Riverfront Times June 20, 2018 by Riverfront Times

JUNE 20-26, 2018 I VOLUME 42 I NUMBER 25

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THE LEDE

“ A long time ago when I was locked up in juvie, there was a little boy, and he said, ‘Russell, bad luck is in your way.’ When I grew up, I realized that bad luck never was in my way; I kept doing stupid stuff to make my luck bad. I used to tell my son — he’s dead now, he ODed on heroin — ‘If you have any doubt in your mind if something’s right or wrong, just ask yourself, ‘Would dad want me to do it?’ That’ll tell you right there. What decision they make after that, who knows.”

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Russell WengleR With his dog PePPeR, PhotogRaPhed on Watson Road on FatheR’s day, June 17

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE

12.

Life in the Slow Lane Mopeds can be a damn good ride — so long as you’re OK with breaking down and breaking bones Written by

DANIEL HILL

Cover photo by

DANIEL HILL

NEWS

ARTS

DINING

CULTURE

The Lede

Calendar

Your friend or neighbor, captured on camera

Seven days worth of great stuff to see and do

Women’s Health

Missouri starts barring Medicaid patients from Planned Parenthood, even earlier than expected

Stage

Paul Friswold finds himself strangely moved by the fungus among us in New Line’s Yeast Nation

Cafe

Knead Bakehouse is on pace to become one of St. Louis’ best daytime spots, writes Cheryl Baehr

Side Dish

Naomi Roquet, who once dreamt of leading worship, now excels at a more secular vocation

Drugs

First Look

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney will no longer prosecute most marijuana possession cases

A St. Louis-themed restaurant feeds tourists in the Landing, while Maypop Coffee & Garden Shop is abloom in Webster

Crime

A disturbed man takes Cherokee Street on a wild ride

Homespun

Amy Elizabeth Quinn, a.k.a. Dead Pilgrim, has made peace with her full identity

Preview

Foxing is coming back to St. Louis this weekend to lead an all-local lineup

Festivals

LouFest announces a list of heavy-hitters for 2018

Tourists

The Arch is finally getting the Sam Barsky treatment

Could Kevin McGinn really be ready to say goodbye to his Cherokee Street pizzeria?

Food News

This Just In

This week’s new concert announcements

Savage Love 6

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Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Sarah Fenske

FOOD TRUCKS

WANTED! The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is seeking lunchtime food trucks for July 20 and August 17 at our Market Street location. If interested, please email

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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

Traditional Artisan Showcase JULY 21-22 9:30am-5pm ASL Pewter 138 S 3rd St. Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670

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

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NEWS

Planned Parenthood Gets Cut Off Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

n Missouri, it’s apparently so easy to institute new restrictions on women’s healthcare affecting thousands of lowincome patients that you don’t even need a signed law to do it. Earlier this month, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region received a letter from the director of Missouri’s Medicaid Audit and Compliance Unit, the agency responsible for overseeing Medicaid programs in the state. The letter notified Planned Parenthood that the state would no longer reimburse its Medicaid claims. The suspension’s effective date was the same as the one on the top of the letter — June 8. In a way, Planned Parenthood was expecting this. The Medicaid suspension — which blocks it from receiving funding from both the state family planning program run by the Department of Health and Senior Services and from the federal Medicaid program — was added as an amendment to the upcoming budget for the state’s Department of Social Services. The amendment states, “No funds shall be expended to any abortion facility... or any affiliate or associate thereof.” Before that budget bill was passed on May 9, Planned Parenthood and its advocates loudly condemned the amendment, arguing that it will cut off thousands of patients from needed care. However, the bill was not among the 77 pieces of legislation signed by Eric Greitens before he resigned in disgrace. Last week, newly-appointed Governor Mike Parson — who in the past has bragged about his pride over closing abortion clinics — confirmed to reporters that he had yet to sign the budget bill, which would go into effect July 5. “I aim to go ahead with that legislation,” Parson told Kansas City NPR affiliate KCUR on Tuesday.

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Governor Mike Parson hasn’t yet signed into law a regulation targeting Planned Parenthood. Somehow it’s already in effect. | SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE And yet, nearly a full month before the bill would go into law, the state has already begun barring Medicaid patients from using Planned Parenthood services, which include family planning care, birth control and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. A Planned Parenthood official conveyed to RFT that the timing of the June 8 cut-off came as a shock. The organization knew the suspension was coming — but not a month early, and not before the governor put pen to paper. And it’s not like the state is acting out of ignorance. The June 8 letter itself acknowledges that the budget bill, HB 2011, has not been signed, and that the Medicaid suspension does not technically carry the force of legislation. Instead, the letter explained, the state is cutting Planned Parenthood off early over what’s essentially a bureaucratic tangle over accounting: According to the letter, June 8 is the last day that the “claims processing cycle that will be paid with the State of Missouri Fiscal Year 2018 funds.” After June 8, the letter explains, claims would be processed beginning July 5, at the start of 2019 fiscal year. Since the new budget’s restrictions will likely be in effect by

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then, the agency assumes the Department of Social Services “may lack appropriation authority” to honor those claims. But is it legal to restrict Medicaid funds weeks before the suspension becomes law, and without a signature on the legislation? Governor Parson’s spokeswoman Kelli Jones said she’d look into it, but we haven’t heard anything since. The Medicaid suspension will impact around 7,000 patients state-wide, says Alison Dreith, executive director of NARAL ProChoice Missouri. Planned Parenthood maintains eleven clinics around the state. Only three of them — in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis — offer abortion services. “In many of our state’s counties, there are no OB/GYNs, and even if a county has a hospital, it may not have a maternity ward,” Dreith says. She warns that those 7,000 patients may have a hard time ﬁnding a replacement for Planned Parenthood. “People are already struggling to access quality healthcare,” Dreith says. “We take for granted because we live in St. Louis and we think we could have all of these options available to us, but that’s not true across the state.”

The Medicaid suspension comes just as a different legal restriction is already wreaking havoc on access to Planned Parenthood’s services statewide. Last week, U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips denied Planned Parenthood’s request to temporarily block a state regulation that adds new burdens on clinics trying to perform medication-assisted abortions. The new law requires providers to have on-call two doctors with hospital-admitting privileges to handle potential complications from those abortions — even though they involve taking two pills, not surgery. In her ruling, Judge Phillips acknowledged that major complications requiring hospitalization are rare, occurring in 0.3 percent of medical abortion cases. Still, she concluded that the new regulation passes constitutional muster, even if it “has virtually no beneﬁt.” The judge’s decision has effectively killed the chances for medical abortion services at Planned Parenthood clinics in Joplin, Springﬁeld and Columbia. Less than a year ago, those same clinics were anticipating a historic expansion in abortion access. Now, thanks to new state laws and court decisions, patients are being turned away. n

Circuit Attorney Passes on Pot Cases Written by

SARAH FENSKE

irst the St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted to handle marijuana possession more like a traffic ticket than a criminal case — deciding in 2013 that anyone caught with 35 grams or fewer would be adjudicated through the city’s low-level courts, not the circuit attorney’s office. Then, in March, the aldermen reduced the fine assessed for such citations from $100 to $500 to just $25. And now, last week, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner says her office won’t prosecute cases involving 100 grams of marijuana or less unless there are aggravating circumstances. In an email to staff first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Gardner said her staff would begin reviewing and dismissing past cases. “Effective immediately we will no longer issue possession of marijuana cases under 100 grams as the lead charge!” Gardner wrote. Is it fair to say marijuana is now

effectively decriminalized in St. Louis? Well, maybe not so fast. Gardner’s administrative decision follows an effort at the Board of Aldermen, led by Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green, to do just that legislatively. Green’s proposal, which ultimately failed, would have barred city staff from expending any resources on the possession of two ounces of marijuana or less — which translates to about 56 grams. Gardner’s new plan, obviously, goes even farther, but it only affects her office: The city counselor is still able to issue citations. And as the RFT reported earlier this year, despite the 2013 “decriminalization,” police have continued to cite large numbers of people for possession, the vast majority of them black. The only difference is that their cases were then adjudicated by the city counselor’s office, not the circuit attorney — and did not result in “criminal” charges but rather citations. Some attorneys warned that those citations still cause trouble on background checks. “People think this is nothing, but if you plead guilty to it, even in a municipal court, it would show up in a criminal background check. It doesn’t matter how low the fine is,” explained attorney Andrea Story Rogers. And the U.S. Attorney’s Office may prove a wild card. The Department of Justice under Jeff Sessions may not smile on the idea of suspects in St. Louis being turned loose after being arrested with 99 grams of marijuana — and

Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner just says no to marijuana enforcement. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI the office has recently shown a willingness to prosecute cases in the city that would normally be handled by the Circuit Attorney’s Office. (One example: a robber who roughed up a clerk at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams might normally have been charged by Gardner’s office with aggravated assault. Instead, federal prosecutors charged him with “interfering with state commerce.” He’s now looking at up to twenty years in federal prison.) Jeff Jensen, the U.S. Attorney for Missouri’s Eastern District, tells us

in an email, “Our office will continue to prosecute violations of federal law. Prosecution is based upon the sufficiency of the evidence and the prudent use of federal resources.” Still, the U.S. Attorney has made violent crime a clear priority, and St. Louis has enough of that to keep the office hopping. Which means Gardner’s edict should be good news for potheads — good enough, even, to light up a celebratory bowl. Just make sure you don’t pack it with more than 100 grams. n

STREAK’S CORNER • by Bob Stretch

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The Fortune Teller Bar’s windows were boarded up last Wednesday. | DOYLE MURPHY

Wild Ride on Cherokee Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

t must have been an odd scene: The little guy with a sledge hammer, clinging to the side of a moving Ameren work truck, ordering the frightened driver to gun it down Cherokee Street. Michael Mooney, a wiry 46-year-old with a decades-long criminal record, had hijacked the truck shortly before 4 p.m. on June 12, authorities say. He threatened the worker with the handheld sledge and forced him to drive wildly, rolling through stop lights, according to the police report. Soon, they neared the Fortune Teller Bar, a popular spot where actual tarot card readers have a dedicated space on a raised platform in the front window. It was almost time to open — 4 p.m. — and one of the bartenders was outside setting up tables. Owner Matthew Thenhaus was in the back office. Thenhaus says Mooney made eye contact with the bartender. “That’s when he hops off the truck and comes right after her,” he says. The bartender bolted inside and locked the door. Thenhaus heard her scream and rushed out even as Mooney began smashing out the windows with his hammer. A big bay window shattered to bits, and Mooney started climbing onto the card readers’ platform. Thenhaus hurried forward as his bartender ran out the back door. He met Mooney at the window. “I just grabbed a bar stool on my way and planted it directly in his chest,” he says. Thenhaus was able to shove him back onto the sidewalk, but Mooney hopped up and started coming again. The worried bar owner says he wasn’t sure if his adversary had any other weapons, so he disengaged and ran out the back door,

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locking it behind him. He could hear Mooney inside his bar, screaming “Call the police! Call the police!” Not that Thenhaus needed extra encouragement to do that. As he was on the phone with 911, the operator of the Cut — a really tasty sandwich shop embedded in Fortune Teller — and others on the famously communal street came to the front door to see what was going on. Thenhaus watched what happened next later, on a security video. He had figured Mooney would smash up the place, but instead the ex-con, hammer in hand, calmly walked back through the gathering crowd. He then wandered into a cell phone store next door, casually laid the hammer down and walked back down the block to a tattoo parlor, where he waited until police arrived. The next day, city prosecutors filed charges of kidnapping (for hijacking the Ameren truck), armed criminal action (using the hammer during the kidnapping), unlawful use of a weapon (hammer again) and property damage (smashing the windows). He was held on a $100,000 cash bond. Mooney’s long and varied criminal record includes convictions for robbery in 1991, harassment and domestic assault in 2006, and statutory rape and statutory sodomy in 2007. The state considers him a “persistent offender.” Still, it’s not really clear what set him off. Thenhaus says as soon as he heard Mooney hollering about calling the police he realized he it wasn’t personal toward the bar as much as it was some sort of mental breakdown. “It’s obvious you’re on another planet.” During the two hours that followed Mooney’s arrest, Thenhaus and others talked to the cops, swept up the glass and fastened plywood over the broken windows. “A lot of really great fellow business owners on the street came in, checking on us,” he says. The bar was open by 6 p.m. After that, Thenhaus says, it was a pretty normal night. n

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LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE

Mopeds can be a damn good ride — so long as you’re OK with breaking down and breaking bones by DANIEL HILL

he sound made by a pack of mopeds in motion is unmistakable. It’s like a beehive, but more mechanical — a beehive overflowing with weed whackers, perhaps. It’s the two-stroke engines, simple but pow-

erful, along with the performance exhaust pipes installed on some of the bikes to squeeze another couple of miles per hour out of the uncomplicated machines. As 100 or so

riders cruise through the streets of downtown St. Louis on a recent Saturday, that sound alone is enough to turn the head of every pedestrian in sight, piquing their curiosity before they even have a chance to see the huge clutch of tiny, pedal-sporting motorcycles. Half the group is already past the stoplight when it turns red. On cue, two riders break from the rear half of the pack and pull up to the cars who’ve just gotten a green, holding hands out to keep

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the cagers at bay so the rest of the group can pass safely. It’s the price of admission for the spectacle, and the automobile drivers don’t seem too angry about paying it. Many point their camera phones at the commotion. Mopeds are slow, finicky, hardto-find machines that inspire bouts of road rage from less patient drivers and are less than forgiving when involved in an accident, frequently leaving their

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Continued on pg 16

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MOPEDS

Continued from pg 13

devotees in hospital beds. They’re also fun as hell. In the state of Missouri they don’t have to be licensed or titled, and they don’t require insurance or a motorcycle endorsement to ride — only a standard driver’s license. They can also go pretty much anywhere that bicycles can go. For the maniacs who belong to the area’s moped clubs, the inevitable broken bones and aborted rides are just the cost of a damn good time. The sixth-annual moped rally, hosted by the St. Louis club called the Ruffians, has everybody on the downtown streets today cele-

brating. Fans of 49cc engines have come from all around the country for the privilege of sleeping in a north city biker bar parking lot alongside dozens of fellow travelers, all of whom smell like burned two-cycle oil. “I think the furthest was Texas,” says Ruffian Nick Mackinaw, 37. “We’ve had people fly in from New York. We’ve had people from Washington, North Carolina. People come from all over. Evidently our event is not to be missed in the community.” Riders use their feet to point out potholes and other road hazards. A van follows the group to pick anyone up whose bike has broken down — if there is one word that could definitely not be used to de-

Previous pages: Above left, riders line up in preparation for Saturday’s ride. | DANIEL HILL Below left, a moped enthusiast rips around the velodrome track at Penrose Park. | BRENDAN SANTE Above right, some last minute repairs before Saturday’s big ride. | DANIEL HILL ﬔis page: A chopper-style moped with extra-long front forks parks in Shady Jack’s lot next to a vintage Airstream. | DANIEL HILL 16

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scribe a moped, it’s “reliable” — and before the ride is done, that van will be overflowing with disabled bikes. But for now, at least, everything seems to be running smoothly as the pack rips through downtown. As the back half of the group passes through the intersection, two riders are off their mopeds and stalled, kicking and pulling at their rides, which got locked together when the first stopped suddenly and the second ran straight into the back of it. Mopeds are a lot of things. Glamorous is not one.

ndeed, mopeds are the bastard stepchildren of the motorcycle world. Not quite bicycles but far from Harleys, they’re smaller than dirtbikes and can be lifted off the ground and carried easily by a single person. Their signature feature is their pedals (“motor” plus “pedal” equals “moped”), which can technically be used to propel the bikes, though it is not ideal. Some models have pegs instead of pedals; naturally,

these bikes are referred to as “nopeds.” Your average moped tops out at somewhere between 25 and 30 miles per hour, though after-market upgrades can eke a little more speed out of them. A running bike will cost you no more than a few hundred dollars on Craigslist, one of the only places in the U.S. you can even find them, since most moped manufacturers have closed up shop over the years as the public at large turned its interest to scooters. But while “scooter” and “moped” are often used interchangeably by the uninformed, it doesn’t take a trained eye to tell the difference between the two. A moped is a bike that you straddle like a horse, making the rider look like a cool cowboy taming the Wild West. A scooter is a bike that you sit on with your legs together and your feet on the floor in front of you, making the rider look like a person using the toilet. There are other differences. Moped wheels are much larger and more forgiving for off-roading

and rough terrain. Their engines are two-stroke machines, similar to what you would find in your standard lawnmower, as opposed to the four-cycle engines in most motorcycles and scooters. With only one cylinder they are relatively simple to work on, which is good, because they break down all the time. Mopeds first came to prominence in Europe after World War II, when consumers were looking for cheap forms of transportation. With gas mileage that approaches 100 miles to the gallon, they simply could not be beat. Still, they didn’t catch on in the U.S. until the mid ‘70s, when the oil crisis brought their economical advantages to the fore on this side of the pond. European manufacturers such as Tomos, Puch, and Peugeot soon started importing their bikes to retailers including Sears and J.C. Penney. Japanese manufacturer Honda got in on the action too, and even the U.S. company AMF started making the small motorized bikes. But by the mid ‘80s, as gas prices dropped and car manufacturers started churning out smaller cars that sipped gas compared to their 1970s ances-

some members suffered serious accidents. A woman who goes by Napalm Beth, who is now herself retired from the moped game, started the group, rounding up I.R.E. members who were still riding and finding other moped enthusiasts in the city. Soon they were keeping up I.R.E.’s tradition of holding weekly rides, meeting each Wednesday at the skatepark that was under the Kingshighway bridge in south city before the bridge was rebuilt. The group’s logo is the “stabdriver,” a drawing of a screwdriver that is covered in blood. Its origin comes from a real-life moped-related road-rage incident that ended about as badly as any road-rage incident possibly could. In a YouTube video dated February 2013 and used to advertise the Ruffians’ first rally, Beth, who does not know there is a camera running, explains the story. She and a couple of friends were going for a ride when a car behind them started honking and flashing its lights — given the relatively slow nature of mopeds, not an uncommon occurrence. When the car pulled alongside them, Beth says, she asked them

tors, stateside interest in mopeds waned. In recent years, though, the tiny bikes have seen something of a resurgence. A thriving culture has grown around them, with moped club chapters cropping up across the U.S. Mopeds tend to attract people from all walks of life: young and old, rural and city slicker, man and woman alike. The pathway by which most people get into mopeds is somewhat similar to a virus: A friend exposes you to one once, maybe by letting you take his for a ride around the block, and from there you’re gripped by what can rather fairly be described as a kind of sickness, whose symptoms include hoarding decades-old machinery and reeking of gasoline. The Ruffians, who organized this weekend’s rally, are one such moped club. Consisting today of ten people, its origins trace back to 2011, after St. Louis’ former moped group, I.R.E. (which stands for “it ran earlier,” another reference to the bikes’ notorious unreliability), called it quits after

what their problem was. The driver responded by reaching out the window and grabbing one of her fellow riders, trying to pull him off his bike. A fight quickly broke out between the two groups. In the melee that ensued, the car’s passenger broke one of the moped riders’ legs and pushed Beth to the ground, spilling her backpack full of tools everywhere while telling her, “Bitches don’t talk back.” Beth soon found one of her screwdrivers that had spilled out. She declines to be very descriptive in terms of what happened next, instead simply saying she “got him.” Mackinaw is similarly cagey about the specifics. “There was a passenger wanting to start a fight with the riders, particularly Beth,” he explains. “Things escalated pretty quickly and there ended up being a bloody screwdriver.” He pauses a moment, before adding, “Allegedly.” Adopting the bloody screwdriver as a logo was largely tongue-incheek. The Ruffians could hardly

be described as a rough-and-tumble group, and that violent incident of self-defense was an outlier. Mostly, the group drinks beers and wrenches on bikes and goes for rides through the city, maybe hitting some bars along the way while searching for hidden spots of interest in St. Louis. The weekly Wednesday night rides continue to this day.

till, it’s a completely different way of approaching mopeds than that of the Holy Rollers, a moped group based in St. Charles, which also came out in force to the rally, even cooking breakfast on Saturday morning for all in attendance. The Holy Rollers counts more than 30 riders in its membership and gets sponsorship from an unlikely source: a church. “Our church sponsors the moped group, but most of our members of the moped group are not members of our church,” explains Aaron Bernabe, 48, who is both pastor of Freedom Church in St. Charles and a founding member of the Holy Rollers. “We have atheists that ride, we have people of different religions that ride, but

what we do is when we ride we try to look for an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life — a pay-it-forward type of thing.” The Holy Rollers was founded ten years ago, when Bernabe and a friend were riding in St. Charles. The story begins in a familiar way: a moped that wouldn’t run. “I had broke down at a gas station and I was having all sorts of trouble with my moped — as you know, that’s typical,” Bernabe says. “We were working on that, and this lady came out of the gas station and she was in tears, just sobbing uncontrollably. So me and my friend were like, ‘What’s going on?’” As it turns out, the woman had just gotten a phone call saying her husband had terminal cancer. Bernabe and his friend stayed at the gas station and talked the situation through with her, trying to lend their compassion in what was obviously an incredibly difficult time. “And that was when we realized that these bikes create opportunity to be out in public,” he says of

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the attention-grabbing machines. “We realized every time we went to gas stations people would come up and talk to us.” Bernabe figured that curiosity about the weird-looking bikes could be used to do some good. Bernabe says the Holy Rollers got their name from members of I.R.E., who were making fun of them for their Christian affiliation. Bernabe and his group quickly adopted the name as their own. As time has passed the group has been fully embraced by the local moped community. “I do recall when they started coming around back in the day,” says Brian Behrmann, 34, a member of the Ruffians and former member of I.R.E. “I’ve known Pastor Aaron for years. They come out and cook a breakfast for 100 strangers and are just there to have a great time no matter what happens out there. There’s the debauchery of hanging out at a biker bar gravel parking lot all weekend, and they come out and make a good showing for it for sure.” The acceptance by the moped community, Bernabe reckons, comes from the fact that the group doesn’t try to shove religion down

anyone’s throat. “As a group, we have a rule that you do not go out and preach to people or anything like that,” he says. “You don’t go out there and force your beliefs on anybody. You go out there and you just serve them. And if they ever have a need, you try to meet their need. That’s what our whole group philosophy is, and we strictly enforce that too. “We kind of, below the radar, function as moped chaplains, for lack of a better word,” he adds. The Holy Rollers membership includes many former addicts and recovering alcoholics, and as such, all of its members decline to drink a drop during rides — and even during rallies held in bar parking lots. Though some of its members drink when not with the group, they maintain sobriety on rides out of solidarity. Bernabe tells a story. About a decade ago one of their rides passed through a north O’Fallon subdivision, piquing the interest of a 78-year-old man with mo-

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“IT TOTALLY TURNED HIS WHOLE LIFE AROUND. He’s no longer suicidal, no longer on drugs, and how he’s helping people that are in the same situation that he was in. And it all started through mopeds.” MOPEDS

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peds of his own in his garage. The man caught up to the riders and exchanged information and soon started rolling with the group. As they got to know him he told them about his son, Glen, who was in his fifties and had been in and out of jail and addicted to drugs all of his adult life. Glen was himself a biker — big-boy bikes, not mopeds — and tended to hang with a rough crowd. Yet Glen had become suicidal. He attempted to hang himself on multiple occasions and once even went to a police station parking lot with a loaded gun, hoping to be killed by the cops (they hit him with beanbags instead). When the old man passed away, Glen reached out to the Holy Rollers. “He contacted us one day and he was like, ‘My dad’s dead, but

I got his mopeds. I’d like to go on a moped ride just to see what you guys do, just to ride with you once. It’s not really my thing but I wanna do it,’” Bernabe explains. “So he ended up riding with us on a ride and then somebody, of course, broke down. And then at a gas station he ended up sharing his whole story with us.” It wound up being a turning point in Glen’s life. “He ended up, that night behind a gas station, he ended up giving his life to God,” Bernabe says. “And he ended up getting cleaned up. It took about a year of us working with him to get him totally off of all the drugs and everything. We got him cleaned up — we never sent him to a program or anything; we just worked with him ourselves.” Bernabe says Glen has been clean for seven years and now runs his own motorcycle ministry. He goes to the same spots he used to frequent before he was sober

and ministers to people who are facing some of the same issues he used to deal with himself. “It totally turned his whole life around,” Bernabe says. “He’s no longer suicidal, no longer on drugs, and now he’s helping people that are in the same situation that he was in. And it all started through mopeds.”

he Saturday ride is the three-day rally’s main event, kicking off at noon and winding across 30 miles from industrial north St. Louis through downtown, down through south city and all the way to Sylvan Springs Park in south county, where there’s a skatepark. (Naturally, a moped or two makes its way onto the ramps.) From there it’s a short shot to Broadway, taking the group back up to Shady Jack’s, the north-city biker bar that serves as the rally’s home base, before a portion of the group heads further north to

the velodrome at Penrose Park, where riders rip around the track on a 28-degree incline. The majority of the rest of the rally is spent at Shady Jack’s. It’s the fifth consecutive year the event has been headquartered at the bar. “It takes a tremendous load off, having a place that can handle 100 people camping out there overnight,” says Behrmann. “They need food and water and basic toilet functions and life necessities, and having it all right there in the lot where you’re at — it takes a whole lot of the headache out of it.” Over the years, Shady Jack’s has been an invaluable resource. “We had our first rally at the Mad Art Gallery, which was really awesome, a great place to host a rally, except for the fact it’s smackdab in the middle of a neighborhood,” says Matt Kaufman, 43, another Ruffian. “So the neighbors complained. Luckily there was a cop that owned the gallery, and he kind of held the cops off. But we knew we couldn’t have it there anymore.” The group started searching for a new place to hold the rally, preferably somewhere that would allow camping. That’s when they had the idea to ask the biker bar. “I kind of jokingly said, ‘What about Shady Jack’s?’ thinking he’d

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laugh at us and tell us to get the fuck out of Dodge,” Kaufman says. “But I went up there and talked to Jack and he was all about it. That was five years ago, and we’ve been back every year since.” Any reservations the group may have had about taking what are comparatively toys to a big-boy biker bar faded away in that first year. Rather than giving the moped riders a hard time, the bikers seemed to admire their commitment to their tiny rides. The bar’s namesake, Jack Larrison, gladly welcomed the group. “He had respect for the guys out there wrenching on their bikes a few hours before the ride,” Kaufman says. “People working on their own shit, sleeping in a gravel parking lot. It shows some dedication. “As long as he stays open,” Kaufman figures, “we’ll keep having it there.” But for the first time, that is looking like it might not be a guarantee. The bar, which opened twelve years ago after Larrison rehabbed an abandoned, burned-out building, is currently embroiled in a bit of a war with the city, as well as one of its closest neighbors, Hibdon Hardwood, a company that imports wood to make blanks for guitars. Last July, Larrison, 74, was given a public nuisance notice by the Department of Public Safety, alleging the bar was the site of “disturbances, drug use, assaults, and other unruly behavior.” (Larrison denies the accusations.) Then, in August, the owner of Hibdon Hardwood, Bill Hibdon, filed a complaint with the city about the noise of the motorcycles. Larrison says his bar has since been besieged by city officials: a street inspector, multiple building inspections, a bill for uncut weeds (later dropped), and on and on. When Larrison’s wife, Ann, went to renew the bar’s liquor license, she was told that there was a note in the bar’s file saying that it should be renewed only on a month-to-month basis. The city excise commissioner, Myles McDonnell, instead gave them a six-month license — Larrison has owned a dozen or so bars in St. Louis over the years, which he figures bought him some goodwill. If the bar is free of issues during that time, McDonnell told them, they can go back to the standard year-long renewal. McDonnell blames Hibdon’s complaint for the extraordinary move. The shortened liquor license has already caused problems for Larrison, who regularly hosts groups of bikers from all across

Jack Larrison, owner of Shady Jack’s, and his wife Ann show the state of their building before they rehabbed it. | DANIEL HILL

At Shady Jack’s today, motorcycles (and mopeds) often park and/or ride right through an interior courtyard. | DANIEL HILL the country. “I can’t plan something when someone who is doing an event says to me — and this is happening now — ‘Are you gonna be open if we have an event in November?’” Larrison explains in his gravelly voice. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, I think I’m gonna be open.’ They say, ‘Jack, I can’t take that risk.’” After several hearings with the

city and an unsuccessful mediation with Hibdon, not to mention the ongoing stream of city inspectors, Larrison has become convinced that Hibdon has connections at the top. “He’s been trying to close me for years. Slay would never pay no attention to him, but he knows the new mayor,” Larrison alleges. “My attorney found out that he’s

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a friend of the new mayor. Not only is he a friend of the new mayor, he’s a contributor to her campaign. He hates bikers, and I heard that she does too.” Hibdon, 75, has operated his business from its home two doors down from the bar for some 25 years. He flatly denies having friends at City Hall. In fact, while

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he admits to frequently calling the police over excessive noise, he says that staffers have proven basically useless. “We’ve tried to meet with the captain of the fourth district, Renee Kriesmann, and no luck, can’t talk with us,” Hibdon says. “Can’t meet with the mayor. The mayor sends out one of her assistants and gives us some lip service, but nothing’s happened. And nothing is going to happen. So if somebody has a connection to City Hall it’s Shady Jack and not me. If I had connections this would have stopped long ago. But I don’t.” Hibdon’s main complaint is with the noise that comes from motorcycles racing down the stretch of Collins Street between Dixon and Cass, which is directly behind the bar’s parking lot. He and his wife live on the third floor of their building, and he says the constant, deafening sound makes life unbearable. It’s not so much mopeds that are at issue, nor does Hibdon have a problem with the Harley guys who frequent the spot. It’s the street bikes, he says, that simply scream. “I have nothing against Shady Jack,” Hibdon says. “I don’t have anything against his bar and restaurant. What I’m against is the loss of quiet, of peace and quiet. I mean, I’d like to watch occasionally a basketball game on Sunday afternoon — no chance. You

cannot hear anything. Can’t play music, can’t read. And these are double-pane glass. “I don’t anticipate that anything is gonna happen until I sue somebody,” he continues. “And I’m just about to that point. I’ve given up on City Hall, I’ve given up on the fourth district. Yes, we call repeatedly, because that’s the only thing that gets a response. And then when the police do come they never bust anybody, they don’t give out any tickets. They just kind of shoo ‘em back into Shady Jack’s parking lot and it starts all over again.” It’s true that bikes frequently use the small strip of street to pop wheelies and do burnouts, and it is equally true that those bikes can be pretty damn loud. Hibdon takes issue with the stretch of public street being co-opted entirely for the motorcycles, pointing out that cars can’t even use it most of the time. Larrison, who’d like to see the city formally vacate the street and turn it over to his business, defends the bikers: “We’re not affecting nobody. It’s all vacant buildings behind me.” The running theme between each man’s complaint is essentially the same: dissatisfaction with the city. “There is a story here, in that the city is not backing up people who are really trying to make a difference. I’m not saying they’re backing up Shady Jack. They’re just indifferent. And that’s wrong,” says Hibdon. Continued on pg 21

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“I told them at another hearing — I’ve been to four — pay me for my property and I’ll burn the building down if you want me to,” says Larrison. “Because you seem like you want vacant buildings.”

ick Mackinaw, one of the men most responsible for this year’s moped rally, was not able to attend after Friday night, for one very good reason: a bunch of broken bones. Mackinaw led a night ride across the Eads Bridge to Malcolm W. Martin Park on Friday so the group could get a photo at the Mississippi River Overlook, which has a stellar view of the Arch from the Illinois side. It was on the way back that things went wrong. “We were going down a dark road, and the dark road is very sketchy,” he says. “There’s huge patches of gravel on the asphalt, and I just hit a patch of gravel and took a spill.” A broken collarbone and three broken ribs later, Mackinaw was done with the rally — but certainly not with mopeds. Barely a week later he’d already started wrenching on his bikes again, against doctor’s orders. “After six years of riding this is pretty much my only injury,” he says. “I’m definitely gonna ride.” It’s a curious thing about mopeds. Injuries happen more often than would be preferable, but despite that fact, it can be hard to convince an injured rider not to climb right back on the horse, as it were. “It’s all about the next ride, I guess,” Mackinaw reasons. “I don’t see a little spill that’s gonna keep me down. It would take a very serious one to keep me away from doing this. These are all fairly minor injuries as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t almost die, so….” Maybe he didn’t. But Behrmann, another Ruffian at the rally, definitely very nearly did in August 2011, when he was rear-ended by a drunk driver at the intersection of Gravois and Jefferson, leaving him in a medically induced coma for five weeks. “I broke my face, I have metal in my face and my shoulder. My cheekbone was broken, my eye socket was shattered,” he says. “I broke my neck, I broke a rib and punctured a lung. I broke parts of my arm, I shattered my humerus — I got a bunch of metal in there now for that. Almost lost my middle finger; it doesn’t straighten out anymore.

“That’s the worst one,” he deadpans. “I can’t make a middle finger anymore with my right hand.” Behrmann’s voice is raspy as he speaks, thanks to a paralyzed vocal cord — his voice box was punctured during the accident as well. Since he was in a coma, doctors had no way of knowing he couldn’t vocalize properly until it was too late to do anything about it. Behrmann’s accident was, ultimately, the nail in the coffin for I.R.E. But as soon as he got out of the hospital, Behrmann joined its successor club, the Ruffians — the group’s third member.

“I became an addict to two wheels,” Behrmann says of the seemingly inexplicable decision. “I’ve been riding a bike almost my whole life, and once I got on a moped? Powered. Bike. I’ve never been able to look back.” Kaufman, another I.R.E. rider, was himself left with serious injuries after an accident in 2010. “I broke my orbital eye socket, I got a plate there, upper and lower mandible, jaw, I got plates on both of those,” he says. “My humerus is plated, and also I had some nerve damage that was corrected by a nerve graft. Femur’s got plates on it, my hip got plates on it and

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I had a metal rod in my left tibia, but they removed that because it was hurting. I think that’s most of them. “Plus three broken ribs, a punctured lung and lacerated liver,” he adds, almost as an afterthought. “I think that about covers it.” Like most moped fanatics, sick with a pernicious illness that compels you to run toward twowheeled danger rather than away from it like a sensible human being, he too got right back on a bike. “I just liked riding,” he says simply. “I mean, I knew that kind of shit was possible before that ac-

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cident and it didn’t stop me then. I got back on a bike before I was probably ready; I could barely lift my leg over it without killing my broken hip, and my right hand was half paralyzed, so working the throttle wasn’t that great, so I hooked up a thumb throttle to the left-hand side.” Kaufman ultimately quit riding in the last year after a second, less serious accident caused his wife to put her foot down: Mopeds or marriage, you decide. “Yeah, I’d still be riding, but I kind of like my wife right now, so,” he says with a chuckle. “And she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of getting a motorcycle whenever I get my hospital bills paid off. She thinks they’re safer than mopeds, so I’m gonna go with it.” Kaufman ended up getting rid of all of his moped stuff, much of which he simply gave away to his fellow Ruffians. He considers himself “semi-retired” from the group; he spent the rally driving the breakdown van. “I’ve since sold all my mopeds and I haven’t ridden much in the last year,” he says. “But I still hang out with the guys whenever I can.”

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moped rally often ends with the raffling off of a rally bike, a free moped built and tuned by the moped club. This year’s bike is one of the ones Kaufman gave to the club, and members decided to customize it in his style as a tribute. Two baskets are mounted to the back, and a cup holder sits above the headlight — as one Ruffian puts it, “Matt liked to mount a lot of shit on his bike.” The finishing touch comes in the form of a custom-built “food warmer” — a small metal box with a mesh bottom mounted just above the bike’s tailpipe, which any moped rider with burned ankles will tell you does indeed get extremely hot. That’s a nod to the fact that Kaufman has been known to wrap food up in aluminum foil and set it on hot parts of his bike to keep it warm. In this case, the food being warmed is a pair of White Castle cheeseburgers, and the winner of the raffle gets those too. “I think it was a cruel joke to build a bike that I would love and give it to somebody else,” Kaufman says with a laugh. As night falls and the rally winds down, those in attendance crowd around a man with a bullhorn, who first encourages everyone to sign a

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Matt Kaufman stopped riding after two accidents. But go-karts don’t count. | DANIEL HILL petition in support of Shady Jack’s before pulling raffle tickets for a variety of items — moped parts, T-shirts from other moped crews, paintings, skateboard decks. Finally, the big moment comes. The man whose ticket is pulled steps forward to claim his prize. On cue, the bike fails to start with the first few kicks, and soon the crowd of well-versed moped tuners starts shouting out deliberately unhelpful, painfully obvious suggestions —“Does it have gas?”

“Is it turned on?” “Check the spark plug!” — simply to clown on those working on it. When it does roar itself to life — or, more aptly, bee-wielding-aweed-whacker itself to life — the crowd cheers. The bike’s new owner waves as he rides off to take his new ride for a spin. Naturally, it dies within about 40 yards. “It’s your problem now!” one of members of the Ruffians hollers to him. “No refunds!” n

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Rupert is a fancy little dog whose portrait is available at Urban Wanderers. | MARNIE CLAUNCH

Angela Ingersoll portrays Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow. | LA MIRADA THEATRE LOS ANGELES

FRIDAY 06/22 Pig & Swig St. Louisans don’t live on barbecue alone, but that won’t be a problem at the Pig & Swig, held from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 23, at Ballpark Village (601 Clark Avenue; www.stlballparkvillage.com). Sure, Salt + Smoke, Beast Craft BBQ Co., Bogarts and Sugarfire Smokehouse will be there cooking it up and laying it out for cash prizes, but there will also be many kinds of whiskey to purchase and premium cigars as well. For the non-smokers (read: children), a special kid’s zone and live music are on offer all day long. Admission is free, and food and drink will be sold on site.

End of the Rainbow Judy Garland was in a bad way in 1968, but that was not enough to stop the show from going on — especially a comeback show. In Garland’s London hotel room, the singer and her accompanist go through their paces as she attempts once again to rise above disappointment, failing health

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and exhaustion to become “Judy Garland,” the world’s greatest interpreter of the American songbook, all under the watchful eye of her new fiancé. Peter Quilter’s play-with-music End of the Rainbow makes its St. Louis premiere under the auspices of Max & Louie Productions. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (June 22 to July 1) at the Grandel Theater (3610 Grandel Square; www.maxandlouie.com). There’s one 7:30 p.m. show on Thursday, June 21. Tickets are $20 to $300.

Stray Rescue even saves goats, including Mr. McGillicudy. | SUNNY SYRETT

SATURDAY 06/23 Urban Wanderers Stray Rescue’s annual arts-based fundraiser Urban Wanderers has become a summer tradition. The benefit consists of two parts. Step one, local artists make a piece in their chosen medium that is inspired by one of the animals Stray Rescue has saved from dangerous neglect, the streets and any number of bad situations. Step two, artbuying and animal-loving people show up and bid on the art, helping to further Stray Rescue’s good works. Easy, peasy, puppy-pleasy. But this year, there’s a change

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Home Improvement shows the lighter side of having four dogs in the house. | JACOB STATEN

WEEK OF JUNE 20-26 to the tried-and-true formula. The show has moved from the Saint Louis University Museum of Art to the Four Seasons Hotel downtown. It turns out SLU’s bicentennial celebration means its museum’s doors are closed to outside groups for the year. But never fear: Natalie Thomson, Stray Rescue’s marketing manager, says the organization just needed a space big enough to hold the throng that attends each year. The Four Seasons is just that, a good thing since this year looks to be a particularly big one — the auction includes more than 90 pieces of art. “This is the most we’ve ever had,” Thomson says. “Most of the artists did one piece, but we requested some of them do a couple. It’s mostly paintings, but we also have some sculptures and mixed media, and a few photographers.” Some of the artists don’t even see their animal subjects before beginning their piece. “What we do is send them the animal’s rescue story,” explains Thomson. That includes how and where Stray Rescue found the animal, its condition at the time, its general temperament and often some basic medical facts about injuries or emotional states. For a handful of the artists, that’s enough to get started. “Some of them don’t want to see a photo,” Thomson marvels. “They read that rescue story and create something about how they feel instead.” One of Urban Wanderers’ traditional highlights in the past has been that a number of adoptable dogs come to the show for the opening. The Four Seasons has agreed to welcome one or two canine guests this year, but Thomson isn’t sure if it will happen. “We’re still discussing it right now,” she says. “We think we’ll bring a dog that night. We’re thinking about bringing Jumping Bean, whose story went viral. She’s our most famous dog.” Jumping Bean was discovered when a new homeowner called the rescue to say that a pit bull was chained up in the basement. Her story was picked up by more than 30 other organizations from the U.K. to Australia. Today, as her name suggests, she’s a bundle of joyous energy.

Even if she doesn’t show up, another special guest is scheduled to attend. Stray Rescue founder Randy Grim had a thoracic aortic aneurysm in February and has been recuperating for the past four months. If he does attend, this will be his first public appearance since his emergency surgery. But if Grim doesn’t make it, that doesn’t excuse you. As Thomson notes, “It’s free to get in, and there will be lots of free food. So bring friends and dress up fancy if you like. A lot of the art has starting bids under $100, and 100 percent of the proceeds go the medical fund.” And hey, you might get to meet Jumping Bean as well. Urban Wanderers takes place from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 23, at the Four Seasons Hotel (999 North Second Street; www. strayrescue.org/uw). Admission is free.

Tower Grove Pride Tower Grove Pride continues to grow in size and influence. The community-centric celebration of LGBTQ people takes place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 23, at Tower Grove Park (4256 Magnolia Avenue; www.eventbrite.com) and features more than 150 local artists and businesses selling their wares, food trucks and live entertainment, all under the leafy trees of one of the city’s best parks. Admission is free, but if you buy the $15 backstage pass you can take advantage of the indoor Chill Out area and the outdoor amphitheater, which hosts musical, burlesque and drag performers. And don’t forget to buy a pair of the exclusive Pride socks, designed by Stonebelt Supply and only available at Tower Grove Pride.

Chalk the Loop The Loop Arts Fest returns this weekend, and it features literary readings, concerts and the always popular Chalk the Loop contest. Everybody is welcome to register and then create their own artistic contributions on the sidewalk. The best designs will be awarded cash and bragging rights. Advanced artists and beginners alike are encouraged to join. Chalk the Loop takes place from 10 a.m. to

PrideFest heads to Soldiers Memorial to “Remember. Rise. Respect.” | STEVE TRUESDELL 4 p.m. Saturday, June 23, in Ackert Walkway next to Chuck Berry Plaza (6555 Delmar Boulevard; www.visittheloop.com/Artsfest/). Registration costs $6 to $10, and it’s free to watch. — Ian Scott

SUNDAY 06/24 PrideFest Despite a decade of real progress for the LGBTQ community, this past year hasn’t been great. We have an anti-gay vice president and a new, equally anti-gay governor. Those are just two of the many reasons why PrideFest matters in 2018. The community needs to stand as one to remind the homophobes that we’re here and we’re queer — even as allies need to stand up to say we love them for it. PrideFest returns to Soldiers Memorial Park (Fourteenth and Chestnut streets; www.pridefe.st) this weekend, with a special, under-25 area for the youngsters and performances by Charis, the Gateway Men’s Chorus, dance-pop mastermind Bonnie McKee (co-writer of most of Katy Perry’s hits), ’90s EDM hit machine La Bouche, with R&B singer Mýa headlining. The festival grounds are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to

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6 p.m. (Saturday June 23 and 24). The parade starts at noon Sunday. Admission to the festival is free, but if you can afford a donation, $5 is the suggested amount. .

WEDNESDAY 06/27 Singin’ in the Rain The general consensus among the experts holds that Gypsy is the greatest musical of all time, but for the rest of us it’s always going to be Singin’ in the Rain. Yes, it’s a collection of songs from older musicals, and “Make ‘Em Laugh” sounds an awful lot like Cole Porter’s “Be a Clown,” but those facts don’t diminish your enjoyment of the show in any way. It’s the story of struggling actress Kathy Selden and her whirlwind romance with movie star Don Lockwood, set against the transition of cinema from silent films to talkies. The songs are fantastic, the characters are entertaining (especially Cosmo, Don’s comic sidekick) and it has two of the most famous dance sequences in history in “Broadway Melody” and the title song. The Muny continues its season with Singin’ in the Rain at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday to Tuesday (June 27 to July 3) at the Muny in Forest Park (www.muny.org). Tickets are $15 to $100. n

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STAGE [REVIEW]

Yeast of Eden New Line’s new musical does the unthinkable: It makes us care about prehistoric fungus Written by

PAUL FRISWOLD Yeast Nation Written by Mark Hollmann, Greg Kotis and John Gerdes. Directed by Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy-Windsor. Presented by New Line Theatre through June 23 at the Marcelle Theater (3310 Samuel Shepard Drive; www. newlinetheatre.com). Tickets are $10 to $25.

east Nation is a musical that captures an important moment in time. On the ocean’s floor, a community of parthenogenetic yeast cells suddenly realize that as their population has grown, their food supply has decreased, and they have to travel farther and farther to find lifegiving salt. Or rather, they would travel farther, if their king hadn’t forbidden leaving their homes. As in any society with limited resources strained by too much competition, something must break. Yeah, it’s out there. In addition to establishing a monarchy, the yeasts here sing, dance, perform a state execution, suffer from a pair of palace plotters and spontaneously develop the concept of romantic love. Even stranger, by the second song, you forget about the yeasts being single-cell fungus and become engrossed in the lives and travails of the few desperate characters who realize the world as they know it may be changing more quickly than they can adapt to it. Who knew that eukaryotic life more than three million years ago could feel like such a highstakes affair? Yeast Nation is written and composed by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis (with orchestrations by John Gerdes). They are the duo behind Urinetown, the other musical inspired by Robert Malthus’ theories about food and population control being the key to long-term survival. Much like Urinetown, Yeast Nation leans heavily on its

Eldest (Zachary Allen Farmer, left) and Wise (Micheal Lowe, right) argue about punishing Second (Dominic Dowdy-Windsor, center). | JILL RITTER LINDBERG

By the second song, you forget about the yeasts being single-cell fungus and become engrossed in the lives of characters who realize the world may be changing more quickly than they can adapt to it. characters being aware they’re in a musical, breaking the fourth wall and knowing what the end of the show will be ahead of time. It has the benefit of better and more memorable songs, and a less nihilistic ending.

New Line Theatre’s current production of the show is directed by the accomplished team of Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy-Windsor, and it moves from strength to strength. The cast is sharp, Rob Lippert’s set and lighting design are both attractive and effective (sitting in the Marcelle is like being inside a human-scale, high-dollar aquarium), and most importantly, I cared about some of these genderless, biologically identical yeasts and their plight. Personal investment is the ultimate goal of every show, but it’s a big ask when you’re talking about yeasts who all share one name, “Jan” (which is pronounced like “yahn”). Zachary Allen Farmer is King Jan-the-Elder, and he’s dying. He’s issued numerous edicts against producing more new yeasts and exploring beyond the community, and his two oldest offspring, Jan-the-Second-Oldest (Dominic Dowdy-Windsor) and Jan-the-Sly (Grace Langford) are at odds. Sly plans to usurp “father” and bump off Second in order to rule as a despot, and Eldest’s majordomo, Jan-the-Wise (Micheal Lowe), is eager to help. Second believes

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Eldest is wrong to limit exploring, and makes a perilous journey to the surface of the ocean, potentially discovering a new, energy-rich food source. Meanwhile, both Second and Wise also experience strange emotions that aren’t hunger whenever Jan-theSweet (Larissa White) is around. “Farmer is excellent” is a phrase I’ve written in many reviews before this one, but it’s always true. Doddering and palsied by age, he reveals the strength of Eldest’s character as he sings “You Are All My Children,” the first of several songs that demonstrate the hidden depths of these yeasts. As the virtuous oldest child Second, Dowdy-Windsor brings an openfaced honesty and goodness; the scene when he breaks through the surface and golden sunlight suffuses the first living being above water on Earth is pure magic, which he conveys through an expression of wonder and amazement (aided marvelously by the heavy dusting of bright blue glitter on his mustache and soul patch). His voice is rich and ringing, a true heldentenor. Lowe’s Jan-the-Wise is a classic villain, smarter than the rest of his community and condescending to almost everybody, but also uncertain of what to do about his unidentifiable feelings towards Jan-the-Sweet, who doesn’t reciprocate. Larissa White is one of the most surprising performers in town; she can look like many different women, and play a bimbo, a hard-edged broad or a fizzy dancing girl, but she always stands out. Masked behind heavy, multicolored makeup she’s nonetheless eminently expressive, exuding untempered hatred for Wise during their duo “Liar” and slowly embracing Second’s hope and optimism during “Let Us Rise.” Ultimately, life changes for all these Jans and their tiny corner of the world. How could it not in the aftermath of love? This unlookedfor, unsettling emotion does as much to alter yeast lives as any of the community’s murders, betrayals and new horizons, but this one is a positive change. I felt unexpectedly proud of these little Jans at the end; they are our biological ancestors, and they lived fearlessly in a time of strife and turmoil. That’s a hell of a legacy for any sentient being. n

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CLASSES. SHOWS. FOOD. BAR.

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CAFE

Among the many highlights at Knead Bakehouse are an incredible sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on a brioche bun. | MABEL SUEN

[REVIEW]

Bread of (Your) Life At Knead Bakehouse, AJ Brown is serving amazing sourdough — and that’s just the start of it Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Knead Bakehouse & Provisions 3467 Hampton Avenue, 314-376-4361; Tues.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 8a.m.-3 p.m. (Closed Mondays.)

or five years, AJ Brown has been nursing his sourdough starter. It’s the foundation for everything he does, and he knows not to take it lightly. Using a blend of Missouri and Illinois wheat, Brown’s dough is fermented with wild yeast, then fed a roux to keep it going. He’s

so obsessive about creating the perfect conditions that he ferments the dough in a cold space that mimics the temperature and humidity conditions of a Missouri cave, a factor that increases the production time but provides the benefits of aging, like a good wine or cheese. Commercial bread can be made and shipped, start to finish, in about eight hours. Brown’s dough takes three days before it’s even ready for the oven. All you need to know about Knead Bakehouse & Provisions, the delightful bakery and café Brown opened last November with his wife, Kirsten, can be gleaned by just how seriously Brown takes his bread. In the five years that he has been tending to his starter, Brown has gone from baking bread out of a retirement center to sell at St. Charles County farmers markets to a successful Kickstarter campaign funded by his legions of loyal market patrons, and now to the Southampton storefront that used to house Salume Beddu. He’s done everything with an unwavering commitment to producing the best possible product. Knead may have

started with mere sourdough, but it’s evolved into what is on pace to become one of the city’s top daytime spots. Brown looks at his business’ evolution in terms of his starter — it begins one way but grows, evolves and expands into something that is both the same and different than the original. It’s also a good way to think of his journey into the art of bread-making, which may not have happened if he’d stuck to his original plan. After studying nutrition and food science in college, Brown went into the beverage industry, where he took a deep-dive into fermentation. He realized that he felt happiest when he was using it to make bread, not beer, because of the immediacy of the process: In making beer, you use large fermentation tanks and industrial equipment; in making bread, it’s just your hands and the dough. It appealed to his sensory-oriented disposition. Brown decided to forego the beverage industry for cooking and enrolled in an accelerated culinary program at the prestigious

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Institute Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France. The return stamp on his passport was barely dry before he made his starter and began baking bread to sell at the Lake St. Louis farmers market. He expanded the business to other area farmers markets with a dream to open a bakery and café of his own, working part-time in local kitchens and as a private chef to save money and provide for himself during the markets’ off-season. Brown hoped to open his bakery and cafe in his native St. Charles County, and was especially interested in the Main Street district. However, nothing seemed right. He looked all throughout the area for three years before expanding his search to across the river and homing in on the old Salume Beddu spot. Having served as a combination production facility and café for its prior tenant, the storefront was the right fit for his operation. He and Kirsten signed the lease and opened the doors to Knead Bakehouse & Provisions last November. Fans of the old Salume Beddu

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Continued on pg 32

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Space is limited, but owners AJ and Kirsten Brown use it to the max. | MABEL SUEN

KNEAD BAKERY Continued from pg 31

will recall the storefront’s small space and limited seating. That has not changed, though Knead (like the previous tenant) maximizes its real estate. The counter-service restaurant is outfitted in white tiles, succulents and brass shelving that give it a warm but mod-

ern feel. A single communal table takes up the majority of the dining room; seats also line ledges around the windows and one of the walls, which are wide enough to hold a plate but not a centimeter more. Outside, a handful of white metal tables and another ledge with barstools provide seating when the weather is not insufferable. Though he made his name baking bread, Brown’s culinary prow-

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ess goes far beyond that skill. Breakfast pastries excel, such as a homemade pop-tart filled with mulberry jam that is so flaky you might think its delicate exterior will break apart in your hands. It holds up to the filling, seemingly defying physics. Doughnuts are creative but not gimmicky: Both matcha and the traditional Chinese tea oolong infuse one version, which is topped

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with edible flowers. Another option is coated in a glaze spiked with strawberries and basil. Both are subtle enough to let the dough’s yeasty flavor to shine through. However, Brown goes far beyond pastries in his food offerings. Brioche French toast is so pillowlike you’d be forgiven for trying to nestle your face into it. It walks up to the edge of being over-griddled but does not cross it; the result is a caramelized bitterness that cuts through the sweet strawberry preserves. And those preserves — deep, rich, sultry ... as if strawberry shortcake were dressed up as Bettie Page. They gild the toast without soaking in and making it soggy. It’s a masterpiece. Brown can do savory breakfast fare just as expertly. “Legumeamole” is a play on avocado toast made from sweet peas and fresh herbs. The texture is surprisingly fluffy, somewhere between hummus and guacamole; when the accompanying over-easy egg cracks, its yolk mixes into the mash and makes a decadent concoction. Fresh herbs and edible flowers make this a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Ordering anything but the egg, sausage and cheese sandwich,

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Knead’s baked goods include some exquisite donut options. | MABEL SUEN

KNEAD BAKERY Continued from pg 32

however, is impossible to imagine once you taste this most perfect of breakfast sandwiches. Served on a butter-brioche bun, it presents like a breakfast burger, stuffed with soft-scrambled eggs, smoked cheddar cheese, aioli, sliced tomatoes and greens. Alone, this would be a wonderful breakfast offering, but Brown offers as an accompaniment what could possibly be the best breakfast sausage known to man. Made in-house from pork belly and shoulder, the patty is coarsely ground and filled with a whole hog’s worth of porky flavor, its texture and flavor reminiscent of Gioia’s hot salami. Perhaps Brown’s next business can be a sausage shop. Lunch is equally successful. The ubiquitous kale salad seems anything but tired when dressed with zesty kefir dressing that mimics the tang and creaminess of tzatiki. Carrots, pecans and wheat berries add layers of texture. It’s a lovely accompaniment to a cup of hearty lentil and white bean chili that is perfumed with cilantro, lime-pickled tomatoes and a whisper of bergamot. Though the soup is thick and served hot, its bright flavors make it seem surprisingly appropriate for the time of year. Brown describes his style of cooking as “food on top of bread,” and he has a selection of sandwiches that show off his skill with just that. Brisket is good — not Aaron Franklin good, but deeply smoky with a slightly crusty exterior. A turkey bacon club pairs smoked turkey with large dominosized cubes of bacon, an accompaniment that would have been bet-

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ter served warm. Because it was served cold, the pork belly lacked the crisp exterior and buttery mouthfeel you get from having it fresh from the oven or griddle. Both are solid options, but they do not compare to the porchetta. Brown describes the concoction as a pork burrito: Slices of belly are wrapped around a loin, coated in rosemary, sage and red pepper and then roasted. He slices the meat thinly, then stacks it atop his rustic loaf with molten cheese and aioli. The meat is salty and fatty, its drippings infusing the bread, sauce and cheese with sublime roasted pork flavor. Even a simple grilled cheese is transcendent at Knead. Brown admits his inspiration for the sandwich is Velveeta, a cheese that, though processed, melts so well that it’s hard to dismiss its place in certain applications. Brown mimics that texture by melting smoked cheddar and gouda, then folding them into a roux that turns the mixture into a molten spread teetering on the line between solid and liquid. Served on Parmesan-crusted bread with tomato and aioli, it’s so deliriously enjoyable, you almost feel drunk after eating it. Which, in the end, seems fitting. After all, had Brown gone down his intended path, we would likely be talking about his new craft brewery, not his bakery and café. Surely those libations would have been capable of intoxicating his patrons, but there’s no way they could have moved us as deeply as Knead. With bread this delicious, as well as the amazing food on top of it, we’re utterly under his influence.

Knead Bakehouse & Provisions Egg, sausage and cheese sandwich Brioche French toast Porchetta

$8.5 $11 $13

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SHORT ORDERS [FIRST LOOK]

The Lou Offers a Taste of the City Written by

SARAH FENSKE

Naomi Roquet once dreamed of leading worship. Now she keeps the cocktails coming at Reeds American Table. | MONICA MILEUR

[SIDE DISH]

She Left Church and Ended Up at the Bar Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

hen she was a teenager, Naomi Roquet had a clear idea of her life’s calling — one that was about as far removed from tending bar as you can get. “I grew up in a Christian home and my dad was the youth pastor at our church,” Roquet recalls. “I thought I should be involved, and I always loved music, so I thought I would help out with worship. I started in middle school, and by the time I got to high school, I was co-leader.”

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Roquet did not see leading worship as just a hobby; she thought it was what she wanted to do with her life — or at least, that’s what she told herself after graduating high school. Although school was never really her thing, she felt an obligation to go to college and set her sights on becoming a traveling worship leader, encouraging young church members with artistic talents. However, she hit a rough patch, and it quickly became apparent that she was the one who was going to need the encouragement. “I just got angry and lost, and it was like I didn’t know what I was supposed to do,” Roquet explains. “I just gave up on everything and dropped out.” Around that time, Roquet began working for Starbucks, and to her surprise, she enjoyed it. She worked for the company for more than five years before getting into the retail field, working at Urban Outfitters and then Target. While working for Target, Roquet got a second job serving at the Scottish Arms. It was love at first sight, and as she got to know some of the top bartenders around town, she got an inkling

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that she just might be onto something. She quit serving and moved out to St. Charles, where she got her first bartending gig at Prasino. She was hooked. “I didn’t think this would be a passion, but when I started doing it and creating and seeing how I could make people happy one drink at a time, it started to change me,” Roquet recalls. “I’m equally left- and right-brained — creative and passionate, but I still need things to be a certain way and organized. I saw that you have to be both of those for bartending, and I realized, ‘OK, this job is actually perfect for me.’” After Prasino, Roquet landed a job working alongside Ben Bauer, one of the city’s top bartenders, at the Libertine. She did not allow herself to be intimidated, instead seeing it as a challenge to get better. “Ben already had a reputation, so it was motivation for me,” says Roquet. “I didn’t want people coming in and saying that they would wait for him to make their drink. I wanted them to want me to make it. It was a fun challenge.” Roquet honed her craft at the Continued on pg 35

he St. Louis-themed restaurant, if not exactly a trend, has certainly become an idea in recent years. On the edge of downtown, Alumni Saint Louis offered toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake until closing last month. And in Des Peres, Circa STL combines all the classic local foods (Mayfair dressing, Famous-Barr’s French onion soup) with veritable display cases full of local memorabilia. While those both have their fans, The Lou Eats & Drinks (710 N. 2nd Street, 314-621-9570) may make the most sense as a concept. Here is a St. Louisthemed restaurant in the part of town most likely to attract tourists: Laclede’s Landing. Yeah, yeah, the appeal of St. Paul sandwiches and pork steaks is partly nostalgic, but what’s the point of preaching to the choir? Here’s a missionary out proselytizing in a place where most diners have likely never heard of Provel (gasp!). Indeed, owner Paula Zingrich says the restaurant gets so many tourists — and, believe it or not, those people are so surprised by some of our local foodstuffs — that she’s included a short glossary on the back of the menu. But don’t even think about letting your snob flag fly around this St. Louis native. The proud Lindbergh High School graduate, class of 1990, will defend Provel to anyone who will listen. “I think it’s amazing,” she says. “I call it a designer cheese!” The way Zingrich tells it, she got into ownership almost as a fluke. After years at Union Station’s Hard Rock Cafe, she started working for the Gianino family, which, in addition to its namesake restaurant in south county, owns Joey B’s and Billy G’s, among others. Unbeknownst to many St. Louisans, the restaurant group also owned a bar in Bevo Mill called Pepper’s Grill & Bar. Recognizing it was an odd fit in the family’s portfolio, Zingrich told them, “You don’t need this one. Let me buy it from you.” She was as shocked as anyone when they seemed interested. “I had $35 in my bank account when they asked me if I was serious,” she says. Continued on pg 40

NAOMI ROQUET Continued from pg 34

Libertine, then Scarlettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wine Bar and Juniper before landing the bartending gig of a lifetime at the powerhouse Reeds American Table (7322 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314-899-9821). She was shocked when sommeliers Alisha Blackwell-Calvert and Andrey Ivanov sat her down and told her she was their top choice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I kept pinching myself,â&#x20AC;? Roquet recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alisha and Andrey were talking about what my job would be, and the entire time, I was thinking that I could not believe it.â&#x20AC;? These days, she may be living the dream, but she hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forgotten how she got here. Every day, she draws upon the experiences of her time at other bars, Starbucks, Target and even the Pizza Hut she once managed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The way I see it, anything you have ever done in life is training you for what you are doing now,â&#x20AC;? Roquet says. She even still finds inspiration in music, even though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no longer her chosen path â&#x20AC;&#x201D; just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect her to be singing behind the bar.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now I just sing karaoke,â&#x20AC;? she laughs. Roquet took a break from the bar to share her thoughts on gnomes, the joy of sleeping in and the one thing you will never see behind her bar. What is one thing people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know about you that you wish they did? I have an obsession with gnomes. I try to keep it to a minimum, but I get super excited when I see a cool gnome! What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? Sleeping in to the very last minute. Sleeping is my favorite! If you could have any superpower, what would it be? To fly. There are some many places I would love to visit. What is the most positive trend in food, beer, wine or cocktails that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? More people are slowly getting into rum. Rum is one of the most underrated spirits out there. I think people have a bad taste for it because they have only had flavored rum or cheap rum for so long. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of like how most people react when they hear â&#x20AC;&#x153;rieslingâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; they automatically think

Â Â? Â? Â Â? Â? Â?

it is going to be sweet because that is all they have known, but not all rieslings are sweet. What is one thing missing or that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see in the local food and beverage scene? For it to get better recognition for how diverse and amazing it is. We might not be Chicago or New York or any other major city, but we have the talent to be known the way most major cities are. Who is your St. Louis food or drink crush? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have one single crush. From that ones who inspired me (Matt Seiter, Matt Obermark, Joel Clark), to the ones that are just crushing it (Nick Digiovanni, Jeffrey Moll, Ben Bauer, to name some), there are so many influences for me and reasons to try and strive harder and do better at what I do. Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis food and beverage scene? Kira Webster. Even though she is no longer bartending and is now a general manager at 801 Fish, it has been so fun to watch her kill it behind the bar and at competitions. I know that bartending and creating will never leave her blood. She is too talented! Which ingredient is most repre-

sentative of your personality? Tequila reposado. Tequila is delicious, but not for everyone. It makes you happy, but can also make you crazy. And, as it ages, it gets better. If someone asked you to describe the current state of St. Louisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; food and beverage climate, what would you say? St. Louis has come a long way. There are so many great places, new and old, that make it such a great, diverse city where you can find anything you are craving. If you were not tending bar, what would you be doing? I have no idea! Name an ingredient never allowed behind your bar. I drink a lot of vodka and have an appreciation for it, but I will not carry a flavored vodka that I can make. What is your after-work hangout? The Scottish Arms, the Crowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nest, Small Change. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your edible or quaffable guilty pleasure? Twizzlers. What would be your last meal on earth? Reedsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; agnolotti, crab Rangoon, toasted ravioli and my momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key lime cheesecake. n

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[FIRST LOOK]

A Cafe with a Garden Shop Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

hen Tammy Behm, Laura Caldie and Laura Tetley first came up with the idea for their combination garden center and cafe, Maypop Coffee & Garden Shop (803 Marshall Avenue, Webster Groves; 314-764-2140), they had a feeling they were onto something. Now, about a month into their operation, the response they’ve received from the community has confirmed those thoughts. “People in the neighborhood have been coming by to see us,” Tetley says. “We’re already getting some regulars, which is fun.” A first-of-its-kind concept in St. Louis, Maypop is modeled after the hybrid cafe-and-garden shops Behm heard about when she was attending an international garden conference in Paris last year. The idea clicked with her, and when she returned home, she reached out to her former garden center colleagues, Caldie and Tetley, to help make the vision a reality. To bring Maypop to life, the partners transformed a nineteenthcentury historic house and triple lot in the middle of a quaint Webster Groves neighborhood into a gardening oasis and cozy coffee shop. The outside work involved removing a few trees, grading and paving part of the land, building a large greenhouse and transforming the grounds into a lush, parklike oasis. Gardening aficionados of all levels are encouraged to walk the grounds and ask questions, which the knowledgeable attendants will almost certainly be able to answer — even something as seemingly impossible as how to grow a lemon or pineapple tree in the Midwest. Yes, they have both for sale, in addition to just about anything else your green thumb could ever desire. The coffeeshop part of Maypop is located inside the property’s historic brick house. As Tetley explains, the partners undertook some fairly extensive renovations, but they always did so with an eye to the building’s inherent character. “We widened the walls and put in a commercial kitchen and

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Maypop’s greenhouse has everything an ambitious gardener could want, from plants to accoutrements. | CHERYL BAEHR

Maypop is now serving coffee with a side of flowers in Webster Groves. | CHERYL BAEHR ADA bathrooms,” Tetley explains. “However, we really wanted to maintain the architectural integrity of the house.” That integrity is evident in the cozy cafe space that makes up Maypop’s food and beverage operation. The seating space is made up of two rooms: one with a communal table and two handsome leather chairs that flank a vintage fireplace mantle, and the other with one large table and chairs. Though Maypop has its own commercial kitchen, the business

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partners decided that, at least for now, they would outsource the food side of the operation to other area businesses. The Living Room provides Maypop with an assortment of baked goods, as well as grab-and-go items like salads, yogurt and picnic packs filled with either meat and cheeses or hummus and veggies. On the weekends, the cafe increases its bakery offerings with pastries from the French patisserie Like Home, including macarons and croissants. Tetley, who worked in the coffee

business at both Kaldi’s and Half & Half, is the outfit’s resident coffee expert (in addition to her barista, Cher, who she insists gets a nod for her efforts). Maypop gets its coffee from Blueprint Coffee and its teas from Big Heart Tea Co. In addition to coffee and tea offerings, the cafe serves housemade drinks such as hibiscus-infused lemonade. Behm, Caldie and Tetley have big plans for Maypop, including workshops, classes and community events, which will be added as they get their feet underneath them. They launched their first class, one dedicated to making succulent bowls, last week. Upcoming course offerings include “Sauce Bosses,” a class dedicated to growing the herbs used in making pizza and pasta sauces, and a cocktail-themed gardenand-porch party in collaboration with the Missouri Botanical Garden. Maypop is host to the porch part of the event, where participants will learn about all of the different plants that can be used in cocktails. Maypop’s cafe is currently open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The garden center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Additional hours and special events are posted on its website and Facebook page. n

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OPE 7 DAYNS

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or the last ten years, Kevin McGinn has built a mercurial reputation around his hole-inthe-wall pizza shop, Kevin’s Place (2111 Cherokee; 314353-1400), which has become an institution on the Antique’s Row side of Cherokee Street. But recently, McGinn put up a sign in the window: “For sale.” “I’ve never been in love with the whole situation,” says McGinn. That’s the understatement of the year. As the RFT reported in a wild-ride November 2017 cover story, McGinn, then 60, has long had a love/hate relationship with his customers and chosen occupation. After more than a decade in business, the south-city native still runs the shop as a one-employee operation — it’s just him, a pizza oven in a tiny kitchen and an end-

less succession of orders and deliveries. That’s not to say business has been bad. “I’m just trying to compete with everybody else,” says McGinn. “We do pretty good job overall, and things are really starting to come together.” Indeed, McGinn has been preparing to open a second location, on the corner of Mardel Avenue and Hereford Street in Northampton. That location, too, is up for sale, says McGinn. Even as he’s readying the new store, he’s decided to start looking for an exit strategy, to leave the pizza business for good. For McGinn’s many fans, the good news is that Kevin’s Place remains open for the foreseeable future. Although he’s now looking for prospective buyers, McGinn says he’s still going to doing what he’s done for the past decade, making St. Louis-style pizza and putting customers in their place, bluntly if necessary. There’s only so much one guy can do. “I’m not the youngest guy in the world,” he says over the phone, chuckling. “It’s time to do something different.” n

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THE LOU

Continued from pg 34

“I definitely wasn’t really, but when you get an opportunity like that, you have to take it.” That was 2014, and in the three years since, she says she’s doubled sales at Pepper’s — enough that when the family asked if she had any interest in purchasing the Joey B’s location in Laclede’s Landing, she said yes. (She also later bought a bar in St. Charles.) Initially, Zingrich continued to run the eatery as a Joey B’s, but last October, she quietly switched over to her new concept. She’s been operating as the Lou ever since, serving up St. Louis-themed food to out-of-towners even as most locals have no idea she’s there. And that’s fine by her. “People don’t know about St. Louis foods,” she says. “We’ve got pork steaks, toasted ravioli. We’ve got one dessert: gooey butter cake. We want to give families something fun and different.” The accent is indeed on families — while the Landing used to be a wild spot known for its early-morning party scene, Zingrich is convinced that’s not where things are headed. Now that CityArchRiver renovations have connected the historic neighborhood to the Gateway Arch, she says she’s seeing many visitors who are simply looking for a bite to eat. “I’ve got four children, I take them out,”

Owner Paula Zingrich says she’s had to explain items like pork steak and Provel to the many tourists who visit her restaurant. | SARAH FENSKE she says. “As the Landing rebuilds and comes back, I want to see it as a familyfriendly area.” There may be a long roster of exotic shots over the bar, but that’s a holdover from Joey’s B’s, she says, not a sign of where things are going.

“After 10 or 11 p.m., things change a little bit,” she acknowledges. But until then, Zingrich is mostly interested in introducing visitors to the marvels of the pork steak — or maybe even a pizza topped with garlic butter, ham, Provel

JUNE

10th Anniversary

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.

and paprika, a Gerber sandwich in pie form. And if you’re not into shots, how about a Whistle Vess? The Lou is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Karaoke is on the agenda Mondays and Fridays. n

Monthly RafFLe Prizes AUGUST

Year-Long Family Membership to Grant’s Farm/VIP tour and The Magic House

Year-Long Family Membership to The City Museum

JULY

SEPTEMBER

Year-Long Membership to The Saint Louis Science Center

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

OCTOBER

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

NOVEMBER

$300 Gift Card for the Peabody Opera House

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3106 Olive Street (314) 535-4340 pappyssmokehouse.com

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1627 South 9th Street (314) 621-3107 bogartssmokehouse.com

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2951 Dougherty Ferry Rd (636) 529-1898 daliessmokehouse.com

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2819 Watson Road (314) 875-9890 adamssmokehouse.com

3108 Olive Street (314) 531-4668 stlsouthern.com

Peel Wood Fired Pizza: We currently have restaurants in Edwardsville and O'Fallon, Illinois and will be opening our third location in Clayton, MO in July of 2018. Our new location is housed on the bottom level of a newly-developed apartment complex occupying 9,000 square feet of space with 3 wood fire burning ovens, an 85 foot fully-stocked bar, and 36 craft beers on tap.

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restaurants • shopping • arts • music

History of the Area

DUCK ROOM

JUST ADDED! Mon 7/9

Jake Wesley Rogers

UPCOMING! Wed 6/20 Fri 6/22 Sat 6/23 Sun 6/24 Mon 6/25 Tue 6/26 Thu 6/28 Fri 6/29 Sat 6/30 Sun 7/1

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6504 Delmar in The Loop ★ 314-727-4444 BlueberryHill.com Tickets: At Blueberry Hill (no service fees with cash), BlueberryHill.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, 800-745-3000 42

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Next came the Delmar Loop Planet Walk, a 2,880-ft scale model of the solar system. In 2011 The Loop unveiled the iconic Chuck Berry Statue, an eight-foot bronze statue dedicated to the Father of Rock & Roll along with the Centennial Greenway bicycle and pedestrian trail. In the 2010s, with the opening of the colorful Peacock Diner in 2014, The Loop became a true 24/7 neighborhood. And in 2016, the 800-capacity Delmar Hall music venue opened next to The Pageant. Many consider The Loop to be the live music center of St. Louis with its 8 stages showcasing music of all genres. The most exciting new attraction of 2018 will be the fixed-track vintage trolley. It will connect the #1 city park in America (Forest Park) to “One of the 10 Great Streets in America,” the Delmar Loop. Yesss! ★

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Blueberry Hill Landmark restaurant & music club Six party spaces BlueberryHill.com • 6504 Delmar in The Loop

Pin-Up Bowl Fantastic kids birthday packages PinUpBowl.com • 6191 Delmar in The Loop

2010s

IN T

2000s

1980s

! LIVEHE

In the 1990s the Delmar Loop MetroLink station opened, allowing visitors to ride right to The Loop. The elegant 1924 Tivoli Movie Theatre was beautifully restored in 1995 and, along with many new gift shops and clothing boutiques, signaled that The Loop had arrived. Fitz’s opened its vintage 1930s root beer & soda bottling line. Opening in 2000 was The Pageant, a 2,000+ capacity concert nightclub that has featured artists such as Bob Dylan, Imagine Dragons, Jason Derulo, Mumford & Sons, Dolly Parton and Pharrell. Also in the 2000s, Pin-Up Bowl bowling and martini lounge debuted, followed by the boutique Moonrise Hotel which features the world’s largest man-made moon rotating above the indoor/outdoor Rooftop Bar.

1990s

1970s

During the last 45 years, the Delmar Loop has evolved into one of the most vibrant and entertaining areas in the United States. The revitalization of The Loop began in the early 1970s with legislation that limited occupancy of first floor storefronts to retail shops, galleries and restaurants to attract more pedestrians. Nationally renowned restaurant and music club Blueberry Hill was the first of a new era of unique owner-operated businesses. In the 1980s dusk-to-dawn lights, trash receptacles, and flower planters were added to make The Loop brighter, cleaner, and more colorful. The non-profit St. Louis Walk of Fame was founded and became a unifying attraction for the area. Now more than 150 stars and informative plaques are embedded in the sidewalks.

CULTURE

[HOMESPUN]

Born Again In two EPs as Dead Pilgrim, Amy Elizabeth Quinn shares her new identity as a trans woman and lead singer Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER

rowing up in a conservative household in Belleville, Illinois, Amy Elizabeth Quinn didn’t have a lot of avenues to explore her burgeoning questions about gender identity. “I started having identity questions around the age of 16, but I was raised in a super Catholic home, so [I had] all these questions of ‘what’s my orientation? What’s my gender identity?’” Quinn, now 24, says. “I was raised to believe if it wasn’t cis/het male, it was a sin and I was gonna be going to hell, so I tried to repress that for so long.” “Everything feminine in my life, I tried to push away,” she continues. “I started going by the most masculine form of my dead name, and I just tried to push out every quote/unquote ‘impure thought’ of femininity that came to me.” That repression only lasted so long. In February of last year, Quinn says, she “went through this moment of rediscovery: Life’s too short to be unhappy; I need to figure out who I am. I think I came out to myself completely in March of 2017.” She began hormone therapy in October. Since then, Quinn has been living as a trans woman and, over the past year, has added a new facet to her identity as well: that of a singer-songwriter who performs under the name Dead Pilgrim. She has released two sixsong EPs in the last few months — Lost in Transition came out in May and a self-titled released dropped in June. It’s been a flurry of activity for an artist who has played in bands, but previously never served as lead singer and focal point. The EPs are different enough in presentation; Transition rides on a

Amy Elizabeth Quinn, also known as Dead Pilgim, has made peace with her upbringing and her gender identity. | niles zee at niles zee photography garage-punk energy, while Quinn’s self-titled release starts with spare acoustic guitar-driven instrumentation but gradually adds piano, synth and glockenspiel ornamentation. Quinn considered releasing the songs as a single CD but sees them as distinct documents, both in production and storytelling. “I feel like they had different meanings,” she says. “They had similarities and they really could have been on a full CD, but Lost in Transition was definitely a progression of my actual transition, and it was very thematic. It was an overarching tale about different things I was feeling throughout my transition, whereas the selftitled one was songs I had written in the past, and they just taking on new meaning as I’ve grown, since I wrote them.” The Dead Pilgrim EP begins with “Cynical Depression” — a joke, Quinn says, about her own diagnosis with clinical depression. The song, though, is anything but cynical: On it, she sings over a raggedy guitar pattern that recalls a little of Big Star’s “Thirteen” as bells and handclaps fill in the space. “It’s time you let your light

shine through,” Quinn sings. “It might surprise even you.” And while Quinn doesn’t claim to have all the answers, she hopes these songs can serve as a guidepost for others — trans, queer or otherwise. “Express your identity: If you’re gay, straight, trans, non-binary, all of that — be who you are, as long as you’re not hurting anyone else or being an asshole,” Quinn says. “Let that light shine; don’t let anyone try to block it out.” As most of the songs on these EPs detail some element of the trans experience, either overtly or indirectly, Quinn has taken her outreach a step further: all sales of her music will be donated to the Metro Trans Umbrella Group. “They do far more for the community than I ever could and they need the money,” she says. “I don’t.” Quinn chose the name Dead Pilgrim as a tribute to her two favorite comic book series — Deadpool and Scott Pilgrim: “I like these; these make me happy — why not base a band off of stuff that makes me happy?” The name, though, has taken on an ulterior meaning.

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“The genre of music I am playing is very heavily full of white, straight men,” Quinn says of her indie and punk roots. “I want to bring a death to that: I want queer people to be involved; I want people of color to be involved; I want women to be involved; I want everyone to feel comfortable in this space and not just be a white boy’s club.” Her band name wasn’t the only moniker she had to settle on. After beginning her transition, Quinn had settled on another name, but a moment of truth with her mother led her to settle on being called Amy Elizabeth Quinn. “It eventually came to a breakdown of me, in tears, telling my mom, ‘This is who I am; it’s not gonna change,’” Quinn recalls. “After a few weeks of acceptance, she told me that she would have named me Amy Elizabeth when I was born, so that’s the name I have ultimately chosen to go with.” Quinn saw it as a moment of growth, a little crack in her conservative upbringing. Of her mother, she says, “I can definitely see an effort of her being supportive and trying to understand.” n

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[PREVIEW]

Foxing Leads All-Local Lineup at Old Rock House Written by

HOWARD HARDEE

espite being members of one of the most successful bands to come out of St. Louis in recent memory, the guys in emo-rock outfit Foxing are used to doing stuff themselves. True to the DIY spirit that has guided them since the band’s early days, guitarist Eric Hudson is speaking to Riverfront Times as he’s driving to Nashville to return a rental van. “Growing up, everybody in the band did DIY shows, booked DIY tours,” he says. “We’ve all done that stuff. Unless you’re picked up by a major label right away and they put a bunch of money behind you, that’s kind of the only real way to do it anymore. You have to self-book, really eat shit on tour for a while. It’s less of a like a culture or a choice anymore; that’s just what you have to do.” That’s why Hudson and his bandmates admire ambitious musicians who aren’t afraid to put in elbow grease of their own. In fact, Foxing is making a point of highlighting other local acts worthy of national attention by headlining a show on Saturday, June 23 at the Old Rock House. The all-STL lineup is rounded out ghetto-trance artist Eric Donté and electro-folk singersongwriter LèPonds, both of whom were recognized in 2018’s Riverfront Times’ STL 77, our annual list of local musicians doing big things. As a leading group in the national emo revival and the local music scene, Foxing wants to lend a hand to other rising acts in the area, Hudson says. “That was our goal with this show,” he says. “We wanted to get artists who are not only very talented, but are also putting in the work, really grinding and trying to be something. We really appreciate that about local artists. It’s really hard to establish yourself,

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Foxing has found huge success in the nation’s emo-rock scene. Now the band returns to its native St. Louis for a June 23 show. | HAYDEN MOLINARO even on a local level, so we wanted to give these artists a platform to play in front of people who otherwise might not hear them.” Foxing has benefitted from plenty of outside help on its own musical journey. The emo scene, both locally and nationally, is extremely insular: Members of respective bands let each other couch-surf and help book shows. “There aren’t a whole lot of emo bands that tour full-time,” Hudson says. “So when there is one in town, it’s like, ‘Oh, cool, come be our friends.’” Foxing hasn’t played St. Louis recently, opting instead to hit other Midwestern cities like Columbus and Indianapolis as its members wrap up recording their forthcoming full-length album. The past few years have been tumultuous for Foxing. In December, bassist and founding member Josh Coll announced he was leaving the band to pursue a career as a filmmaker. The year before, allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against guitarist Ricky

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Sampson, prompting a response from the group. The year before that, the band’s tour van was struck by a truck in northern California. And if that doesn’t beat all, in 2015 their trailer was stolen in Austin, Texas, with $30,000 worth of gear inside. Each incident amounted to a setback in recording Foxing’s followup to 2015’s critically acclaimed album, Dealer, but the band has also been purposefully deliberate about the recording process. “The main reason why it took so long is because we wanted it to,” Hudson says. “We didn’t take our time at all on the last record. This time, we wanted control of every part of the process and to make sure it was exactly what we want to be putting out. We didn’t want to have any regrets, like we did on the last one. It was the first time we’ve gotten to take our time and make sure we had a polished piece of art. “Some of these songs on the new album are two and a half years old already,” he continues.

“We haven’t played them live, and people haven’t heard them, but they’re old songs to us.” Fans can expect the album out later this year. In the meantime, they can catch Foxing’s first show in St. Louis in a long time — during which Eric Donté and LèPonds are sure to discover that fans of emo tend to be extremely enthusiastic, often freaking out in a way you would expect more at a punk or hardcore metal show. “When you listen to our band on a record, or you listen other bands in the same world, you don’t necessarily get a heavy sort of vibe from it,” Hudson says. “It’s more like indie-rock than heavy music. But sometimes when you play a live show it’s more like you’re a screamo band, based on the way people are going off. “It’s cool that people put that much energy behind it, but when it happens, it is a little surprising.”

Foxing 8 p.m. Saturday, June 23. Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street. $15 to $17. 314-588-0505.

[ F E S T I VA L S ]

At Long Last, LouFest Lineup Revealed Written by

DANIEL HILL

fter an unusually protracted wait that had fans on the edge of their seats, the lineup for LouFest 2018 finally dropped on Tuesday. Topping this year’s roster is legendary Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, who is coming with his backing band since 2012, the Sensational Space Shifters, alongside indie-rock favorite Modest Mouse, indie-folk act the Head and the Heart, country singer Kacey Musgraves and virtuoso blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. Further down the bill are soul singer (and Ferguson native) Michael McDonald and rapper T-Pain — not surprising, since the former name was accidentally leaked by McDonald’s people and the latter was the subject of one of the easier lineup clues from this year — as well as Brothers Osborne, Moon Taxi, Tank and the Bangas, Quinn XCII, Margo Price, Misterwives, Anderson East and Mt. Joy. The lineup includes more local acts than ever before as well, thanks to a partnership with the Kranzberg Arts Foundation that will see a fourth stage featuring roots, blues and jazz music added to the festival. Local artists include Scrub & Ace Ha, Grace Basement, the Knuckles, River Kittens, Dracla, the Burney Sisters, Kevin Bowers’ Nova & Special Guests, Tonina, Mo Egeston All-Stars, Anita Jackson, Ptah Williams Trio, Jesse Gannon, Ben Reece’s Unity Quartet, Owen Ragland Quintent and Bob DeBoo + the Dark Room All-Stars. Listen Live managing partner Mike Van Hee has no single reason to cite for the delay in this year’s announcement — a lot of logistical stuff, including the need to honor strict radius clauses for some artists, just pushed the date back from where organizers would have preferred, he explains. “Unfortunately I can’t say a lot as to why there was a delay,

Modest Mouse was cited often by LouFest fans as an act they wanted to see this year. | BEN MOON

“We really have an amazingly talented group representing STL this year. St. Louis never has to apologize for our music scene.” but there’s very good reasons as to why,” he tells RFT. Much of this year’s lineup came from surveying attendees and social media followers and then crunching the numbers. Van Hee says that the group sent out a poll at the end of 2017 to fans and social media followers, asking what artists they’d like to see in 2018. “Then we aggregated that data and cross-referenced it and generated a list,” he says. “It was really interesting to see who the Facebook folks wanted to see versus who the Instagram folks wanted to see and who the survey data wanted — it was the same more or less group of like 25 different artists, but the preferences were

different. “Modest Mouse was near the top,” he adds. “Head and the Heart was in the top five on all three of them.” Asked about the artists he’s most excited about this year, fellow Listen Live managing partner Rich Toma responds with a slew of names. “Beyond excited about Robert Plant. I mean, any time you get a chance to include a generational artist like that in a music festival, it’s a no-brainer,” he says. “Seeing him live in Forest Park is pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Gary Clark Jr. is a personal favorite and an artist we have been pursuing for a while now. Very excited about bringing Michael McDonald home for a special performance. Also a big fan of Durand Jones and the Indications and White Reaper.” Van Hee points to some spots below the headliners as a particular point of pride. “I think the middle of the lineup is so super strong this year, with folks like Lukas Nelson, Tank and the Bangas, and Mt. Joy, who’s like — Silver Lining is at the top of the triple-A charts right now,” he says. “Anderson East is incredible, I mean his voice is amazing. So this year in particular I think the middle of the lineup offers a lot to discover.”

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And, of course, both men are excited about the local artists on deck. “We really have an amazingly talented group representing STL this year,” Toma says. “We’re in the fortunate spot to get to say this every year, though — St. Louis never has to apologize for our music scene. We truly have one of the best in the country, and it’s a privilege to get to put this together.” The group makes sure to remind music fans that local beer is also coming to the fest in a big way this year. BrewFest at LouFest will bring more than twenty local breweries to the festival in 2018 in partnership with the St. Louis Brewer’s Guild — a direct response to a longstanding stated criticism from attendees, Toma says. “Our fans have been very outspoken in recent years about their desires to see more craft beer options included in the festival, so we worked hard to create a scenario where that could happen,” he says. “Ask and ye shall receive! It’s definitely a big step and we can’t wait to see where this goes in the future.” LouFest will once again take place on the upper Muny grounds, where it was held in 2017, while renovations on Central Field are completed. The festival will return to Central Field next year for its tenth anniversary, Van Hee says. n

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Barsky has knitted some 120 sweaters featuring landmarks from around the world. | Via sam barsky

[KNITTING]

The Arch Finally Gets the Sam Barsky Treatment Written by

DANIEL HILL

am Barsky’s trip to St. Louis was a long time coming. The 43-year-old Baltimore native has traveled the world, his work taking him to 33 different countries and every state in the U.S. except Hawaii and Oregon (he’s quick to note that he’ll get to those two eventually). He’s highly in demand for his unique skill set, and most times the citizens of the places he visits foot the bill for all of his expenses. So what does the well-traveled Barsky do for a living? Surely he’s some highpower consultant to the international corporations of the world, right? Maybe a crack pilot for the jet-setting glitterati? Wrong on both counts. Sam Barsky knits sweaters. “I started knitting back in 1999,” Barsky tells RFT. “I had just dropped out of nursing school and I was looking for something else to do with my life. I had been interested in knitting for several years before that, and I had a chance meeting with the owners of a yarn shop. I asked them, ‘Where can I learn to knit?’ And they said they can teach me for free under the condition that I would buy their yarn.” Barsky took them up on the offer. Unbeknownst to him at the time, what began as a hobby would go on to catapult him to viral fame. Barsky’s niche is knitting landmarks from cities around the world onto sweat-

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ers, then visiting those landmarks and taking selfies while clad in his completed work. With nearly 50,000 followers on Facebook and coverage by news outlets ranging from the New York Times to the BBC to the Washington Post to his own hometown paper, the Baltimore Sun, Barsky is a genuine (if super quirky) success. And now, finally, he’s bringing his talents to St. Louis. “St. Louis was on my list for a long time,” Barsky explains. “I’ve made lists from time to time of different landmarks all around the country and the world that would be very sweater-worthy, and the Gateway Arch was one of them.” Our city’s most famous landmark will be in good company. To date, Barsky has knitted some 120 sweaters depicting everything from Times Square, the Golden Gate Bridge, Tower Bridge in London, Stonehenge and the Eiffel Tower. In his earlier days he would knit places that he had already been to, but eventually his work became more aspirational: He’d knit places he’d not yet visited, then take photos with his sweaters’ subjects once he was able to travel to them. And lest this sound like a social media stunt, Barsky knit purely for himself for nearly two decades before a January 2017 post on online image-sharing site Imgur catapulted him overnight to viral fame. The post, which featured several of Barsky’s selfies and the caption, “This guy makes sweaters of places and then takes pictures of himself wearing the sweaters at those places,” has since been viewed more than 1.5 million times. “I woke up on a Sunday morning and found I had over 100 Facebook friend requests from people I’d never heard of before,” Barsky says of the sudden burst of attention. “It was very overwhelming at the time. I had gotten 3,000 emails in a couple of days requesting interviews and this and that, and I couldn’t even reach

out to all of them because it was just too much to manage.” Now, this being the internet, there were some trolls and detractors that came with the virality. But Barsky doesn’t let them bother him. “For every negative comment I get on something, I get hundreds of more positive ones,” he says. “So I’m not really concerned about that. There are always going to be people like that in this world. I don’t let them tear me apart.” Barsky was soon able to parlay his sudden fame into a viable career. Now, when he visits landmarks around the world, he’s brought to town by their neighbors. He only asks that his travel expenses be covered, plus, as he puts it, “a little something to take home.” Barsky’s St. Louis trip comes via Oh So Vivant, Das Bevo and Earthbound Beer. They will be throwing a party where the public can meet the artist in the flesh at Das Bevo (4749 Gravois Avenue, 314832-2251) on Thursday, June 21 from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be a photo booth where you can get a picture with Barsky, a “tap takeover” by Earthbound and music courtesy of Larry Haller and the Good Times Band. The businesses behind the trip have launched a Kickstarter with rewards including stickers and t-shirts; a full breakdown of expenses is included in the description of the campaign. And though it’s Barsky’s first trip here on business, it’s not his first time in St. Louis. Barsky fondly recalls a road trip his family made here when he was just a boy. “I was in St. Louis 29 years ago,” he says. “I was fourteen back then, in middle school, and I had learned that year about the Westward Expansion. The textbook I had, as I recall, had a picture of the Gateway Arch in it, and I thought, ‘Wow, I’d like to see that one day.’ So I came home and I told my parents I wanted to go there for our summer vacation and they said, ‘OK, that’s a good idea.’” The family struck out on the road, driving from Baltimore all the way to St. Louis, just so the young Barsky could see the Arch. “I didn’t know it at the time when I saw it in my textbook, but my mother had done some research on it and she said, ‘You know that you can go up in the Arch? There’s an elevator that takes you to the top of the Arch.’ I didn’t know that. So as a family we did that.” Maybe it’s that early exposure — or maybe its the fact that the Arch is, after all, just a giant upside-down “U” shape — but Barsky says the Arch sweater, which he has already nearly completed, has been “pretty easy.” That could be why he decided to up the ante. “I was trying to figure out what I would put on the back of it,” he says. “I’m doing the courthouse, it turns out, which looks like a miniature of the U.S. Capitol. “And I’ve done the U.S. Capitol before,” he adds casually, “so it’s a piece of cake.” n

OUT EVERY NIGHT

It’s Always a Party!

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Hop Along. | TONJE THILESEN

HOP ALONG 8 p.m. Friday, June 22. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Boulevard. $15. 314-726-4444.

sometimes borrow from grunge but more often celebrate the propulsive properties of a well-made pop tune.

The problem is not that it’s a bit of

This year’s Bark Your Head Off, Dog

a cliche to say that the voice of Hop

benefits from tightly wound and nearly

Along’s Frances Quinlan is “a force of

danceable moments, a nice turn for a

nature.” The problem is that such a

band that can also induce head-bang-

statement feels insufficient — she sum-

ing reveries.

mons so much more than force in her

Better than Frat Boys: Ratboys, a

songs, which can be vulnerable, righ-

Chicago-based duo that mixes twang

teous, stinging and smart. Quinlan’s

and shoegaze in pleasing proportions,

been rightly celebrated for the visceral

opens the show.

energy she brings to Hop Along. Songs

THURSDAY 21

BILLY CURRINGTON: w/ Jordan Davis 7 p.m., $35$85. Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Drive, Chesterfield. BROTHER JEFFERSON DUO: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. JACKAL FEST PRE PARTY: 9 p.m., $5. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314833-3929. MIKE FARRIS: 8 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. OLD TIME ASSAULT: 9 p.m., $3. Venice Café, 1903 Pestalozzi St., St. Louis, 314-772-5994. S.M. WOLF: w/ Pealds, Fangs, Andy Basler 9 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. STINKY GRINGOS: 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. SUNDRESSED: w/ Northbound 6 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THE VENUS FLYTRAPS: w/ The Mindframes 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. VICKY MICHAELS & EDICKS WAY BAND: 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE WLDLFE: w/ TREY, Wild & Free, The Friction, Calloway Circus 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

FRIDAY 22

AMOS LEE WITH THE SLSO: 7:30 p.m., $49-$90.

—Christian Schaeffer

Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, 314534-1700. BRANDI CARLILE: w/ Shovels and Rope 7 p.m., $27-$83. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. BROKEN YOUTH EP RELEASE SHOW: w/ A Promise To Burn, Fallen We Divide, Unimagined, City of Parks, Torn at the Seams 6 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CHARLES TINER: 6:30 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CRYSTAL LADY: w/ People Seen In Cars, Homemade Energy 5 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. HOP ALONG: 8 p.m., $15-$18. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. RA CHILD: w/ Ew, Raine Raine 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. RAINÉ RAINÉ: w/ EW, Ra Child, Aiko Tsuchida, Beauty Pageant 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. RAW EARTH: 7 p.m., free. Soulard Art Market and Contemporary Art Gallery, 2028 S. 12th St., St. Louis, 314-258-4299. SATSANG: 10 p.m., $13. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. SHARI PUORTO BAND: 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. SLOAN: 8 p.m., $22-$25. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

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

FIND OUT ALL THAT’S GOING ON @DUKESINSOULARD

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

THE STYLISTICS: 8:15 p.m., $25. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. TRILL SAMMY: 6 p.m., $25-$60. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

[WEEKEND]

BEST BETS

SATURDAY 23

Five sure-fire shows to close out the week

FRIDAY, JUNE 22 Trill Sammy w/ DJ Tab, Makadelic, Black Frat 6 p.m. Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Avenue. $25$60. 314-833-3929.

Just about anything Trill Sammy throws up on YouTube gets millions of views. The video-sharing stratosphere has been his home for the better part of two years, and between his flexible beats that whiz and crack like a whip to his crisp vocal flow, it’s not hard to see or hear why he lives in the limelight. Whether he’s hitting up Fortnite on stream or dropping a new neon-soaked video single, Trill Sammy bangs it out with a playful vibe. And there’s no doubt that he takes to the recording studio like a kid in a candy store.

Sloan 8 p.m. Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Boulevard. $22-$25. 314-727-4444.

You would think that, at some point in its nearly 30 years of making Technicolor dream rock, Sloan would have hit some major slump. While it’s hard to believe, the Halifax crew has kept its craft at a constant by staying busy between studio records. Now in 2018, the band’s twelfth album, aptly titled 12, shows Sloan with its most infectious riffs to date. These titans of indie rock could lean on a backlog of loved songs, but to Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland and the rest of the group’s credit, they continue to sculpt a sound that is just as relevant as ever.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23 Algiers w/ Bambara, Cult Season 9 p.m. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway. $7.

Atlanta’s Algiers is one of those bands that could end up flying under the radar right up to the point they’re seated mid-card at the Pitchfork Media Festival. In turn, Continued on pg 51

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[CRITIC’S PICK]

ALGIERS: w/ Bambara, Cult Season 9 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. ANARBOR: w/ Alvarez Kings 6 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ASHANTI: 8 p.m., $35-$55. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. BACK TO BACK: w/ Vaporize b2b Orange Juic3, Contract Thrillaz, Xstinction b2b Mobcat, Fourth Dimension b2b Sleach 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BEN-WAH-BOB: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BOOMTOWN UNITED LP RELEASE PARTY: w/ Mathias and the Pirates, Guns of Bridgeton, Brick City Sound System 7 p.m., $9-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. THE CHI-LITES: 9 p.m., $25. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. CHICAGO, REO SPEEDWAGON: 7 p.m., TBA. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. CLEAR FOCUS: w/ Better Days 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. CREE FEST 2018: w/ Cree Rider Family Band, The Dock Ellis Band, River Kittens, Old Capital, Cara Louise Band, Jenny Roques, The Fighting Side, Nick Gusman, Fred Friction, Les Gruff and the Billy Goat, L.S. XPRSS, Devon Cahill, Old Souls Revival, The Warbuckles, The Native Sons, The Riverside Wanderers noon, $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. DJ SWAN: 8 p.m., free. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. FOXING: w/ Eric Donte and LePonds 8 p.m., $15$17. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. MARQUISE KNOX BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MENTAL FIXATION CD RELEASE: w/ Disguise The Limit, Outrun The Fall, Verba Stellae, Shots Fired 7 p.m., $5-$8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. MODERN GOLD: 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. PRIDEFEST: w/ Mýa, Steve Grand, Paige Alyssa, La Bouche, Bonnie McKee 2 p.m.; June 24, 2 p.m., free. Soldiers Memorial Plaza, 14th St. and Chestnut St., St. Louis. REED STEWART: w/ Bear Cub, Scarlet Views 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. ROCKY & THE WRANGLERS: 4 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. ROGERS & NIENHAUS: 7 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. S.L.U.M. FEST 2018: 3 p.m., $10-$13. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. SIR SLY: 8 p.m., $17.50-$20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. TOWER GROVE PRIDE AFTER PARTY: w/ Brandon Stansell 9 p.m., $10. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

SUNDAY 24

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL: 8 p.m., $30-$40. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. DJ LIMEWIRE PRIME: 9 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. GRIFFIN HOUSE: 8 p.m., $18-$20. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. HOUSE QUAKE: A TRIBUTE TO PRINCE: 7 p.m., $20. Voce, 212 S. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, 314-435-3956. LITHICS: w/ Natural Man, Complainer 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-

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Ruby Boots. | CAL QUINN

RUBY BOOTS

heartbreaking as the one who got away.

8 p.m. Tuesday, June 26. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp. All ages. $10. 314-773-3363.

As better-known Nashville outsiders

If Don’t Talk About It, the sophomore

toured as manager and backup singer)

album by Ruby Boots (née Bex Chil-

continue to stretch country boundaries,

cott) and her band of glam-loving honky

it’s just a matter of time before Ruby

tonkers, isn’t on your shortlist for coun-

Boots makes her own distinctive mark

try albums of the year, best get a new

on Music City and beyond.

list or a new perspective on the genre.

Young, Gifted and Twangy: Discovered

Kicking off with a blast of T. Rex fuzz

by Mike Ness of Social Distortion, open-

and strut, the record surges through

er Jade Jackson combines an ethereal,

late-night barroom reveries filled with ar-

Mazzy Starr-esque tone with straight-

chetypal country melodies and themes,

up honky tonk. Like the headliner, she

all brought to neon life by Chilcott’s irre-

should be on your radar.

like Nikki Lane (with whom Chilcott has

—Roy Kasten

sistible voice, sexy and confident and as 436-5222. THE MACHINIST: w/ Enochian, Eyes From Above, Ghost Decay, Out Of Orbit, Dave the Shredder 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. NOXCUSE: TRIBUTE TO 90’S R&B GIRL GROUPS: 5 p.m., $15-$25. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. PJ MORTON: w/ Tish Haynes Keys 6 p.m., $35$40. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. PRIDEFEST: w/ Mýa, Steve Grand, Paige Alyssa, La Bouche, Bonnie McKee June 23, 2 p.m.; 2 p.m., free. Soldiers Memorial Plaza, 14th St. and Chestnut St., St. Louis. RYAN KOENIG AND FRIENDS: 1 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. SWEET KNIVES: w/ Maximum Effort, Mom 9 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. TRIBUTE TO 90’S R&B NO XCUSE BAND: 5 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. YANNI: 7 p.m., $45-$195. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111.

MONDAY 25

JACKSON BROWNE: 6 p.m., $30-$130. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314499-7600. OCEAN ALLEY: 8 p.m., $13-$15. Blueberry Hill The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. POOLSIDE: 8 p.m., $15-$18. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. THIRD SIGHT “SPECIAL EDITION”: 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

TUESDAY 26

BOSS MODE: w/ Nova Freak, NORFAIR, K_I_T 8 p.m., $5. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. CAROLINE ROSE: 8 p.m., $10-$12. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. DAVID RAMIREZ: w/ Matt Wright 8 p.m., $16$19. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS: 7 p.m., $43-$58. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. THE JAUNTEE: 7 p.m., $7-$10. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. LADY RE’S JUST FOR LAUGHS: 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. RUBY BOOTS: 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. SUPERSUCKERS: w/ The Wilderness 8 p.m., $16-$18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314289-9050. TORY LANEZ: 8 p.m., $35-$40. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

WEDNESDAY 27

AWOLNATION: w/ Lovely the Band, Irontom 8 p.m., $29.50-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CIARAN LAVERY: 8 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. DEAD BOYS: 8 p.m., $18-$20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. LEA MICHELE AND DARREN CRISS: 7:30 p.m.,

$26-$92. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. R.I.P.: w/ Lightning Wolf, Iron Sun 7 p.m., $12$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-2899050. SECRETS: 6 p.m., $15. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. SORRY PLEASE CONTINUE: 8 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-3525226. TONINA: w/ The Vincent Scandal, Motherbear 9 p.m., free. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. THE VINCENT SCANDAL: w/ Tonina, Motherbear 9 p.m., free. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

THIS JUST IN 120 MINUTES PRESENTS “PUNK/SKA/REVOLUTION ROCK”: Fri., Aug. 31, 8 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. ABIGAIL WILLIAMS: W/ Ghost Bath, WOLVHAMMER, Sat., Aug. 25, 6 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. AK1D VAN FUNDRAISER & VIDEO SHOOT: Sun., July 1, 6 p.m., $10. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-7750775. ALLA VOSKOBOYNIKOVA: W/ Christine Brewer, Bjorn Ranheim, Tue., Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., $25. Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr at Natural Bridge Road, Normandy, 314-516-4949. ANITA BAKER: Sat., July 21, 8 p.m., $59.50-$195. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. ASHES TO STARDUST - THE MUSIC OF DAVID BOWIE: Fri., Sept. 7, 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. THE AVERY HILL BAND: Sat., June 30, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. AWAKE AT LAST: Sat., Sept. 1, 6 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BECK: W/ The Voids, Sun., Sept. 16, 7 p.m., $35$125. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. BIG EASY: Sat., July 28, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636441-8300. THE BIG LEBOWSKI TRIVIA NIGHT: Sun., July 29, 7 p.m., free. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. BLACK LIPS: W/ Surfbort, Wed., Oct. 31, 8 p.m., $18-$20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. BLITZEN TRAPPER: Wed., Oct. 10, 8 p.m., $20$23. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. BREAKOUT: W/ Stinkbomb, Lysergik, Mon., July 2, 7 p.m., $8-$10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BRIAN WILSON: W/ Al Jardine, Blondie Chaplin, Thu., Nov. 15, 6 p.m., $55-$100. Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St Charles, 636-896-4200. THE CHI-LITES: Sat., June 23, 9 p.m., $25. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. CHROMEO: W/ Steven A. Clark, Wed., Sept. 19, 8 p.m., $30-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. CHURCH TONGUE: W/ Conveyer, Mon., July 23, 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS: Mon., Sept. 24, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS: Wed., Nov. 21, 8 p.m., $35.50-$128.50. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. FREDDIE MCGREGOR: Fri., June 29, 8 p.m., $20$25. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. FRIEND FESTIVAL 2018: Fri., July 20, 5 p.m., $15$40. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. GATEWAY ARCH PARK FOUNDATION SUMMER SOCIAL: Thu., July 5, 10 a.m., free. Kiener Plaza, 500 Chestnut St, St. Louis. GROUPTHINK REUNION & FAREWELL SHOW: Fri., June 29, 10 p.m., $7. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. JASON MRAZ: W/ Gregory Page, Sun., Dec. 9, 6

p.m., $35-$129.50. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. JONATHAN TYLER AND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS: Thu., July 26, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. JR GEARS: W/ Sister Wizzard, Fri., July 6, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. JUNIOR BROWN: Thu., Sept. 6, 8 p.m., $25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. KENT EHRHART AND THE BLUE MOON BAND: Sat., July 28, 8 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. KILLER WAILS: Fri., July 27, 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. KUNG FU CAVEMAN: Sat., July 14, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. LANDON TEWERS: W/ Hotel Books, Ky Rodgers, Thu., July 26, 6 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. LETTUCE: Fri., Oct. 12, 6 p.m., $25-$30. Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, 4140 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-775-0775. MATT “THE RATTLESNAKE” LESCH: Sat., July 14, 8 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-9680061. MAX FROST: Sat., Oct. 20, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-4986989. MIDNIGHT SPECIAL BAND: Sat., July 21, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. MIKE KROL: Tue., Sept. 18, 8 p.m., $8-$10. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314935-7003. 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. NYC ‘77 SUMMER DANCE PARTY: Sat., July 7, 9 p.m., $3. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. OHGR: W/ Lead Into Gold, Omniflux, Sat., Sept. 22, 8 p.m., $25-$28. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. THE OPEN BOOKS: W/ Dull, Pat Buhse, The slow boys, $8-$10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. PANIC! AT THE DISCO: Tue., Feb. 5, 7 p.m., $30.74-$70.75. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888. PATTY & THE HITMEN: Fri., June 29, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. PHILIP H ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS: Sat., Sept. 29, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. R-DENT: W/ Young Animals, Biff K’Narly & The Reptilians, Sun., Sept. 2, 7 p.m., $8-$10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. RBRM: Sun., Sept. 16, 7 p.m., $45-$95. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-9775000. RON JEREMY: W/ Peter Daniels, Brandon Judd, Max Price, Fri., July 13, 8 p.m., $18-$22. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SAINTSENECA: Fri., Sept. 21, 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-4986989. SEVENTH PLANET: Sat., July 7, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. SHOOK TWINS: Wed., Sept. 12, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314588-0505. SLIGHT RETURN: Fri., July 20, 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. STEVEN PAGE TRIO: W/ Wesley Stace, Wed., Oct. 17, 8 p.m., $30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. A STORY TOLD: W/ Southpaw, Wed., July 18, 6 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THE STYLISTICS: Fri., June 22, 8:15 p.m., $25. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. THE RETURN OF DRACLA: W/ Maximum Effort, Kiki, Fri., July 27, 8 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. THY ANTICHRIST: W/ Nevalra, Bleed the Victim,

STL’s Hottest Dance Party!

THURS - FRIDAY - SATURDAY

Duke’s Photos by Big Stu Media

Always Fun and Games on the Patio

AT THE CORNER OF MENARD & ALLEN IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC SOULARD FIND OUT ALL THAT’S GOING ON @DUKESINSOULARD

riverfronttimes.com

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

Thursday June 21 9:30PM Urban Chestnut Presents

Alligator Wine’s Tribute To The Dead Friday June 22 10PM

Clusterpluck with Special Guests Oak Steel and Lightning Saturday June 23 10PM

Funky Butt Brass Band Sunday June 24 1-6PM

Atomic Blues Festival Wednesday June 27 9:30PM Urban Chestnut Presents

The Voodoo Players Tribute To Hank Williams Thursday June 28 9PM

Katy Guillen and The Girls plus Dustin Arbuckle & The Damnations Saturday June 30 10PM

Bassel and the Supernaturals Soul, Funk and R&B from Chicago

Summoner’s Circle, D.R.E.A.D., Casket Robbery, Thu., Sept. 6, 6 p.m., $13-$18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. TOWER GROVE PRIDE AFTER PARTY: W/ Brandon Stansell, Sat., June 23, 9 p.m., $10. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. WE BANJO 3: Thu., Aug. 30, 8 p.m., $20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE: Wed., Oct. 3, 8 p.m., $28. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. THE WILHELMS CD RELEASE SHOW: Sat., July 7, 8 p.m., $10-$15. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778. X: Fri., Aug. 31, 8 p.m., $35-$40. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

THIS WEEK

ALGIERS: W/ Bambara, Cult Season, Sat., June 23, 9 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. AMOS LEE WITH THE SLSO: Fri., June 22, 7:30 p.m., $49-$90. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, 314-534-1700. ANARBOR: W/ Alvarez Kings, Sat., June 23, 6 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ASHANTI: Sat., June 23, 8 p.m., $35-$55. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL: Sun., June 24, 8 p.m., $30-$40. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. AWOLNATION: W/ Lovely the Band, Irontom, Wed., June 27, 8 p.m., $29.50-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. BACK TO BACK: W/ Vaporize b2b Orange Juic3, Contract Thrillaz, Xstinction b2b Mobcat, Fourth Dimension b2b Sleach, Sat., June 23,

WEEKEND Continued from pg 49

8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BEN-WAH-BOB: Sat., June 23, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Sat., June 23, 7 p.m., $5. Sat., June 23, 7 p.m., $5. Wed., June 27, 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BOOMTOWN UNITED LP RELEASE PARTY: W/ Mathias and the Pirates, Guns of Bridgeton, Brick City Sound System, Sat., June 23, 7 p.m., $9-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. BOSS MODE: W/ Nova Freak, NORFAIR, K_I_T, Tue., June 26, 8 p.m., $5. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. BRANDI CARLILE: W/ Shovels and Rope, Fri., June 22, 7 p.m., $27-$83. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. BROKEN YOUTH EP RELEASE SHOW: W/ A Promise To Burn, Fallen We Divide, Unimagined, City of Parks, Torn at the Seams, Fri., June 22, 6 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. CAROLINE ROSE: Tue., June 26, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314588-0505. CHARLES TINER: Fri., June 22, 6:30 p.m., $10. Fri., June 22, 6:30 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE CHI-LITES: Sat., June 23, 9 p.m., $25. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. CHICAGO, REO SPEEDWAGON: Sat., June 23, 7 p.m., TBA. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. CIARAN LAVERY: Wed., June 27, 8 p.m., free. Off

21 acts are expected to play, though we’re not sure how they’ll manage to fit that all into a single day. Still, it’s

the band reminds us of the some-

best to trust Cree Rider Family Band.

times frustrating nature of the music

With a little help from their friends,

industry. How could this Southern-

they’re known to make magic.

fried mashup of post-punk and R&B go unnoticed? You won’t be asking when you’re paying $30 to see them

Tower Grove Pride 2018 w/ Brandon Stansell, Celia, Sierra St. James, Sorry, Scout and many more

on a much larger stage. For now,

11 a.m. Tower Grove Park. Free.

take this recommended dosage of

Many local events wave the rainbow

cooly plucked bass riffs, fusion-based

flag of Pride, but Tower Grove Pride

drumming and soulful approach to

has to be the fastest-growing grass-

vocal leads at a more intimate venue

roots effort of inclusion and diversity

in south city.

in the city. Music isn’t the No. 1 fo-

that question next year or in 2020

cus here, but no one would know that

Cree Fest 2018 w/ Cree Rider Family Band, The Dock Ellis Band, River Kittens and many more

from the lineup on hand — this is a

Noon. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $15.

to nationally renowned country mu-

Enough with the fests already — said

sic sweetheart Brandon Stansell,

no one. Sure, showing up at noon

the music wraps up a wide range of

can be a tall order, even for the more

tastes into one big sweaty package.

hardcore showgoers out there, but

Dress to impress absolutely no one

we’d wager this event is worth hitting

because there’s no judgment here.

whether you’re in it for the long haul

festival through and through. From the sideways indie rockers in Glued

—Joseph Hess

or just rolling through in the evening. This concert shares DNA with the newly christened Americana Festival, the RFT’s own ShowcaseSTL and other local and regional shows. In all,

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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riverfronttimes.com

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.

Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314498-6989. [CRITIC’S PICK] CLEAR FOCUS: W/ Better Days, Sat., June 23, 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. CREE FEST 2018: W/ Cree Rider Family Band, The Dock Ellis Band, River Kittens, Old Capital, Cara Louise Band, Jenny Roques, The Fighting Side, Nick Gusman, Fred Friction, Les Gruff and the Billy Goat, L.S. XPRSS, Devon Cahill, Old Souls Revival, The Warbuckles, The Native Sons, The Riverside Wanderers, Sat., June 23, noon, $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. CRYSTAL LADY: W/ People Seen In Cars, Homemade Energy, Fri., June 22, 5 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DAVID RAMIREZ: W/ Matt Wright, Tue., June 26, 8 p.m., $16-$19. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314727-4444. DEAD BOYS: Wed., June 27, 8 p.m., $18-$20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DJ LIMEWIRE PRIME: Sun., June 24, 9 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. DJ SWAN: Sat., June 23, 8 p.m., free. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. FOXING: W/ Eric Donte and LePonds, Sat., June 23, 8 p.m., $15-$17. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS: Tue., June 26, 7 p.m., $43-$58. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777. GRIFFIN HOUSE: Sun., June 24, 8 p.m., $18-$20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. HOP ALONG: Fri., June 22, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. HOUSE QUAKE: A TRIBUTE TO PRINCE: Sun., June 24, 7 p.m., $20. Voce, 212 S. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, 314-435-3956. JACKSON BROWNE: Mon., June 25, 6 p.m., $30$130. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. THE JAUNTEE: Tue., June 26, 7 p.m., $7-$10. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314775-0775. LADY RE’S JUST FOR LAUGHS: Tue., June 26, 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LEA MICHELE AND DARREN CRISS: Wed., June 27, 7:30 p.m., $26-$92. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. LITHICS: W/ Natural Man, Complainer, Sun., June 24, 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., June 24, 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE MACHINIST: W/ Enochian, Eyes From Above, Ghost Decay, Out Of Orbit, Dave the Shredder, Sun., June 24, 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. MARQUISE KNOX BLUES BAND: Sat., June 23, 10 p.m., $5. Sat., June 23, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. MENTAL FIXATION CD RELEASE: W/ Disguise The Limit, Outrun The Fall, Verba Stellae, Shots Fired, Sat., June 23, 7 p.m., $5-$8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. MIKE FARRIS: Thu., June 21, 8 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-4986989. MODERN GOLD: Sat., June 23, 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. NOXCUSE: TRIBUTE TO 90’S R&B GIRL GROUPS: Sun., June 24, 5 p.m., $15-$25. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. OCEAN ALLEY: Mon., June 25, 8 p.m., $13-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. OLD TIME ASSAULT: Thu., June 21, 9 p.m., $3. Venice Café, 1903 Pestalozzi St., St. Louis, 314772-5994. PJ MORTON: W/ Tish Haynes Keys, Sun., June 24, 6 p.m., $35-$40. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. POOLSIDE: Mon., June 25, 8 p.m., $15-$18. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

PRIDEFEST: W/ Mýa, Steve Grand, Paige Alyssa, La Bouche, Bonnie McKee, Sat., June 23, 2 p.m.; Sun., June 24, 2 p.m., free. Soldiers Memorial Plaza, 14th St. and Chestnut St., St. Louis. R.I.P.: W/ Lightning Wolf, Iron Sun, Wed., June 27, 7 p.m., $12-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. RA CHILD: W/ Ew, Raine Raine, Fri., June 22, 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. RAINÉ RAINÉ: W/ EW, Ra Child, Aiko Tsuchida, Beauty Pageant, Fri., June 22, 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. RAW EARTH: Fri., June 22, 7 p.m., free. Soulard Art Market and Contemporary Art Gallery, 2028 S. 12th St., St. Louis, 314-258-4299. REED STEWART: W/ Bear Cub, Scarlet Views, Sat., June 23, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. ROCKY & THE WRANGLERS: Sat., June 23, 4 p.m., $5. Sat., June 23, 4 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS: Sat., June 23, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314727-4444. ROGERS & NIENHAUS: Sat., June 23, 7 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. RUBY BOOTS: Tue., June 26, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314498-6989. RYAN KOENIG AND FRIENDS: Sun., June 24, 1 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. S.L.U.M. FEST 2018: Sat., June 23, 3 p.m., $10$13. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. S.M. WOLF: W/ Pealds, Fangs, Andy Basler, Thu., June 21, 9 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. SATSANG: Fri., June 22, 10 p.m., $13. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314775-0775. SECRETS: Wed., June 27, 6 p.m., $15. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. SHARI PUORTO BAND: Fri., June 22, 9 p.m., $10. Fri., June 22, 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. SIR SLY: Sat., June 23, 8 p.m., $17.50-$20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161. SLOAN: Fri., June 22, 8 p.m., $22-$25. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. SORRY PLEASE CONTINUE: Wed., June 27, 8 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. THE STYLISTICS: Fri., June 22, 8:15 p.m., $25. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. SUNDRESSED: W/ Northbound, Thu., June 21, 6 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SUPERSUCKERS: W/ The Wilderness, Tue., June 26, 8 p.m., $16-$18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SWEET KNIVES: W/ Maximum Effort, Mom, Sun., June 24, 9 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. THIRD SIGHT “SPECIAL EDITION”: Mon., June 25, 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. TONINA: W/ The Vincent Scandal, Motherbear, Wed., June 27, 9 p.m., free. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. TORY LANEZ: Tue., June 26, 8 p.m., $35-$40. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161. TOWER GROVE PRIDE AFTER PARTY: W/ Brandon Stansell, Sat., June 23, 9 p.m., $10. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. TRIBUTE TO 90’S R&B NO XCUSE BAND: Sun., June 24, 5 p.m., $15. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. TRILL SAMMY: Fri., June 22, 6 p.m., $25-$60. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. THE VINCENT SCANDAL: W/ Tonina, Motherbear, Wed., June 27, 9 p.m., free. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. YANNI: Sun., June 24, 7 p.m., $45-$195. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314534-1111.

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SAVAGE LOVE BLOWN AWAY BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I am a 24-year-old straight guy who recently broke up with my girlfriend of more than four years. One of the reasons we broke up was a general lack of sexually compatibility. She had a particular aversion to oral sex — both giving and receiving. I didn’t get a blowjob the whole time we were together. Which brings me to why I am writing: One of my closest friends, “Sam,” is a gay guy. Shortly after breaking up with my girlfriend, I was discussing my lack of oral sex with Sam and he said he’d be willing to “help me out.” I agreed, and Sam gave me an earth-shattering blowjob. I was glad to get some and had no hangups about a guy sucking me. Since then, Sam has blown me three more times. My problem is I am starting to feel guilty and worry I am using Sam. He’s a very good buddy, and I’m concerned this lopsided sexual arrangement might be bad for our friendship. Sam knows I am not into guys and I’m never going to reciprocate, and I feel like this is probably not really fair to him. But these are literally the only blowjobs I’ve received since I was a teenager. What should I do? Totally Have Reservations Over Advantage Taking Only one person knows how Sam feels about this “lopsided sexual arrangement,” THROAT, and it isn’t me — it’s Sam. Zooming out for a second: People constantly ask me how the person they’re fucking or fisting or flogging feels about all the fucking or fisting or flogging they’re doing. Guys ask me why a woman ghosted them, and women ask me if their boyfriend is secretly gay. And while I’m perfectly happy to speculate, I’m not a mind reader. Which means I have no way of knowing for sure why that woman ghosted you or if your boyfriend is gay — or in your case, THROAT, how Sam feels about the four norecip blowjobs he’s given you. Only Sam knows. And that’s why I wrote you back, THROAT, and asked you for Sam’s contact information. Since you

were clearly too afraid to ask Sam yourself (most likely for fear the blowjobs would stop), I offered to ask Sam on your behalf. I wasn’t serious — it was my way of saying, “You should really ask Sam.” But you sent me Sam’s contact info, and a few minutes later I was chatting with Sam. “Yes, I have been sucking my straight friend’s cock,” Sam said to me. “And I am flattered he told you I was good at it. That’s an ego booster!” Sam, like THROAT, is 24 years old. He grew up in Virginia and met THROAT early in his first year at college. Sam came out at the end of his freshman year, to THROAT and his other friends, and he now lives in a big city where he works in marketing when he isn’t sucking off THROAT. My first question for Sam: Is he one of those gay guys who get off on “servicing” straight guys? “I’ve never done anything with a straight guy before this,” said Sam. “So, no, I’m not someone who is ‘into servicing straight guys.’ I have only ever dated and hooked up with gay guys before!” So why offer to blow THROAT? “I didn’t know until after he broke up with his girlfriend that he hadn’t gotten a blowjob the whole time they were together — four years!” Sam said. “When I told him I’d be happy to help him out, I was joking. I swear I wasn’t making a pass at my straight friend! But there was this long pause, and then he got serious and said he’d be into it. I wondered for a minute if it would be weird for me to blow my friend, and there was definitely a bit of convincing each other that we were serious. When he started taking his clothes off, I thought, ‘So this is going to happen.’ It was not awkward after. We even started joking about it right away. I have sucked him off four more times since then.” For those of you keeping score at home: Either THROAT lost count of the number of times Sam has blown him — THROAT said Sam has blown him three more times after that first blowjob — or THROAT got a fifth blowjob in the short amount of time that elapsed between sending me his letter and putting me in touch with Sam. So does this lopsided sexual arrangement — blowing a straight boy who’s never going to blow

A person can suck at getting their cock sucked: They can just lay/stand/ sit there, giving you no feedback, be too pushy or not pushy enough, etc. him — bother Sam? “I suppose it is a ‘lopsided sexual arrangement,’” said Sam. “But I don’t mind. I really like sucking dick and I’m really enjoying sucking his dick. He has a really nice dick! And from my perspective, we’re both having fun. And, yes, I’ve jacked off thinking about it after each time I sucked him. I know — now — that he thinks it is a bit unfair to me. But I don’t feel that way at all.” So there is something in it for Sam. You get the blowjobs, THROAT, and Sam gets the spankbankable memories. And Sam assumes that at some point, memories are all he’ll have. “I assume he will eventually get into a relationship with a woman again, and our arrangement will end,” said Sam. “I only hope nothing is weird between us in the future because of what has happened in the past few weeks.” I had one last question: Sam is really good at sucking cock — he gives “earth-shattering” blowjobs — but is THROAT any good at getting his cock sucked? As all experienced cocksuckers know, a person can suck at getting their cock sucked: They can just lay/stand/sit there, giving you no feedback, or be too pushy or not pushy enough, etc. “That’s a really good question,” Sam said. “I have to say, he is very good at it. He really gets into it, he moans, he talks about how good it feels and he lasts a long time. That’s part of what makes sucking his cock so much fun.” Hey, Dan: I’m a straight guy in a LTR with a bi woman. We recently had a threesome with a bi

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male acquaintance. We made it clear that I’m not into guys and that she was going to be the center of attention. He said he was fine with this. A little bit into us hooking up, he said he wanted to suck my dick. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but my girlfriend encouraged it because she thought it was hot. I ended up saying yes, but I stated that I didn’t want to reciprocate. A bit later, while my girlfriend was sucking his dick, he said he wanted me to join her. I said no, he kept badgering me to do it, I kept saying no, and then he physically tried to shove my head down toward his crotch. My girlfriend and I both got pissed and said he had to leave. Now he’s bitching to our mutual friends about how I had an insecure straight-boy freak-out, he didn’t get to come after we both got ours, we’re shitty selfish fetishists, and so on. I’m concerned about what our friends think of me, but even more so, I’m concerned that I did a shitty thing. I get that maybe he was hoping I’d change my mind, especially after I changed my mind about him sucking my dick. But I don’t think it’s fair for him to be angry that I didn’t. Is oral reciprocation so necessary that it doesn’t matter that we agreed in advance that I would not be blowing him? Not One To Be Inconsiderate You did nothing wrong. And if after hearing your side of the story, NOTBI, your mutual friends side with a person who pressured you to do something you were clear about not wanting to do and then, after you restated your opposition to performing said act, pressured you to perform the act — by physically forcing your head down to his cock — you can solve the “mutual friends” problem by cutting these so-called friends out of your life. Want to reach someone at the RFT? If you’re looking to provide info about an event, please contact calendar@ riverfronttimes.com. If you’re passing on a news tip or information relating to food, please email sarah.fenske@riverfronttimes.com. If you’ve got the scoop on nightlife, comedy or music, please email daniel.hill@riverfronttimes.com. Love us? Hate us? You can email sarah. fenske@riverfronttimes.com about that too. Due to the volume of email we receive, we may not respond -- but rest assured we are reading every one.

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Sprint Communications is proposing to modify an existing wireless t e l e c om m u n ic at ion s f a c il it y o n a b u il d in g located at 2710 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO. The modification will consist of the rem oval and r e p l a c e m e n t o f t hr ee e xisting antennas with three new antennas at the centerline heights of 108 feet and 112 feet above ground level on the 116-foot tall building. Any interested party wishing to subm it comm ents regarding the potential e f f e c ts th e p r o p o s e d facility may have on any historic property may do so b y se nding such c o m m e n t s to : Pr oje ct 61 1 80 04843-AMG, c/o E B I C o n sultin g , 6 8 76 Su sq u e h a n n a T rail South, York, PA 17403, or via tele phon e at (585) 815-3290.

Sprint Communications is proposing to modify an existing wireless t e l e c om m u n ic at ion s f a c il it y o n a b u il d in g l o c a t e d at 3 00 So u th Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO. The modification will consist of the removal and replacement of three existing antennas three n e w a n t e n n a s a t t he centerline height of 156 feet above ground level on the 16 8-foot tall building. Any interested party wishing to submit comments regarding the pot ent ial ef f ec t s the p ro p o sed f ac il ity m a y h a ve o n a n y h is t o r ic property may do so by sending such comments to: Project 6118004844 AMG, c/o EBI Consulting, 6876 Susquehanna Trail South, York, PA 17403, or via tele phon e at ( 585)815-3290.

Sprint Communications is proposing to modify an existing wireless t e l e c om m u n ic at ion s f a c il it y o n a b u il d in g l o c a te d at 2 7 5 U n io n Blvd., St. Louis, MO. The modification will consist of the rem oval and r e p l a c e m e n t o f t hr ee existing antennas within three new antennas at the centerline height of 189 feet above ground level on the 198-foot tall building. Any interested party wishing to submit comments regarding the pot ent ial ef f ec t s the p ro p o sed f ac il ity m a y h a ve o n a n y h is t o r ic property may do so by sending such comments to: Project 6118004842AMG, c/o EBI Consulting, 6876 Susquehanna Trail South, York, PA 17403, or via tele phon e at ( 585)815-3290.

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