Riverfront Times June 6, 2018 by Riverfront Times

JUNE 6-12, 2018 I VOLUME 42 I NUMBER 23

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THE LEDE

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

“ This is a big thing every year. You get to see people you haven’t seen all year round. I absolutely love the vendors. Every year I’ve got to buy something. Have to, haha! I always get my kids something.”

Gloria Becker, photoGraphed June 3 at the paGan picnic in tower Grove park

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE

14.

A Few Good Cops The union representing black St. Louis cops wants to train officers who look like the city they patrol — and care about its citizens Written by

DOYLE MURPHY Cover design by

EVAN SULT

NEWS

ARTS

DINING

CULTURE

The Lede

Calendar

Cafe

Your friend or neighbor, captured on camera

Seven days worth of great stuff to see and do

Cheryl Baehr finds much to like at Dogtown’s Stone Turtle

Politics

Meet Missouri’s boring new governor, Mike Parson

Opera

Ryan Pier’s new gig at Earthbound Satellite is out of this world

Policing

Missouri law enforcement notched a greater disparity in 2017 in traffic stops by race than any previous year on record

Side Dish

Sarah Fenske is impressed by Regina, but finds An American Soldier a tough slog

Film

Robert Hunt sees First Reformed as the culmination of Paul Schrader’s career

Food Stuffs

Missouri’s top cheesemaker is for sale

In Memoriam

The LGBT community bids farewell to bartender Peyton Keene, murdered outside the Bastille

Homespun

Solo percussionist Drew Gowran makes music wherever he possibly can

Comedy

Justin Luke lands a new gig and still finds time to make St. Louis laugh

Stage Left Grille is open, and it’s not Stage Left Diner. Got that?

First Look

Out Every Night

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

Twisted Roots is a neighborhood bar that happens to brew its own beer

Beer

This Just In

This week’s new concert announcements

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

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

M U LT I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G Sales Director Colin Bell Senior Account Executive Cathleen Criswell Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel Multimedia Account Executive Michael Gaines C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Kevin G. Powers E U C L I D M E D I A G RO U P Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services Stacy Volhein Creative Director Tom Carlson www.euclidmediagroup.com

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5/11/18 3:21 PM

NEWS All About Our Boring New Governor Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

n Friday, Missourians bid a final farewell to Eric Greitens, who has an exciting post-gubernatorial life waiting for him in various courtrooms. Replacing the former political wunderkind is Lt. Governor Mike Parson, a fellow Republican, but one cast in a far different mold. Parson is a devout Baptist, an Army veteran, a farmer, a former sheriff and a longtime presence in the state legislature in both the House and Senate. Whatever kind of governor he’ll turn out to be, he’ll have to work to establish a legacy outside of Greitens’ jagged shadow. In the meantime, let’s run down five points we do know: 1. Parson is boring, but maybe in a good way? As governor, Greitens was a showboat among canoes, constantly bouncing between in-house PR stunts and photo ops. Parson doesn’t seem to have that kind of style in him. Back in March, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran an editorial that positively fell over itself trying to find ways to praise Parson’s mildness as strength, extolling his lack of “flash and pizzazz” as a boon to an office in desperate need of a new coat of dignity. At the same time, Parson hits all the major notes of a modern Republican politician. His 2016 campaign featured TV ads slamming Obamacare, defending the Second Amendment and comparing his Democratic opponent to Hillary Clinton. And the state’s conservative-dominated legislature appears to not his hate guts quite so much as it did Greitens. Parson may be dignified, but that’s not necessarily good news for Democratic lawmakers. Think of him as the Mike Pence to Greitens’ bombastic outsider Donald Trump. Republicans are ecstatic. Democrats? Not so much.

2. He’s got a soft spot for lobbyists If there’s any knock on Parson, it’s that he’s shown a marked affinity for letting lobbyists pick up the check on meals. In 2017, the Post-Dispatch put him on blast for being the only statewide elected who accepted lobbyist gifts. According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, he’s also the only statewide elected official to accept significant lobbyist freebies in 2018. (We’ll let that $9.24 slide this time, Jay Ashcroft.) Granted, considering Greitens is facing questions over potentially millions of dollars in “dark money” — some of it possibly “foreign in origin” — it feels somewhat petty to quibble over several hundred dollars. But Parson’s record is still worth noting; in the past several years, the legislature has talked a big game about getting lobbyist gift-giving out of Missouri politics. The state’s new highest official isn’t on the same page.

“One of the proudest statistics I can point to from my time serving this state is that the number of abortion facilities in Missouri has gone from ten to just one.” 3. He believes gays are going to hell Parson is a Baptist, and his beliefs about religious liberty, same-sex marriage and abortion wouldn’t raise any eyebrows with his fellow congregants on Sunday. In a 2017 Q&A with Baptist magazine Word & Way, Parson weighed in on the difficulty of confronting the “homosexual issue” while also making it pretty clear that he thinks those homosexuals are

Our sudden governor, Mike Parson. | FLICKR/UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM bound for a lake of fire. Of homosexuals, he said, “I’m old school. I know how I believe, I know what’s going to happen to these people.” A few lines later, he indicated that he’d be opposed to firing a hypothetical longtime employee just because they’re gay. In a 2016 interview with the Missouri Times, Parson groused about the failure of a controversial religious-freedom bill, telling the interviewer, “I think that those with a religious objection to participating in gay marriages should be protected from any attempt to force their participation.” And of course, you seemingly can’t be a Republican politician without constantly talking about guns and trying to tear down the state’s abortion rights. Parson hits both points: He sponsored a 2007 expansion of the state’s “Castle Doctrine,” and on his 2016 campaign website, he wrote, “[O]ne of the proudest statistics I can point to from my time serving this state is that the number of abortion facilities in Missouri has gone from ten to just one.” 4. He broke with Greitens on low-income housing tax credits One of the most compelling storylines in the ongoing Greitens saga is the mater of low-income tax credits. Earlier this month, Greitens accused the industry of being run by “ripoff artists” and “tax credit millionaires,” and his at-

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torneys argued that players in the low-income housing tax credit industry angry about his opposition were behind the $120,000 payoff to Al Watkins, the attorney representing the ex-husband of the St. Louis hairdresser at the center of Greitens’ downfall. Parson has publicly disagreed with Greitens on the matter. After Greitens stacked the membership of the Missouri Housing Development Commission with the goal of eliminating the state’s allocation to the low-income housing tax, Parson objected, saying that it would harm rural Missourians and reduce housing for the disabled and elderly. Among the ten members of MHDC, Parson was one of the two votes refusing to support cancellation of funding of the program. 5. He pronounces it “Missouri” Parson grew up in a rural town of 356 people. He’s a farmer and small-business owner. He talks with an authentic twang. And yet, according to the campaign ads he ran in 2016, Parson appears to violate all known principles of state politics by failing to pronounce the state’s name with the distinctive “Missourah” flourish. Suffice to say, this scandalous choice probably deserves a special House investigation. Is it impeachment worthy? The committee’s wise judgment, surely, will be required. n

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Record Disparity for Traffic Stops by Race Written by

ALISON GOLD

issouri law enforcement stopped black drivers at a rate 85 percent higher than white drivers last year, according to a new report from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. In the eighteen years since this figure has been documented, the disparity has never been so great. White drivers were less likely to be stopped, searched or arrested. However, those who were stopped and searched were more likely to be found with contraband than black or Hispanic drivers. Jeffrey Mittman, executive director of the ACLU of Missouri, says the difference in treatment is a real problem. “We know that if we are policed differentially that is a violation of equal protection,” Mittman says. “In other words, the government should not treat one race of people differently than it treats others, and unfortunately, that is happening.” In 2000, concerns about the racial profiling of drivers in Missouri prompted the passage of a statute requiring officers to report demographic factors for every driver they stop, including race, gender and age, reasons for the stop, details about the search

A report released Friday shows Missouri law enforcement pulls over black drivers at a much higher rate than white ones. | FLICKR/BRIAN BENNETT (if one was conducted), if a citation or warning was issued, if an arrest was made and the location. The Attorney General analyzes the data and compiles it into the annual state Vehicle Stop Report (VSR). Each law enforcement agency is expected to use the VSR to inform policies on race-based traﬃc stops or risk repercussions from the state. For the past eighteen years, the VSR has indicated that African Americans, Hispanics and other people of color are disproportionately affected by stops, searches and arrests. Such information is intended to shape state and locallevel discourse and policy. However, recently, the very stakeholders who could make most use of the report have called its validity into question. “This year, my Oﬃce is conduct-

STREAK’S CORNER • by Bob Stretch

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ing a thorough review of all regulations relating to the Vehicle Stop Report. Both law enforcement and community groups have raised concerns that some regulations are vague or unclear,” Attorney General Josh Hawley wrote in a statement. “These issues may lead to inconsistent or inaccurate data reporting in some cases, which may affect the value of certain information contained in the Report.” One potential issue with the VSR is its reliance on 2010 census data. Because a demographic group’s share of the state’s driving age population may not equal its share of actual drivers on the road, the report may produce skewed ﬁgures. For instance, the reported disparity index (proportion of stops/proportion of population) for American Indians is a remarkably low 0.36. This may

reﬂect a lack of American Indians who are actually on the road rather than a low stop rate, the Attorney General’s report states. “In explaining the stop disproportions, they’re complicated and there’s several things that could give the mistaken impression of disproportion resulting from bias,” says Don Love, chairman of the Human Rights Task Force at Empower Missouri. And for any one jurisdiction within the state’s law-enforcement patchwork, the stop rate may be particularly susceptible to additional variables. For instance, economic factors may play a role, Love says. Because black drivers are twice as likely to be at the federal level of poverty, they may be more likely to be pulled over for having an older car with, say, a broken headlight or other defect. Or, an

agency may establish investigative stops in neighborhoods with high crime rates. The increased police presence may inflate stop rates for those jurisdictions. Finally, because the VSR relies upon census data to estimate the proportions of groups of residents, it fails to incorporate the presence of commuters traveling through a jurisdiction. Jurisdictions are responsible for explaining such additional factors in their local-level reports. Ladue Police Chief Ken Andreski believes his small St. Louis County suburb is a good example of a place where more context is needed. Fewer than one percent of its residents are black, but he says the municipality has a strong commuter presence, with a number of private and public schools and businesses and employers that bring in much larger numbers of black drivers. This could lead to a higher stop rate for blacks in Ladue. “While our population is very small, the transient population or the traveling population, is very diverse compared to the actual living population in town,” Andreski says. “So when we look at the numbers, and historically, if you look at raw numbers, it doesn’t bode well for our department.” In the past, Ladue has faced criticism for the disparity reflected in the Attorney General’s report. (In fact, at one point, the suburb negotiated a memorandum of understanding with the NAACP to address allegations that black drivers were being targeted.) This year, Ladue reported an extremely high disparity index of 16.79 for black drivers, nine times higher than the state average. “The way the data is taken now, I understand it, but I believe it is flawed and does not give a true reflection of the performance of the smaller cities,” Andreski says. To correct for this issue, Hawley issued a regulation that went into effect January 1, 2018, requiring officers to document the residency of those stopped. The results of this regulation may be reflected in next year’s report. The Ladue department looks at other indicators to evaluate its performance. Last year, according to Andreski, the department had 1,910 stops. A total of 91.518 percent of those were results of a hazardous moving violation. Of those, 90 percent were the result of speed. “We’re not just looking at vehicles and equipment types of stops, we’re looking at stops that cause traffic accidents, stops that could hurt people,” Andreski says. “So

the radar gun is, dare I say, raceneutral. If we’re stopping a lot of people for speed it shows we’re focused more on safety than anything else, in my mind.” Love emphasizes the importance of analyzing post-stop data, which examines the actions officers take after a stop has been made. At this point, of course, the driver’s race is known to the officer, so bias has the potential to play a larger role. Additionally, the officer has more discretion in how to proceed. And on this front, Empower Missouri delivers promising news. In

2009, officers conducted consent searches on black drivers at a 45 percent disproportion rate — a rate that, by this year, had dropped to five percent. This may indicate that “officers can learn to treat all drivers fairly,” according to the Empower Missouri report. The ACLU is urging further improvement. It’s given strong support to the Fourth Amendment Affirmation Act, which has been proposed in the House. The legislation aims to establish yearly agency data review, improve how consent searches are conducted, require discipline and training for officers

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who police unfairly and more. Biased policing exists alongside such wide-scale racial issues including access to education and equitable legal protection, Mittman says. “To the extent we can remind readers this is part of a complex system that impacts the lives of far too many, far too many communities of color, people of color, and those with the least amount of resources, this is a really serious problem that many of us are not aware of or don’t see,” Mittman says. “If we can fix this, it gives people a chance to better their lives.” n

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The union representing black St. Louis cops wants to train officers who look like the city they patrol — and care about its citizens

A FEW GO T

he St. Louis cops — and former St. Louis cops — lining the walls of an overheated conference room have a simple pitch for

the nearly two dozen potential recruits seated before them: We need you.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Captain Perri Johnson tells recruits to treat people like they’d want someone to treat their grandmother. Graduates of the Ethical Society of Police recruitment program are taught that service is the heart of police work. 14

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“You know what’s going on,” Redditt Hudson, a former city police officer and longtime advocate for criminal-justice reform, tells the group. “You see what’s going on all around the country. We need black officers. We need officers from marginalized communities.” It is after sunset in late February at the Urban League’s headquarters off Grandel Square, and this is the first night of a ten-week recruiting program run by the Ethical Society of Police, an association that primarily represents St. Louis’ black police officers. The program is a crash course in how to be a cop. Applicants will learn the basics of law enforcement,

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such as writing reports and conducting legal searches, but also lessons that run counter to “thin blue line” protectionism among officers: calling out abusive colleagues, policing to serve and generally pushing back against elements of a criminal justice system that hammer poor black and brown communities the hardest. “We don’t need any bad cops — black, white, Asian, whatever,” Sgt. Heather Taylor says. As the president of Ethical, Taylor has been a driving force in the resurrection of the recruitment program. The course was originally created with the support of city funding in the aftermath of Ferguson protests to increase the

diversity of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. African Americans comprise only about one-third of the city’s officers despite accounting for nearly half of the population. Two classes in 2015 and 2016 produced 37 graduates who landed jobs in law enforcement, either as cops or civilian staffers. But the city pulled its funding after Taylor’s predecessor was caught embezzling more than $80,000 of the association’s money to fund his side business, promoting comedy acts. Ethical discovered the irregularities and turned him in. If the ex-president, Darren Randal Wilson, thought the brotherhood of police officers might persuade his old colleagues to rally around a fellow cop, Taylor showed him otherwise. She went to court to ask the judge to send him to prison and then blasted him in the press. Seizing on the comedy-promoter angle, she told a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter after the sentencing hearing that Continued on pg 17

OOD COPS Story and photography by Doyle Murphy

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A FEW GOOD COPS Continued from pg 14

Retired police Sgt. Clarence Hines took over this year as coordinator of the program.

Sean Liddell sometimes brought son Liam, yet never missed a class.

Andre Hollwell served four years in the Navy before applying for the city’s police academy.

Wilson was a “clown” who deserved to be locked up. There was no class in 2017, and Ethical has had to shell out more than $14,000 of its own money — $2,500 of it reimbursed by the St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce — to reboot the program this year, Taylor says. But there is a sense among the association’s members that the work of changing the department is too important to abandon. A number of the instructors have refused payment, even though Ethical offers. The Urban League, where Hudson is a vice president, lets them use the conference room for free. The recruits, too, are committed. They are signing on for three-hour sessions every Tuesday and Thursday evening, a 60-hour investment that comes with no promise of payoff. Even if they complete the program, they are not guaranteed entrance into the police academy, much less a job as a city cop. Taylor encourages them, with the warning that if she ever learns they are abusing their power, not only will she work to see them prosecuted, she will make sure everyone knows what they did: “I’m going to try to put you on the news. CNN.” The recruits nod. A number of them have come straight from work, evident in the array of uniforms: orange safety vests, collared shirts embroidered with convenience store logos, a polo from the U.S. Postal Service. A few have brought their kids rather than spend money on a baby sitter. As they introduce themselves, they reveal a wide variety of reasons for coming here. Some say they like helping people. Others think their neighborhoods would benefit from seeing cops who look like them. A few are fans of police shows on TV. Johnetta Doss, a 38-year-old mother of five, says she felt like her husband would not have supported her dream of joining the force. Now that she is divorced, she is going for it. “This is what I want to do, and I’m going to do it.” At least three are ex-military. Andre Hollwell, 32, served four years in the Navy after graduating from McCluer North High School in Florissant. He works twelvehour shifts at RB Manufacturing but thinks policing would be more meaningful. And then there is Sean Liddell, a 32-year-old police dispatcher in University City, who is hoping for a second shot at the police acad-

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emy. Inspired by Ferguson to become a police officer, he entered the city’s academy in October 2014 only to get bounced out a month before graduation. Liddell sees now he wasn’t prepared, but after two years handling emergency calls on the phone and radio, he’s eager to begin again. “For me,” he says, “it’s about finishing what I started.” As the recruits settle in around the table, there is a sudden commotion as the door to the conference room swings open. Col. John Hayden has decided to make a surprise visit. After three decades with the department, he was promoted to chief two months before. He does not talk for long, but he tells the recruits plainly that the force needs more minority officers. “I’m encouraging you,” he says. “I’m just short of begging you.”

he lack of black police officers in the city, says Jimmie Edwards, is clearly a problem. “I think it is imperative that the police department is a reflection of the community,” he says. “Right now, it is not.” The longtime judge was appointed in October as director of the city’s Department of Public Safety, which makes him the police chief’s boss. He quickly began thinking about ways to improve the department’s diversity. It is not an easy task. Hiring and keeping quality officers of any race can be difficult as dozens of metroarea law-enforcement agencies compete for applicants. After St. Louis County raised officer salaries last year, city leaders were so worried about mass defections that they scrambled to pass a tax increase to boost their officers’ pay, too. On top of that, attracting minority officers comes with the added hurdle of social issues that have made African Americans across the country wary of law enforcement, Edwards says. “When you are dealing in a society where implicit bias and racism exists you will oftentimes have distrust,” he says. Basic fairness and solid manners make a big difference, says retired St. Louis police Sgt. Clarence Hines. “The community has no problem with the police holding them accountable — none,” he says. “But they have a problem with them not recognizing their humanity, and they have a problem with dishonesty.” In video after video, what they

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Continued on pg 18

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A FEW GOOD COPS Continued from pg 17

have seen instead are black and brown people beaten, choked and shot by police for minor offenses. “They have a problem with that, and you can’t get mad at them for seeing what’s in front of them,” Hines says. And diversity isn’t enough; black cops, too, can be bad cops. Trying to predict whether someone will make a good officer, Hines says, is similar to following the NFL draft. Sometimes, the top prospect becomes a superstar. “Sometimes they bust,” he says. Policing is like that; there are

Hines calls “dust” on them — minor offenses like speeding tickets or a decade-old conviction for marijuana. Maybe it is evidence of a bigger problem, but maybe it is nothing more than a dumb decision and a lesson learned. Ethical’s instructors will interview the recruits and try to determine which it is. A serious offense — anything violent, crimes involving kids or major felonies — is an automatic disqualifier, but if the problems truly are minor, the association might lobby the police chief or public safety director on behalf of an otherwise promising recruit. “That is not the end of the story,” Hines says. “Those things are sometimes reversed.”

“I’m encouraging you,” says Chief John Hayden. “I’m just short of begging you.” just too many variables. “You can get five calls for a disturbance, five separate calls for a disturbance, and each one will be uniquely different,” Hines says. A former instructor in the city’s police academy, he now teaches a law enforcement unit at North Technical High School in Florissant. (He is also a pastor.) He signed on earlier this year as the coordinator for Ethical’s recruiting program. Twice a week, after he finishes up his high school obligations, he heads to the Urban League for the 6 p.m. course. Both Edwards and Hayden are supporters of Ethical and the program, but Hines would like to see the city make a more tangible commitment. “They ought to be lining up with us, because apparently what they’re doing is not working,” he says. Between his teenagers at North Tech, the cadets he taught at the academy and Ethical’s new group, Hines has seen just about every kind of aspiring police officer. The flip side of the all-star flame out, he says, is the cadet who scrapes through the academy and turns out to be a natural on the street. He has seen it enough times to know it is foolish to discount a candidate at first glance. One of the things Ethical hopes to do with its program is provide that second look. Recruits are often in their 30s, changing careers, raising kids of their own. Several enter the program with what

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n the fourth week of the program, the recruits vote Sean Liddell as their class president. He has emerged as a strong candidate for the academy and police force, which would have seemed strange four years ago. Now 32 years old, Liddell had graduated from college with a sports marketing degree and dreamed of negotiating high-dollar deals as an agent for professional ballplayers. When that seemed out of reach, he set his sights on a career as a school athletic director. “Law enforcement wasn’t on the radar,” he says. All that changed in August 2014 with the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson. To pay the bills, Liddell had taken a job at the state prison in Pacific where he organized sports and games for inmates and monitored the gym. He remembers checking his phone during a break and seeing the videos of irate neighbors along Canfield Drive waiting for the authorities to remove the eighteen-year-old’s dead body. Over the next days and weeks, he watched as the crowds in Ferguson grew. Protesters and cops filled the streets, and soon the world was watching. Ultimately, Liddell would come to believe Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson did not need to kill Brown, but he could not see the point of the destruction during the protests. It Continued on pg 20

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As other police organizations circle the wagons, Ethical has taken fellow officers to task, publicly speaking out about sexism, racism and corruption in law enforcement.

A FEW GOOD COPS Continued from pg 18

just did not seem productive. “What I did know is if there is some injustice, the only way to fix it is to go inside,” he says. On an impulse, he enrolled in the police academy. In less than two months, he was side by side with 35 other cadets at the city’s downtown facility. He never graduated. Instead, he had to stand in front of his classmates in the spring of 2015 and tell them he was leaving. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” he says. Liddell says he never really had a plan going in and struggled with the academics and discipline of the program before he was forced to leave. After the academy, he worked as a substitute teacher at an elementary school in north city’s Penrose neighborhood. As one of only two men in the building, he says he was often called on to help with discipline. He soon found he had a knack for calming down troubled kids. Invariably, their problems grew out of messy home lives. He remembers a young girl who was acting out in school. Eventually, he learned the girl’s mother had made her responsible for raising five siblings, including all the cooking and cleaning. “She was so tired, she would fall asleep with the door open,” Liddell recalls. By the time she got to school, she was frustrated and angry. It was not so far from his own childhood. Liddell says his mother abused drugs and alcohol, leaving him to wander among the empty lots off Page Boulevard and Euclid Avenue in the Fountain Park neighborhood. One night, when he was eight years old, a relative found him outside alone at 3 a.m. and picked him up. His mother was oblivious. “I guess when they approached her, she was kind of high from wherever she was the night before,” he says. From then on, he was raised by an elderly cousin,

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and later an aunt. The kids he saw in Penrose, however, did not always have the same safety net. It did not seem like the teachers and school were equipped to help much, either. Liddell decided to take another shot at police work. He applied for an opening in University City, where he and his wife had moved. “I didn’t make the cut, but I was offered to start in communications,” he says. The dispatcher position seemed like a foot in the door; it has been good training to try to calm frantic callers with words alone. But he still wants to be a cop. That dream has never left him.

n late April, about a dozen of Ethical’s recruits circle around Mama Cat on a sidewalk in the shadow of Christ Church in Downtown West. “We don’t feed the homeless,” she tells them. “We fellowship with the family.” Mama Cat (real name: Cathy

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Daniels) has become one of the most recognizable figures at protests around St. Louis. It began in Ferguson when she spotted a group of young men camped out on the protest lines and asked what she could do to help them. “A home-cooked meal wouldn’t hurt nothing,” one of them said. A trained chef, Daniels returned with spaghetti, and she has been feeding protesters ever since. She now has a nonprofit — PotBangerz — and the recipients of her home cooking are more likely to be people living in shelters and on the streets than activists. This evening, she and the recruits will be walking the community, handing out food. “You’re going to see,” she says. “Everybody is different. Everybody is their self, so we just need to love on our people.” For weeks, Ethical’s instructors have been trying to hammer home the idea that this is the real work: connecting with people, helping out. On the program’s

very first night, Detective John Leggette warned the recruits, “If you are not here to serve, hit one of those doors.” Somewhere along the way, the police officers with Ethical worry, that ideal has been lost by many cops. The problems are nationwide, Taylor notes, as police forces prize and even reward cops for their most violent encounters. “In this culture of law enforcement, it’s cool,” Taylor says. “You win awards for use of force. You become Officer of the Year. You don’t become Officer of the Year for engaging someone who is mentally ill and homeless with a knife, and taking him down or her down without killing them. You don’t win awards for helping people with finding housing, clothing — things we do on a regular basis.” Taylor and Ethical have been sharp critics of heavy-handed policing, publicly speaking out about sexism, racism and corruption in law enforcement. As other police organizations circled the

Mama Cat, center, prepares recruits to hand out meals outside Christ Church Cathedral.

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wagons in the face of a rising protest movement, Ethical has taken their fellow officers to task. There is perhaps no clearer example than the case of Jason Stockley, who was indicted in 2016 on a murder charge for killing Anthony Lamar Smith five years earlier. Stockley, who was fired after the fatal shooting for carrying an unauthorized Draco AK-47 on the job, had the full support of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, the city’s main police union. The union even announced a vote of “no confidence” in then-Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, claiming she was pandering to activists. Ethical, however, saw Stockley as a rogue cop. Taylor and Hudson even filmed a short video, explaining why Stockley should be found guilty. He was not. Months of protests followed his acquittal, and when police responded with tear gas and violent mass arrests, Ethical again called out the department. “If you’re wrong you’re wrong,” Taylor often says when asked about calls to hold fellow officers accountable. (Of the Police Officers Association, she says, “They will say they represent us all and they will stand up for all officers, but the reality is we had some officers who were members of the POA who didn’t get fair representation. So we had to step up and fight for them. It wasn’t them. It was us.” Of the fact that Ethical is a separate association for

black officers, she says, “You think about why we have separate associations — we need them.”) Chief Hayden was promoted after the ugliest days of the protests were over, but he was still on the ground as a lieutenant colonel to witness many confrontations. At times, he and other black officers were singled out for standing on the side of a police force that protesters say has hurt minorities. But Hayden says officers often empathize with issues raised by demonstrators, even as they work to keep the peace. “I think in some ways, protesters thought I was the biggest traitor for trying to uphold public safety while also addressing some of the issues they’re protesting,” he says. Now that he is chief, he is trying close that divide. As a commander, he famously brought a card table and chair to crime hot spots, calling it his “mobile office.” It let him hear directly from neighbors about problems on their blocks. Hayden is now instructing all his captains to come up with their own plans and schedules for community engagement events. He has also created a diversity council within the department and made plans for more service projects. Taylor is optimistic about Hayden. He has a reputation as being a fair man who keeps his promises. Showing up for the association’s opening class was also

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Sean Liddell hands out water outside of Biddle House, the city’s primary homeless shelter.

A FEW GOOD COPS Continued from pg 21

a good sign. The visit with Mama Cat is designed to be the kind of non-confrontational interaction the chief has applauded. That night in April, after the recruits hand out about a half-dozen dinners in clamshell takeout containers to people hanging around Christ Church, they climb into vans headed for Biddle House, the city’s primary homeless shelter. It is one of the first nice evenings of spring, and the group finds dozens of people outside Biddle. Taylor grabs a handful of zippered pink pouches that are packed with hygiene products and holds them up. “For the ladies,” she calls out. “For the ladies.” Liddell, who has managed to stretch his dinner break to be here, walks through with a laundry basket full of water bottles while other recruits pass out more clam shells. Ron Joseph, 49, snags one of the last meals before another round arrives. “I’m thankful,” he says with a smile. Still, his demeanor darkens when he learns his hosts tonight are cops (and possibly future cops). He doesn’t want anything

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do with the police, he says, before softening just a bit at the prospect of influencing a new generation of officers. “I think it might help their empathy.” From Biddle, the recruits head north to the old Cass Bank and Trust Company building. Over the years, people have forced open boarded-up doors and moved inside, while others set up campsites in the shadows of an overhang. Daniels greets a few familiar faces, and then falls into conversation with recruit Andre Hollwell. The aspiring police officer and the veteran protester have a number of things in common, including the Navy. Daniels’ husband retired from the service, and Hollwell served four years before his discharge in 2013. A year from now, Hollwell and Daniels could be on opposite sides of a protest line, but Daniels leaves the evening encouraged by what she saw in the recruits. “They’re going to be amazing,” she says. “I saw a lot of compassion. I saw some determination to change some things.”

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n the evening of May 15, Heather Taylor adjusts strands of black and gold balloons inside the Her-

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bert Hoover Boys & Girls Club in the Jeff Vander Lou neighborhood. Seventeen of Ethical’s recruits will graduate from the program tonight. It’s a good percentage of the two dozen or so who began the course, but not all seventeen will become police officers. Taylor and the other instructors estimate they have ten or twelve solid candidates for the city police academy. The others have items on their records or other issues that will keep them out. (For anyone who does not make the academy, Ethical promises to help steer them toward other law-enforcement jobs, possibly in civilian roles.) Liddell arrives with his wife, Brittany, and 22-month-old son, Liam. As class president, he will deliver a speech. He has shaved off his goatee, and his hair is trimmed close. The instructors count him among the dozen or so viable candidates for the academy, but there is a problem. During the routine psychological exam, an evaluator flagged him for more testing. Liddell took a follow-up written exam — 350 multiple-choice questions — and was told he did not pass. He cannot understand why. Four years ago, he passed the evaluation without issue.

The instructors are also perplexed, but they are not quite as surprised. Taylor describes the current psych evaluation as “archaic” and says it is under review by the city after Ethical raised concerns about it. She says the process has repeatedly knocked out qualified candidates, especially black candidates. Liddell is a good example, she says. He has attended every class, interacted with all the instructors and proven himself a reliable leader. “We’ve been with him for ten weeks versus you coming into someone’s house and talking with them for two hours,” Taylor says. Hayden has said he is willing to look at recruits on a case-bycase basis, but he is not making any promises. “I’ve been certainly open to reconsideration for minor concerns, but I have been careful to make sure they’re not major concerns,” the chief says. “We have to uphold standards.” Edwards has also agreed to consider good candidates tripped up by small mistakes. He says he is a fan of Ethical’s program. He was an invited speaker for one of the classes, and spent more than an hour with the recruits. But he hesitates when asked if the city would restore some of the program’s funding in the future. “I might be wrong, but I don’t believe I’ve received a formal request for support.” Instead, he has been focusing on a different program that he thinks could build a large new talent pool. At his direction, the city will roll out a cadet program in July. The plan is to enroll 300 people, ages eighteen through twenty. They will spend four hours a day training with police, and unlike Ethical’s recruits, they will be paid — $13 an hour for eighteen-yearolds and $15 an hour for older cadets. “We have to sell the job,” he says. “We have to convince kids this is a perfect fit.” Edwards wants to create a pipeline from high school to the police academy. And while applicants of any race or ethnicity can join, the goal is to recruit more minorities. “My hope is to recruit people who are from St. Louis, who love St. Louis and who really, really want to be a police officer,” he says. Taylor says Edwards’ cadet program could be a good thing if handled correctly. But she is still hopeful the city will provide real backing for the association’s recruiting program. She believes its efforts are already paying off. Including tonight’s graduates, Ethical expects to have placed 50 or more of its trainees in law-enforcement

“We’re going to fight for you until there is no more fighting to be done,” he says. Liddell takes the microphone for his speech and reminds his classmates about all the work they have put in and all the work ahead of them. “Be sure to continue to promote change,” he says, “not only with your words, but with your actions.”

Sgt. Jason Love congratulates Johnetta Doss on graduation night.

jobs since 2015. Class of 2018 recruit Tajon Bastain, 21, has already been hired by the St. Louis Sheriff’s Office. Officers from its two earlier classes are now coming back to the program to help teach newcomers. But it is not easy. The small issues that hold back candidates — speeding tickets, unpaid taxes, poor public school education — vary

from person to person. It is only through personal attention that Ethical helps them succeed. Even on graduation night, the instructors pull aside recruits to check in on their various applications. Sgt. Jason Love, speaking to the class, implores all the candidates to keep calling him and letting him know how things progress.

week after the ceremony, the new graduates are working toward the academy. Interviews are underway with police department recruiters. Psychological and physical-fitness tests are being taken. Hollwell, the ex-serviceman, finishes an overnight shift at RB Manufacturing at 6:15 a.m. and arrives at 9 a.m. at the police academy for his physical-fitness test. Inside, he spots two other graduates from the Ethical program. He has been training three days per week, running sprints interspersed with sets of pushups and jumping jacks. When it’s his turn, he kills the obstacle course in two minutes and 30 seconds, a full minute faster than the cutoff time. The others from the program pass, too. Hollwell will grab some food

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and try to sleep a little before his next shift at the factory, but he is dreaming of a new life in the department. He has already written up his two weeks’ notice. “I’m just waiting to fill in the date.” Ethical’s next recruiting program begins in August, but the instructors are still wrapping things up with the newly graduated class. Taylor plans to spend the weekend typing up letters of recommendation. But she will have one fewer letter to write. Liddell is withdrawing. The class president had previously submitted an application to the St. Louis County Police Department, and he has gotten good news. A county recruiter who attended the opening night of Ethical’s program dug up that old application and kept an eye on him as the course continued. In late May, a week after the graduation ceremony, Liddell learned he has been accepted into the county’s police academy. Apparently he passed its psych evaluation just fine. He will be a new cadet by the end of June. It was not the plan he set out for himself in February, much less four years ago, but he is here now. He could be a police officer by December. “I’m just ready to get out on the street,” he says. n

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BY PAUL FRISWOLD

If you missed Becks at QFest, you can see it this weekend. | ©BLUE FOX ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY 06/07 Hedda Gabler In early 2017 Stray Dog Theatre mounted an excellent rendition of Henrik Ibsen’s groundbreaking drama A Doll’s House, aided in large part by an absolutely stellar cast. This year the company tackles Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, with the same cast in place. The play is the story of a newlywed woman who got married for the wrong reasons and is already bored with her work-obsessed husband, Jørgen. Jørgen is up for a professorship, and his main challenger, Ejlert, is a brilliant writer who has mostly tamed his alcoholism thanks to the help of his wife Thea. Hedda hatches a cruel plot to take Ejlert out of the running, but the best-laid plans often fall apart along the way. Stray Dog Theatre presents Hedda Gabler at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (June 7 to 23) at the Tower Grove Abbey (2336 Tennessee Avenue; www. straydogtheatre.org). There is one matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 17. Tickets are $25 to $30.

FRIDAY 06/08 Blithe Spirit Charles is a successful novelist who engages a medium to hold a seance in his home for the purpos-

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es of his next book. Instead of an idea he gains the spirit of his first wife, Elvira, who is quite annoyed by his current wife, Ruth. Truly desperate to be alone with her husband, Elvira tampers with his car in hopes of killing Charles and reuniting in the spirit world. Unfortunately it’s Ruth who gets behind the wheel, and she ends up dead — and ready to battle with Elvira. What’s a man to do when both his dead wives are making his life miserable? Noël Coward’s comedy Blithe Spirit is produced by Act Inc as its only show this summer. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (June 8 to 24) at the Scheidegger Center for the Arts on Lindenwood University’s campus (2300 West Clay Avenue; www.actincstl.com). Tickets are $20.

Becks The 2017 feature film Becks, by former St. Louisans Elizabeth Rorhbaugh and Daniel Powell, was entered in the 2018 edition of QFest, and it now receives a short run courtesy of the Webster Film Series. Set in Maplewood, Becks stars Tony Award winner Lena Hall as a singer/songwriter who has to move back in with her disapproving mother (Christine Lahti) after her long-distance relationship ends badly. She soon meets Elyse (Mena Suvari), and an unlooked-for relationship starts to bloom. The film returns

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The at 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday (June 8 to 10) and again at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12. Tickets are $5 to $7.

SATURDAY 06/09 Orfeo and Eurydice Christoph Willibald Glück’s opera Orfeo and Eurydice begins with Eurydice’s funeral, as Orfeo laments the death of his beloved wife. Amore (more commonly known as Cupid) arrives to tell the bereaved that he may go recover

Eurydice from Hades and bring her back to life, but there’s a catch: If Orfeo looks back, Eurydice will die permanently. He makes the long journey to the realm of the dead but neglects to mention to his beloved the conditions of her return. Opera Theatre St. Louis presents Orfeo and Eurydice at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road; www.opera-stl.org), with Missouri native Jennifer Johnson Cano in the role of Orfeo and the Big Muddy Dance Company as the dance corps. The show is performed five more times in repertory through June 23. Tickets are $27 to $132.

WEEK OF JUNE 7–13

Yes, float tripping counts as outside activity. | COURTESY OF GREAT RIVERS GREENWAY

e Life Outside Fest urges you to get out and get active this summer. | COURTESY OF GREAT RIVERS GREENWAY

CWE Cocktail Party St. Louisans like a drink, that’s no secret. Our shared fondness for the hard stuff led Mrs. Julius C. Walsh Jr. to devise and host the first-ever cocktail party at her Central West End home in 1917. (Sadly, this brilliant woman’s first name has been lost to history.) Despite her relative anonymity, the neighborhood continues to honor her spirit and her love of the spirits with the CWE Cocktail Party — and you’re invited to attend. From 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 9, on Euclid Avenue between Maryland and McPherson (www.

cwecocktailparty.com), there will be a cocktail competition, as well as live music by Miss Jubilee, Grass Fed Mule and other local bands. Neighborhood bars and restaurants will be selling celebratory drinks and food to ensure it’s a real party. Admission is free.

Life Outside Fest Everybody knows that St. Louis will be crotch-drowningly hot in the summertime, and not in the good way. That doesn’t stop St. Louisans from doing stuff outside, but it can make it hard to try

The CWE Cocktail Party has live entertainment to go with the drinks. | COURTESY OF CWESCENE Continued on pg 26

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CALENDAR

Continued from pg 25

“Gripping...superb”

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Muny Memories The Muny is just about to open its landmark 100th season, and its neighbor, the Missouri History Museum (Lindell Boulevard and DeBalivere Avenue; www.mohistory.org), celebrates the occasion with an exhibit dedicated to the history of America’s largest outdoor theater. Muny Memories features exhibits that explain the founding of the theater, display favorite memories from stars and staff, and give a look backstage to see how the dedicated technical crew creates and rigs all those sets and lights. You can also take a look at programs from the Muny’s long, storied past. Muny Memories opens on Saturday, June 9, and remains on display daily through June 2, 2019. Admission is free.

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something new. That’s one reason the Great Rivers Greenway presents the Life Outside Fest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at Creve Coeur Memorial Park (13725 Marine Avenue; www.greatriversgreenway.org/ life-outside/). This smorgasbord of outdoor activities gives you the chance to try a new activity for free, with experts on hand to help you work out the kinks. Have you always wanted to climb a tree? Ropes and safety harnesses are waiting. Kayak or stand-up paddle board? There’s a lake a few feet away. If you’re looking for something more sedate, you can try birdwatching, yoga and gardening — all of those will get you outdoors as well.

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Keith Hernandez was a fan favorite during his stint with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1980s. The first baseman could hit and field, leading the team to a World Series title in 1982. He repeated those feats when he went over to the New York Mets after rumors of his cocaine habit became unavoidable (he later admitted they were true), picking up his second championship with the Cardinals’ then bitter rival (competency is the Mets’ great foe currently). His post-baseball career includes a legendary guest-starring role as himself on Seinfeld and a surprising bluntness when manning the microphone in

the Mets broadcast booth — perhaps his most infamous statement is that women don’t belong in the dugout, even if they’re team employees. Hernandez signs copies of his new memoir I’m Keith Hernandez (the title is taken from his Seinfeld appearance) at 4 p.m. today at Left Bank Books (399 North Euclid Avenue; www.left-bank.com). The book covers his minor-league career and his stint with the Cardinals up to about 1980. Your $31 ticket will admit a family of four and includes a hardcover copy of the book.

MONDAY 06/11 Jerome Robbins’ Broadway Jerome Robbins was the man with the golden touch during the golden age of the musical. Robbins began as a dancer, then moved into choreography. He designed the dances for On the Town and The King and I and then added director to his portfolio with Peter Pan, West Side Story and Gypsy (all of which he also choreographed). Portions of all of these great shows show up in the Muny’s season opener, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway. Think of it as a greatest hits of one of Broadway’s greatest hitmakers. Performances are at 8:15 p.m. Monday through Sunday (June 11 to 17) at the Muny in Forest Park (www.muny.org). Tickets are $15 to $100.

WEDNESDAY 06/13 Best of 48 Hour Film Fest The 48 Hour Film Fest is an annual competition that requires teams of filmmakers to write, direct, shoot and edit a short film in the space of 48 hours. Just to make it interesting, all teams must incorporate a character, a prop and a line that won’t be revealed until the competition’s start. Once all the films are finished and turned in, they will be screened at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at Washington University’s Brown Hall (1 Brookings Drive; www.48hourfilm.com/ en/stlouis), with the audience and a special panel of judges both voting for their favorites. If you want to skip to the end and see which films win the top award, the “best of” screening takes place at 7 p.m. tonight at Brown Hall. Tickets are $13. n

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STAGE

[REVIEW]

Foxy Lady Opera Theatre St. Louis brings a mid-century opera to devastating life Written by

SARAH FENSKE Regina Words and music by Marc Blitzstein. Based on the play and film The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman. Directed by James Robinson. Presented through June 24 by Opera Theatre St. Louis at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves; 314-961-0644). Tickets $25 to $129.

egina Hubbard Giddens, the title character of Marc Blitzstein’s 1949 opera Regina, now being mounted for the first time by Opera Theatre St. Louis, is in many ways a monster. She’s selfish. She’s cruel. She shamelessly boasts that she only loves “things” — and by that, she means things you can buy. You’d never want to live with her, but what a terrific character for an opera! Regina first made her grand entrance in 1939 as the star of Lillian Hellman’s play The Little Foxes. Many great actresses have sunk their teeth into the part, including Tallulah Bankhead, who triumphed on Broadway, and Bette Davis, who memorably played the part in the film adaptation. Elizabeth Taylor later took her turn. Here in St. Louis, the internationally renowned opera star Susan Graham now fills their shoes — and doesn’t just portray Regina convincingly; she also imbues her with a positively gorgeous mezzosoprano. When she belts out “The Best Thing of All,” which argues that the act of wanting is the greatest pleasure, she’ll sell you on her mantra and whatever else she’s peddling too. It’s a star turn in the old-fashioned, old-movie sense of the term: Graham commands our attention every minute she’s on stage. You’ll root against her. You may even root for her. You surely won’t be able to look away. Regina is that rare opera where business, not love, is front and center. Regina and her brothers,

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Ben (James Morris) and Oscar (Ron Raines), run a cotton farm in 1900 Alabama. They are wealthy enough to have a house full of servants, but not, as Ben points out, Southern aristocrats. That was Oscar’s wife Birdie (Susanna Phillips), who was wed for her plantation and is now dismissed as an alcoholic. The three are now plotting to go into business with a wealthy Chicagoan, to “bring the cotton mill to the cotton.” But to do that, they need to persuade Regina’s ailing husband, Horace (an excellent Kristopher Irmiter), to come back from Baltimore and go all in on their investment. Regina’s determination to get at Horace’s money will involve using their daughter Alexandra (Monica Dewey) as a pawn — and destroying Horace himself if need be. For a play that’s largely about finances, Regina is surprisingly moving. In addition to Graham’s fearless portrayal, much of that is thanks to Phillips’ portrayal of

Credit director James Robinson for staging the opera in a way that doesn’t ram home its politics – but reminds us subtly that even Birdie’s nostalgia is a form of privilege. Birdie, the sister-in-law who personifies the damage wrecked by these “little foxes” who spoil the vineyard. Making her Opera Theatre St. Louis debut, Phillips is devastating, slowly unveiling the heart of a woman who is all too aware of her own poor choices. Credit goes to director James Robinson, too, for staging the opera in a way that doesn’t ram home its politics – but reminds us subtly that even Birdie’s nostalgia is a form of privilege. As she sings

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Birdie (Susanna Phillips), with Addie (Melody Wilson, right), longs for the old days. | © KEN HOWARD

of her family’s old plantation, Robinson places servant Addie (Melody Wilson) right next to her, the black woman’s arched eyebrow reminding us that while the “gentle” way of life now gone with the wind may have suited Birdie just fine, it also rested on its cruelties. At its core, Regina is a play about capitalism only a communist could write, a vicious critique of a family for whom nothing is personal and everything is business. There are no real love songs here. There is, however, beautiful music that’s immediately approachable, including a gorgeous song about the rain that begins the third act — a reminder that there can be moments of beauty even in a pit of vipers, and that salvation lies in seeking out kind people and running from cruelty. It took a few attempts at retooling to get Regina right, but this production, a slightly edited

version of the one first mounted by the Scottish Opera in 1991, really sings. (For such a mean play, it’s also quite bitchily funny.) But you won’t be laughing in the end. It’s here, even as she gets (mostly) what she wants, that we begin to realize the forces that have made Regina such a tough cookie, and the human cost of those battles. When her conniving older brother Ben sings the patronizing “Greedy Girl,” suggesting Regina would be better off smiling a bit more, you may find yourself wanting to slug him. Yes, Regina victimizes anyone foolish enough to stand in her path — but, we begin to realize, what else could a woman do who wanted a seat at the table, who insisted on not being her brothers’ victim? She had to fight for everything. Is there any woman on top who can’t say the same? n

Led by the Judge (Nathan Stark), the Army extols its own virtues in An American Soldier, which just had its world premiere in St. Louis. | © KEN HOWARD

[REVIEW]

Soldier Boy Opera Theatre St. Louis’ An American Soldier tackles a difficult subject — and proves difficult to watch Written by

SARAH FENSKE An American Soldier Music by Huang Ruo. Libretto by David Henry Hwang. Directed by Matthew Ozawa. Commissioned by Opera Theatre St. Louis. Performed through June 22 at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves; 314-961-0644). Tickets $25 to $129.

n American Soldier opens with a single square of harsh fluorescent light over a bare-bones stage. The illumination is every bit as harsh as you remember it from high school, or your depressing office job — and the rarity of seeing it on stage, where so much effort is put into achieving just the opposite effect, is a telling clue. This opera, that square of lighting says, is going to give you cold reality,

not moonlight. An American Soldier does eventually provide some moonlight — our hero in Afghanistan and his almost-sweetheart back in New York City sing a lovely duet about the radiance of Earth’s only natural satellite. But that initial impression is absolutely correct. That duet is one of the only moments in this opera where you can exhale, where you can find something beautiful. The rest is all harsh, hateful, fluorescent truth. And the truth is this: On October 3, 2011, an American soldier named Danny Chen killed himself while on serving in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan. He was nineteen years old and had endured relentless abuse from his sergeant and fellow troops. Eight were later court-martialed. The opera based on these events, An American Soldier, made its world premiere Sunday in a production commissioned by Opera Theatre St. Louis. (A previous one-world version made its debut in Washington, D.C., in 2014.) This production has much to commend it, but it also makes for a singularly uncomfortable evening. There is no catharsis here, only horror. Indeed, we see a kid who wanted nothing more than to be treated as fully American being called

racial slurs, ordered to address his fellow soldiers in Chinese and dragged on his back across gravel. We see his fellow soldiers pelting him with rocks. And then we see his sergeant, the man who basically tortured him to death, found not guilty of all but the least serious charges. All of this really happened — and this too: The sergeant was allowed to remain in the military. As a story it’s devastating, but as theater, it’s almost numbing. There is never any hope for Danny Chen — we know he’s dead when the story opens, and if there was anything he could have done differently, short of not enlisting, we never learn about it. Nor do we ever see his horrible sergeant (here named Marcum, and played by a properly loathsome Wayne Tigges) as anything other than a sadistic racist. In real life, Danny’s sergeant reportedly testified at his court-martial that he may have had PTSD after serving three warzone deployments. You can’t help but think it could have made a great, if self-serving, aria. Instead, he remains a cipher. Unfortunately, that’s true of just about everyone in this production. The only time any of the soldiers seem anything other than one-dimensional is during a song in the first act about what sorry

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motherfuckers they are — a rare moment of humor and humanity in the middle of what otherwise feels like one cursed American soldier’s via dolorosa. As Danny, Andrew Stenson does a great job with a difficult part. He’s on stage at his tormenters’ court-martial, an all-too-real ghost questioning their testimony, as well as in vivid flashbacks. Stenson lets us see the bookish high school student from New York’s Chinatown briefly become what he dreamed of being, only to lose his sangfroid upon being transferred to a different company and its awful leader upon arrival in Afghanistan. And his mother and sweetheart, Mika Shigematsu and Kathleen Kim both capably bring to life women who could all too easily become stock characters. Like the plot, the music here is not easy. Composer Huang Ruo draws inspiration from both avant-garde music and ancient and folk Chinese music, and to Western ears, it can sound dissonant and unmelodic. The cast handles it admirably, but you won’t leave this one with a song in your heart. And maybe you shouldn’t, no matter how much you long for that relief: This isn’t that kind of story. Like Danny, you may wish you could let this cup pass, wish you could avert your eyes from the grinding cruelty on stage. But when that finally happens, when the soldiers solemnly sing “E Pluribus Unum,” telling us that out of many, we are one, it isn’t at all what you wanted. Is the song an ironic commentary on the military’s pieties or praise of the ideals it aspires to, no matter how imperfect its execution? In director Matthew Ozawa’s staging, the point remains abstruse. And after watching a young man — yes, an American soldier — being tormented by his own platoon, you may find ambiguity is the last thing you want. Danny Chen’s only relief from post-mortem torment is near the end, a black soldier’s testimony that he, too, found Sergeant Marcum impossible, that he was tortured in the same exact ways. Finally, at this point, Danny seems to understand he wasn’t to blame for his breakdown. It may be absolution, but it’s a far cry from a happy ending. n

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FILM

[REVIEW]

The Crisis of Faith A weary priest’s soul is examined and exposed in Paul Schrader’s new film Written by

ROBERT HUNT First Reformed Written and directed by Paul Schrader. Starring Amanda Seyfried, Ethan Hawke, Cedric Kyles and Philip Ettinger. Now screening at the Landmark Tivoli Theatre and Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

irst Reformed is a film only Paul Schrader could have made, the result of more than 40 years of struggling with themes of repentance and failure on a large theological scale. We’ve seen glimpses of it before in the acclaimed screenplays he wrote for Martin Scorsese — in the confused penance of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and the self-mortification of Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull — but never quite so broadly or as bare as in the new film. It’s a difficult film, austere yet extreme, but it brings all of Schrader’s passions and interests to a wild and awkward summation. It’s a film that will divide audiences, but it seems like a satisfactory recap of everything Schrader has accomplished, his own path of redemption in a career spanning from his masterful early work to his more recent descent into the movie hell of straight-to-streaming Nicolas Cage films and the abominable Lindsay Lohan drama The Canyons. In First Reformed Ethan Hawke, who has established himself as the most courageously chameleon-like actor of his generation, plays Reverend Toller, head of an old but barely attended church in New York. Haunted by the death of his son in Iraq and the failure of his marriage, he has become a spiritual place-keeper, holding tours of his 250-year-old sanctuary, which members of the local superchurch dismiss as “the gift shop.” Plagued

Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke) has many problems even before Mary and her husband Michael come into his life. | COURTESY OF A24

by stomach disorders and heavy drinking, he’s losing his health and his faith at an equal pace. When he’s asked to provide counseling to pessimistic eco-terrorist Michael and his pregnant wife Mary (Amanda Seyfried) — and yes, the biblical character names are no coincidence — Toller begins to question the church’s role in confronting social issues like global warming. His efforts, like the old building in which he preaches, are overshadowed by the influence of Abundant Life, a corporatesponsored, media-friendly congregation more concerned with promoting its brand than with good works. (In an inspired casting choice, Toller’s rival church is run by Cedric Kyles, who may have dropped “the Entertainer” from his name but knows how to balance skillfully the roles of avuncular televangelist and cutthroat businessman.) Schrader borrows — or, more fairly, synthesizes — themes from Ingmar Bergman’s Winter Light and Bresson’s Diary of a Country Priest, two masterpieces of austere, thoughtful filmmaking. From

Bergman, he borrows the idea of a struggling clergyman who feels inadequate in comforting a couple much like Michael and Mary. From Bresson, he updates the psychological turmoil of the ailing priest being made irrelevant by his community. Like both of his models, Schrader directs with precision, carefully observing and giving weight to the most mundane details of Toller’s routine: his daily journal entries, compulsive drinking and increasing sense of doubt. This is carefully controlled filmmaking in every detail, from the brilliantly restrained performances of Hawk and Seyfried to the understated compositions. (Schrader shot the film in Academy ratio, and I suspect that many viewers attuned only to modern television screens will find it unbearably claustrophobic without knowing why.) Schrader’s direction is cool, economical and unforgiving, focusing only on what is necessary. He allows the camera to move only twice, both times for a significantly hallucinatory effect. First Reformed is a difficult film and, if the shopping mall audience

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with whom I saw it is any indication, a divisive one, but it challenges and provokes and never lets the viewer take it easy, even after it’s over. There are a few unsettling images, but Schrader is more concerned with unsettling ideas, with pulling the viewer into Toller’s thoughts, his doubts, and even his own worst decisions. Finally, there’s the question of Schrader’s ending, a scene so unexpected in both style and substance that it actually earns the overused adjective “outrageous.” In a film so uncompromisingly devoted to exploring Toller’s inner life — even his soul, if you’re inclined toward that kind of thought — Schrader concludes with a deliberate, risky move that raises the film’s emotional stakes and pushes any narrative resolution solely in the hands of the viewer. (Imagine, if you will, the intellectual equivalent of 3-D.) Very few films ask us to consider real ideas or feelings in close detail. With First Reformed, Schrader goes even further, first depicting the struggle within Toller’s conscience, then pushing us right into its center. n

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CAFE

You can pair Stone Turtle’s pork chop with a “Smoked Old Fashioned,” made with Old Overholt rye, simple syrup and Angostura bitters, then smoked with applewood. | MABEL SUEN

[REVIEW]

Top Dog Stone Turtle offers something new in Dogtown: a restaurant worthy of date night Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Stone Turtle 6335 Clayton Avenue, 314-349-1933; Mon. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.; Wed.-Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.; Sun. 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. (Closed Tuesdays.)

ow has the Dogtown neighborhood received its newest addition, Stone Turtle? Our server on a recent visit put it like this: “We’ve been told that we fit right in and are different enough to stand out at the

same time.” In Dogtown, the fitting-in part is easy: Install an old-looking wooden bar, stock it with beer and whiskey, put some fried food on the menu and blend right in to the landscape. In fairness, it’s not just the historically Irish neighborhood that turns to this triedand-true playbook. Every city in the country has this sort of everyman pub. The past few years have been filled with restaurants pushing us out of our burger-and-fries rut, but the good ol’ bar and grill still remains a staple because it’s like Jack Johnson at a pool party: a crowd-pleaser that’s nearly universal in its appeal. Stone Turtle has the fitting-in part down. A corner storefront in the neighborhood’s main intersection of Tamm Avenue and Clayton Road, the restaurant simply looks like it belongs. An exposed brick archway separates the dining room from the old-timey bar, which is stocked to the hilt with

whiskey. A tin ceiling adds to the historic feel; candlelight dances off its metallic sheen and illuminates dark wooden tables and banquettes made from church pews. If you close your eyes and imagine what a Dogtown gastropub should look like, this is the picture. It’s the standing-out part that’s hard to do, especially at a place that is trying to elevate — not go against — the grain. To that end, Stone Turtle is off to a good start as well, offering the only real upscale dining option in Dogtown. Previously, if you wanted burgers, pizza or sandwiches, the neighborhood had you covered. If you were looking for a steak or pork chop, before Stone Turtle, you were out of luck. Nick Funke, Stone Turtle’s principal owner and general manager, saw the opportunity to change that when he came across a space in the heart of Dogtown. The St. Louis native has worked in the

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business for many years, from Barcelona and Flaco’s Cocina in town to several restaurants in New York City, where he lived for eight years. He moved back to St. Louis in 2016 determined to open a restaurant of his own and reached out to his former colleague Maz Nooran to be part of the project. Nooran, who owned Momo’s Greek Restaurant and Flaco’s Cocina, liked Funke’s ideas, and the two paired up with associate Adam Tanksley to realize their vision. Funke and his partners initially assumed Stone Turtle would be a bar first, with food as a thoughtful background component to a strong whiskey-and-cocktail program. Those details are there, but they have taken a complementary role to the food — a situation that came about once chef Todd Bale came into the picture. A high school friend of Tanksley, the Johnson & Wales grad developed

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The bar is proud of its vast whiskey selection, originally meant to be Stone Turtle’s entire raison d’etre. | MABEL SUEN

STONE TURTLE Continued from pg 35

a menu of elevated American gastropub fare that seemed to demand its share of the spotlight. As Funke explains, it’s not that Bale’s

food is all that fundamentally different; it’s that the details he adds turn the ordinary into something special. Stone Turtle is at its best when it strikes this balance between being familiar enough to be comfortable but quirky enough to keep

things interesting. Its wings exemplify this high-wire act. Plump, fried and meaty, the appetizer has the heat and tang of a traditional Buffalo-style preparation, but here they’re derived from a mango-and-habanero glaze. The combination gives a backbeat of

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subtle tropical sweetness to the fiery pepper sauce and softens its sting. Fried burrata is a luxurious stand-in for mozzarella sticks. The silken cheese is coated in breadcrumbs and fried to a golden hue. When pierced with a fork, the molten burrata pours out onto the plate, mixing with piquant romesco sauce to form a creamy red-pepper concoction. In addition to appetizers, Stone Turtle serves a handful of bar snacks meant to be nibbled on while drinking. Dates stuffed with blue cheese are fine enough but would have been better cooked. Served raw, the fruit doesn’t concentrate and caramelize, which is what makes dates so good when paired with funky cheese. A bowl of seasoned cashews with hunks of pork belly was overly salty — from the spice blend, not the pork. Quizzically, that was bland and chewy. The pork is a much better component on the “Turtle Mac & Cheese” appetizer, a decadent crock of noodles smothered in three-cheese sauce and bacon, then coated in crisped corn flakes. The slight tang of goat cheese infuses the sauce with a hint of funk, making for a haute pasta version

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Owner Nick Funke brought years of NYC restaurant experience to his new venture. | MABEL SUEN of party potatoes. Stone Turtle’s lobster roll is its biggest disappointment: The room-temperature shellfish salad had a muddy taste and was so saturated in runny mayonnaise dressing it was soupy. The texture was off as well; the meat was pasty like tuna salad, as if it had started to break down, and though I saw pieces of lobster claw, I also spotted tiny tails that made me question whether the kitchen had mixed langostinos or crawfish in with the lobster. The mixture was overstuffed onto a bun that became soggy from the dressing and impossible to eat without a fork. Clearly, it’s not the size of the roll that matters. The rest of the main courses, however, were downright pleasant. An off-the-menu morel pasta dish shows that the kitchen can do much more than just bar-and-grill food. Penne noodles were tossed with a delicate lemon-and-herb sauce, which allowed the mushrooms’ deep earthiness to shine through. This dish could be at home on the menu at any of the top Italian restaurants in town. In place of traditional beerbattered cod, Stone Turtle uses a crushed-cornflake batter to coat its fried pollock. Old Bay seasons the fries and the fish, giving it the flavor of an East Coast seafood basket. The most pleasant touch, however, is the accompanying lemon aioli, a bright departure from traditional tartar sauce. A perfectly cooked, thick-cut pork chop is Stone Turtle’s best entrée, glazed with a savory pan jus and infused with grill char that gives it the sweet taste of a back-

Tacos & Ice cream are breaking

The restaurant takes its name from nearby Turtle Playground. | MABEL SUEN yard cookout. Served atop creamy grits, this is the elevated pub fare that Dogtown was missing. And though no one could have argued the neighborhood was missing a good burger, Stone Turtle’s version proves there is room for another excellent option. Thick, juicy, well seasoned and perfectly cooked to medium-rare and some change, this is the quintessential bar-and-grill burger. That it sits on a bun sized so that it is positively tailor-made to the patty makes it noteworthy. Smother it in velvety beer-cheese sauce and place a liberal dollop of sweet-and-smoky bacon-onion jam on top and it becomes the best bacon cheeseburger of your life, one that certainly stands out from the crowd — even as it fits in at the same time.

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Stone Turtle Fried burrata ............................................ $12 House burger ............................................ $11 Pork chop ................................................. $18

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SHORT ORDERS

Ryan Pier has gone from Shenanigans (yes, that’s the name of a bar he tended in Edwardsville) to the Futurism-focused Earthbound Satellite. | MONICA MILEUR

[SIDE DISH]

His New Gig Is Out of This World Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

hen Ryan Pier tells people the name of one of the first bars he tended, he braces for the razzing that always follows. “Shenanigans. I worked at a place called Shenanigans in Edwardsville,” Pier laughs. “Any-

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time I bring up the story, people laugh and go into a Super Troopers quote. It was a lot of things — probably where I perfected my car-bomb game.” Shenanigans was just over the river, but it’s a far cry away from cutting-edge Earthbound Satellite (1921 South 9th Street), the Soulard bar Pier just launched with his colleagues at Earthbound Beer. However, Pier is not ashamed of his less-than-hip beginnings. In fact, he embraces them as the very foundation of his understanding of what a bar should be. That education predates his bartending days, going all the way back to his childhood in Lebanon, Illinois. His grandfather owned one of the two bars in town, and Pier would often hang out there. By age eight, he was helping out

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around the tavern, washing dishes or pitching in with whatever was needed. As soon as he was old enough, he began helping out with fish fries and backing up the bartenders. The experience had him hooked on the industry. Though Pier dabbled in history and psychology classes in college, he realized that a formal classroom education was not his path and threw himself into working in restaurants, first at a Chevy’s in Edwardsville and then Shenanigans. During that time, he realized that he had a passion for beer, so he headed across the river with dreams of working for a brewery. Those dreams would be realized when he got a job working for Schlafly, then for Earthbound Beer. He also began bartending at Cherokee Street’s Art Bar, an expe-

rience that would make him realize how much he enjoyed making cocktails beyond the car bombs and Fireball shots that previously defined his bartending career. As Pier spent more time with the Earthbound folks, he found his niche. Their penchant for experimentation led them to make some of the city’s quirkiest — and delicious — beers. It was an environment that appealed to him. “Earthbound is always open to new ideas and recipes and always wants their employees to grow,” Pier explains. “They gave me free rein to come up with my own ideas and experiment. I was able to batch my own weird takes on things.” When the Earthbound team was approached by the group behind Soulard Preservation Hall to take Continued on pg 40

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RYAN PIER

Continued from pg 38

over the space’s small bar, Pier was the obvious choice to lead the project. “We just thought I had the most experience with it,” Pier says. “We agreed we wanted it to be an educational bar with flavor profiles and weird liquors for people to taste that they wouldn’t normally taste in Soulard.” Earthbound Satellite is Pier’s chance to do something completely cocktail focused. Calling the new place “a dive bar in space,” the concept is based on Futurism, an early-1900s art movement that challenged Italy’s established cocktail norms. As Pier explains, the bar draws heavily on his love of amaro and bold flavors that will push patrons to rethink traditional cocktails. At its heart, though, Pier insists Earthbound Satellite is a place where people should feel comfortable to come and engage with the bartenders and their fellow patrons, in spite of its quirky offerings and experimental drink focus. For him, that’s ultimately what a bar is — an observation he reminds himself of every time he goes back to his grandfather’s bar

for an ice-cold Stag. “I’ve learned the bar is a cheaper version of therapy,” Pier says. “My main thing is I like to make people happy.” Pier took a break from the bar to share his thoughts on turning water into wine, his decidedly unironic mustache and why a simple cheeseburger, a Stag and some gummy candy are all it takes to make him happy. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did? My face looks really weird when it’s clean-shaven. I grow a mustache out of necessity because I can’t grow a beard. What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? My morning cup of coffee and cigarette on my front porch. I’m not super fancy when it comes to coffee. It’s usually just a regular drip cup of Cafe Bustelo. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? That’s a tough one. Maybe something biblical like turning water into wine. What is the most positive trend in food, beer, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? I’ve really enjoyed seeing an in-

crease in handcrafted “mocktails” and other well-made non-alcoholic options. I’m all about inclusion in bar/pub life and think that even if alcohol isn’t your thing you can still experience the enjoyment of an imaginative, flavorful drink in a fun atmosphere. Shout-out to my friends at the Monocle, who do this really well. What is one thing missing or that you’d like to see in the local food-and-beverage scene? Probably more local distilleries. We’ve got some pretty great ones already, don’t get me wrong, but I would love to see us have more. Who is your St. Louis food or drink crush? Oh man, so many to choose from. I probably have to say Naomi Roquet over at Reeds American Table. Her cocktails are always works of art, and they make me feel things. Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis food-andbeverage scene? I’m always paying attention to Ari Jo Ellis, chef and owner of the Cut on Cherokee, who’s making the best meat things and whose menu always makes me salivate. Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? Probably Fernet. It’s got a wide

JUNE

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range of different uses, strange flavors, and it can often be bitter. If someone asked you to describe the current state of St. Louis’ foodand-beverage climate, what would you say? I think it’s one of the best in the country. There’s such a wide range of wonderful people doing great things in this town. If you were not tending bar, what would you be doing? Probably bouncing around different patios and businesses on Cherokee seeing all my friends. Name an ingredient never allowed behind your bar. I’ve never liked outrageously flavored vodkas! There is no room for Mountain Dew- or S’mores-flavored nonsense behind there. What is your after-work hangout? You can usually find me having a Stag and Fernet at the Whiskey Ring after a long day. What’s your edible or quaffable guilty pleasure? I’m not a huge sweets or chocolate fan, but I do have a soft spot for any type of gummy candy. What would be your last meal on earth? Including drinks, of course. A nice simple cheeseburger and a cold Stag at my grandfather’s bar, Ron’s Lounge. n

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[FOOD STUFFS]

For Sale: MO’s Top Cheese Maker Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

wenty years ago, Steve and Veronica Baetje bought a goat and her kid for $45 and taught themselves how to make goat cheese. In the years that followed, their creamery, Baetje Farms (8932 Jackson School Road, Bloomsdale; 573483-9021), became an internationally renowned brand, with goat cheese recognized as some of the best in the world. Now, the pair are ready for their next chapter. In a Facebook post last month, the Baetjes announced that they are seeking a buyer for their acclaimed creamery, offering Baetje Farms as a turnkey business. The asking price for the four-acre Bloomsdale farm and brand, including all equipment and proprietary information such as recipes and techniques, is $1.5 million. “In 1998 Baetje Farms began with the dream of someday owning our very own successful farmstead artisan cheese company....20 years and more than 70 national and international awards later.... Steve and Veronica Baetje are looking for the next successor to elevate Baetje Farms onward to the next level,” they wrote. “It’s been twenty years now, and we were like, ‘Let’s do something more,’” Veronica explains. “It’s not that we don’t enjoy what we are doing — we just felt like we’d come full circle, and in order for the business to get to the next level, it probably needs to go to a different owner.” Anyone who has dined at the area’s top restaurants is likely familiar with the Baetje Farms name, which has become synonymous with high-quality goat cheese. However, its fame spans far beyond Missouri. The Baetjes have been profiled in the New York Times, and their cheeses have won more than 70 international awards, including being named a four-time Super Gold winner

Steve and Veronica Baetje are selling their acclaimed creamery, located in rural Bloomsdale. | COURTESY OF BAETJE FARMS at the world cheese awards in Europe — a prestigious honor awarded to only 50 of the 3,000 cheeses that enter. For Veronica, the recognition has been humbling and completely unexpected. “We’re just people who like goats and started making cheese,” she says. “We’re not special.” Though many would disagree with that claim, Baetje Farms indeed has humble — and poignant — beginnings. After Steve and Veronica were married in 1991, they took on the renovation of an old farmhouse but found themselves burnt out on the project after seven years of backbreaking work. The pair moved to a Mennonite community in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, where they produced all of their own food. Veronica wanted to incorporate dairy into their farming repertoire so she could have ice cream, yogurt and cheese, but cows were too expensive. They settled on goats, and the pair taught themselves cheesemaking and goat husbandry. Around this time, the Baetjes were coming to terms with the fact that they were unable to have children of their own — a reality that was even more difficult to accept in the Mennonite community, where it is common to have large families. Veronica threw herself into cheesemaking as a way to

As part of the sale, Veronica Baetje is offering to stay on as a consultant. deal with her personal pain. “It was very healing for me,” Veronica says. “We really wanted to have a family but we couldn’t. I would take a kerosene lamp and go out to the shed to milk the goats and take care of them. It felt like a way for me to still be involved in the circle of life.” The Baetjes moved from Mt. Vernon to their current address in Bloomsdale in 2005, which is when their cheesemaking operation took off. At first, they thought Veronica would take care of twenty or so goats and Steve would keep his day job in stonework and construction. However, they quickly realized that they had a more-than-fulltime operation on their hands. As Baetje Farms took on a life of its own, Steve and Veronica went along for the ride, even at the expense of other interests. Now that they have reached the twenty-year mark, they’ve decided to reassess what they want out of life. As Veronica explains, Steve is a talented

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stonemason who, together with his sister, would like to get into renovating houses in the St. Louis area. Because the cheese business takes up so much time, he has been unable to pursue that path. For her part, Veronica wants to remain in cheesemaking, but not in her current capacity. As part of the sale, she is offering to stay on at Baetje as a consultant. She is also entertaining the idea of serving as a consultant for other brands that are just getting started as well as teaching goat husbandry in the developing world. As for Baetje Farms, she envisions it remaining a top-quality artisan creamery but sees the potential for expanding the operation. “We could see this as a place for agritourism, a wedding venue or a bed-and-breakfast,” she says. “I could also see a French company that wants to get a foothold in the American market being interested. They have experience with expanding production while maintaining the quality of the product. It will be interesting to see who comes forward. “ For now, however, Veronica emphasizes that it is cheesemaking as usual at Baetje Farms. “Some people are acting like we aren’t in business anymore and that’s not the case,” she explains. “We’re operating business as normal and seeing this through to the end.” n

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Theatrical posters now adorn the walls at the eatery, which is adjacent to the Fox. | SARAH FENSKE NOW H IR IN G E X P E R IE N

[FIRST LOOK]

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wo months ago, the Grand Center eatery previously known as Stage Left Diner quietly reopened its doors with new owners, a new chef, a new menu and a new name (albeit one confusingly close to the old one): Stage Left Grille (527 North Grand Boulevard, 314-534-2720). But just before Memorial Day weekend, something happened that may be even bigger news. Stage Left Grille was finally awarded a liquor license. Next on the agenda: breakfast hours and increased evening hours, too. As chef Vince Anderson tells it, it’s been a slow and steady climb to get to this point. “You have to walk up the ladder one step at a time,” he says. “Slowly but surely, everything is coming together.” For years, the restaurant at the corner of Washington and North Grand was City Diner, the second outpost of the eatery of the same name on South Grand (again, confusingly, with a different owner). In September 2016, owner Steve Smith brought in a consultant to manage a total reboot, but poor reviews doomed the newly named Stage Left Diner. It closed ten months later, in August 2017. But that wasn’t the end. Anderson says the Fox Theatre has now taken control of the restaurant space. It hired chef Rich LoRusso, of neighboring LoRusso’s on Grand, to serve as consulting chef, and he then hired Anderson, a veteran chef with numerous restaurant openings to his name, as co-chef and manager. In March, less than two weeks after com-

ing on board, Anderson opened the newand-improved Stage Left Grille. It’s only recently that word has begun to get out. Because the restaurant has kept unusual hours, opening for lunch only on many days and serving dinner only on nights the Fox has a show, many St. Louisans failed to realize Stage Left Diner was now Stage Left Grille — much less that it’s a completely new concept. Anderson says the new owners decided to keep the name because they like the theater theme, and indeed, the huge new theatrical posters on the wall are a great addition. (The place also got a new, toned-down paint palette, leaving it looking less counter-culture and more midcentury modern.) For food, the kitchen is serving salads, sandwiches, a few soups and a trio of burgers. At night, you can also choose from a quartet of pastas. The Mediterranean shrimp, with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts over penne, is particularly popular. Even that is priced to keep the theater crowd happy; at $14.99, it’s the most expensive thing on the menu by a full $2. Anderson’s focus is on upgrading what was often a less-than-magical food experience at the restaurant’s predecessors and making everything from scratch where appropriate. “I don’t want mediocrity,” he vows. “It’s real prime rib in the French dip. We hand-bread the chicken tenders.” He’s experimenting with a housemade jalapeño corn-brat. “We want to offer food you can’t get anywhere else.” And now, you can get a drink with it. Breakfast launches Thursday, June 7, and going forward, Stage Left Grille plans to keep evening hours whenever there’s a show at the Sheldon and Powell Hall, not just the Fox. Eventually, Anderson says, they’d like to be open six days a week for three meals. “I’ve been in business 34 years,” he says. “I want a place I can retire from. I want this to be it.” n

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[BEER]

Twisted Roots Wants to Be Your Corner Pub Written by

SARAH FENSKE

irst things first: Do not approach Twisted Roots Brewing Co. (3690 Forest Park Avenue, 314-449-6363) expecting craft-beer snobbery. There is no talk of Belgium or Munich here. The brewers have no distribution dreams. And if you want an American-style lager — something that may remind you of, say, Budweiser — they’ve got one of their own on tap. They’re proudly offering something for everyone, not unveiling their vision of what great beer should be. “We are not a brewery,” explains co-owner Kris Wangelin. “We are a bar that makes our own beer.” Indeed, Twisted Roots — which quietly opened its doors on May 17 — has a markedly different vibe than many other St. Louis breweries. Rather than a small handful of taps designed to show mastery of a particular style, Wangelin and co-owner Adam Patterson intend to demonstrate a dizzying range. They’ve got no less than fourteen taps, all of their own beer, and intend to keep changing things up as they go. They’re also offering a small but comprehensive menu, including a handful of bar food, smash burgers, salads and sandwiches, all for $10 or less. And if you want a glass of wine, or even a shot of Fireball — hey, they’ll pour either, the latter for just $3 every time a fire engine races by, a tribute to the firehouse just down the street. It’s a big change from the serious, beer-exclusive approach shown by many breweries. The pair see themselves as the wave of the future. As the craft brewing market becomes more saturated, the idea of becoming the next Schlafly an unlikely dream for all but the most fortunate, they believe more brewers will get back to what motivated them in the first place: serving

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Three of Twisted Roots’ current offerings: a lite American lager, an Irish extra stout and a mango-saturated pale ale. | SARAH FENSKE

customers and talking about beer. “It’s become a rat race,” Patterson says of the craft-beer scene. The two would know. They originally met when Wangelin was

“We are not a brewery. We are a bar that makes our own beer.” working at a home-brewing shop frequented by Patterson — even as Patterson worked at a bar that Wangelin liked to visit. Eventually, both ended up working at 4204 Main Street Brewing in Belleville, which Patterson says has been one of the fastest-growing breweries in the Midwest in recent years. “We were working 80-hour-plus weeks,” he says. “What we weren’t doing was brewing for fun.” Still, both say the experience was invaluable. They learned a ton. Setting up an operation like Twisted Roots with its four-barrel system, Patterson says, feels like going back to the minor leagues

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after a run in the majors. “You don’t lose the fundamentals,” he points out. “You’re maybe just able to have a little bit more fun.” He adds, “Having a bar is why I got into brewing.” To that end, everything about Twisted Roots is designed with friendly conversation in mind. The partners (along with co-owners Rick and Sandy Patterson, who happen to be Adam Patterson’s parents) took down the big dark booths that cordoned off tables at Pappo’s, the pizzeria previously on site, and repurposed the wood into communal tables. They also renovated the bar so that the taps are front-facing; that way, the bartender can pour a draft without having to turn his back to the customers. There are no servers, but the kitchen (helmed by Carlos Hayden) keeps the food coming quickly if you put in an order with the bartender. There’s room for about 50 people on the main floor; they hope to open a second floor too for overflow, as well as a patio outside come fall. During months of construction (and as they brewed all those beers now offered on their taps), Wangelin and Patterson very consciously kept the doors unlocked. The neighbors who got in the

habit of stopping by to check up on their progress are now among their customers. There are many loft-dwellers living in walking distance, they say, in addition to college and grad students, and so far, the idea of a neighborhood bar has proven quite popular. The partners happily finish each other’s sentences as they explain their philosophy. Says Patterson, “We’ll play games if we need to, but we don’t put on the TV for the sake of TV.” “We’d rather have people come over and get to know their neighbors,” says Wangelin. “We’ve got these communal tables for a reason.” “We had some guys in here the other night who all lived in the same building, but they’d never met each other until they came over here,” Patterson adds. “Seeing we’re having that kind of impact on the neighborhood already,” finishes Wangelin, “is really great.” Twisted Roots Brewing Co. is open seven days a week — 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours may change but are currently 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. n

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restaurants • shopping • arts • music

History of the Area 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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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

Keene, she says, rushed over from Bastille to help. “He saw I was falling, and saw the commotion. I think Peyton assumed they were fighting with me as well,” she says. They weren’t. But while Keene was helping Baklor to her feet, the combatants turned their brawling attention to the bartender.

[IN MEMORIAM]

R.I.P. Peyton Keene, Bastille Bartender

Keene was more than just a good bartender who kept the drinks flowing and parties partying — he was a source of advice, humor and compassion.

Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI & CAMILLE RESPESS

n an outpouring of grief, bar patrons and friends of Peyton Keene took to social media last week to mourn, reminisce and mark their shock at the violent death of the well-liked bartender at Soulard’s Bastille Bar and Grill. According to a police incident report, Keene — who is named in the report as John Keene — was discovered just after midnight on the morning of Tuesday, May 29, after officers responded to reports of a shooting. At 12:18 a.m., officers found Keene at Russell Boulevard and Menard Street, directly in front of the nightclub where he worked, a longtime gathering place for the area’s LGBT community. Keene had been shot in the abdomen. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Some social media posts have claimed that Keene’s death was related to a drive-by shooting, but RFT has so far been unable to confirm the circumstances behind the shooting. Police did not release any additional details in response to questions sent to the department. The investigation is being led by the city’s homicide division. Keene worked as a bartender at Bastille for fifteen years. He had a knack for instantly bonding with people, says Bill Stephens, who first met Keene a few years ago. “He was such an incredibly kind man to me during a formative time when I needed kindness,” Stephens wrote in a Facebook post. “Nobody deserves this, least of all Peyton.” In an interview with RFT, Stephens remarked that Keene was more than just a good bartend-

Peyton Keene had a reputation for always lending an ear. | VIA FACEBOOK

er who kept the drinks flowing and parties partying — he was a source of advice, humor and compassion. Keene remembered your name and made you feel appreciated. He treated you like a person. “He knew you with a capital K,” Stephens says. “Whenever you’d converse with him, he never made you feel left out, or singled out either.” Stephens says that this shooting is already impacting the local LGBT community. It’s more than just the loss of a beloved bartender; Stephens notes that violence perpetrated around an LGBT gathering place like the Bastille “pierces the very core of a community whose liberation started at a bar.” It’s a trigger of communal trauma, he adds, one that goes back to the Stonewall riots. “We are a small community founded out of

bars,” he observes. Diane Baklor has been working near the intersection of Russell and Menard for more than three decades. Baklor, the longtime owner of Remember Me Vintage Clothing & Costumes, which is located across the street from Bastille, remembers Keene as “evenkeeled.” “Some people get angry now and then, but he’s just a warmnatured human being,” she says. “He smiled at everyone.” Despite his generally mild temperament, Baklor notes that Keene was also courageous. This past February, a group of men got into an altercation outside a different bar nearby. Coincidentally, at the moment punches were flying, Baklor was leaving her shop and walking to her car when she tripped.

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“These guys were jumping into their car to leave, which was in front of my car where [Keene] and I were standing,” she continues, “and they attacked him for no reason. They ran past him and just automatically punched him in the face.” Baklor says Keene was left bloodied and bruised, but he still had the wherewithal take a photo of the license plate on the getaway car. Baklor stresses that she doesn’t have any indication that the February incident is related to the shooting. But Keene’s courage in the fracas goes to show the sort of person he was. “His natural instinct was to help me,” she says. A person who answered the phone at Bastille declined to connect us with the owner, saying it was not a good time. A friend of Keene’s has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for his funeral, which can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/5lxt60w. “His family and our community needs help to provide him the funeral he deserves,” wrote organizer Rusty Woody. “Please donate what you can. Every bit helps.” n

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

“Sometimes a kid on the street wants to know what I’m doing, and I’ll ask them to pick up a lid and hit it. I’d think that was cool if I was a little kid.”

[HOMESPUN]

Man on the Street Solo percussionist Drew Gowran aims to make music wherever he possibly can Written by

THOMAS CRONE

hen he’s tucked into the deep, glass-and-tile entryway at the former home of Melt on Cherokee Street, solo percussionist Drew Gowran tends to draw a crowd. “I do that at least once or twice a week,” the soft-spoken Gowran says, noting the righteous acoustics of that particular storefront and the social interactions it tends to birth. “I’ve met so many people on the street because of that. It basically invites all the outcasts and weirdos onto the street to gather and hang out there. It’s like a safe space, almost. It’s peaceful. The people come out of whatever’s happening at 2720 and will sit Indian-style and close their eyes; I’ve experienced that a few times. It’s nice.” It’s not his only spot to set up and play — there have been gigs near Busch Stadium and under bridges downtown, and in shady nooks of Tower Grove Park. Sometimes these are done for crowds, sometimes for livestreaming on Facebook — but regardless, it’s where he feels at home as a performer. Even though people near Melt have been most accustomed to seeing his setup, he’s still answering the expected questions in between what are frequently tenor twenty-minute sets. Those questions come at the rate of “all the time,” Gowran says. “They want to know how I started doing this and what I’m using. I just tell them they’re cast-iron aluminum pots and lids. Some auxiliary sleigh bells, goat bells, brass bells, stuff from India. The rest is recycled Christmas decorations, things I find on eBay; 90 percent of the stuff I use is kitchenware. I interact with people a lot and, sometimes, I end up teaching a field trip. Like, I was at Soulard Market and a group of 30 to 50 first- and second-graders showed up and I demonstrated it all for them.

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Drew Gowran can be found throughout St. Louis banging on all manner of kitchenware. | THEO WELLING

Sometimes a random kid on the street wants to know what I’m doing, and I’ll ask them to pick up a lid and hit it. I’d think that was cool if I was a little kid — it’s something I’d remember.” Over the past couple of months, Gowran’s been busy, with a few different projects moving from the phase of thought-only to executed reality. He spent a month playing in Sunday afternoon, firsttime-together duos at Kismet Creative Center. He recorded a video session during Lo-Fi Cherokee’s 2018 outing, and a friend, Randy Shinn, has been tracking his street performances for a short documentary. Occasionally he’s jumped on a club bill, too; for those, he can add a loop pedal and amp to his allacoustic street configuration. And

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Gowran has continued working as the booking agent of the slightly mysterious El Lenador, the onagain-off-again Cherokee Street venue, where he focuses on bringing in unique shows, shooting for at least one event per weekend. Recently, he released a cassette tape called Dismantle, recorded in January of this year by Mark Cange. The seven-track work helps Gowran extend the conversations that he engages in on the street, providing a physical artifact by which to remember those interactions. “People think it’s dope,” he says. “They really like the cover image [shot by regular RFT contributor Theo Welling]. I dunno, I think people buy the tape and may listen to it once. Some may never listen to it. Whatever the tape

sounds like, that’s what I sounded like seven months ago. It’s still pure and beautiful and sounds interesting, especially on tape.” It’s something that he’ll be able to sell on the road, too. In late June, Gowran will head out on a week-long, six-city tour of the upper Midwest. His goal is to continue working as a solo artist, in traditional clubs (at times), nontraditional venues like galleries (preferred), or (best of all) out in the streets, wherever those may be. “It’s important to put yourself out there, in every place you can,” he says. “But I definitely think that if you’re capable of using your instrument on the street, it’ll change the way you perform and interact with people. There’s something unique about it; there’s no support and people are just passing you by. It makes you very vulnerable, but it’s also empowering. You have to believe in yourself to do it, since it’s not like people are out there cheering you on. You start to think about your music differently when you’re not playing for friends or when in front of people not used to hearing something like this. “It’s something I’ll do as long as I’m playing music,” he continues. “I’ll remain doing it. I can take my lids and play in the street. I don’t have to contact a venue or ask permission. I can meet people in the street and make money. Once I’m in the moment, I’m just there to create sound and escape and interact with the things I see and hear out in that street. I don’t do it to be overbearing, but to go with the flow of how things already are.” A downloadable version of Dismantle is available at https://drewgowran.bandcamp.com/.

It’s Always a Party!

duke’s Justin Luke, easily one of the funniest people in St. Louis. | NATHAN PARKER

[COMEDY]

Standup Guy Justin Luke Lands on His Feet Written by

THOMAS CRONE

ou’re never too young for an existential crisis. Just ask local comedian Justin Luke, who, at 23, is adjusting to life as a working man, with a daily gig as a coder. After a stint at the St. Louis-based training center LaunchCode, the young man moved immediately into the workforce — which is exactly what the program is meant to accomplish. Unfortunately, though, work has also claimed no small measure of his time, which formerly was given over to hitting local open mics

on a near-nightly basis. On those rounds, Luke has proven himself over the past five years as one of St. Louis’ funniest human beings. “I’m in a weird place with standup,” he says. “When I went to LaunchCode I had to take a break, and then I started a job doing that and I’ve been at it for two months now. I’ve never had a nine-to-five job before, and I’m having some trouble adjusting to it. There’s comedy stuff I do every once in a while. Like, I was just in Milwaukee for the Cream City Comedy Festival. Last night, I went to Crow’s Nest, but I hadn’t done any standup since coming back from Milwaukee. I’m trying to gain the balance of where I can find time to do comedy and have this job. I dunno, it’s interesting.” His day job is yielding, at the very least, material. At the Crow’s Nest, for example, Luke launched into a hilarious bit about the seven-hour stay of a sealed Dr. Pepper can in the office bathroom. It’s a simple idea, brought to life by the oversized enthusiasm that Luke gives his material. Observational humor has always been in his bag of tricks. When he’s on, Luke is able to

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

Continued on pg 50

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JUSTIN LUKE

Continued from pg 49

control a room through sheer power of voice, calling out those not in the moment, wandering into the audience just close enough to get attention. But as a classic self-critic, Luke’s not completely satisfied. “There are moments, even here [at work], where I think. ‘That’s good, but you can get better,’” he says. “I’ve been trying more lately to not feel this imposter syndrome. I worried that I wasn’t just good enough for the job. Well, no. I did this and I did that and I’m good enough for the job. And I’m working to apply that to my standup. I am good enough to be there. I’m still funny. In Milwaukee, the show was at a huge venue, and half the room was paying attention and the other half was talking as loudly as they could. I got to silencing that crowd and had them enjoy my set. I can sit back and enjoy that. The feeling that you deserve it and deserve to be wherever you are. And I’m working on getting that back.” Luke’s next opportunity is set for Wednesday, June 13, when he’ll take part in “Boondoggle.” It’ll be the sixth episode of a twoman show created by Aaron Sawyer, who returns to the Heavy Anchor every two months for a gig that combines standup, sketches, pre-recorded videos and a few threads that run throughout each performance, though each can be viewed as a standalone show. “When he did the first show in November of last year, he’d already planned out his guests for the next year,” Luke recalls. “He asked me way back in December and I was already on board; I was in love with the idea of the show. We met up after the show he did in April, and we were just pitching ideas on what we both thought was funny, what we could do. The last one had a TV executive come visit the show, so we started building with that. We got some video ideas, started filming those. “The challenge of the show,” Luke adds, “is that you’re creating with just two people.” In a sense, that challenge is something that Luke has built towards, having cut his teeth in St. Louis’ sketch-and-improv world. “When I started doing comedy almost six years ago, it was in groups of five or six,” he recalls. “I was working with Bare Knuckle Comedy and we’d figure out together how to do this thing. It’s easy to come up with a show in a month

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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when you’re working with six or seven people. But it’s very difficult to do with two people. To come up with an hour’s show with just two people is more difficult than I’d imagined; you really have to rely on each other, and you can’t falter. In a group show, if you’re slowing down, someone else can pick up the slack and the entire show’s going to be done. And you’re trying to keep yourself motivated over the course of two months. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve learned a lot about sketch writing.” Over the past few years, comedy shows in St. Louis have stretched beyond the typical one-microphone, three-comics approach, in large part due to smaller venues like Heavy Anchor and Foam giving new concepts a shot. Meanwhile, the Improv Shop’s arrival has coalesced the improv scene, with two professional stages that allow some shows to migrate from other rooms. Shows such as “Sorry, Please Continue,” “Fatal Bus Accident,” “Live Comedy DVD” and “Shut Up During the Movie” are consistently produced and as consistently funny. The arc is not lost on Luke, who began appearing on St. Louis stages just prior to this mini-renaissance. “What’s been really cool is that, when I started, there were standup shows and then you had Bare Knuckle Comedy using sketches and characters,” he recalls. “There was maybe one other show doing some sketch, but there weren’t a lot of venues. There are so many shows now that aren’t just standup, which lets you stretch your legs. That’s seriously cool. For ‘Boondoggle’ I actually have to rehearse, go over these lines and be directed, which is really cool, and an experience that a lot of comedians should have.” A few months back, Luke was on “Fatal Bus Accident” doing standup when something unexpected happened. Performing in the darkened space, he stepped just past the monitor riser, falling off the stage. Nimble as a cat, he landed on both feet, sticking the landing mid-joke. He told a couple more jokes down there, then used the moment as color throughout the rest of his set. What was near disaster became a riotous moment. There’s probably a metaphor in there. Justin Luke’s gonna figure it all out. He’s just too talented not to.

Boondoggle Episode Six: The Blacktop Jungle 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 13. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Avenue. $5. 314-352-5226.

STL’s Hottest Dance Party!

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

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

OUT EVERY NIGHT [CRITIC’S PICK]

Trashcan Sinatras. | MORT SHUMAN

YOU AND A GUEST ARE INVITED TO

Trashcan Sinatras

PLEASE VISIT WBTICKETS.COM AND ENTER THE CODE vvmSb52113 TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASSES! R for “language throughout, crude sexual content, drug use and brief nudity.” Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. No phone calls, please. Limit one pass per person. Each pass admits two. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theater is not responsible for overbooking. This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording. By attending, you agree not to bring any audio or video recording device into the theater (audio recording devices for credentialed press excepted) and consent to a physical search of your belongings and person. Any attempted use of recording devices will result in immediate removal from the theater, forfeiture, and may subject you to criminal and civil liability. Please allow additional time for heightened security. You can assist us by leaving all nonessential bags at home or in your vehicle.

Thursday June 7 9:30PM Urban Chestnut Presents

Alligator Wine’s Tribute To Jerry Garcia Friday June 8 10PM

Jason David Cooper Band Saturday June 9 10PM

Kofi Baker Band Ginger Baker’s Son Sunday June 10 8PM

Funky Knuckles Band

/TagtheMovie | #TAG

RIVERFRONT TIMES

once witty and elegiac, the band’s music

Scottish pop music has special place

the harmonies didn’t make you feel ev-

in the hearts of melody mavens and

ery moment like it was your last perfect,

jangle junkies. From Aztec Camera to

reverb-soaked glimpse of the sun. In all,

Orange Juice, Camera Obscura to Belle

the band defines what it means to age

and Sebastian, the Scots seemed to pick

gracefully into pop wisdom.

up where the Liverpudlians left off and

Starting Over: For its St. Louis show, the

never looked back. Formed in the mid

group returns to its first two albums, Cake

‘80s, Trashcan Sinatras remains the gold

and I’ve Seen Everything, which means

standard for this style, even as the group

you’ll have no fear of missing the hits.

THURSDAY 7

IN THEATERS JUNE 15 tagthemovie.com |

8 p.m. Wednesday, June 13. Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Boulevard, University City. $22 to $25 doors. 314-727-2277.

has never transcended cult status in the

TUESDAY, JUNE 12 7:00PM

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Wednesday June 13 9:30PM Urban Chestnut Presents

The Voodoo Players Tribute To Paul Simon Friday June 15 10PM

The Iguanas Tex-Mex from NOLA riverfronttimes.com

U.S. With a curious lyrical approach, at

ALEX ZAYAS BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BRENDAN MAYER: 8 p.m., $12-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. THE CADILLAC THREE: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. EVERYTHING EVERYTHING: w/ Sego 8 p.m., $16$18. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. GLACIAL TOMB: w/ Immortal Bird, Bastard, Grand Inquisitor 8 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. IVAS JOHN & BRIAN CURRAN: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE MAVERICKS: 8 p.m., $55-$60. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. REAL ESTATE: w/ Habibi 8 p.m., $18-$20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. TWANGFEST 22: RAY WYLIE HUBBARD: w/ Luke Winslow-King, Sleepy Rubies 8 p.m., $22-$25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314498-6989. WONKY TONK AND THE HIGHLIFE: w/ Allie Vogler & the Dirty Details, Bobby Stevens 8 p.m., $6. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

FRIDAY 8

BIG MIKE AGUIRRE: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. DAVID BYRNE: 6 p.m., $40-$175. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600. FINAL VEIL: w/ Paperkite, Archdragon 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St.

is filled with longing that would feel impossibly nostalgic, even anachronistic, if

—Roy Kasten

Louis, 314-352-5226. THE HOLIFIELDS: w/ Dryads 9:30 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. HOT 104.1 SUPER JAM 2018: w/ Post Malone, 21 Savage, Remy Ma, SOB X RBE, DJ Luke Nasty, Derez De’Shon 2 p.m., $29.50-$85. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. HURT RUSSELL: w/ MA HOLOS, Boreal Hills 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. KILBORN ALLEY BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THE MELVIN TURNAGE BAND: 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. NICK SWARDSON: 8 p.m., $39.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. SISSER: w/ MotherFather, Subtropolis, Hands And Feet 8 p.m., $5. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. SO THIS IS SUFFERING: w/ Lack Of Remorse, Reign, Anima/Animus, The Nokturnal, Electric Bear Trap 6 p.m., $10-$13. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. 2018 SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL AND ACADEMY: 7 p.m., $25-$35. Innsbrook Conference Ctr., 5 mi. S. of I-70 on Highway F, Wright City, 636-9283366. TWANGFEST 22: NIKKI LANE: w/ Lillie Mae, Jack Grelle 8 p.m., $22. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. VALLEY: w/ Murtaugh, Railhazer, Ox Braker 8 p.m., $8-$10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

VOTED STL’S FAVORITE WINGS & FAVORITE APPETIZERS SATURDAY 9

ANI DIFRANCO: w/ Haley Heynderickx 8 p.m., $35-$40. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. ANIMAL YEARS: 8 p.m., $10-$13. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775. BLACK PUSSY: w/ Spark Thugs, Custom Black, Rover 9 p.m., $12-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. BLVCK SPVDE: w/ ScienZe, Mistresses 8 p.m., $7. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., St. Louis. BREWTOPIA: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300. BROTHER JEFFERSON BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BURDENED: w/ Better Days, Chalked Up 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. GRACE BASEMENT: 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521. KELLY LATIMORE: w/ Mikey Trieb 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. KEY GRIP: w/ Bagheera, The Potomac Accord 9 p.m., free. Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, 4465 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-222-0143. KSHE PIG ROAST 2018: w/ Charlie Daniels Band, Dave Mason, Marshall Tucker Band, the Outlaws, Poco, Rick Derringer, Molly Hatchet 3 p.m., $19.95-$150. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944. LARRY GRIFFIN & ERIC MCSPADDEN: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LOCALS ONLY: 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. MATT “THE RATTLESNAKE” LESCH: 8 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061. ORPHAN WELLES: w/ Mene Mene, Party Dress 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309. REVEREND HORTON HEAT: w/ Big Sandy, Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones 8 p.m., $22-$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-5880505. SCHOOL OF ROCK: 6 p.m., $8. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. T-DUBB-O,: w/ Hittamane, Big Lou, Spotlite, Gwuala Stackz, Mona Linski, Trap Dawgs, Cold Kase, Da Money Counters 9 p.m., $5-$10. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. THAT PURPLE STUFF: A TRIBUTE TO PRINCE: 8 p.m., $5-$10. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. TRIBUTE TO J.J. JOHNSON: w/ Jazz Edge Orchestra 7 p.m., $15-$25. Emerson Performance Center, 3026 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, 314-340-5971. TWANGFEST 22: THE BOTTLE ROCKETS: w/ Sarah Borges, Eric Ambel, Ryan Koenig 8 p.m., $22. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314498-6989.

SUNDAY 10

BILLY BARNETT BAND: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. BLACK & WHITE BAND: 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. BLOODSTONE: 6 p.m., $62.50-$375. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, 314533-0367. FIRST AID KIT: w/ Jade Bird 8 p.m., $30-$32.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. INDIGO GIRLS WITH THE SLSO: 7 p.m., $40-$125. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, 314534-1700. THE LONELY BISCUITS: w/ Pono AM 7 p.m., $12$15. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-935-7003. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz,

[WEEKEND]

BEST BETS

Five sure-fire shows to close out the week

FRIDAY, JUNE 8 Hot 104.1 Super Jam 2018 w/ Post Malone, 21 Savage, Remy Ma, SOB X RBE, DJ Luke Nasty, Derez De’Shon 5:30 p.m. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights. $29.50 to $95. 314-298-9944.

Super Jam is the big one for Hot 104.1, a station that broadcasts top R&B and hip-hop to every corner of St. Louis. This show not only celebrates a cultural beacon, it serves up something of a mini-festival, with trap supernova Post Malone at the top of the mountain. The roster here is mostly a mainstream wash that dominates iTunes, Spotify and whatever other streaming service one might use (ironically to a local radio station’s dismay). But that’s OK, because a day like this is meant to connect people with music despite the preferred method of delivery. Though the lineup is skewed to rap, every act brings its own flavor to the mix.

Hurt Russell w/ Ma Holos, Boreal Hills

9 p.m. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway. $5. 314-328-2309. The Kansas City natives in Hurt Russell make no distinction between pop and what’s punk. That’s not to say the band is the oh-so-loved genre of pop punk — we’d say it falls squarely in a rock category — but the lo-fi aesthetic might be a barrier to entry for the jangly melodies. What Hurt Russell does best is barrel forward with a lackadaisical charm, running through a warm, reverb-soaked set of strong leads and headbangable beats. Yes, “headbangable” is in the dictionary. Look it up.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9

Dana T w/ QuicheNight, Karen Meat, Mother Meat, Lil Smokie

8 p.m. El Lenador, 3124 Cherokee Street. $5. 314875-9955. With painstakingly hand-drawn art in every frame, the video for “NSA (Better Than You Know Yourself)” should have already made Dana T a viral star. Sure, it’s only a month past its release, but the scrupulous songcraft combined with what looks like thousands of drawings lifted from the notebook of an over-caffeinated eight-year-old — a talented one at that — is both a sight and sound to behold. The single itself is a perfect Continued on pg 64

Make Good Times Your Weekend Destination 200 N. MAIN, DUPO, IL @GOODTIMES.PATIO.BAR riverfronttimes.com

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. MISS JUBILEE: 2 p.m., free. Kirkwood Public Library, 140 E. Jefferson, St. Louis, 314-821-5770. SHAUN MARTIN OF SNARKY PUPPY: 8 p.m., $13$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

MONDAY 11

ADORATION DESTROYED: w/ FIRES, Xentrifuge 9 p.m., $10. The Crack Fox, 1114 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-621-6900. D.O.A., MDC: 8 p.m., $16-$20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DRAMA MOTH: w/ Party Dress 7:30 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. MUSIC UNLIMITED BAND: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222.

TUESDAY 12

CUPCAKKE: 8 p.m., $25-$30. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. DROPKICK MURPHYS, FLOGGING MOLLY: 7 p.m., $45-$75. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. FLEECE: w/ Jeske Park, Angel Food 7 p.m., $8-$10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis,

[CRITIC’S PICK]

MDC 8 p.m. Monday, June 11. Fubar, 3108 Locust Street. $16 to $20. 314-289-9050. It should come as little shock to anyone who’s been paying attention that MDC re-

314-535-0353. JOE METZKA BAND: 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. KID KOSHER: w/ Josh Clark, TOXIK CULTR, Where’s Will Tho? 8 p.m., $5. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center, 2720 Cherokee St, St. Louis, 314-276-2700. MIDDLE KIDS: 8 p.m., $12-$14. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. SIR THE BAPTIST: 8 p.m., $15-$18. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. THE SLOW POISONER: w/ Bassamp and Dano, Googolplexia 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

WEDNESDAY 13

ASTRAGAL: w/ Sad Cops, Holy Posers, Yuppy 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. BOONDOGGLE: A TWO-MAN COMEDY SHOW: 9 p.m., $5. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226. MARAH IN THE MAINSAIL: w/ Scarlet Tanager, Freethinker 8 p.m., $12-$15. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. REST, REPOSE: w/ Drewsif, The Home Team, Broken Youth, Conman Economy 6 p.m., $13-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. SHANIA TWAIN: 8 p.m., $28-$496. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-2411888. SINK IN: w/ Malibu 7 p.m., $10-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. TRASHCAN SINATRAS: 8 p.m., $22-$25. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. U.S. BOMBS: w/ Maximum Effort, Soy City Stranglers, Suicide Dive 8 p.m., $16-$18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

leased its first new album in more than a decade in the age of Trump — the band’s far-left political leanings have been an inextricable part of its DNA since it got its start in 1979. The words behind its initials, which change frequently with the band’s mood, tend to follow a discernible theme: Millions of Dead Cops, Multi Death Corporations, Magnus Dominus Corpus (which the band translates to mean “corpses of the ultimate dominators”) all let you know exactly where MDC stands. 2017’s not-so-subtly titled Mein Trumpf does the same, opening with a song asserting that our reality-TV-starin-chief is “criminally insane” and closing with a “no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” chant on its finale (a phrase that has popped up at protests across the country, and one based on a lyric from MDC’s own 1982 track “Born to Die,” with the Orange One’s surname replacing the word “war”). Regardless of the decade, the message remains the same, and MDC still delivers that message with all the hardcore-punk urgency fans have come to expect. Alphabet Boys: Canada’s D.O.A., itself credited for helping to give birth to hardcore punk as a genre in the late ‘70s, will be co-headlining the show. —Daniel Hill

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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THIS JUST IN (HED) P. E.: Tue., Aug. 28, 7 p.m., $15-$17. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. A TRIBUTE TO THE QUEENS OF NEO SOUL 2.0: SPOTLIGHT ON LAURYN HILL: Mon., July 30, 6 p.m., $20. Backstreet Jazz & Blues, 610 Westport Plaza, Maryland Heights, 314-878-5800. THE ANCHOR: W/ Vrsty, Bridges, The Underground Lemon Experience, Thu., June 14, 7 p.m., $10-$13. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ANITA BAKER: Sun., July 22, 7 p.m., $59.50-$195. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. ANNALYSE CROWDUS: W/ Rachel Deschaine, Amber Skies, Eric Bolander Music, Bobby Stevens, Sat., June 30, 7 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. APARNA NANCHERLA: Sat., Aug. 4, 8 p.m., $30. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. ARCADIA DANCE ORCHESTRA: Sun., July 15, 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. ATTILA: W/ Suicide Silence, Rings Of Saturn, Volumes, Spite, Tue., July 17, 7 p.m., $25. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. BIG MUDDY BLUES FESTIVAL 2018: W/ Marquise Knox, Barbara Carr, Big George Brock, Uvee Hayes, Boo Boo Davis, Kim Massie, Roland Johnson, Love Jones Band, Marcell Strong, Renee Smith, Torey Casey and the Southside Hustle, Kingdom Brothers, Skeet Rogers and the Inner City Blues Band, Big Mike and the Blu City All Stars, Al Holliday and the East Side Rhythm Band, Papa Ray and the Soul Selectors, Soulard Blues Band, Ptah Williams, Melissa Neels Band, Aaron Griffin, Tonina, Philip “Dr. Philgood” Graves, Fri., Aug. 31, 5 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 1, 2 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 2, 2 p.m., $10-$25. Laclede’s Landing, N. First St. & Lucas Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-5875. BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 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. BIRDS IN ROW: W/ Portrayal of Guilt, Coffin Fit, Tue., July 24, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108

[CRITIC’S PICK]

First Aid Kit. | NEIL KRUG

First Aid Kit

sound. Gone, at last, is the novelty of

8 p.m. Sunday, June 10. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard. $30. 314-726-6161.

these Swedish sisters singing so clearly

It’s no surprise that Ruins, First Aid

Linda Ronstadt, and what remains is a

Kit’s 2018 album, retains many of the

mature, immaculately produced set of

charms as its three predecessors. If

songs, thanks in part to super-produc-

anything, the four-year wait between al-

er Tucker Martine’s work behind the

bums made our collective hearts grow

board.

fonder for sisters Klara and Johanna

New Bird: Jade Bird, whose steady trick-

Soderberg. And their keen sense of

le of singles continues to showcase the

harmony, the not-so-secret weapon that

depths of a truly powerhouse voice, will

made the duo such a hit to begin with,

open the show.

in the tradition of Emmylou Harris and

remains at the core of First Aid Kit’s

—Christian Schaeffer

Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. THE BONBON PLOT: Fri., July 13, 7 p.m., free. Evangeline’s, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314367-3644. BRANDON SANTINI BLUES BAND: Fri., June 29, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CHARLES TINER: Fri., June 22, 6:30 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. CHEETAH PRINT: W/ Good News, Wed., July 11, 9 p.m., $5-$7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. CHIEF KEEF: Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m., $30-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. CHIN UP, KID: W/ Rain In July, Treading Oceans, The Cinema Story, Eat. Sleep. Catapult., KerplunK, Sat., July 14, 7 p.m., $8-$10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. DIESEL ISLAND: Sat., June 30, noon, free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-4986989. EDGE OF REALITY: W/ Bridges, Eyes From Above, Fri., Oct. 5, 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. ESSENTIAL KNOTS SINGLE RELEASE: W/ Paige Alyssa, Thu., June 28, 8 p.m., $8. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-7722100. FASTER PUSSYCAT: W/ Don Jamieson, Axeticy, Torchlight Parade, Thu., July 19, 7 p.m., $20$22. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-2899050. FLINT EASTWOOD: Sat., Sept. 22, 7 p.m., $10-$13. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N Grand Blvd, St. Louis, 314-533-0367. GRAMMA: W/ Harper’s Jar, The Public, The Slow Boys, Mon., July 2, 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-7722100. HALEY HEYNDERICKX: W/ Le’Ponds, Wed., July

11, 7 p.m., $12-$15. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-935-7003. HOODRICH PABLO JUAN: Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $20$22. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. HOTEL TEN EYES: Fri., July 6, 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. HYDRA PLANE: W/ Daytime Television, Bounce House, Josie Voyer, Wed., July 4, 7 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. IDLES: W/ Bambara, Sat., Sept. 29, 8 p.m., $14-$16. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444. JACKOPIERCE NIGHT ONE: Fri., Oct. 26, 8 p.m., $40-$50. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. JACKOPIERCE NIGHT TWO: Sat., Oct. 27, 8 p.m., $40-$50. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. JC AND THE NUNS: W/ The Langaleers, Little Cowboy, Sat., July 14, 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. JET BLACK ALLEY CAT: W/ Sleeptalk, DBMK, TREY, Z-Major, Fri., July 27, 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. JOSH GARRETT BAND: Thu., June 28, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. 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. LEROY PIERSON: Fri., June 29, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., June 24, 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MARISSA ANDERSON: Sat., July 14, 7 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St.

Louis, 314-772-2100. MARQUISE KNOX BLUES BAND: Sat., June 23, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. MELISSA ETHERIDGE: Thu., June 28, 7 p.m., $65$125. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900. THE MELVIN TURNAGE BAND: Fri., June 8, 9 p.m., free. 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Cafe, 1860 S. Ninth St., St. Louis, 314-231-1860. 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. NO BS! BRASS BAND: Wed., Aug. 1, 8 p.m., $13$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. OSO OSO: W/ Queen Of Jeans, Lobby Boxer, Young Animals, Thu., July 5, 7 p.m., $12-$14. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. PEPPERLAND: Fri., June 29, 8 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. RA CHILD: W/ Ew, Raine Raine, Fri., June 22, 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. RENTED ROOMS: W/ Dibiase, Fri., June 15, 8 p.m., $8-$10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353. RIVER CITY OPRY: JUNE EDITION: Sun., June 17, 1 p.m., $5. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. ROCKY & THE WRANGLERS: Sat., June 23, 4 p.m., $5. Sat., June 30, 4 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-4365222. RYAN KOENIG AND FRIENDS: Sun., June 24, 1 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989. 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. SAMMY BRUE: W/ Pearl Charles, Cara Louise Band, Tue., Aug. 14, 7 p.m., $10-$13. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. SCARFACE: W/ DJ Quik, Sat., July 14, 8 p.m., $35$45. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. SHARI PUORTO BAND: Fri., June 22, 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. SISTER WIZZARD: W/ Cara Louise Band, Zigtebra, CaveofswordS, Thu., July 5, 9 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100. SIXES HIGH CD RELEASE: W/ Echoes From Ashes, Postal Modern, Auburn Kiss, Frago, Sat., July 7, 7 p.m., $5-$8. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. SLEEPING WITH SIRENS: W/ The Rocket Summer, Kulick, Tue., Aug. 7, 7 p.m., $22-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. SOCIAL DISTORTION: W/ Low Cut Connie, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Thu., June 28, 8 p.m., $35-$175. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. STEVE MARTIN AND MARTIN SHORT: W/ I’m With Her, Jeff Babko, Sat., Dec. 1, 8 p.m., $60-$265. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111. THE BOBBY STEVENS BAND: W/ Nick Gusman, Bucko Toby, Wed., June 20, 8 p.m., $3. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929. THIRD SIGHT “SPECIAL EDITION”: Mon., June 25, 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. THRICE: W/ The Bronx, Teenage Wrist, Sat., Oct. 13, 8 p.m., $23-$28. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. TOM HALL: Sat., June 30, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314436-5222. TORREY CASEY & SOUTHSIDE HUSTLE: Sat., June 30, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222. 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. TRIBUTE TO J.J. JOHNSON: W/ Jazz Edge Orchestra, Sat., June 9, 7 p.m., $15-$25. Emerson Performance Center, 3026 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, 314-340-5971. TWISTED INSANE: W/ Anakin, ODDITY, Jay Edd,

riverfronttimes.com

Yerrty G, Retro Champ, Main Event, Deezy Da Paperboy, RGD, Tue., June 19, 6 p.m., $10-$12. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720. TYLER CHILDERS: Wed., Nov. 14, 8 p.m., $18-$21. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. U.S. BOMBS: W/ Maximum Effort, Soy City Stranglers, Suicide Dive, Wed., June 13, 8 p.m., $16-$18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314289-9050. WALK OFF THE EARTH: Sat., Nov. 10, 8 p.m., $32.50-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161. WALKNEY: W/ Pollyanna, Sun., Aug. 26, 6 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-2899050. WHITE DENIM: Tue., Sept. 11, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050. YELAWOLF: W/ Waylon & Willie, Wed., Aug. 8, 8 p.m., $25. Pop’s Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

WEEKEND Continued from pg 53 primer for Harsh Forever, the Iowa songwriter’s follow-up to his 2015 opus Tiny Mind Massive Soul. This show just so happens to be a double release show for that very record, along with the latest album from Karen Meat, the duo of Arin Eaton and Dana T himself.

KSHE Pig Roast 2018 w/ Charlie Daniels Band, Dave Mason, Marshall Tucker Band, the Outlaws, Poco, Rick Derringer, Molly Hatchet 4:30 p.m. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights. $19.95 to $150. 314-298-9944.

KSHE’s Pig Roast is the Super Bowl of big arena rock shows, though that analogy works best if you replace the commercials with the sights seen across the massive lawn seating. Charlie Daniels Band and Rick Derringer on the same show is sure to bring out the best in people, assuming you have a loose definition of “best.” Either way, this will be a party with freak flags and plastic party cups — the kind with overpriced beer inside — held high in sky. A judgmentfree zone, to be sure.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10

Indigo Girls with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

7 p.m. Powell Hall, 718 North Grand Boulevard. $40 to $125. 314-534-1700. In this tour, the Indigo Girls teams up with an orchestra to amplify its infectious folk rock. Putting a magnifying glass to what are at core songs sung with an acoustic guitar allows a great freedom for new arrangements. The Atlanta duo reaches through a storied history of songwriting dating back to 1985 to build something far beyond a typical concert experience. Both longtime and new fans alike are along for a ride that travels through three decades of a catalog made even more stellar by what has to be the best backing band ever. Each week we bring you our picks for the best concerts of the weekend. To submit your show for consideration, visit riverfronttimes. com/stlouis/Events/AddEvent. All events subject to change; check with the venue for the most up-to-date information.

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

j u ne 6 - 1 2 , 2 0 1 8

riverfronttimes.com

SAVAGE LOVE SHAMEFUL BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’ve been married to my husband for two years. Five months into our relationship (before we got married), he confessed that he was an adult baby. I was so grossed out, I was literally ill. (Why would this great guy want to be like this?) I told him he would have to choose: diapers or me. He chose me. I believed him and married him. Shortly before the birth of our child, I found out that he’d been looking at diaper porn online. I lost it. He apologized and said he’d never look at diaper porn again. Once I was free to have sex again after the birth, it was like he wasn’t into it. When I asked what the deal was, he told me he wasn’t into sex because diapers weren’t involved. I broke down, and he agreed to talk to a counselor. But on the day we were supposed to go, he was mad about every little thing I did and then said he wasn’t going! I went crazy and called his mom and told her everything, and she said she found a diaper under his bed when he was seven! After this crisis, he agreed to work things out, but then I found adult-size diapers in the house — and not for the first time! I took a picture and sent it to him, and he told me that he was tired of me controlling him and he is going to do this when he wants. He also said he was mad at me for telling his mom. I told him no, absolutely not, he cannot do this. Then I found adult-size diapers in the house again this morning and freaked out. He says he never wants to discuss diapers with me again, and I’m afraid he might choose them over me! Please give me advice on how to make him understand that this is not him! This is who he chooses to be! And he doesn’t have to be this way! Married A Disgusting Diaper Lover First, MADDL, let’s calmly discuss this with a shrink. “There’s a fair bit of controversy over whether people can suppress fetishistic desires like this — and whether it’s healthy to ask them to do so,” said Dr. David Ley, a clini-

cal psychologist, author and AASECT-certified sex therapist. “Personally, I believe in some cases, depending on the support of their environment and personal relationships, it is possible, but only when these desires are relatively mild in intensity.” Your husband’s interest in diapers — which would seem to go all the way back to at least age seven — can’t be described as mild. “Given the apparent strength and persistence of her husband’s interest, I think it unlikely that suppression could ever be successful,” said Dr. Ley. “In this case, I think MADDL’s desire for her husband to have sexual desires she agrees with in order for her to be married to him is a form of sexual extortion, i.e., ‘If you love me and want to be with me, you’ll give up this sexual interest that I find disgusting.’ Without empathy, mutual respect, communication, unconditional love and willingness to negotiate and accommodate compromises and win-win solutions, this couple is doomed, regardless of diapers under the bed.” Now let’s bring in a voice you rarely hear when diaper fetishists are being discussed: an actual diaper fetishist. “The common misconception with ABDL (adult baby diaper lovers) is that they are into inappropriate things — like having an interest in children — and this couldn’t be more wrong,” said Pup Jackson, a twentysomething diaper lover and kink educator. “AB is not always sexual. Sometimes it’s a way for a person to disconnect from their adult life and become someone else. With DLs, they aren’t necessarily into age play — they enjoy diapers and the way they feel, much like people enjoy rubber, Lycra or other materials. To understand her husband, MADDL needs to ask questions about why her husband enjoys diapers and figure out how to deal with it — because a lot of people want/need these kinds of outlets in their life.” Okay, MADDL, now it’s time for me to share my thoughts with you, but — Christ almighty — I hardly know where to begin. “Great guys” can be into diapers; this is not who your husband “chooses to be,” since people don’t choose their kinks any more

than they choose their sexual orientation; outing your husband to his mother was unforgivable and could ultimately prove to be a fatal-to-your-marriage violation of trust; a counselor isn’t going to be able to reach into your husband’s head and yank out his kink. (“I absolutely hate that therapists are seen as sexual enforcers who are supposed to carve away any undesirable sexual interests and make people ‘normal,’” said Dr. Ley.)

“After this crisis, he agreed to work things out, but then I found adult-size diapers in the house — and not for the first time!” You’re clearly not interested in understanding your husband’s kink, per Pup Jackson’s advice, nor are you open to working out an accommodation that allows your husband to explore his kink on his own, per Dr. Ley’s advice. Instead you’ve convinced yourself that if you pitch a big enough fit, your husband will choose a spouse who makes him feel terrible about himself over a kink that gives him pleasure. And that’s not how this is going to play out. Your husband told you he was into diapers before he married you — he laid his kink cards on the table at five months, long before you scrambled your DNA together — and he backed down when you freaked out. He may have thought he could choose you over his kink, MADDL, but now he knows what Dr. Ley could’ve told you two before the wedding: suppressing a kink just isn’t possible. So if you can’t live with the diaper lover you married — if you can’t accept his kink, allow him to indulge it on his own, and refrain from blowing up when you stumble onto any evidence — do that diaper-loving husband of yours a

riverfronttimes.com

favor and divorce him. Follow Dr. David Ley on Twitter @DrDavidLey and Pup Jackson on Twitter @pupjacksonbitez. Hey, Dan: I’m a 33-year-old man, and for years I’ve practiced edging. Recently I’ve experimented with long-term edges, where I’ll withhold coming for days or weeks while still maintaining a daily masturbation practice. I love living on that horny edge, and I’ve even learned to love the ache in my balls. But is this safe? Am I setting myself up for prostate/testicular trouble down the road? Priapus Precipice A study conducted by researchers from Boston University School of Public Health and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health found that men who masturbated at least 21 times per month — masturbated and ejaculated — were at lower risk of developing prostate cancer than men who ejaculated less than 21 times per month (“Ejaculation Frequency and Risk of Prostate Cancer,” European Urology). Read the study, PP, weigh the slightly increased risks against the immediate (and horny) rewards, and make an informed (and horny) choice. HEY, EVERYBODY: We’ve got rainbow ITMFA T-shirts and tank tops in time for Pride, and you can order them at ImpeachTheMotherFuckerAlready.com! ITMFA Tshirts and tanks — and buttons and hats and lapel pins — are a great conversation starter. Wear one to a party or bar or parade, and people will ask you what ITMFA stands for — and then you get to tell them: Impeach the motherfucker already! (If they laugh, take them home! If they frown, tell them off!) All proceeds from the sale of ITMFA merch goes to the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the International Refugee Assistance Project. We’ve already donated more than $200K to those three great orgs and another $15K to hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico. Go to ITMFA.org to get your ITMFA tees and tanks in time for Pride! Listen to Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

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WANTS TO PURCHASE MINERALS and other oil & gas interests. Send Details To: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201

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Rentals

Self-storage contents of the following customers containing household items and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart 725 N. 23rd St., St. Louis, Mo 63103 to satisfy lien on June 20, 2018 at 1:00 P.M. at www.storagetreasures.com Cube # 1094 Audra Summlin Cube # 2176 Cortney Person

Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart 2661 Veterans Memorial Parkway, St Charles, MO 63303 to satisfy a lien on June 20, 2018 at approx. 3:00 PM at

www.storagetreasures.com

Cube # 1511 Cube # 1266 Cube # 1196 Cube # 1316 Cube # 1045 Cube # 1198 Cube # 1463 Cube # 1072 Cube # 1191

Allyson Freeman Kevin Gostling Charles Ludwig Jen Montgomery Terence Wilson James Worthan Melody Dantone Kay Cobb Elizabeth Viviano

Local Notice as Part of the Environmental Notification Process for the Registration of Antenna Structures All interested persons are invited to review and request further environmental processing of an FCC application for Vertical Bridge Development, LLC proposing the following telecommunications antenna structure at approximately 5458 Lillian Ave, St. Louis, MO 63120. FCC filing number A1105209 proposes a 110-ft monopole communications tower with no lighting. This application may be reviewed by entering the above file number at this website: www.fcc.gov/asr/applications. Interested persons may raise environmental concerns by filing a “Request for Environmental Review” with the FCC within 30 days of this posting. Instructions for filing requests are contained on the following website: www.fcc.gov/asr/environmentalrequest. The FCC strongly encourages requests to be filed online; however, written requests may also be sent by mail to the following address: FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. PUBLIC NOTICE Notice of Initiation of the Section 106 Process – Public Participation in accordance with the FCC’s Nationwide Programmatic Agreement. Vertical Bridge proposes to construct an approximately 110-ft. monopole at approximately 4686 Natural Bridge Ave, St. Louis, MO 63115 & 5458 Lillian Ave, St. Louis, MO 63120. Parties interested in providing comment on the proposed undertaking relative to potential effects on historic properties should contact GSS, Inc., 1904 Industrial Blvd. #107, Colleyville, TX 76034 (682) 651-0034 (GSS D18083 & D18084).

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june 6 - 12, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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(No Texts) 11115 New Halls Ferry Road Suite 200 By Appointment Only

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SOUTH: 5616 S. Lindbergh • (314) 842-1242 WEST: 14633 Manchester • (636) 527-26811 HAZELWOOD: 233 Village Square Center • (314) 731-1212 Mon. - Sat. 9 AM - 7 PM; Sunday Noon - 5 PM Unless otherwise limited, prices are good through Tuesday following publication date. Installed price offers are for product purchased from Audio Express installed in factory-ready locations. Custom work at added cost. Kits, antennas and cables additional. Added charges for shop supplies and environmental disposal where mandated. Illustrations similar. Video pictures may be simulated. Not responsible for typographic errors. Savings off MSRP or our original sales price, may include install savings. Intermediate markdowns may have been taken. Details, conditions and restrictions of manufacturer promotional offers at respective websites. Price match applies to new, non-promotional items from authorized sellers; excludes “shopping cart” or other hidden specials. © 2019, Audio Express.

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