country-rock dudes. “I want to cover that whole broad spectrum,” Donald continues, “but I also don’t want people to think that, ‘Oh, this is all just country music,’ because Americana can be blues, it can be soul, it can be R&B.” “You don’t have to have a fiddle in the band to play Americana,” says Iman, refuting, slightly, Alabama’s dictum about playing music in the state of Texas. Donald says that the festival aims to highlight the city and region’s contribution to a slippery genre. Iman notes that “it’s not Lucinda Williams that’s the draw; it’s Rum Drum Ramblers, because they’ve been here forever and they have a fan base, and it’s a great representation of what comes out of this city.” This year’s highlights include

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Ryan Koenig, who will also perform as part of Rum Drum Ramblers and whose solo album from 2017 points to the breadth of his musical interests and facility. Erica Blinn, who hails from Nashville, is one of the few nonregional acts on the bill; Donald describes her sound as “Rolling Stones-sounding, swamp-rock sort of vibe.” Neoga Blacksmith from Champaign, Illinois, holds down the cosmic country element, while Cape Girardeau’s Big Idea offers an acoustic interpolation of rock and bluegrass. A key local highlight is Roland Johnson, a veteran soul singer who had primarily been an ace interpreter of R&B music until he started writing his own songs, which were captured on 2016’s Imagine This. Booking Johnson was a big step forward for the festival, Donald says. “I don’t wanna pick favorites, but he’s definitely gotta be my favorite act of the showcase.” This year, the festival takes over three stages in and around the Atomic Cowboy complex: the venue’s outdoor stage, its indoor venue, the Bootleg, and the beer garden of next-door neighbor Firecracker Pizza. By shutting down

the adjoining street, patrons will be able to float between the locations and experience bands in different settings. Iman says that since the initial Americana Festival took place solely at the Bootleg, this year’s model offers more of a “festival experience” — albeit with better bathrooms. Donald and Iman will be pulling double duty at Americana Festival as organizers and performers in the Cara Louise Band. They plan on performing some as-yet-unreleased material at the fest. “I think Cara has been writing more personal songs as well,” says Donald. “A lot more sad songs — minor-key, downbeat sort of stuff. It’s sort of a departure from happy, strumming, shuffle-beat type of stuff.” Donald, who is engaged to bandleader Cara Louise Wegener, notes with a laugh that those new sad songs are probably about him: “If you listen to them intently, you’ll know about all the bad things I’ve ever done.” 5 p.m. Saturday, July 7. Atomic Cowboy, 4140 Manchester Avenue. $15. 314-775-0775.

Shane Camden’s Timber Longboard Co. produces paddleboards, wakeboards and even surfboards in Webster Groves. | COURTESY OF SHANE CAMDEN

[ARTISANS]

Longboard Co. Brings a Piece of Missouri to the Waves Written by

IAN SCOTT

he sand dunes of Rincon, the infinite blue of Java ... the murky waters of the Mississippi? When it comes to places that bring surfing to mind, St. Louis would probably fall very near the bottom of the list, with the Western Sahara or the middle of a volcano the only places listed

lower. This isn’t a jab at St. Louis; it’s just a basic fact of geography. It’s a landlocked, post-industrial city, located directly in the middle of the Midwest, with thousands of miles of land separating it from the coasts, where the water is and where the people from other countries come to teach us cool things to do. Shane Camden hopes to change this. The St. Louis native moved to Daytona Beach in his twenties and was converted into a fullblown outdoorsman. It was there that he first rode the waves, or at least tried to. “Me and my wife, plus some of the guys I was with, we hacked a couple of boards together,” Camden recalls. “For our purposes and abilities, they were fine, but they weren’t pretty.” That passion quieted for a while, until a few years ago when Camden’s wife suggested they get paddleboards. Camden took it a step further: Why not make them themselves? He still has the original board he made. It is impressive, colored like an old derby

racer and very heavy looking. That led Camden to begin selling boards he made in his home workshop, under the name of Timber Longboard Co. He now makes stand-up paddleboards, wakeboards and, of course, surfboards — all of which are environmentally friendly and recyclable. “The majority of boards nowadays are made from styrofoam, which will sit around in a landfill forever if you throw them out,” he warns. “We only use a recycled style of EPS [expanded polystyrene] foam and wood on ours.” He promises, “If you threw one of these in a landfill, it would be gone in a couple of years.” Paddleboards can be used on any body of water (lake, pond, river, sea), regardless of how gnarly the waves. The same is true of wake boards. Wake and paddle boards are what Camden makes and sells the most of, which makes sense: There are countless spots to use these on locally, while surfboards require a beach with waves.

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The business has consistently grown. Camden has run Timber Longboard Co. from his Webster Groves home for the last three years, or “seasons,” to use outdoor sports terminology. He sells boards locally, to customers on the coasts and all the way to Denmark. The business has been so successful that Camden quit carpentry and channeled all of his attention to his passion. “Last year we sold 17 boards, made 25 — we consistently sell a board or two a month,” he says. “Now I can focus completely on the boards.” He’s looking forward to the Missouri American Water MR340, a cross-state race for human-powered watercraft along the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Charles. Several competitors will be using Timber Longboard Co. boards, including Camden himself. The three-day race begins on July 24. “A lot of people don’t know that this surf movement is happening here,” Camden says. It certainly is a growing sport, attracting many of the “sunburnt pagans” that William Finnegan wrote about in Barbarian Days. Landlocked areas like Kansas City are developing ways to still get the surfing experience without the actual waves. Surfing, and other extensions of boarding, have clear appeal for younger athletes, in part because they’re something you can do alone. Surfing takes its practitioners to the depths of the water, as well as the depths of themselves. What lends it more authority than other solo sports (say, darts or yo-yoing) is that in addition to the great exercise you get and the beautiful scenery around you, you look cool doing it. The world has taken notice; starting in the next Olympic Games, surfing will officially be a competitive sport. This could propel it to the mainstream of American sports, similar to how snowboarding was received after its debut in 1998. “Balance is the key” is Camden’s advice for aspiring longboarders, but it could also be applied to any area of life. “Don’t freak out, even if you’re three feet underwater, and never lose your cool.” Oh, and don’t let your distance from the ocean stop you from finding a place to board. n

JULY 4 - 10, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Wednesday July 4th 9:30pm

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players Tribute to The Eagles Thursday July 5th 9:30pm Urban Chestnut Presents

Alligator Wine’s Tribute to the Dead Saturday July 7th 10pm

Jake’s Leg

Sunday July 8th 8pm

Aaron Kamm & The One Drops Wednesday July 11th 9:30pm

Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players

Lisa Houdei will release her sophomore album on July 20. | TIM GEBAUER

Tribute to Van Morrison Friday July 13th 10pm

The Mighty Pines + Arkansauce

[PREVIEW]

Le’Ponds Teases Upcoming Record Written by

HOWARD HARDEE

inger-songwriter Le’Ponds gets her kicks by dreaming up fictional people and situations. Only rarely does she write about her personal experiences, choosing instead to put herself in different shoes and make imaginary characters interact. For example, “Operator,” an unreleased song on her forthcoming sophomore album, I Was Dancing With My Dream Team, is written from the perspective of a young operator who falls in love with a caller. “I’m such a weirdo. I don’t know how most people write music,” she says. “I’m just making it up as I go.” Le’Ponds (real name Lisa Houdei) is known for augmenting her acoustic songs with pulses of synthesizer and other subtle layers, but she went totally electric

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JULY 4 - 10, 2018

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on I Was Dancing, which is set to drop July 20. Two singles — the title track and another song, “Easy Now, Highschool Lover” — were released last month via Bandcamp. Both hint at Houdei’s new sonic direction. Though she usually gigs with a band rounded out by three members of local jazzy/mathrocking outfit Jr. Clooney, Houdei is playing solo at the Monocle on Wednesday, July 11. She’s splitting the bill with another talented singer-songwriter, Haley Heynderickx of Portland, Oregon. For that set, Houdei will play mostly acoustic songs off her previous recording project, Heat (2016), for which she and producer Tim Gebauer of Electropolis Studios added layers of electronics to already written and recorded acoustic songs. However, she went into the I Was Dancing sessions with the intention of filling out the sound with additional instrumentation. The result is a fullband indie-rock record complete with jangly electric guitar. “It just feels more mature to me,” she says. “They’re like more mature versions of the songs I wrote on Heat. They’re more complex and we did a lot of layering, and I think it all blends together really well.” Both singles hearken back to 1950s slow-dance music but feature lyrics that humorously contradict the ideal of a squeaky-clean high school prom date. On “I Was Dancing With My Dream Team,”

she sings in her disaffected-yetplayful vocal style: “You’re standing too close to me/ You’re crawling all over me / I’m tired of trying, you see / Just put that thing away.” Houdei didn’t intend to create a striking contrast between the music and its lyrical content, however. True to form, she just made it up as she went, drawing a little from her experiences of being awkwardly approached on the dance floor. “People get drunk,” she says. “It can be girls, guys, whatever. And they don’t dance, they just sort of stagger and look at you with these weird eyes … I was looking back on people who had been creepy on the dance floor — all kinds of people. I don’t want it to be an ‘I hate men’ song at all; girls can be super creepy too. And I think it’s playful, you know?” Houdei wasn’t trying to capture a retro sound, either; she just sat down in her kitchen with an electric guitar and tried to write something angsty, and the 1950s girlgroup style emerged in the studio. “I thought it was going to be kind of punk,” she says. “But then we recorded it differently and started hearing different styles and leaned toward those. I definitely would say it was an accident.” “Easy Now, Highschool Lover” seems to chronicle a teenage hookup the narrator regrets — maybe. Plenty is open for interpretation. Houdei packs the song with strong imagery, finding power in simple turns of phrase like, “Rosy cheeks are blooming / I’m drinking up your fragrance.” The listener senses a story unfolding, but the narrative is fragmented. There is no clear arc. She wrote the song the way she always does: by humming a tune and recording herself mumbling over it. “If those mumbles have a certain amount of syllables or something that sounds like a word, then a story takes shape,” she says. “With this song, the thing I had in my head was the line, ‘They call you Nicorette.’ I was like, ‘How do I add this to the song?’ Then I started thinking about a guy back in the day with gelled hair walking down the hallway in high school … This girl gets in a situation [with him], and everything is so much more dramatic when you’re young.” Given the way she says “back in the day,” it’s possible that traces of Houdei’s own life are buried in the lyrics. But it’s probably not worth digging too deep, because, you know, she mostly builds stories from scratch. n

OUT EVERY NIGHT

[CRITIC’S PICK]

#PUTUPYOURDUKES Dom Flemons. | TIM DUFFY

DOM FLEMONS 8 p.m. Friday, July 6. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $15 to $20. 314-773-3363.

Though he’ll long be remembered as a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops — a pivotal band in the revival of old-time, string-band music — Dom Flemons documents and reinvents traditions with such a ferocious appetite that no one band could ever contain him. This year the scholar of old-time music, black and white and every shade in between, turned his attention to the

THURSDAY 5

AS CITIES BURN: w/ Tigerwine, Angelhead, Mariner 7 p.m., $16-$20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BIG GEORGE JR. & THE NGK BAND: 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314773-5565. BILLY BARNETT BAND: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. GATEWAY ARCH PARK FOUNDATION SUMMER SOCIAL: 10 a.m., free. Kiener Plaza, 500 Chestnut St, St. Louis. HANDS & FEET: w/ Memory Keepers, Paperkite, Modern Welfare 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. JOAN OF ARC: 8 p.m., $10-$13. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-935-7003. JOHN CLIFTON BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MOBLEY: 8 p.m., $5. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. OSO OSO: w/ Queen Of Jeans, Lobby Boxer, Young Animals 7 p.m., $12-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. PEARL EARL: w/ Babe Lords 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314328-2309. SISTER WIZZARD: w/ Cara Louise Band, Zigtebra, CaveofswordS 9 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. TOM HALL: 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S.

stories and songs of African American frontiersmen and ranch crews for a Smithsonian Folkways set called Black Cowboys. Given the explicitly racist mission of Manifest Destiny, it’s a perilous journey that’s no less rewarding for its revisionism. These classic songs of the Western expansion take on a whole new, vibrant life when filtered through Flemons’ undeniable genius. Packing Old-Time Heat: Guitar, banjo, harmonica, fife, quills, rhythm bones — Flemons can play them all, and likely will on stage for this fully seated, solo show.

—Roy Kasten 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. WHO’S BAD: THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE BAND: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

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

Duke’s Photos by Big Stu Media

Duke’s Sports Bar Where the Games Begin

FRIDAY 6

ALEX JENKINS & THE BOMBERS: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ANCIENT RIVER: w/ Mother Meat, Sunwyrm 8 p.m., $6. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CASKET ROBBERY: w/ Toxic Ruin 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DOM FLEMONS: 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. HOODRICH PABLO JUAN: 8 p.m., $20-$22. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. HOTEL TEN EYES: 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. HOUNDMOUTH: 8 p.m., $25-$28. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JR GEARS: w/ Sister Wizzard 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. KATIE HERZIG: 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. MARK FARINA: w/ DJ Alexis Tucci, John Cobb,

Continued on pg 40

FIND OUT ALL THAT’S GOING ON @DUKESINSOULARD

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JULY 4 - 10, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Continued from pg 39

BEST BETS

Five sure-fire shows to close out the week

FRIDAY, JULY 6 Monxx w/ Hekler, Boss Mode b2b Rollbro, Mobcat, 5tonE 8 p.m. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee Street. $15 to $25. 314-276-2700.

You would be forgiven for not knowing riddim, the triplet-heavy and trap-friendly sub-category of EDM that U.K. producer Monxx works within. Amid a stack of minimalist layers, vocal samples command a bent and warbling backbeat for a brand of electronic music that is decidedly outside the mainstream. Having gotten his start at only fourteen, Monxx is by now a master of the craft. He backs up his own hype.

SATURDAY, JULY 7 Elbow Through Hammer w/ Buttercup, Subtropolis

9 p.m. El Lenador, 3124 Cherokee Street. $5. 314-875-9955.

Maybe it’s capitalism or just the fact that music taste can be contagious, but similar-minded bands tend to multiply and infest cities. There are about eight billion names under the “indie rock” umbrella, and they typically fizzle out in two to three years in as the whims of the masses fluctuate. But groups like Elbow Through Hammer and Buttercup are different, with an exploratory approach to rock that shares little with whatever’s trending — and in this way, they’ll live and die regardless of who’s in the room when they play.

SUNDAY, JULY 8 4th Annual Rock Paper Podcast Birthday Show w/ Old Souls Revival, the Scandaleros, Mathias & the Pirates, Sophisticated Babies, the Many Colored Death 2 p.m. Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street. Free. 314-588-0505.

Hitting up the nearly 600 episodes of Rock Paper Podcast is enough to make anyone an expert on St. Louis music, and host Shane Presley likes to extend his reach beyond the web to live events. But none are as vital or as much of a celebration as his annual birthday concert, which brings a feast for the ears through a diverse list of performers and longtime friends. Enough St. Louisians know the feeling of hearing Presley’s Continued on pg 41

[CRITIC’S PICK]

LISTINGS

[WEEKEND]

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Dan Strickland 8 p.m., $15-$20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314833-3929. MELISSA NEELS BAND: 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. MONXX: w/ Hekler, Boss Mode b2b Rollbro, Mobcat, 5tonE 8 p.m., $15-$25. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. VOODOO FLEETWOOD MAC: 6 p.m., free. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

SATURDAY 7

AARON TIPPIN: w/ Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye 7 p.m., $25-$60. Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Drive, Chesterfield. THE AUGHT NAUGHTS: w/ WT Newton 9 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. EVANESCENCE: w/ Lindsey Stirling 6 p.m., $25-$99.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. JIMMY GRIFFIN’S 50TH BIRTHDAY SHOW: w/ Pettycash Junction – A Tribute to Tom Petty & Johnny Cash, The Incurables, Street Fighting Band – A Rolling Stones Tribute, Celebration Day – A Tribute to Led Zeppelin 7:30 p.m., $15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JOHN BUTLER TRIO: 8 p.m., $27.50-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. LARRY GRIFFIN & ERIC MCSPADDEN: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MILES NIELSEN & THE RUSTED HEARTS: 8 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. NYC ‘77 SUMMER DANCE PARTY: 9 p.m., $3. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. OLD SOULS REVIVAL: 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314224-5521. PAUL BONN & THE BLUESMEN: 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314773-5565. RAY LAMONTAGNE: w/ Neko Case 8 p.m., $29.50$125. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. SEVENTH PLANET: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. SIXES HIGH CD RELEASE: w/ Echoes From Ashes, Postal Modern, Auburn Kiss, Frago 7 p.m., $5$8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. ST. LOUIS AMERICANA FESTIVAL II: w/ Beth Bombara, Ryan Koenig, Erica Blinn, Cara Louise Band, Hillary Fitz Band, Rum Drum Ramblers, The Maness Brothers, Roland Johnson, The Fighting Side, Elliott Pearson & the Passing Lane 5 p.m., $15. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. STEVE REEB & ROSS BELL: 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. SUMMONING THE LICH: w/ Polterguts 6 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THE WILHELMS CD RELEASE SHOW: 8 p.m., $10-$15. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778. THE WOOLLY BUSHMEN: w/ Pono AM, Apex Shrine, MFG 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

SUNDAY 8

4TH ANNUAL ROCK PAPER PODCAST BIRTHDAY SHOW: w/ Old Souls Revival, The Scandaleros, Mathias & The Pirates, Sophisticated Babies, The Many Colored Death 2 p.m., free. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. BENT KNEE: w/ Gatherers, Family Medicine, ISH, Distant Eyes 7 p.m., $12-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CWAH SUMMER JAZZ BENEFIT CONCERT: 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

JULY 4 - 10, 2018

riverfronttimes.com

ISAAC GREEN & THE SKALARS 8 p.m. Saturday, July 7. The Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, 6504 Delmar Boulevard. $15. 314-727-4444.

It’s more than a shame that ska music seems to have had more waves than feminism; if you’re not careful out there you might get sucked into the undertow of the genre’s fourth go-round. But here in St. Louis, Isaac Green & the Skalars lent an urbane, soulful sophistication to a style of music that could veer into self-parody, and its 1996 release, Skool-

LAKE MARY: w/ Ralph White, Dee Bird 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. LIFE COACH: w/ Baby D, Holy Posers 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. THE SCHWAG: 6 p.m., $11. Jefferson Barracks Veterans Memorial Amphitheater, 345 N Road, St. Louis. STYX: w/ Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Tesla 6 p.m., $29.50-$350. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

MONDAY 9

MUSIC UNLIMITED BAND: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS: w/ K.Flay, Welshy Arms 6 p.m., $30.50-$100.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. THE WHIFFS: w/ Shitstorm 9 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis.

TUESDAY 10

THE ADVENTURES OF KESHA AND MACKLEMORE: 6 p.m., $30.50-$100.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. DRUNKS WITH GUNS: w/ The Hoaries, Trauma Harness 8 p.m., $12-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. FANTASTIC NEGRITO: 8 p.m., $20-$23. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. JESSE MCCARTNEY: 8 p.m., $25. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. SKINTDISCO: w/ DropJa, Kappzilla, Sleach 8:45 p.m., $5. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. SLUM VILLAGE: 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314833-3929. SOCIAL REPOSE: w/ Secret Tree Fort 7 p.m., $15-$20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: 8 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222.

WEDNESDAY 11

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BRADLEY PALERMO: w/ Ike Fonseca, Andrew JR Hyland, Andrew Ryan 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. CHEETAH PRINT: w/ Good News 9 p.m., $5-$7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. DAN BAIRD & HOMEMADE SIN: 8 p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314588-0505. HALEY HEYNDERICKX: w/ Le’Ponds 7 p.m., $12$15. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-935-7003. IMAGINE DRAGONS: w/ Grace VanderWaal 7

ing with the Skalars, holds up amazingly well thanks to smart instrumentation, well-chosen R&B covers and a handful of striking originals. Alto saxophonist and vocalist Jessica Butler is helming a Skalars reunion show this weekend with many of the original members, which is reason enough to dust off your skanking shoes and two-tone attire. High School Reunion: When the Riverfront Times listed the 100 Greatest St. Louis Songs, the Skalars’ soul-ballad “High School” ranked No. 55. —Christian Schaeffer p.m., $35-$129.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. JANELLE MONÁE: w/ St. Beauty 8 p.m., $41$48.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JASON COOPER BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LA SANTA CECILIA: 8 p.m., $20-$22.50. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. NICK GUSMAN BAND: w/ The Native Sons 9 p.m., $3. Venice Café, 1903 Pestalozzi St., St. Louis, 314-772-5994. THE WAILERS: 8 p.m., $25-$30. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. ZAC CLARK: w/ Bob Oxblood 8 p.m., $15-$18. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

THIS JUST IN

ALEX JENKINS & THE BOMBERS: Fri., July 6, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ANCIENT RIVER: W/ Mother Meat, Sunwyrm, Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $6. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. BEATS ANTIQUE: Wed., Sept. 19, 9 p.m., $25-$28. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314588-0505. A BENEFIT SHOW FOR LYMPHOMA: W/ CaveofswordS, The Vigilettes, Mammoth Piano, Pat Sajak Assassins, Sat., Aug. 11, 8 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Fri., July 6, 7 p.m., $5. Wed., July 11, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BIRDTALKER: Sun., Aug. 26, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp, St. Louis, 314-498-6989. BOONDOGGLE: A TWO-MAN COMEDY SHOW: Wed., Aug. 15, 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. CHAMBER OF MALICE: W/ Short Fuse 59, Sun., Aug. 19, 7 p.m., $12-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CHRISTMAS EVE IN JULY COMEDY SHOWCASE: W/ Yale Hollander, Michael Harrison, Angela Smith, Tue., July 24, 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. CWAH SUMMER JAZZ BENEFIT CONCERT: Sun., July 8, 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS: Fri., July 20, 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS BAND: Sat., July 7, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. DIET CIG: Tue., Sept. 25, 8 p.m., $13-$15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. EUGENE & COMPANY: Sat., July 14, 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314773-5565. GOOD VILLAINS: Tue., July 24, 7 p.m., $9-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. 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, 314773-5565. HOUR CLOUD: W/ We Are Warm, Fri., July 27, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. HUNTER: Thu., July 26, 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. IMPOLITE COMPANY PRESENTS: AMERICA’S NEXT DICTATOR: Thu., Aug. 2, 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. JASON COOPER BLUES BAND: Wed., July 11, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JEREMIAH JOHNSON ACOUSTIC TRIO: Thu., July 19, 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. JOE PERA: W/ Jo Firestone, Connor O’Malley, Dan Licata, Wed., Aug. 8, 8 p.m., $15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. JOHN MCVEY BAND: Sat., July 28, 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314773-5565. JONATHAN MCREYNOLDS: Fri., Sept. 21, 8 p.m., $20-$75. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. JUSTICE DECAYS: W/ Life Sucks,Kill Their Past, Brute Force, Sat., July 14, 8 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314328-2309. KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE: Fri., Aug. 17, 6 p.m., $25-$30. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. KINGDOM BROTHERS: Thu., July 26, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314773-5565. LARRY GRIFFIN & ERIC MCSPADDEN: Sat., July 7, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LAZER LLOYD: Sat., Aug. 4, 8 p.m., $15-$20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. LIFE COACH: W/ Baby D, Holy Posers, Sun., July 8, 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., July 8, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LUCKY OLD SONS: Fri., July 13, 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. MATT MORGAN: Sat., July 14, 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. MATTHEW RYAN: Thu., Aug. 23, 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314498-6989. MELISSA NEELS BAND: Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314773-5565. MELODIME: Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m., $15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. MOM JEANS: W/ Just Friends, Shortly, Sat., Sept. 15, 7 p.m., $13-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. MOUND CITY MUSIC FEST DAY 1: W/ Common Jones, Guerrilla Theory, DJ DCUPP, The Driftaways, Fri., July 13, 6 p.m., $10-$15. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. MOUND CITY MUSIC FEST DAY 2: W/ Monkh And The People, The Scandaleros, Brother Francis and the Soultones, DJ Trouble, Break Night, Sat., July 14, 6 p.m., $10-$15. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. MUSIC UNLIMITED BAND: Mon., July 9, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. NATE LOWERY: Thu., July 12, 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. NATIVE BLOOD: W/ Blastar, Van Buren, Fri., July 13, 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. THE NEIL SALSICH DUO: Sat., Aug. 18, 1 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. NEOROMANTICS: Mon., July 16, 7 p.m., $9-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. NEVER SHOUT NEVER: Sun., Sept. 23, 8 p.m., $25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. NICK GUSMAN BAND: W/ The Native Sons, Wed.,

July 11, 9 p.m., $3. Venice Café, 1903 Pestalozzi St., St. Louis, 314-772-5994. PAUL BONN & THE BLUESMEN: Sat., July 7, 8 p.m., free. Thu., July 19, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. PONCÉ: W/ Morning Mtn., Orphan Welles, Thu., July 12, 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. PROUD PARENTS: W/ Xetas, Bucko Toby, Tue., July 17, 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. RAKIM: W/ Biz Markie, Sat., July 28, 9 p.m., 9pm. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. RICH MCDONOUGH & THE RHYTHM RENEGADES: Thu., July 12, 8 p.m., free. Sat., July 28, 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. RIPE: W/ The Brook & The Bluff, Tue., Sept. 11, 7 p.m., $12. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. ROLAND JOHNSON & THE SOUL ENDEAVORS: Fri., July 27, 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. ROZWELL KID: W/ Prince Daddy & The Hyenas, Tue., Nov. 13, 8 p.m., $12-$14. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. SOFRITO: Sat., July 28, 9:30 p.m., free. Sophie’s Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club, 3224 Locust St second floor of .Zack, St. Louis, 314-775-9551. SORRY PLEASE CONTINUE: Tue., July 17, 8 p.m., $5. Wed., Aug. 29, 8 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. ST. LOUIS LADY ARM WRESTLERS PRESENT: SLLAW XVII: BEACH PLEASE: Sat., Aug. 18, 8 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: Tue., July 10, 8 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. STEVE REEB & ROSS BELL: Sat., July 7, 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. TIM ALBERT & THE BOOGIEMEN: Sat., July 21, 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. THE WOOLLY BUSHMEN: W/ Pono AM, Apex Shrine, MFG, Sat., July 7, 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314328-2309.

THIS WEEK

4TH ANNUAL ROCK PAPER PODCAST BIRTHDAY SHOW: W/ Old Souls Revival, The Scandaleros, Mathias & The Pirates, Sophisticated Babies, The Many Colored Death, Sun., July 8, 2 p.m., free. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. AARON TIPPIN: W/ Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, Sat., July 7, 7 p.m., $25-$60. Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Drive, Chesterfield. THE ADVENTURES OF KESHA AND MACKLEMORE: Tue., July 10, 6 p.m., $30.50-$100.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. ANCIENT RIVER: W/ Mother Meat, Sunwyrm, Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $6. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. THE AUGHT NAUGHTS: W/ WT Newton, Sat., July 7, 9 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. BENT KNEE: W/ Gatherers, Family Medicine, ISH, Distant Eyes, Sun., July 8, 7 p.m., $12-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Wed., July 11, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BRADLEY PALERMO: W/ Ike Fonseca, Andrew JR Hyland, Andrew Ryan, Wed., July 11, 9 p.m., $7. W/ Ike Fonseca, Andrew JR Hyland, Andrew Ryan, Wed., July 11, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. CASKET ROBBERY: W/ Toxic Ruin, Fri., July 6, 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CHEETAH PRINT: W/ Good News, Wed., July 11, 9 p.m., $5-$7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. CWAH SUMMER JAZZ BENEFIT CONCERT: Sun., July 8, 4 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700

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

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JULY 4 - 10, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JULY 4 - 10, 2018

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LISTINGS Continued from pg 41 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. DAN BAIRD & HOMEMADE SIN: Wed., July 11, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. DOM FLEMONS: Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. DRUNKS WITH GUNS: W/ The Hoaries, Trauma Harness, Tue., July 10, 8 p.m., $12-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. EVANESCENCE: W/ Lindsey Stirling, Sat., July 7, 6 p.m., $25-$99.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. FANTASTIC NEGRITO: Tue., July 10, 8 p.m., $20$23. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. HALEY HEYNDERICKX: W/ Le’Ponds, Wed., July 11, 7 p.m., $12-$15. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-935-7003. HOODRICH PABLO JUAN: Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $20$22. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. HOTEL TEN EYES: Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. HOUNDMOUTH: Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $25-$28. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. IMAGINE DRAGONS: W/ Grace VanderWaal, Wed., July 11, 7 p.m., $35-$129.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. JANELLE MONÁE: W/ St. Beauty, Wed., July 11, 8 p.m., $41-$48.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JASON COOPER BLUES BAND: Wed., July 11, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. JESSE MCCARTNEY: Tue., July 10, 8 p.m., $25. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JIMMY GRIFFIN’S 50TH BIRTHDAY SHOW: W/ Pettycash Junction – A Tribute to Tom Petty & Johnny Cash, The Incurables, Street Fighting Band – A Rolling Stones Tribute, Celebration Day – A Tribute to Led Zeppelin, Sat., July 7, 7:30 p.m., $15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JOHN BUTLER TRIO: Sat., July 7, 8 p.m., $27.50$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. JR GEARS: W/ Sister Wizzard, Fri., July 6, 9

WEEKEND Continued from pg 41 voice at work or while sitting in traffic, but seeing his love for the craft take physical shape is a sight to behold.

Bent Knee w/ Gatherers, Family Medicine, ISH, Distant Eyes 7 p.m. Fubar, 3108 Locust Street. $12 to $14. 314-289-9050.

Bent Knee is a rarity that could equally conform to the floor stage of an art gallery or an outdoor festival in the blistering sun of summer. Using rock as a home base, the band’s keys, violin and guitar venture out through a maze with several entry points but only one end goal: a dynamic collision. This is a film soundtrack without the film — a sonic narrative guided by vocalist Courtney Swain. The term “art rock” was essentially invented to describe this Boston outfit, but whichever poor music writer first smashed the two words together couldn’t have predicted the way Bent Knee would elevate the genre as a whole.

p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. KATIE HERZIG: Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. LA SANTA CECILIA: Wed., July 11, 8 p.m., $20$22.50. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. LAKE MARY: W/ Ralph White, Dee Bird, Sun., July 8, 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. LIFE COACH: W/ Baby D, Holy Posers, Sun., July 8, 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., July 8, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MARK FARINA: W/ DJ Alexis Tucci, John Cobb, Dan Strickland, Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $15-$20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. MELISSA NEELS BAND: Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314773-5565. MILES NIELSEN & THE RUSTED HEARTS: Sat., July 7, 8 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. MONXX: W/ Hekler, Boss Mode b2b Rollbro, Mobcat, 5tonE, Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $15-$25. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. MUSIC UNLIMITED BAND: Mon., July 9, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. NYC ‘77 SUMMER DANCE PARTY: Sat., July 7, 9 p.m., $3. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. OLD SOULS REVIVAL: Sat., July 7, 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. PAUL BONN & THE BLUESMEN: Sat., July 7, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. RAY LAMONTAGNE: W/ Neko Case, Sat., July 7, 8 p.m., $29.50-$125. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. THE SCHWAG: Sun., July 8, 6 p.m., $11. Jefferson Barracks Veterans Memorial Amphitheater, 345 N Road, St. Louis. SEVENTH PLANET: Sat., July 7, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. SIXES HIGH CD RELEASE: W/ Echoes From Ashes, Postal Modern, Auburn Kiss, Frago, Sat., July 7, 7 p.m., $5-$8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. SKINTDISCO: W/ DropJa, Kappzilla, Sleach, Tue., July 10, 8:45 p.m., $5. 2720 Cherokee Perform-

Lumpy Records Showcase w/ Trauma Harness, Pineapple RnR

3 p.m. Vintage Vinyl, 6610 Delmar Boulevard, University City. Free. 314-721-4096.

Lumpy Records lives in a void of Tumblr, YouTube and a webshop that claims “Plenty of Garbage in Here,” so a showcase might seem like a curveball for a label that exists purely for the underground. But from the no-wavey post-punk of Pineapple RNR to the gloomy riff-gnawing Trauma Harness, the local punk label just put out two records that have St. Louis’ collective hair standing on end. Consider this a release show for both. Deep nerds take note: That new Trauma Harness EP has a cover of a Dragon Ball Z song that appears in the credits of a theatrical film originally released in Japan.

WEEKENDS ARE FOR GOOD TIMES

Voted St. Louis’ Favorite Wings & Favorite Appetizers

Saturday Night UFC 226

THE SUPERFIGHT

—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.

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JULY 4 - 10, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Janelle Monae. | VIA ATLANTIC RECORDS

With its massive synths and rubbery, funktastic bassline, “Make Me Feel,” the lead single from Janelle Monae’s latest album, April’s Dirty Computer, readily brings to mind the work of Prince. In particular, critics and fans alike were quick to pick up on the similar feel between her song and his massive hit “Kiss,” and soon Monae made clear that this was no coincidence: The Purple One himself had actually worked on the song and album prior to his

death. That’s impressive enough on its own, but Prince is really just the latest music icon to which the Kansas City, Kansas-born soul-pop singer has drawn comparisons. Monae’s funky, Afrofuturistic sound has seen her likened to everyone from James Brown to Michael Jackson to Erykah Badu to Andre 3000, and with each inventive new album her star shines a little brighter. Soon she’ll be the legend to which the young upstarts are drawing comparisons. Adventures in Wondaland: Atlanta R&B duo St. Beauty, which is part of the Wondaland Art Society along with Monae, will open the show. —Daniel Hill

ing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. SLUM VILLAGE: Tue., July 10, 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. SOCIAL REPOSE: W/ Secret Tree Fort, Tue., July 10, 7 p.m., $15-$20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: Tue., July 10, 8 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. STEVE REEB & ROSS BELL: Sat., July 7, 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565. STYX: W/ Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Tesla, Sun., July 8, 6 p.m., $29.50-$350. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. SUMMONING THE LICH: W/ Polterguts, Sat., July 7, 6 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS: W/ K.Flay, Welshy Arms, Mon., July 9, 6 p.m., $30.50-$100.50. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. VOODOO FLEETWOOD MAC: Fri., July 6, 6 p.m., free. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. THE WAILERS: Wed., July 11, 8 p.m., $25-$30. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. THE WHIFFS: W/ Shitstorm, Mon., July 9, 9 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. THE WILHELMS CD RELEASE SHOW: Sat., July 7, 8 p.m., $10-$15. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778. THE WOOLLY BUSHMEN: W/ Pono AM, Apex Shrine, MFG, Sat., July 7, 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. ZAC CLARK: W/ Bob Oxblood, Wed., July 11, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

JANELLE MONAE 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 11. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard. $41 to $48.50. 314-726-6161.

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JULY 4 - 10, 2018

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SAVAGE LOVE IT GOT BETTER BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: In a recent column, you said you never hear from married couples whose sex life got better and more frequent over the years. Well, now you have. My wife and I were married 24 years ago, and we are currently having more sex and better sex than we did in the first years of our marriage. There are many reasons why, including therapy, antidepressants, and weight loss and subsequent surgery — but I would have to say that the big reason is communication. If you had known us 25 years ago, Dan, you would not have given us good odds. We’d been dating only a year and a half when we got engaged, and we’d known each other less than two years. I was a virgin, my wife was not, together we hadn’t gotten much past second base, and neither of us had laid our kink cards on the table. We were (and still are) introverts with poor communication skills and anxiety/ depression/mental-health issues. I won’t say it’s been fairy-tale perfect — the kind of perfect that makes you barf and roll your eyes — but it’s been pretty damn close. My wife has been incredibly GGG, and I hope I have been, too. So there you go, Dan! Now you know there’s at least one couple out there whose sex life has only gotten better over the years. Better Erotic Ties Totally Enhanced Relationship Last week, I responded to IMDONE, a woman who married a man despite the sex being “infrequent and impersonal” during their courtship. To the surprise of no one who has ever given sex advice for a living, the sex didn’t get better after IMDONE and her boyfriend got married. “Here’s something I’ve never seen in my inbox: a letter from someone explaining how sex with their partner was infrequent, impersonal, uninspired, unimaginative, etc. at first but — holy moly — the sex got a fuck of a lot better after the wedding,” I wrote in my response to IMDONE. I did allow for the possibility that my sample was skewed; people with good sex lives don’t write to

tell me everything’s fine. So I invited people whose so-so sex lives improved after the wedding to write in. And did they ever: My inbox is packed with emails from couples whose sex lives got better after the wedding. Hey, Dan: I was a very experienced woman (five years as a swinger and partners numbering in the high double digits) when I first met the man who would become my husband. My husbandto-be was a virgin. Sex was barely okay and very infrequent. But we were both in our early 40s and ready to settle down. We also had an amazing friendship, and we were never as happy apart as we were together. It helped that we shared some kinks and were both up for what we agreed would be a nice and mostly companionate marriage. So we got married. And, wow, did everything change! We went from once a month to a couple times a week. Turns out he needed that emotional attachment to feel safe and secure enough to open up and relax and enjoy himself. We’ve been married for years now. The sex is still good. It’s not as frequent as it once was, but it’s really good when we have it. So, yes, sometimes it does get better! Woman In Fucking Ecstasy Hey, Dan: Am I the first or the hundredth person to write in? Yes, sex for us got better after marriage. I suspect you don’t see it in your inbox very often because this isn’t what most people would consider a problem and we don’t want to waste your time! All it took for the sex to get better was practice and paying attention to cues and solving problems. I strongly suspect that perseverance and a bit of luck were also major factors. Practice, Practice, Practice Hey, Dan: My sex life improved after marriage. I am a straight male with a highly stigmatized kink. I was deeply ashamed of my sexual interest even before my mother discovered my porn when I was fourteen and told me I was a pervert that no decent woman would ever want. When I met my wife, our sex life was OK — but I was never fully present, because I would have to concentrate on my fantasies in order to sustain an erection. I even-

“I fucked my husband on our first date because I wanted to see if he was any good. He wasn’t. But I liked him, so we kept at it.” tually retreated into masturbation. My wife knew I was masturbating in the middle of the night instead of having sex with her, and that led to some enormous fights. So I told her about my kink, fully expecting that it would result in the collapse of my marriage. We didn’t speak about it for a week, and then she calmly asked me if I wanted to do this with her instead of just watching porn about it. Partnership Improved Sexual Situation Hey, Dan: I fucked my husband on our first date because I wanted to see if he was any good. He wasn’t. But I liked him, so we kept at it. I have some physical ailments that can make sex painful. I also suffer from depression and anxiety, I’m on the autism spectrum and I’ve experienced sexual trauma. I addressed my problems through counseling, medication, physical therapy, and even surgery. My problems are not 100 percent fixed, and we don’t have sex as often as either of us would like, but when we have it, it’s worlds better than when we started out. For me, being comfortable with my husband and secure in the relationship made it so much easier to communicate and work on fixing the problems together. It sounds cheesy, but marriage counseling really helped. It helped my husband understand himself and his reactions better, and it helped cement the idea of “ours” instead of “yours” as it related to the problems I was dealing with at the time. That he was willing to see a counselor and work on sex were also good signs. If I had a partner who was unwilling to talk about sex or try to fix it, I’d kick his

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ass to the curb without blinking. So with the help of counseling, I got him on board with dirty talk during sex (because it’s important for me) and I worked (and still work) on telling him what to do when we bone. He can’t read my body language, so a lot of the improvement came down to me being more comfortable with giving him instructions. We also have plenty of sex that isn’t P in V, which takes the pressure off both of us. I imagine you probably don’t hear from folks like us because, in addition to being less likely, we don’t have much to write in about. But we exist! Counseling Helped Our Marriage Persist Hey, Dan: My sex life actually did get better after I married my partner. I struggled with erectile dysfunction during my courtship with my wife. It really didn’t settle down until we’d been married for a while. I had trust issues and guilt issues — boring stories — and I got a lot more comfortable once we’d made that commitment. Now we have two kids, and we have sex almost weekly. (Hey, that’s good for 40-year-olds!) I doubt it’s the norm, Dan, but that’s what happened with me. Enduring Relationship Eased Cock Troubles First, I want thank BETTER, WIFE, PPP, PISS, CHOMP, ERECT and everyone else who wrote in. I do feel obligated to point out, however, that these are anecdotes, not data. And while there isn’t data to back up my position — that sex doesn’t generally get better after marriage — my pile of anecdotes is a whole lot bigger. So I’m going to continue to urge people to establish basic sexual compatibility before marriage rather than hoping a so-so sexual connection — or a nonexistent one — will somehow get better after marriage. But it can be done. You just need to have PPP’s luck or be married to someone willing to do the work, like CHOMP’s spouse was, or fortunate enough to wind up with someone willing to take the leak, like PISS’s spouse was. Listen to Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

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