Riverfront Times - December 16, 2015 by Chava Communications

DECEMBER 16–22, 2015 I VOLUME 39 I NUMBER 49

RIVERFRONTTIMES.COM I FREE

FULL DISCLOSURE

ST. LOUIS’ OWN FOXING COMBINES BRUTAL HONESTY WITH RELENTLESS DIY ETHICS. THE WORLD IS TAKING NOTE. BY RYAN WASOBA

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

FREE GIFT WITH $ 300 PURCHASE While Supplies Last!

Customers receive this gift free when they spend $300 or more on Harley-Davidson® MotorClothes® Merchandise, Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories, Screamin’ Eagle® Performance Parts or Official Licensed Products during the promotional time period of November 8 through December 24, 2015.

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

Facebook “f ” Logo

It’s Always a Party at Doc’s Harley-Davidson ! FOLLOW US FOR INFO ON ALL OF OUR EVENTS: ®

DON’T MISS PICTURES WITH SANTA

Have your gifts wrapped for free!

december 19 / 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

through christmas eve

Come into Doc’s and have your picture taken with Santa and his Harley®. Bring the kids and grandkids – pets are welcome, too!

All donations will benefit The Great Circle Toy Run.

DOC’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

winter/HOLiDAY hours

docsH-D.com • 314-965-0166

Service Department closed on SUNDAY

930 S. Kirkwood Rd., Kirkwood, Mo 63122 H-D ® certified service technicians

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

Mondays-Saturdays, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Sundays, 10:00 am-4:00 pm Open 10am-3pm Christmas eve, closed Christmas day

CMYK / .eps

THE LEDE

“I’ve always been a little different. I don’t judge. It’s not my part to judge you. You make your path—I don’t. So whatever you wanna buy is fine. Now if you ask for me to give you my opinion... I have people come in here and tell me, ‘My daughter’s with this horrible guy and I want her away from him. So I want to give him a candle that’s gonna mess them up.’ I tell them, ‘You gotta think about this. What if your daughter’s in that car when he has that car accident? Karma’s different. Let’s do a positive thing. That way it makes the whole place positive. You’re better, they’re better, hopefully that will lead them to a more positive life. Let’s do this in a more happy cheery way. We wanna suck out the negativity and put more positivity.” —CHRISCHELL GIBBS OWNER OF THE CRYSTAL WIZARD SHOP, DECEMBER 9. riverfronttimes.com

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE

12.

Full Disclosure Foxing is a band. Someday Foxing won’t be a band. Written by

RYAN WASOBA Cover by

THEO WELLING

NEWS

CULTURE

DINING

MUSIC

The Lede

Calendar

It’s a Gas

Your friend or neighbor, captured on camera

Seven days worth of great stuff to see and do

Cheryl Baehr has a rave for Reeds American Table

A new comedy club comes to the Galleria

NYE Listings

Tightening the Screws

Food News

Trying to build a case against Dojo Pizza, one single mom at a time

Our guide to the best New Year’s Eve parties

Yes, you should eat at Gus’s

Sibling Revelry

First Look

The Bouncer Returns

Reggie Allen skates on a homicide rap

Amy Poehler and Tiny Fey are Sisters

The Chosen Ones

314 The City Bar is fun, fun, fun

Dining Guide

Where to eat right now in the Gateway City

Homespun

Accelarando: Accelerando

Out Every Night

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

Stray Dog’s Devil Boys From Beyond is campy good fun

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Listen to It, You Will

Remembering the long lost Star Wars Christmas album

The New Jewish Theatre stages a bracing Bad Jews

You Can Take the Man Out of Uranus ...

The Right Stuff

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

This Just In

This week’s new concert announcements

VISIT NASCIGS.COM OR CALL 1-800-435-5515 PROMO CODE 96542

CIGARETTES

*Plus applicable sales tax Offer for two “1 for $2” Gift Certificates good for any Natural American Spirit cigarette product (excludes RYO pouches and 150g tins). Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer and website restricted to U.S. smokers 21 years of age and older. Limit one offer per person per 12 month period. Offer void in MA and where prohibited. Other restrictions may apply. Offer expires 06/30/16.

St Louis Riverfront Times 12-17-15.indd 1

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

R I V E R F R O11/23/15 N T T I M9:58 E S AM 7

DC CHICKEN SAYS

“GOT A GIFT DILEMMA? GO TO DIRT CHEAP!” JACK DANIEL’S WITH COMMEMORATIVE BLUES GLASSES $

19.99 750ML

21.99 750ML

BAILEY’S IRISH CREAM WITH SHOT GLASSES

KNOB CREEK WITH 2 50MLS

18.99 750 ML

JIM BEAM DEVIL’S CUT WITH SHOT GLASSES

17.99 750 ML

GREY GOOSE WITH MARTINI GLASSES

JAMESON WITH SHOT GLASS

27.99 750ML

JIM BEAM WITH ROCK GLASSES $

30.99 750ML

13.99 750ML

GLENLIVET 12 YEAR W/ 2 50MLS

CHIVAS REGAL WITH ROCK GLASSES

34.99 750 ML

27.99 750ML

KETEL ONE WITH GLASSES

TEQUILA ROSE WITH SHOT GLASS

21.99 750ML

14.99 750ML

PEARL 12 DAYS HOLIDAY GIFT PACK

CROWN ROYAL 50ML SAMPLER - DELUX, APPLE & MAPLE

9.99 12 50MLS

5.993 50MLS

·HUGE WALK-IN BEER CAVE COOLERS

·HUMIDORS ·VAPORS/E-CIGS ·PARTY GEAR ·KEGS ·SPECIAL ORDERS!

***Gift Sets Available for a Limited Time, only while Supplies Last!*** Some prices may differ by location. Prices good thru 12/27/15.

16 ARE A LOC ATI ONS ! WHAT TO GIVE? GET A GIFT CA E R U S RD! NO T

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Sarah Fenske E D I T O R I A L Associate Editor Kristie McClanahan Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Staff Writers Doyle Murphy, Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Editorial Interns Joshua Connelly, Aaron Davidoff Contributing Writers Drew Ailes, Mike Appelstein, Allison Babka, Nicole Beckert, Mark Fischer, Sara Graham, Joseph Hess, Patrick J. Hurley, Roy Kasten, Dan LeRoy, Jaime Lees, Todd McKenzie, Bob McMahon, Nicholas Phillips, Tef Poe, Christian Schaeffer, Alison Sieloff, Mabel Suen, Ryan Wasoba, Alex Weir

A R T Art Director Kelly Glueck Contributing Photographers Jarred Gastreich, Abby Gillardi, Shelby Kardell, Alex Kendall, Robert Rohe, Jennifer Silverberg, Mabel Suen, Steve Truesdell, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Corey Woodruff P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Robert Westerholt Production Designer Brittani Schlager

M U LT I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G Associate Publisher Terry O’Neill Marketing Director Lucas Pate Promotions Manager Erin Deterding Sales Director Colin Bell Senior Account Executive Cathleen Criswell Multimedia Account Executives Matt Bartosz, Mikala Cannon, Christopher Guilbault, Erica Kenney, Kanita Pisutewongse, Nicole Starzyk Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel 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 Chief Financial Officer Brian Painley Human Resources Director Lisa Beilstein www.euclidmediagroup.com N A T I O N A L A D V E R T I S I N G VMG Advertising 1-888-278-9866, www.voicemediagroup.com S U B S C R I P T I O N S Send address changes to Riverfront Times, 6358 Delmar Blvd., Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63130. Domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $78/6 months (Missouri residents add $4.74 sales tax) and $156/year (Missouri residents add $9.48 sales tax) for first class. Allow 6-10 days for standard delivery. www.riverfronttimes. com The Riverfront Times is published weekly by Euclid Media Group Verified Audit Member Riverfront Times 6358 Delmar Boulevard, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63130-4719 www.riverfronttimes.com General information: 314-754-5966 Fax administrative: 314-754-5955 Fax editorial: 314-754-6416 Founded by Ray Hartmann in 1977

riverfronttimes.com

sparkle this holiday season

0% FINANCING AVAILABLE!

The entire contents of Riverfront Times are copyright 2015 by Riverfront Times, LLC. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the expressed written permission of the Publisher, Riverfront Times, 6358 Delmar Blvd., Ste. 200, St. Louis, MO 63130. Please call the Riverfront Times office for back-issue information, 314-754-5966.

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

WANTS YOU TO make her

located in historic downtown maplewood

Riverfront Times is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies of the current issue may be purchased for $1.00 plus postage, payable in advance at the Riverfront Times office. Riverfront Times may be distributed only by Riverfront Times authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of Riverfront Times, take more than one copy of each Riverfront Times weekly issue.

SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risk To Your Health.

PARAMOUNT JEWELERS

sparkling since 1946

7348 Manchester Avenue | 314-645-1122 PA R A M O U N T J E W E L E R S . C O M

NEWS

The Heat Is on for Dojo Pizza Moms

t. Louis cops are putting the squeeze on three single mothers as they try to build a human-trafficking investigation against the owner of Dojo Pizza In the last two weeks, the women — who all had daughters living at the repurposed Bevo Mill church — have individually been taken into custody and later set free. Loren Copp, the target of the investigation, claims detectives are using the catch-and-release busts to pressure the mothers into saying he’s a criminal. “They know what they did to me was wrong, and now they are trying to strongarm these women by putting them in jail,” Copp says. The Riverfront Times’ cover story two weeks ago dug into the mysterious labor-trafficking and sexual-abuse investigation at the combination karate studio, online school and pizza shop. City building inspectors condemned the Morgan Ford building in October following a police raid, and FBI agents have searched it at least twice since then. Copp was initially hauled away in cuffs and temporarily jailed before he was let go. He has not been charged. The day after our story hit newsstands, police arrested Lorraine Bala on a traffic warrant. Bala, a Copp critic who was quoted in our piece, spent the next four days in jail on $200 bond before a St. Louis City Municipal Court judge set a new court date and turned her loose. Tauna Cowin, whose two teen daughters lived with Copp for nine years, was jailed Monday on suspicion of child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She spent 24 hours behind bars before she was released without charges. Billie Claeys was similarly arContinued on pg 10 rested after

A bouncer who killed a man is now off the hook for homicide. | TIM LANE

Reggie Allen Redux

n the wee hours of the morning of October 3, 2009, a white man named Reggie Allen mowed down a black man named Anthony Rice outside a strip club in East St. Louis, Illinois. Witnesses testified that Allen, who was driving a Ford F-150, intentionally chased Rice, who was on foot, struck him, and then took off, leaving him for dead. Allen was known to the East St. Louis authorities. His mother owned the strip club where the incident began, and he worked there as a bouncer. More importantly, as the RFT’s Nicholas Phillips would write in a January 2011 cover story, at the time of the incident, the 27-year-old Allen “had already been charged in eight different jurisdictions with 40 non-traffic offenses, including 20 felonies, half of which involved violence.” He had been charged with no less than fifteen different instances of assault

and battery, including a case where he allegedly pushed down a young woman and kicked her in the face. But despite that extensive record, and despite the fact that Rice’s killing was determined to be a homicide at the coroner’s inquest, Allen wasn’t charged in the case for nearly two years — and then only after Phillips’ story raised serious questions about why he was roaming free. And then, last week, that “reckless homicide” charge vanished into thin air — in a deal with prosecutors, Allen pleaded guilty instead to “mob action” in exchange for the homicide charge being dropped. Prosecutors cut that deal even though Allen has been far from a model citizen, even after his arrest for Rice’s killing. While he was out on a $100,000 bond for the homicide charge involving Rice, prosecutors allege Allen beat up a dancer in a stripclub bathroom, then held her down while others took their turns beating her.

riverfronttimes.com

Last week, that “reckless homicide” charge vanished into thin air — in a deal with prosecutors, Allen pleaded guilty instead to “mob action” Yet for Rice’s death, he faces just one to three years in prison, the Belleville News-Democrat reported. (He could also face an enhanced sentence of up to six years — but, the paper notes, he could end up just getting probation as well.)

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

Continued on pg 10

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DOJO MOMS Continued from pg 9

A Gift For You 25% off

your next purchase valid until 12/31/2016 Discounts available year round with Student ID

8014 Olive Blvd. University City 63130

a man is now off the hook for homicide. | TIM LANE

RIVERFRONT TIMES

a November 30 court appearance and released the next day when the charges didn’t materialize. Detective Keaton Strong, a lead investigator in the case, arrested Cowin and Claeys, according to the women. Bala couldn’t be reached for comment, and police refused to identify the arresting officer in her case. Riverfront Times has filed a Missouri Sunshine Law request for records related to the arrests. Cowin had just made an appearance in family court when Strong, flanked by FBI agents, announced he was taking her into custody, her attorney says. “They didn’t have to do that,” defense attorney Mary Entrup says. “I told them I would bring her in.” Strong didn’t have an arrest warrant for Cowin, but police are allowed to hold suspects for 24 hours before filing charges. The practice theoretically gives police time to talk to prosecutors about possible charges, but Entrup said they could have had that discussion without locking up Cowin. She would have been easy to find if they decided to file charges, she said. “They just held her for 24 hours while they did their quote unquote ‘investigation,’” the attorney says. Claeys was also leaving a family court appearance when Strong tapped her on the shoulder. He took her to a room in the courthouse and told her he was investigating her for child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, because she allowed her daughters lived in a dangerous environment at Dojo Pizza with Copp, she says. Claeys, who has struggled with heroin addiction, met Copp in 2013 during a low point in her life. She was preparing to enter an in-patient drug treatment program and needed a place for her girls to stay, she said. She thought about contacting the state but feared if her kids were put into foster care she’d never see them again, even after she was clean. Her girls were friends with Cowin’s daughters, who had lived with Copp for nine years, and they made the introduction. After several discussions, Copp agreed to let them stay while

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

Claeys got her life together. “I felt like it was a great decision I was making,” Claeys says. She still thinks that today. The girls were happy and safe, staying on at the karate studio/ pizzeria after Claeys relapsed and was incarcerated, she says. She would check in on them as often as she could, and never saw any problems. Claeys claims Strong told her Copp preyed on vulnerable mothers such as herself, exploiting their desperation to take their kids away. He asked her to make a statement and kept her locked up overnight when she refused, she says. She told him only that Copp ran a good operation and her girls would vouch for him too. Strong told her he’d be back the next morning to see if she had changed her mind. “I felt like he was trying to scare me and make me think I was going to stay there,” Claeys says. But the next day she still wouldn’t talk and was released after her 24 hours had expired, she says. Strong didn’t respond to a re-

REGGIE ALLEN REDUX Continued from pg 9

One of Allen’s many mugshots. J. Justin Meehan, the attorney who represented the Rice family, is himself a relative of the man who was killed (he married into the family). He pushed for years to get Allen prosecuted in the case. He said this in a statement: Our families are both shocked and disappointed that Reggie Allen is free on bond pending his sentencing. Reggie Allen has the worst criminal record we have ever seen. We believe that had the races been reversed, this case would have been over in five months, not taking over five years. We believe that the East St. Louis government; the former State’s Attorney and his heroin-addled Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Christ, and his heroin-ad-

The December 2 cover of RFT. quest for comment. Claeys said she is now sober, attending drug-treatment classes and trying to comply with the demands of social services workers as she attempts to rebuild her life and regain custody of her children. It’s a delicate balance, and she’s terrified it could all fall apart if Strong decides to lock her up again. “I’m trying to do what’s right, show up and follow orders,” Claeys says. “And at any time, this could drop down on me.” – Doyle Murphy dicted crony, Michael Cook, who was the original judge assigned this case, are to blame. We always felt that the City of Belleville coddled Reggie Allen throughout his extensive criminal career. We also questioned whether black lives would ever matter in a City like Belleville and fear the worst. All we can say now is that “If you want him, you can have him,” and don’t tell us we did not try to warn you beforehand the next time someone falls victim to his violent behavior. We did our part and leave the rest to the City of Bellville, County of St. Clair and its criminal justice system. We appreciate the efforts of current State’s Attorney, Brendan Kelley, and believe he did all he could do with what he had. The Rice and Nash families are good, honest, hard working, Christian families. They believe in God and harbor no hatred or thirst for revenge. We did our part and leave the rest up to God. Anthony Rice’s brother, Aubrey Rice, who was there the night his brother was mowed down, put it more succinctly. “If it had been me and I killed a man of another color, it would have been 15 to 20 years,” he told the Belleville News-Democrat. Court records show that Allen is set to be sentenced January 16, 2016. – Sarah Fenske

AMERICA’S

WINE, SPIRITS & BEER PE SU RSTORE

CHESTERFIELD Clarkson Square

GRAND OPENING ALL ST. LOUIS STORES CELEBRATE!

1.75L

$21.69 9

1.775L

Jack Daniel’s Ja niel s Blackk

Tanqu ueray Giin 1 1.75L

1.75L

$33.69 3

$35.9 99

$25 5.69

GRAND OPENING! CHESTERFIELD

TotalWine.com

TotalWineAndMore

TotalWine

HOURS: Mon-Sat 9am-10pm, Sun 9am-9pm

riverfronttimes.com

SQUARE

PETCO

Bax

ter

NOW OPEN! 64

TOWN & COUNTRY Manchester Meadows

Prices good thru 1/3/2016. Not responsible for typographical errors, human error or supplier price increases. Products while supplies last. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Total Wine & More is a registered trademark of Retail Services & Systems, Inc. © 2015 Retail Services & Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Please drink responsibly. Use a designated driver.

From I-64W – Take Exit 19B: MO-340/Olive Blvd. toward Clarkson Rd., turn left onto MO-340, shopping center will be on the right; From I-64E, take Exit 19B: MO-340/Olive Blvd./Clarkson Rd., turn right onto Clarkson Rd./MO-340 W., shopping center will be on the right. (Formerly Toys R Us)

Total Wine CLARKSON Rd

1781 Clarkson Rd. Chestereld, MO 63017 (636) 536-9869

1.75L

$36.89

ALSO VISIT US IN

Cla rks on

Clarkson Square

J Jameson

DIERBERGS

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

NOW OPEN! BRENTWOOD The Promenade at Brentwood

RIVERFRONT TIMES

SLM-15-1216GO-1802-TAB

Tit Tito’s Hand dmade Vo odka

JJim Beam

Full Disclosure ST. LOUIS’ OWN FOXING COMBINES BRUTAL HONESTY WITH RELENTLESS DIY ETHICS. THE WORLD IS TAKING NOTE. BY RYAN WASOBA

here’s a dissonance between the music St. Louis quintet Foxing makes and the reaction it elicits from an audience. The group plays introspective, artful indie rock with classical flourishes, but to the soldout crowd of 450 at the Subterranean music venue in Chicago, Illinois, Foxing may as well be playing pop punk or tough-guy hardcore. In eloquent terms, the audience is losing its shit. The attendees sing along loud enough to drown out the thousands of watts of power pushing singer Conor Murphy’s voice through the PA system. Some even jump on others’ backs to mirror words directly into the singer’s face. When Murphy blares out instrumental climaxes on trumpet, fans

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

have an almost Pavlovian response to lift their cell phones and document the moment. During the closing number, Murphy trustfalls into the crowd while guitarist Eric Hudson drops his guitar into the audience, allowing them to share in the cacophony. It’s a sight to behold, but not a rare one on Foxing’s autumn tour. A similar scene took place the previous evening in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The following day the spectacle repeats in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A YouTube search displays stage-diving in Austin, Texas, crowd surfing in Gainesville, Florida, and an audience storming the stage in New York City. All this for a band frequently described as ambient and often compared to notoriously tame groups like Explosions in the Sky and American Football. “I don’t know why people go absolutely nuts,” says Foxing’s bassist Josh Coll, 27.

riverfronttimes.com

“Most of us come from the world where head-nodding is a sign of respect, so it’s always a little bit weird when people go really crazy. At the same time, I’m not going to say that it’s not sick.” “I think in my head I would prefer that people just stand there and watch, but it’s so intoxicating to be in the midst of people screaming the lyrics,” says Murphy, 23, the band’s singer and trumpet player. “It’s so validating to know people didn’t just come here knowing the band; they came here loving these songs and knowing every line. “That rowdiness is part of this weird collision of pop punk and emo and indie rock,” Murphy continues. “The same kids that listen to punk bands like the Wonder Years and Modern Baseball come to see us and act like they would at those shows. At the end of the day, I think it’s great. I feed off it.”

Foxing performed a sold-out show at the Firebird to celebrate the release of its latest, Dealer, in mid-December.

That aptly described “weird collision” has been marketed as the “emo revival,” a term for modern bands influenced by groups from the 1990s who used vulnerability as a form of rebellion. Originally labeled “emotional hardcore,” and later shortened to “emo,” these bands make urgent music that is a far cry from the alternative goth rock often associated with the genre (Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance). Today, Foxing is considered one of the primary bands in the emo-revival scene. The quintet is not only a big fish in this small pond, but it’s also the weirdest, most eclectic fish in the national stream. Far from a by-the-book emo band, Foxing’s only direct musical connections to the genre are Murphy’s occasionally frail voice and guitarists Eric Hudson and Ricky Sampson’s penchant for clean tones. The band’s lyrics, though, co-written by

Murphy and Coll, trade between poetic vagueness and brutal honesty. The more direct the sentiment, the more heartbreaking. In one of the band’s most beloved songs, “The Medic,” Murphy sings unguarded admissions such as, “She says you don’t love me you just love sex,” before a desperate but relatable chorus of “I want to be loved.” The same openness that informs the band’s lyrics fuels its interactions with fans. On Foxing’s Tumblr page, band members field questions about everything from gear and tour dates to song meanings and influences. Recently the band addressed an accusation that the song “Rory” is misogynistic, resulting in a lengthy, impassioned response from Coll. Even more recently, the band posted a photo of lyrics from its song “Den Mother” tattooed on a fan’s arm. That diehard fanbase is beginning to develop into something resembling con-

ventional, measurable success. The week after Foxing’s sophomore album, Dealer, was released on October 30, it peaked at No. 20 on iTunes’ Alternative Albums chart and ranked 24th on Billboard’s list of Top Independent Albums. The band credits a community of loyal show attendees and Internet-savvy music obsessives. “When our first album came out, the major players in the music industry didn’t care,” says Murphy. “But people online did, and they were eager to tell their friends about this band nobody has heard of. That branched out and all their friends became the first people to hear about us. “Even to this day there are still so many people who latch onto this idea that we are this band that nobody knows about. Something I love about Foxing is that people think it’s this secret and they’re the only ones that get it.” Continued on pg 14

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

L to R: Josh Coll, Ricky Sampson, Jon Hellwig, touring member Emma Tiemann, Conor Murphy, Eric Hudson. | THEO WELLING

FOXING Continued from pg 13

he bio portion of Foxing’s Bandcamp page reads: “Foxing is a band. Someday Foxing won’t be a band.” The de facto motto is both fatalistic and stoic — and has the benefit of being demonstrably true. The seeds of Foxing were sown in 2010 when Josh Coll met Conor Murphy. Coll and Murphy had more in common than similar musical tastes. For starters, both joined the St. Louis music scene at young ages. At twelve Coll moved from Greeley, Colorado, to Ballwin. At fourteen he began playing bass in dance-punk band the X and the O, which later morphed into St. Louis indie-pop darlings Team Up!! Raised in St. Charles, Murphy had a similar musical trajectory. When he was twelve, he became bassist for Torchlight Red. The pair’s paths crossed when Torchlight Red played a show with Coll’s former band, Hunter Gatherer. “Josh and I started talking about 14

RIVERFRONT TIMES

the local music scene,” Murphy remembers. “The bands we looked up to were breaking up or moving or becoming inactive, and my generation of people wasn’t doing a good job of taking over, my own band included. It led me to think more about taking things more seriously.” Shortly afterward, Coll joined the army and Hunter Gatherer disbanded. Deployed in Afghanistan, Coll kept recalling his conversation with Murphy. He dreamed of starting another band. “I needed a light at the end of the tunnel.” He was still overseas when he asked Murphy to help him do it. And so when Coll returned to St. Louis in August 2011, he and Murphy recruited former Hunter Gatherer drummer Jon Hellwig and guitarist Matthew Piva. Along with guitarist and singer Jim Fitzpatrick, the first incarnation of Foxing recorded three songs that would become the Old Songs EP in 2012. (Historically, this is where my personal full-disclosure statement would be due. I worked with Foxing as the producer of the Old Songs

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

EP as well as its subsequent album, The Albatross. We do not currently have a business relationship, but have remained friendly.) With the recording complete, Foxing paused for a semester while Murphy studied audio engineering at Regent’s University in London. Before he could return, though, guitarists Piva and Fitzpatrick both left the band. “I kind of lost my mind a little bit,” Coll says. “I was holding on to this idea that I was going to come home, and we’re going to start this awesome thing and hit the ground running.” Across the Atlantic Ocean, Murphy initially assumed the band was over — until something changed his mind. “One day I showed the finished mix of the song ‘Friendly Homes’ to this girl I kind of had a crush on,” he recalls. “She started crying while listening to it. I’d never been in a band anybody actually cared about, especially a stranger, and it was like, ‘This seems important.’ So I hit up Josh and said, ‘When I get back, let’s do it.’” The revitalized band joined up

“I was holding on to this idea that I was going to come home, and we’re going to start this awesome thing and hit the ground running.” with guitarists Ricky Sampson and Tommy Pini. The quintet finally began playing shows and writing new material, but tensions rose between Pini and the rest of the group. Two weeks before Foxing’s first tour — and in the middle of recording The Albatross — the members asked Pini to leave the group. “That was the hardest thing for me to do,” says Murphy, who grew up with Pini. “Tommy and I are on good terms now, but it’s always Continued on pg 15

FOXING Continued from pg 14

RFT_DauMoving2_CRA.pdf

going to be a thing where we kicked him out of the band, and it’ll never be that he decided to leave.” With a handful of Midwest gigs looming, the band looked to Eric Hudson, who had played guitar in Murphy’s former band Torchlight Red. Then a student at Webster University studying jazz guitar and audio production, “I wasn’t passionate about it at all,” Hudson says. “I had seen Foxing play before. I was impressed, but at the time they actually just made me feel jealous and even more down about myself. I had an audio class with Conor, and one day he mentioned they might need a guitar player and asked if I would be interested. I encouraged them to try to work it out with Tommy, but yeah, I’d be interested.” The current (and likely final) cast of Murphy, Coll, drummer Jon Hellwig, and guitarists Ricky Sampson and Eric Hudson embarked on a two-week tour in the spring of 2013, playing songs for which Hudson had written the guitar parts mere days beforehand. At the final show in Kansas City, the band crossed paths with Keith Latinen from the band Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate). Latinen also runs Count Your Lucky Stars, a record label often considered a AM pioneer of the emo revival. 12/10/15 10:33 Continued on pg 16

NEW SEASONAL BREWS ON TAP KALDI’S COFFEE BROWN & vanilla bourbon porter

MOVING SALE ENDS DEC 23!

The Wildwood location is closing! Beginning in 2016, Dau Neu will have a display at Dau Furniture. But first, we must sell all our present inventory!*

Zoom Table and Chairs NOW only

$1,198

Bink Table

418 S FLORISSANT RD. FERGUSON, MO | (314) 254-7359

$148

OFF 60% ALL ACCESSORIES

A St. Louis Original Wine and Gourmet Store since 1979 Locally Owned Since 1979

CUSTOM WOODEN HOLIDAY GIFT BOXES

FILLED WITH YOUR CHOICE OF WINES, SPIRITS, CHEESE & OTHER GOURMET FOODS

Wide Track Sofa NOW * Photography represents the types of items that will be at the moving sale. Some items may be in a different finish or fabric than shown, or may be sold out.

What a cheesy place! 314.781.2345 I BIG BEND & 40 IN RICHMOND HEIGHTS

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

FOXING Continued from pg 15 “We were playing a venue called Satan’s Gay Acid Bath,” Murphy recalls. “It was this weird shed that was just packed out with kids that were going nuts and literally hanging from the rafters. Right when we got out of there, Keith asked if we wanted to put out a record on his label. We talked about it in the van for about 30 minutes, and it was like, ‘What else are we going to do? What else would we be holding out for?’” Foxing finished The Albatross with a newfound energy, but initially didn’t gain much traction. The band had joined Count Your Lucky Stars at a strange time. “Right before the record came out, they had fired their press agent,” Coll says. “We had spent so much time and put a lot of ourselves in this record, we didn’t want it to just disappear.” So Coll himself took on the duties of promoting The Albatross online. “He started worming it into all these blogs, and it spread around Tumblr and Reddit,” Murphy says. “There was this huge, organic reaction, like a virus got out.” Foxing’s self-produced, selffunded video for “Rory” only increased the momentum. The video helped grab the attention of Pitchfork Media, which said the song “feels like the goddamn apocalypse,” and the Huffington Post, with The Albatross ranked No. 5 on its list of “Best Albums of the Year (That You Probably Haven’t Already Heard).” Coll is still dumfounded at the effectiveness of his DIY press campaign. “Everything I did was out of desperation to get people to hear this record,” he says. “It became the most insane groundswell of anything I’ve ever been a part of. Kids were relentless about us online, and then the big players — who already said they wouldn’t write about us — knew there was something there. The reverse usually happens, where a tastemaker will say, ‘Here’s something you should like,’ and the just kids follow along.” Meanwhile, Foxing was touring the DIY circuit, winning over fans, and losing money hand over fist. Because Count Your Lucky Stars struggled to keep The Albatross in print, Foxing found itself playing shows without even having records to sell. Though the band struggled on the road, it began to draw interest 16

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Backstage at the Dealer release show. | THEO WELLING

“Kids were relentless about us online, and then the big players knew there was something there.”

from other record labels. Foxing also started talking to manager Joseph Marro, whose roster included You Blew It!, Allison Weiss and his own band, the Early November. “He liked our music and wanted to help,” Murphy says. “There was no pressure. He told us if we liked his advice, maybe we can work together.” Perhaps the most crucial move

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

Marro made was introducing the band to Fred Feldman, owner of Triple Crown Records, a larger label compared to the others sniffing around at the time. The group was won over by Feldman’s offer not only to put out its next record, but to re-release The Albatross. “I thought the album was strong and there was so much room to grow,” Feldman says. “Our goal

was to get more people to hear the band and get them better touring opportunities.” The latter half of Feldman’s mission was realized in October 2014 when Foxing opened for fifteen shows with Triple Crown’s flagship act, Brand New. Within months the band went from playing basements to sold-out venues with capacities Continued on pg 18

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14 VS. Bring your camera â&#x20AC;&#x201C; your favorite Star Wars characters will be roaming the concourse! Buy your ticket package at

stlouisblues.com/starwars and get a Jaden Schwartz Jedi Bobblehead. Use code FORCE when ordering.

KEEP THE JOB YOU HAVE

(at least, the one you have for now). Advance your career without disrupting your commitments with one of our fully-online graduate certificates: > Human Resources Management > International Affairs > Nonprofit Management

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE The Smartest Choice in Continuing Education

Now accepting spring applications! ucollege.wustl.edu/online

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

IT’S TIME TO TELL

your STORY

CLASSES NOW FORMING IN

FICTION & POETRY FOR WINTER 2016 COACHING, EDITING & PROOFREADING ALSO AVAILABLE

www.stlouiswritersworkshop.com

Thank you St. Louis for voting us Best Home Decor Store!

FOXING Continued from pg 16 An eclectic mix of vintage and modern furniture and home decor.

WE’VE EXPANDED TO 4,000 SQ. FT!

WE BUY FURNITURE!

The EyeWear Loft The Best Value in Sight 9644 Olive St. Louis, MO 63132 (314) 993-8111 www.theeyewearloft.com 50% off Prada and Gucci frames. See store for details Eye Examinations Available

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

in the thousands. It was a fitting endcap to two years of touring behind The Albatross. “We could have stayed on the road,” Coll says. “We had great opportunities, but we were going to go crazy if we didn’t make another record.”

ust west of the newly erected IKEA in St. Louis, a billboard looms over Highway 40. In large print the words “Foxing” and “Dealer” accompany an image from the album’s cover: two children in a greenhouse overrun with weeds. A billboard may seem like a strange marketing tactic in an increasingly shrinking music industry, but Dealer is a massive, grandiose record. The band’s sophomore album is a dense, exhaustive document of a group wrestling between self-restraint and self-destruction. It is both ambitious and well-executed, and the amount of effort behind it is audible throughout. Foxing began to write songs for Dealer while the members were home between tours, but finding it hard to focus amid the distractions of outside life. In addition to making up for lost time in their per-

A pre-performance toast. | THEO WELLING sonal relationships, the members sustained themselves with temporary jobs — mostly food service — while not on the road. “Everything we wrote was born out of negativity,” Murphy says. “When you’re at practice you’re thinking about your girlfriend or work, and afterwards you’re thinking about all the dumb fights you had at practice. Every time you play the song, you’re reopening that frustration.” “We tried to write together but it was five different ideas and five different opinions, and we ended up writing these songs that we didn’t like,” guitarist Hudson says. “I kind of said, ‘Hey guys, give me a chance on this. I can write out some arrangements, and we’ll go from there.’” To Hudson, writing songs for Dealer also meant figuring out his role in the band. “When I joined, the music was already written and there wasn’t much for me to do,” he says. “I’ve always been more interested in songwriting than playing guitar, so I saw this record as an opportunity to prove to myself and the other guys that I care about this band as much as they do.” The band ended up renting a cabin in Vermont for one month, Continued on pg 20

TEXT

“ROCKETRFT”

TO 51660 NOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE

n ee b ’t en v a h u yo y d n ca t a th w o n You k ? id k a e er w u yo ce n si d n fi to le b a

We have it.

6303 Delmar Blvd. in The Loop St. Louis, MO 63130

Order Custom Holiday Gift Baskets Early!

(314) 833-4614 rocketfizz.com

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

FOXING Continued from pg 18

Great Adventures Await This Fall With Transit & Trails In St. Louis Start Exploring MetroLink, MetroBus & Greenways Today

Download a walk today at www.cmt-stl.org, click on Ten Toe Express under programs. 20

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

isolating itself. “I think it was the best days of writing that we’ve ever had, no question,” Murphy says. “There’s something about staring into the wilderness and thinking about what was going on in your own head. It was inspiring.” The cabin has a different connotation for Hudson. “When I think of the cabin, I don’t think of all this great exploration we did that shaped the record. I think of learning how to deal with my own ego and how to be a contributing member of the band without being an asshole.” At one point, the members started to second-guess themselves. “For a little bit there was this paranoia that nobody would like this album unless we made The Albatross Part 2,” Hudson says. “Luckily we did not act on that, but there were a few days where we were backtracking on all the progress we made because of that paranoia.” Back in St. Louis, the members had a month before they were slated to record. “We still had so much to do,” Murphy says. “Things got a little hairy because everyone had their ideas of what needed to be changed. Some people had thoughts that we needed to scrap entire songs and turn them into something different. There were only a few things that we all agreed on at the end.” For a producer, the band decided on Matt Bayles, best known for his work with Mastodon and Minus the Bear. “We looked at Bayles’ discography, and every record he’s been a part of has felt massive,” Murphy says. “We were making a conscious decision to write more traditionally with choruses and verses, and we thought we could supplement that by working with somebody whose records are always huge sounding.” The admiration went both ways. “I liked that they were reaching for something,” Bayles says from his Seattle studio, Red Room Recording. “I can appreciate any band that doesn’t limit themselves to the expectations of what their past indicates.” In May 2015, Foxing drove to the Pacific Northwest to work with Bayles. “It took a few days for us to figure each other out,” Bayles says. “They have their own language with each other, and I had to learn how their word might translate to a different word in my

world. After we were able to calibrate our communication, things went really well.” “I liked how he would challenge us,” Hudson says of Bayles. “He would ask why we were doing something, not because he didn’t like it, but just to make sure we had a reason. He made everyone think. If you can’t justify why you’re playing something, you start to wonder if it’s worth doing.” Once the album was finished, the hypercritical band was still uneasy about what it had made. “I knew that if the band made the record they really wanted to make, it would connect with their audience,” Triple Crown Records’ Fred Feldman says. “One day, Josh Coll told me he had finally sat down and spent some time listening to the record, and he was very proud of it. I knew then that one hurdle was over.” Dealer is a softer, darker, more grown-up version of Foxing. The simple sentiments that defined The Albatross are replaced with deeper musings on God, sex and guilt. Layers of violins, trumpets and mutilated guitars blur into an obscure haze, serving as the perfect backdrop for Murphy and Coll’s most thoughtful, devastating lyrics to date. The reaction to Dealer has been overwhelmingly positive. Songs were premiered in unlikely places (NPR, the Wall Street Journal), while a stream of the full album debuted via Wired. Notoriously cynical Pitchfork Media gave Dealer a score of 7.8 out of 10; Alternative Press awarded it 4 ½ of 5 possible stars. “Before, I was so nervous that we weren’t even going to finish the record,” Murphy says. “Once it finally came out, the nervousness focused on how people were going to take it and what the critics are going to think of it. “Now I wonder if it has staying power. Will people give a shit about it later? The Albatross has been out for two years now, and people still come to shows because of that album. I don’t know if this will be the same thing, and that’s where my nervousness is now.”

he most disarming track on Dealer is “Indica,” a song about Coll’s experience in the army. Lyrically, “Indica” touches on a kind of darkness rarely explored in song. Murphy sings solemnly about “kids whose lives I may have taken,” the reverb on his voice Continued on pg 22

Fleur de Lilies

Holiday Tasting Menu FIVE COURSES $50 PER PERSON ADD BEER

LIQUOR TASTING $25 TWO PERSON MINIMUM

PER PERSON

Course One - Tuna Tataki

SEARED, MARINATED IN YUZU JUICE AND SERVED WITH BUTTER GARLIC SAUCE PAIRED WITH KIRIN ICHIBAN OR SIGNATURE SOCKTAIL

Course Two - Creole Green Onion Soup RICH CREAMY BROTH, MUSHROOMS, GREEN ONION PAIRED WITH GOOSE ISLAND IPA OR WHISKEY

Course Three - Fusion Salad

ORGANIC BABY KALE, SPICED PECANS, DRIED APRICOTS, SOY BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE PAIRED WITH SHOCK TOP BELGIAN WHITE OR SIGNATURE COCKTAIL

Course Four - FDL Surf & Turf FLAMBEAU CHATEAUBRIAND AND BARBECUE SHRIMP PAIRED WITH CHIMAY RED OR WHISKEY

FALL IN LOVE WITH STYLE! SHOP ONLINE WHERE WE BRING YOU AFFORDABLE FASHION free shipping worldwide!

Course Five - Chocolate Mousse Cake

MAKE A BOLD STATEMENT

SERVED WITH RASPBERRY JAM PAIRED WITH RASPBERRY FRAMBOISE OR DIGESTIF

1031 Lynch Street • Saint Louis, MO 63118 314-932-5051 • FleurdeLilies.com

@LEDIVINESTL

LEDIVINECOLLECTION

@LEDIVINECOLLECTIONGSTL

www.ledivinecollection.com 1426 WASHINGTON AVE. | ST. LOUIS, MO 63103 | 314.632.6425 | TUES-SAT 1-8PM | INFO@LEDIVINECOLLECTION.COM

New 2016 Camry LE

$21,749 AND 0% FOR 60 MONTHS *

New 2016 Corolla LE

$18,399 AND 0% FOR 60 MONTHS *

New 2016 RAV4 LE 4x2

$25,149 AND 0% FOR 60 MONTHS *

EXP. 1/4/16

*WITH APPROVED CREDIT

All services performed under the direct supervision of licensed instructors. For more information about our graduation rate, the median loan debt, who completed the program, and other information, please visit our website at paulmitchell.edu/ge. Financial aid is available to those who qualify.

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Emma Tiemann (top) and Conor Murphy (right) THEO WELLING

“I told myself that if I make it out of there, I’m going to do something meaningful, at least to me. I’m not going to sacrifice my days for a nine-to-five job.” FOXING Continued from pg 20 making syllables echo like shrapnel. The arrangement is chilling in its sparseness. Sampson’s hypnotic chordal pattern plays like a twisted lullaby that is jarred awake by Hellwig’s militaristic snare rolls. “Indica” marks the first time Coll has publicly addressed his time in the military, even though it has in22

RIVERFRONT TIMES

formed many aspects of Foxing. “Everything I wrote for The Albatross was directly about coming home from Afghanistan,” Coll says. “I didn’t want that to precede who I was as a person, and I didn’t want it to affect the band, so I hid what I was talking about in metaphor. I was being authentic and inauthentic at the same time. “There was no part of me that was gung-ho about joining the mili-

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

tary,” Coll adds. “I was kicked out of my house at eighteen, and I started working two jobs and living with friends. When the crash of 2008 happened, I lost both jobs and everybody moved out of the house where I was living. I reconnected with my parents, and they made it clear that if we wanted to have a relationship, [the army] was something they wanted me to do. It felt like there was no other option. I

had nothing.” The band’s intense all-in aesthetic comes from a particularly harrowing Christmas overseas. “On holidays, the Taliban would hit us extra hard because morale is low,” Coll recalls. “They were shooting rockets at us, and the sirens came on. I was supposed to run to a bunker, but I had become so numb that I didn’t even leave my little room. “I was sitting there feeling very nihilistic, thinking, ‘Well, if I go to the bunker, who gives a shit? If a rocket hits the bunker, I’m dead.’” Coll continues, “I told myself that if I make it out of there, I’m going to do something meaningful, at least to me. I’m not going to sacrifice my days for a nine-to-five job. That hunger is still there, and I never forget that shit.” After returning to St. Louis, Coll struggled with post-traumatic stress. “When I went to a restaurant, I would want to sit with my back to the wall. There’s an iPhone ringtone that is the exact same sound as the incoming missile siren. I would hear it in public and tense up. I had a dryer at my house that would screech and sound like a rocket.” Coll’s struggles peaked in February 2013, right before the band left on its first tour. “All these little things led to this point where I came very close to killing myself,” he admits. “I wrote the letter and went off to do it, but I came back because I didn’t like the letter. I just felt like that can’t be the last thing I say.” Coll’s perfectionism saved his life. His girlfriend, Sarah Moncey, found his suicide note and contacted Murphy. Both were at Coll’s house when he returned. “At that moment I realized how much I had let myself go by not addressing the problems I had,” Coll says. Coll began opening up to friends and family, including Brand New frontman Jesse Lacey. “He encouraged me to write about my experiences,” Coll says. “I started writing things that weren’t even lyrics, just a mass of words. It was just an exercise for me to strip away all the pretty words and say what is happening to me and what happened and how I feel about myself because of it.” He shared his words with Murphy, but had no intention of using them for Foxing until a few days into the band’s Dealer writing sessions in Vermont. “The day was over and we were winding down,”

Plasma pays New donors for groceries. make up Octapharma Plasma donors to $250.* get paid every time they donate. So you can earn good money to help pay for things you need and feel good knowing your donation saves lives.

8780 Pershall Road, Hazelwood, MO 63042 • 314-524-9015

octapharmaplasma.com

*Earn up to $50 for ﬁrst ﬁve donations • Promotions & fees may vary by location Must be 18-64 years of age & in good health • Have valid picture ID, proof of Social Security number & current residence postmarked within 30 days

Your hometown

firearms retailer

for 15 years!

“It’s OK to give a shit.” —Foxing | THEO WELLING

t is barely 10 p.m. in Chicago. The show is over, but the crowd at Subterranean is still catching its breath after Foxing’s dramatic, adrenaline-fueled performance. The members of the band have completely loaded out their equip-

2015

Voted Best Gun Shop of 2015 by the RFT 8205 Gravois Road • St. Louis, MO 63123 • (314) 631-3130 midamericaarms.com • facebook.com/MidAmericaArms

ment, but a line of fans intent on buying the band’s merchandise still lingers in the venue. Entrance to Subterranean’s later show — a major-label, college-rock act that sold about half as many tickets as Foxing — has to be postponed by at least 30 minutes. After the show, there is no after-party. There is a hotel lobby, but it is three hours away in order to cut down the next day’s travel time to Minneapolis. As Murphy drives the band’s twelve-passenger Ford van, complete with trailer, and the rest of the band and crew attempt to sleep while sitting upright, Coll is still in work mode. He puts on headphones and continues editing the video for the Dealer track “Night Channels” on his laptop deep into the single-digit hours. Foxing is a band, and someday Foxing won’t be a band. Until then, Coll is tirelessly dedicated to keeping it afloat. “I really care about what we do,” he says. “It’s come to the brink of falling apart so many times, and it hasn’t fallen apart. My relationships have been put on the line, my family life has been put on the line, my home life has been put on the line. To think that I should act like I don’t care if I lose everything is insane. “I give a shit about Foxing,” Coll says. “It’s OK to give a shit. It’s not uncool to be passionate about what you do.” n

shining over the loop for over e sun 20 y h t The Original S u n s h i n e D aydream (est . 1 9 9 4 ) ea ing p rs ee

Murphy recalls. “Ricky started playing these chords, and I was reading those words Josh had written. I started pulling phrases out and singing them. In that moment we basically wrote the song. “It was powerful. All of us were choked up and couldn’t really say anything,” Murphy says. “Josh and I went outside and I said, ‘I want this song to be exactly like that,’ and Josh said, ‘I want it to be like that too.’ From then on, we were constantly trying to hold on to that original thing. It’s hard to commit to something that simple and not douse it in shit, but every time we tried to add something, it felt wrong.” Coll still expresses discomfort about “Indica,” calling it “a hard song to listen to.” But the track, to him, is about accepting his past. “Some people will appreciate it and some people may have a viewpoint that is askew or ignorant,” Coll says. “But it’s not for those people. It’s for me, and it’s for my mom, and it’s for my friends, and it’s for the people that know what it’s like to lose a part of yourself really far away from home.”

6608 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63130 (314) 727-9043 | sunshinedaydreamloop.com

LEVIN’S

Get Ready for Winter!

CLOTHING FROM NEW BORN TO 86" IN PANTS • Hooded Sweatshirts to 10X • Coats to 8X • Thermals up to size 8X • Dickies Pants to size 72 • Long Sleeve Shirts to 8X • Dickies Boots to size 14 • Boy’s & Men’s Suits up to 72 • Men’s Dress Slack Sets up to 8X • Polo Style Shirts to 8X • Men’s Dress Shirts up to 8X • T-Shirts & Sweatpants up to 10X

ALTERATIONS AVAILABLE riverfronttimes.com

Insulated Coveralls Sizes Medium-6X Also available in black

NEW Merchandise Arriving Daily! HOURS: MON-FRI 9-5

SAT 9:30-3 SUN 11-3

1401 WASHINGTON • 314-436-0999 DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS

✴

✴✴

FILM✴ WITH LIVE ✴ ✴ SCORE ✴ ✴ ✴

✴

DECEMBER 18-20

Fri at 2:00pm and 7:30pm Sat at 2:00pm and 7:30pm LIMITED SEATING Sun at 2:00pm SOLD OUT Steven Jarvi, conductor Whitney Claire Kaufman, vocalist Holiday Festival Chorus; Kevin McBeth, director Join us for St. Louis’ favorite holiday tradition featuring classics like “White Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and selections from the film The Polar Express. Enjoy the holiday classics and a visit with jolly ol’ St. Nick himself. PRESENTED BY

JANUARY 2-3

Sat at 7:00pm, Sun at 2:00pm Sarah Hicks, conductor Bring the whole family to experience the Academy Award-winning film Ratatouille on the big screen while the beloved score by composer Michael Giacchino is performed live by the STL Symphony. Presentation licensed by Walt Disney Music Company, Pixar Talking Pictures, Buena Vista Concerts, a division of ABC Inc., and Walk Disney Studios Motion Pictures Non-Theatrical © All rights reserved. MEDIA SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

SPONSORED BY

MEDIA SUPPORT PROVIDED BY ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH AND 102.5 KEZK

stlsymphony.org/holidays 314-534-1700 24

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

DOWNLOAD OUR APP

RIVERFRONT TIMES

CALENDAR

WEEK OF DECEMBER 17-23

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra celebrates Christmas in a big way. | Courtesy St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

THURSDAY 12/17 [FOOTBALL]

Rams vs. Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming to town to pillage Sack City. Led by rookie quarterback Jameis Winston and game-changing receiver Mike Evans, the rejuvenated Bucs are not to be taken lightly. Standing in the Buccaneers’ way is a stingy defense and an offense led by rookie sensation Todd Gurley, the most talked about running back in the NFL (though a lot of the chatter has been about his precipitous drop-off). With the threat of relocation to Los Angeles looming, this prime-time match-up promises plenty of emotion for what may well be the St. Louis Rams’ final home game. Kickoff is at 7:25 p.m. tonight at the Edward Jones Dome (901 North Broadway; 314-3425201 or www.stlouisrams.com). Tickets are $49 to $195. — Rob Levy

[FOOD & DRINK]

Holiday Spirits People have been distilling agricultural products into alcoholic beverages for centuries, but we’re just now getting to the golden years. America’s current fascination with traditional methods and craft products has inspired a new wave of old beverages. The Riverfront Times’ Holiday Spirits party allows you to sample a variety of them from Jim Beam, Grand River Spirits, Pinckney Bend and Wood Hat Spirits. A $20 ticket gets you a commemorative glass for your unlimited craft-cocktail tastings, as well as hors d’oeuvres, from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight at Third Degree Glass Factory (5200 Delmar Boulevard; www.stlouisholidayspirits.com). The $35 VIP option gets you in at 6 p.m. and also comes with an exclusive welcome cocktail and a gift bag. — Paul Friswold

FRIDAY 12/18

Hall (718 North Grand Boulevard; 314-534-1700 or www.slso.org) Admission is $30 to $75. — Rob Levy

[CHRISTMAS CONCERT]

[ D O C U M E N TA RY ]

Macy’s Holiday Celebration

Killing Them Safely

Conductor Steven Jarvi and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra join forces to turn Powell Hall into a festive winter wonderland with the Macy’s Holiday Celebration. The performance includes seasonal favorites “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” as well as a selection of songs from the animated film The Polar Express. The Yuletide cheer reaches a fever pitch when Santa Claus stops by with glad tidings. These family-friendly concerts are Grinchfree, and singing along is strongly encouraged. Performances take place at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday (December 18 through 20) at Powell riverfronttimes.com

Nick Berardini’s documentary Killing Them Safely was screened at this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival, and now it’s back for a short run at the Webster Film Series. The film examines the use of Tasers in law enforcement — or rather, their misuse. The purportedly non-lethal device has been linked to more than 500 deaths, but manufacturers Rick and Tom Smith maintain that Tasers don’t kill. Using archival footage and interviews with medical experts and the family members of those who have been killed, Berardini makes some unsettling revelations about the lethality of non-lethal weapons. Killing Them Safely screens at 7:30 p.m. Friday

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

Continued on pg 26

RIVERFRONT TIMES

CALENDAR Continued from pg 25

Amy Schumer plays Scottrade Center on Friday. through Sunday (December 18 to 20) at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood Avenue; 314-968-7487 or www. webster.edu/film-series). Tickets are $4 to $6. — Paul Friswold [COMEDY]

Amy Schumer There’s no comedian quite like Amy Schumer. Wickedly funny — and as tuned in to serious topics (reproductive rights and rape in the military, among dozens of others) as she is to pop culture — Schumer is a role model not only for young comedians, but also for most decent human beings. Whether you discovered her through the Comedy Central hit Inside Amy Schumer, last summer’s Trainwreck, or one of her many excellent interviews, speeches, or standup routines, you won’t want to miss the chance to see her performing new material live. Schumer performs at 7 p.m. tonight at Scottrade Center (1401 Clark Avenue, St. Louis; 314622-5400 or www.scotttradecenter.com). Tickets are $40 to $150. — Brooke Foster 26

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

SATURDAY 12/19 [CHRISTMAS CONCERT]

BandTogether Holiday Concert Christmas often makes people lonely. It’s the forced merriment, mostly — if you’re on your own in the world, being constantly told that this is the season of joy and togetherness comes with the reminder, “but not for you, singleton.” But there is an antidote: BandTogether’s annual holiday show. St. Louis’ LGBTA concert band is an all-volunteer musical force that plays everything from classical music to standards. This year’s theme is “My Favorite Things,” and the program includes “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “O Holy Night” and music from A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s free, it’s fun and there’s always a jolly crowd for you to join. The show takes place at 8 p.m. tonight at the 560 Music Building (560 Trinity Avenue, University City; www.bandtogetherstl.com). — Paul Friswold

[CHRISTMAS LIGHTS]

Brewery Lights When Jack Frost’s nipping at your nose, you have a couple of options: A) nose-warmer or B) booze. The nose-warmer is a bad look for most, so enjoy a pint of our hometown’s beloved brew as you stroll among the Brewery Lights at Anheuser-Busch Brewery (1200 Lynch Street; 314-577-2626 or www.brewerylights.com). (Another great warm-up option: the s’mores kits available around the on-site fire pits, which are only $2.50 per kit.) One of the region’s most popular holiday traditions, the lights twinkle all across the majestic A-B campus and can be peeped on foot or by car. If you’re feeling snacky, check out the offerings in the Biergarten, including soft pretzels and chili. The brewery lights are open 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday (through Sunday, January 3), but walking tours are not available on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve. Self-guided walking tours and beer samples are free; food and other activities are extra. — Brooke Foster

SUNDAY 12/20 [CHRISTMAS FILM]

It’s A Wonderful Life No one was more surprised than director Frank Capra when his film It’s a Wonderful Life became a Christmas classic decades after its release. Capra himself didn’t even think of the film as a Christmas tale, and though it premiered to mixed reviews in New York on December 20, 1946, the film did not go in to general release until after the holidays. During the 1980s It’s a Wonderful Life became a staple of the holiday season, thanks to repeated showings on hundreds of Planning an event, exhibiting your art or putting on a play? Let us know and we’ll include it in the Night & Day section or publish a listing in the online calendar — for free! Send details via e-mail (calendar@ riverfronttimes.com), fax (314-754-6416) or mail (6358 Delmar Boulevard, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63130, attn: Calendar). Include the date, time, price, contact information and location (including ZIP code). Please submit information three weeks prior to the date of your event. No telephone submissions will be accepted. Find more events online at www.riverfronttimes.com.

local television stations. Today at 5 p.m. you can see George Bailey and his existential despair on the big screen for free at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood Avenue; 314-968-7487 or www.webster.edu/film-series). — Mark Fischer

TUESDAY 12/22 [CHRISTMAS LIGHTS]

Winter Wonderland It’s been difficult to get into the winter holiday mood with all of these 70 degree days. But if you pack everybody in the car, blast Christmas music and head to Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park (9551 Litzsinger Road, Brentwood; www. stlouisco.com/parksandrecreation), you’ll get that mistletoe feeling. The county parks department’s big light show includes amenities such as carriage rides starting at $55 and the special proposal package. Winter Wonderland is open 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. nightly through Saturday, January 2, 2016, but closed on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Admission is $10 for a family vehicle. — Paul Friswold

WEDNESDAY 12/23 [CHRISTMAS BACH]

Bach Society Candlelight Concert We’re almost to the top of Christmas mountain, which means we should hunker down for the night and conserve energy before the final ascent. There’s no better place to recharge than in the joyous company of the annual Bach Society of St. Louis Christmas Candlelight concert. A family favorite since 1951, the performance features carols and the now-traditional candlelight procession through the hall. But because you’ve been good, you get a special treat: Our beloved Christine Brewer will perform “The Announcement of Christ’s Birth” from Handel’s Messiah as well as the sublime “O Holy Night.” The program starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Powell Hall (718 North Grand Boulevard; 314-534-1700 or www. bachsociety.org). Tickets are $30 to $75. — Paul Friswold

@ ST. LOUIS COUNTY LIBRARY WINTER READING CLUB FOR KIDS, TEENS & ADULTS December 1– February 29 Join the Winter Reading Club! All ages can participate. Pick up a log sheet at your local branch, cuddle up with a good book and earn great prizes! Visit www.slcl.org details for details. Thank you to our generous sponsors

Kids prizes: sleds, gift cards and Magic House memberships! Ages 12 and up prizes: Kindles and gift cards! Program sites are accessible. Upon two weeks’ notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Call 314-994-3300. www.slcl.org

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[ H O L I D AY S & S E A S O N A L ]

New Year’s Eve Big Daddy’s Red, White & Blue Ball

Enjoy the ultimate evening out. Then stay the night. Ring in the new year at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch with the Ultimate New Year’s Eve Party, featuring Dr. Zhivegas, Superjam and DJ Jamie Lambert, plus Curt & Nina from the NOW 96.3 morning show. The celebration starts at 7:30 p.m. on December 31, 2015, and runs until 1:30 a.m. STARTING AT

369

STARTING AT

459

ULTIMATE NYE STANDARD ROOM PACKAGE: Overnight stay and two party tickets. ULTIMATE NYE VIP ROOM PACKAGE: Overnight stay and two party tickets with VIP seating in either ballroom, premium bar and a dedicated cocktail server.

Party-only tickets are $129 each (or $175 for VIP seating, premium bar and cocktail service). Tickets available at eventbrite.com. Enjoy food stations, open bar, champagne toast and confetti drop at midnight. To book or for more information, call 314 342 4688 or visit stlouisarch.hyatt.com.

Big Daddy’s celebrates New Year’s Eve with a patriotic party. For every online ticket sold they’ll make a donation to H.E.R.O.E.S. Care. Choose from two great packages. Premium Patriotic Package ($75) includes open bar from 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., five-course buffet and Champagne toast at midnight. Platinum Ben Franklin Package ($100) includes everything in the Patriotic Package plus unlimited Champagne all night and celebration shots. Red, white and blue attire encouraged but not mandatory. Cash prizes for best dressed, most patriotic and most American girl & guy. Visit lacledes-landing. biggdaddystl.com for tickets and VIP information. Thu., Dec. 31, $75-$100. Big Daddy’s-The Landing, 118 Morgan St., St. Louis, 314-621-6700.

BMO Private Bank New Year’s Eve Celebration David Robertson and the Symphony always welcome the new year with a special performance full of magic and surprise guests. Who will show up this year? You’ll have to attend to find out. Special package for two at the Chase Park Plaza ($339) includes ticket to the show, one bedroom suite, bottle of Champagne and breakfast for two. Call 314-633-7735 and mention “NYE” to reserve. Thu., Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., $45$125. Powell Symphony Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, 314-534-1700.

2016 Bollywood NYE

HYATT REGENCY ST. LOUIS AT THE ARCH

315 Chestnut Street St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 63102

Ultimate New Year’s Eve package available at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch only. Package must be prepaid at time of booking and deposit is non-refundable after 12/14/2015. Must be at least 21 years of age to receive alcoholic beverages. For complete terms and conditions, visit stlouisarch.hyatt.com. The trademarks HYATT®, Hyatt Regency® and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. ©2015 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved.

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

STLRS5271_HR St Louis NYE Party RFT Half Pg Ad.indd 1

riverfronttimes.com 11/23/2015 10:52:40 AM

Enter the new year Bollywood style with a DJ spinning Bollywood, Bhangra and chart-busters, and a specially-designed FX countdown to 2016. There will be entertainment for the kids, a cash bar for adults, snacks, party favors and discounts on overnight rooms. Visit www. djsamhifi.com/stldesiparty for tickets and more information. Thu., Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., $48-$58. St. Louis Marriott

West, 660 Maryville Centre Drive, St. Louis, 314-878-2747.

Bootlegger’s Voodoo Ball It’s a roaring 20s New Year’s Eve party at Evangeline’s, with live music by Sarah Jane & the Blue Notes from 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. A seated dinner (6-9:30 p.m.) includes four courses, craft drafts, wine and exclusive cocktails, and then you can dance away 2015. Call 314-3673644 for reservations. Thu., Dec. 31, 6 p.m., $110 per person. Evangeline’s, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-3673644.

Bowls & Beer Come watch the College Football Playoff games at Market Pub House with great football, beer, and food specials all day. Not to mention plenty of Champagne at midnight! Thu., Dec. 31, 11-midnight, Free, 317-727-8880, info@marketpubhouse.com. Market Pub House, 6655 Delmar Blvd., University City.

Countdown on the Cobblestones Ring in the new year at this masquerade ball-themed party that includes a giant screen showing the Times Square countdown, confetti cannon at midnight and live entertainment at participating establishments. Wear a mask for special discounts; no Halloween or full-face masks, please. Thu., Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-3 a.m., free admission, www.lacledeslanding.com. Laclede’s Landing, N. First St. & Lucas Ave., St. Louis, 314241-5875.

A Craft Beer Masquerade Goose Island presents a Mardi Grasthemed craft beer event with live music. Your ticket includes all 55 draft beers on tap, well drinks, the buffet, midnight toast and all your party supplies. Thu., Dec. 31, 9 p.m., $60-$70. Cicero’s, 6691 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314862-0009.

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

NYE HAPPENINGS Continued from pg 28 The Funky Butt Brass The Funky Butt Brass Band heralds 2016 with NOLA-style brass, funk and soul. All three spaces will be open and heated. Thu., Dec. 31, 10 p.m. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.

Happy Holidays!

Irish New Year’s Eve Toast The new year arrives in Ireland at 6 p.m. CST, so come celebrate on Irish time. There wil be live Irish music, $4 Irish beers and select whiskies and a countdown at 6 p.m. with a bubbly toast. It’s a family-friendly party, so bring the kids. Thu., Dec. 31, 4 p.m.-midnight, no cover. Pat Connolly Tavern, 6400 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314-647-6553.

Jake’s Leg New Year’s Eve Celebration Legendary band Jake’s Leg kicks off its 40th year with a special show on New Year’s Eve. Complimentary Champagne toast at midnight and a breakfast buffet. Thu., Dec. 31, 8 p.m., $15$20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505. 7750 Carondelet Ave • Clayton, MO 63105 • 314-726.5400

Masked Intruder Thu., Dec. 31, 9 p.m., $18-$20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314535-0353.

New Year’s Eve

Ring in the New Year AT THREE SIXTY

START THE NEW YEAR OFF WITH A BANG 400FT ABOVE DOWNTOWN ST LOUIS! CELEBRATORY CUISINE | COCKTAILS | CHAMPAGNE TOAST DJ STEVE MEIER | BALL DROP AT MIDNIGHT | FIREWORKS AND MORE! For reservations and table pricing contact Amber Brda at 314.641.8842 | abrda@360-stl.com

ONE S. BROADWAY, ST. LOUIS, MO // 360-STL.COM // 314.641.8842

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

The Malt House Cellar keeps the party going from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. with a four-hour premium bar, after-dinner snacks, two dance floors w/ live music by SLAM & Millennium Music, billiards, darts, foosball and shuffleboard. Also: midnight toast! Purchase tickets at malthousecellar.com (21 and over only, non-refundable). Thu., Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., $74.95 per person + tax until Dec. 25th/$79.95 after, jason@ vindeset.com, malthousecellar.com. Moulin at Vin de Set, 2017 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-4949.

New Year’s Eve at Howl at the Moon Are you ready to have the best New Year’s Eve Party to date? Then book a New Year’s Eve package with Howl at the Moon St. Louis! A variety of packages offer you and your friends everything you need to kiss 2015 goodbye and start the New Year having a blast. 2016 won’t know what hit it. Select ticket packages include open bar, food, champagne toast, and an all access pass to Ballpark Village. Thu., Dec. 31, 7 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 1, 4-3 a.m., 314-7364695, stlouisevents@howlatthemoon. com, www.howlatthemoon.com/nyestl/. Howl at the Moon, 601 Clark Ave Unit J, in Ballpark Village, St. Louis.

www.chauvincoffee.com

Avoid “Amateur Night” this New Year’s Eve at Guido’s Special menu available. Relaxing atmosphere.

OPEN NEW YEAR’S DAY! 5046 Shaw Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110 OPEN 7 DAYS 314-771-4900 | www.guidosstl.com A WEEK riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

A SWIR L O 2015 F S PIRITS, S P E C I A LT Y C

A CRAFT SPIRITS T

THIS THU

DecEMB

UT S O L D$O 6PM-10PM •V IPVIP 35

AT THE

THIRD Degree Gl

5200 De lmar B lvd • S t

Unlimited winter-themed Live band • G PA R T I C I PAT I N

Jim Beam Kentucky Fire • Jim Beam Apple • Laphroaig • Barefoot Wine & Bubbly • Alberta Premium Rye • Lion’s Tooth Dandelion Liqueur • Montelle Wi Stilljoy Spirits • Wood Hat Spirits • 2 Ginge

Featuring:

BUY TICKE

10+ distilleries from

St. Louis and beyond!

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

StLouisHoliday

riverfronttimes.com

#S PIRITS RFT

2015

IMENT R R E M D N A , Y C O C K TA I L S

T S TA S T I N G E V E N T

H U R S D AY

MBER

17th

MUSIC BY

SA R A H JA N E & T H E B L U E N OT E S

7 PM-10PM • GA $20

AT THE

e Glass Factory

d • S t Lo ui s, MO 63108

med cocktails • Light bites d • Glass Art AT I N G S P I R I T S

oaig • Sauza 901 • Mastermind Vodka • Augusta Winery Rye • Cardinal Sin Vodka • Dark Horse Distillery lle Winery • Pinckney Bend Distillery • Still 630 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey • grand river spirits

K E TS N OW

daySpirits.com

Photos by Joe schmidt

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Call 314-367-3644 for reservations today! Speakeasy Dinner Soiree • Decadence • Scandal

Live music by Sarah Jane & the blue notes 7 PM - 1:30 AM

e v e s r all B a o e o Y oD o V w s ’ e r N gge

ner ted din a e s M 9:30 P ge • 6-0 AM • Wine a k c a cktails er p ing til 1:3 ive Co n s in lu c d x •E danc g 20’s pagne • Cham Roarin Drafts

e Bootl

rson • Craft $ per pe Dinner 0 1 e 1 s r u o C DES: 4

INCLU

Music Events This Weekend:

Fri Dec 18 - 7 PM Show - Backstreet Crusiers Sat Dec 19 - 7 PM Show - Brian Henneman & Kip Loui Sun Dec 20 - 11:30 AM Brunch - Miss Jubilee & the Humdingers

Join us on

New Year’s Eve for an evening of

drinks, dancing and delicious food! December 31st 7pm-1am

Tickets:

$60/aDvance $65 Day of party

tax anD gratuity not incluDeD

incluDes:

buffet of ribs, pasta, salaD, lobster risotto cakes & more, bottleD ab proDucts, sangria, Dance music & champagne toast at miDnight

Reserve your tickets today! 314.802.8883

Onesto Pizza & Trattoria | 5401 finkman | st. louis, mo 63109 34

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

All Inclusive New Years Eve Bash 2016 “Includes dinner, drinks and party favors.”

Entertainment provided by:

“Happy Handgrenades” & ‘Slammer & The Pogs’ Doors Open @ 6PM Dinner buffet 7pm - 9pm All Inclusive Drinks 7pm-12am (Cash Bar After Midnight) $39.99 In Advance, $49.99 At the door. Tickets Available on Metrotix.com

800 S Hwy Dr, Fenton, MO 63026 • (636) 343-5757 riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Get away with murder

NEW YEARS EVE

Participate in a Murder Mystery Ask for a starring role or just sit back and guess “who dunnit” Served with a 4-course meal to DIE for!

BISSELL MANSION DINNER THEATRE

314~533~9830 bissellmansion.com

Interactive Murder Mystery in St. Louis’ oldest home! Gift Certificates & Parties available

CELEBRATE NEW YEAR’S EVE

AT GRAPESEED LIVE MUSIC BY

BRIAN VACCARO & RYAN MARQUEZ

GREAT FOOD & LIBATIONS REGULAR MENU ITEMS +

CHEF INSPIRED SPECIALS

FOR RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL 314.925.8525 5400 NOTTINGHAM AVE, 63109 WWW.GRAPESEEDSTL.COM

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

FILM

[REVIEW]

Sibling Revelry Sisters is the rare film that allows women to indulge their party fantasies. Written by

MARYANN JOHANSON Sisters

Directed by Jason Moore. Written by Paula Pell. Starring Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena and Maya Rudolph. Opens Friday, December 18, at multiple theaters.

ooray. Yay. Yes. This. So much this. Women behaving badly. Women refusing to grow up. I mean, I would love it if “the movies” reverted back to the days of Bringing Up Baby and The Thin Man, with men and women actually believing that forty-something is cool, and dressing for dinner and having cocktails at six and solving mysteries and secretly aiding the resistance and such. But if that’s not going to happen, and movies are going to be overpopulated by manchildren playing video games and ogling bikinis and wallowing in haphazard celebrations of adolescent testosterone, then it’s only fair that women get equal time and aren’t expected to be the responsible ones while men have their fun. So hooray and yay for Sisters. Because now Tina Fey gets to be the womanchild: she throws a forreal kicking-and-screaming tantrum like a toddler, like an actual brand-new person who has not yet mastered bladder control, which is so absurd that you’re convinced it has to be going extra lengths to be a joke, a send-up of how juvenile men are in films like this. Because now Amy Poehler gets to be self-centered and selfish in a uniquely feminine way. Mini spoiler, not really: it’s about going overboard in being the “good” girl and the “good” sister and the “good” daughter, and how damn self-congratulatory -and also self-negating, which for

Amy and Tina, together again. | UNIVERSAL PICTURES approved values of womanhood is allegedly a positive thing -- that can be. And there’s a particular sort of relief in seeing this notion of “appropriate” womanliness being sent up. Like: yes! Someone sees how ridiculous this is. Someone sees how not-positive for women this is. Someone recognizes how this is abdicating adulthood, not embracing it. Already Sisters has got it all over any Adam Sandler movie, which never sees how problematic forty-something men behaving in stereotypically-approved-yet-idiotically-stupid ways really is. Not that the plot really matters, but Kate (Fey) and Maura Ellis (Poehler) are the titular sibs who’ve just discovered that their parents (Diane Wiest and James Brolin) have sold their childhood home in Orlando. They decide that this is the one-last-chance for Maura, ever the Responsible One, to have the blowout party she never had in

high school. So when the women are supposed to be clearing out their shared childhood bedroom (Mom and Dad have already moved into their new hip retirement community), they are in fact throwing a huge party, to which they have invited most of their former highschool friends and a new few new neighbors, and definitely do not invite their former high-school enemies, who of course show up anyway. And thus Sisters ends up a mix of sweet nostalgia -- Maura kissing the Family Ties-era poster of Michael J. Fox in their stuck-in-the-’80s bedroom is genuinely lovely -- and just a little bit of gross out that the movie could have done without (and been much stronger for it), but it’s not too much so it’s okay. Instead, as wonderful payback for women moviegoers who have been putting up with overgrown boys for too long, there is some peculiarly womanish humor. When Maura riverfronttimes.com

worries about not wearing the right bra to get her flirt on, that is a real thing that is very wise and funny about the things that women worry about. There are men as eye candy and objects of desire: Pro wrestler John Cena, as a drug dealer Kate likes, follows on from his appearance in Trainwreck with another instance of sending up his almost cartoonishly overly pumped-up masculine image. And -- as all wise dudes and women know -- men who are comfortable making fun of themselves are extra sexy. And then there is James, the charming and funny Florida neighbor, who Maura likes and is played by Ike Barinholtz, who looks like a lost Wahlberg cousin but is apparently no relation at all. Maura shares a moment of vulnerability with him at the party that is so raw that it made me sob with its shrewdness. I get very worked up when women get to be screwed-up people onscreen. It’s so rare! n

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

THE ARTS

Antonio Rodriguez and Em Piro — at war. | ERIC WOOLSEY [ S TA G E ]

The Chosen Ones The New Jewish Theatre expertly stages a black comedy about Jews behaving badly Written by

PAUL FRISWOLD Bad Jews

Written by Joshua Harmon. Directed by Sydnie Grosberg Ronga. Through December 23 at the Jewish Community Center’s Wool Studio Theatre, 2 Millstone Campus, Creve Coeur. Tickets are $39.50 to $43.50. Call 314-442-3283 or visit www.newjewishtheatre.org.

D 38

eath frees us from the strife of the world, but surviving family members aren’t so lucky. Strife is the order of the day when the Feygen-

RIVERFRONT TIMES

baum/Haber family gathers, and now that their grandfather Poppy is gone, the knives are officially out in this modern American Jewish family. This is when they transform into the Bad Jews of Joshua Harmon’s black comedy, which gets a blistering run-out courtesy of the New Jewish Theatre and director Sydnie Grosberg Ronga. Poppy’s Chai necklace is the prize openly coveted by one member of each family branch. “Chai” is the Hebrew word for “life,” and Poppy kept his safe under his tongue while in a Nazi concentration camp. It is an important symbol in the family history, but it doesn’t mean the same thing to each of those warring factions. In this corner is Daphna Feygenbaum (Em Piro), a young woman who cherishes her Jewishness as a cultural identity and a living religion that’s worth fighting for. For her the necklace is proof of concept; Judaism can survive anything, and so can she. Daphna’s opponent is her cousin Liam (Antonio Rodriguez), a self-pro-

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

claimed atheist who studies Japanese culture and exclusively dates shiksas. For him the necklace marks the start of the family’s life in America; here the old ways died away, and living life as just another American is not just possible, it’s desirable. In between them is Liam’s younger brother Jonah (Pete Winfrey), who is mum on the topics of Jewishness, Poppy’s Chai and whom he supports in the fight. He’s part punching bag and part pawn, but viewed as a key ally by both Daphna and Liam. Rodriguez does great work as the tightly wound Liam, who physically recoils at the mere sight of Daphna and her unruly mass of curly hair. He’s the kind of guy who believes he’s smarter than everyone he meets, and he’s not shy about letting them know it. But when he snaps – and Daphna knows just how to push him to it – Rodriguez shreds that urbane façade to reveal a viciousness that terrifies Daphna, Jonah and his own fiancée, the casually WASPish

Melody (Taylor Steward). Piro captures the essence of Daphna’s religious fervor and sanctimony while still keeping her likeable — which may be only because she’s not directing it at us. She’s the sort of woman who welcomes Melody with a barrage of friendly questions, and then synthesizes the information gleaned into statements such as, “You have the blood of genociders in your veins.” She later badgers Melody into singing a brutally soulless rendition of Porgy and Bess’ “Summertime.” Bad Jews packs a surfeit of painfully funny scheming and confrontations in its 90 minutes, so much so that it feels quicker than it is. Even then, it’s a relief when you reach the end, because you can only take so much horrible behavior before it becomes fatiguing. It doesn’t spoil anything to tell you nobody wins, because nobody really wins a family fight. Well, maybe Poppy won – he lived just long enough to bow out before his grandkids started this one. n

DID YOU KNOW: 1.3M PEOPLE READ

EACH MONTH?

Sarajane Alverson, Stephen Peirick and Michael Juncal. | JOHN LAMB

You Can Take the Man Out of Uranus…. Stay Dog’s new production is campy good fun – and great Christmas counterprogramming Written by

PAUL FRISWOLD Devil Boys from Beyond

Written by Buddy Thomas and Kenneth Elliott Directed by Gary F. Bell Presented by Stray Dog Theatre through December 19 at the Tower Grove Abbey (2336 Tennessee Avenue; 314-865-1995 or www.straydogtheatre.org). Tickets are $20 to $25.

very Christmas Stray Dog Theatre sidesteps the holiday entertainment in favor of something a little more frisky and risque (frisque?). In the season of adults doing everything possible to make children happy, an adults-only show about interstellar sexual shenanigans in 1950s Florida is not just a welcome respite, it’s a noble deed. Buddy Thomas and Kenneth Elliott’s Devil Boys From Beyond is rude and crass, but it warms the cockles of your heart. No, scratch that -- it hardens the cockles, nudge-nudge, wink-wink. Director Gary F. Bell and cast wring every bit of bawdiness from the show and then put it away wet. Devil Boys takes place in 1957. A flying saucer has reportedly crashlanded in Lizard Lick, Florida, and ace reporter Matilda “Maddie” Van Buren (Sarajane Alverson) is sent

down from New York to get the story. She’s driven and successful, but hampered by the presence of her ex-husband, Gregory Graham (Stephen Peirick), a drinking problem with a camera. Maddie’s life is further complicated by gossip columnist Lucinda Marsh (Michael Baird), who wants to scoop Maddie to cement her own legend. Alverson has a gift for playing fast-talking tough cookies like Maddie, and that makes it easy to overlook just how many words she’s spitting out in every scene. She machine guns the dialogue like a pro, never garbling a punchline. Peirick’s Graham is more thirsty than chatty, but the little dances he performs every time a drink is in sight tell you everything you need to know about his internal life. As Lucinda, Baird has his own arsenal of dance moves. He plays her as bitchy, catty and highly dramatic even for a gossip columnist. Baird turns sneaking into an office into a Gene Kelly-esque ballet, which is most impressive considering Baird appears to be about six-feet tall in his heels. He sneers when seducing Graham with the rarely-seen bourbon bukkake, and then sneers more sharply when asking Maddie to leave with the gentle rejoinder, “Hit the road, shitface.” Good times. Devil Boys packs a great deal of camp into its 90 minutes, and somewhere in there it finds a moment to make a statement about tolerance. Lucinda’s just to the right of Eugene McCarthy, and she’s quite proud of outing and shaming homosexuals in print. When the aliens are finally revealed to be shaved musclemen who only wear Speedos, a homosexual is discovered in Lizard Lick. But don’t worry, the show’s message is only lightly brushed before Devil Boys gets back to nipple-tweaking, spanking and boozing it up. It is Christmas, after all. n

©HFPA

“‘YOUTH’ IS SUPERIOR CINEMA,

ARDENT AND ARTFUL, HYPNOTIC AND HAUNTING.” Peter Travers, YOUTHTHEMOVIE.COM

EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENTS START

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18

3 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD NOMINATIONS ®

RIVERFRONT TIMES (ST. LOUIS, MO)

THURSDAY 12/17

INCL UDING

2 COL. ( 4.55" ) X 5" FS/JK BEST ACTOR* EDDIE REDMAYNE • BEST ACTRESS* ALICIA VIKANDER ALL.YTH.1217.SLRT

*( D R A MA)

[ S TA G E ]

“A CINEMATIC LANDMARK.” PETER DEBRUGE, VARIETY

EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT STARTS

CHECK DIRECTORIES FOR SHOWTIMES NO PASSES ACCEPTED

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES (ST. LOUIS, MO) THURSDAY 12/17 2 COL. ( 4.55" ) X 5"

FS/JK

RIVERFRONT TIMES

IS YOUR MOUTH WATERING YET? Thank you, St. Louis! BEST BARBEQUE - Reader’s Choice 2015

5 AREA LOCATIONS

THREEKINGSPUB.COM

OLIVETTE • ST. CHARLES • WINGHAVEN • “44” VALLEY PARK • WASHINGTON

coming soon DOWNTOWN Visit SugarfireSmokehouse.com for more info

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

CAFE

[REVIEW]

The Right Stuff With Reeds American Table, St. Louis’ next-gen restaurateurs prove they have what it takes Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Reeds American Table

7322 Manchester Road. Maplewood; 314899-9821. Wed.-Mon. 5-10 p.m. (Closed Tues.)

here was no way Reeds American Table was going to be anything less than great. Its lineup is a who’s who of upand-comers in the St. Louis food scene. Chef/owner Matthew Daughaday has been a local darling since his days running the kitchen at Taste. The exceptionally charming Andrey Ivanov, Reeds’ beverage director, is arguably the best wine mind to grace St. Louis in years — if not ever — while pastry chef Summer Wright’s impressive résumé includes a stint working for Daniel Boulud. Even general manager Nicki Ball has a roster of high-profile restaurants under her belt, counting Michelle Obama as one of her satisfied customers. This group is simply too big to fail. Yet Reeds doesn’t just excel because of that talent. It excels in spite of it. Reeds could be intimidating — the sort of place where you feel compelled to sit a little taller and nod enthusiastically as your server educates you on the finer points of heritage-breed pork jowls. That’s the danger with so much star power: It often translates into an experience that makes you feel as if you are being granted the privilege of dining rather than being treated as a valued guest. Reeds, though, starts from the “guest” premise and works backward. It’s an ethos that starts at the top; Daughaday takes every opportunity to deflect accolades from himself and onto his team. Daughaday had been about a

A selection of dishes from Reeds American Table: braised beef cheek, lamb stew and roasted pears. | MABEL SUEN

Reeds’ menu features familiar favorites so subtly nudged toward sophistication that diners may not always realize how good they’ve got it. year into his tenure at Taste when he began musing about a place of his own. His idea was for a casual, 40-seat brasserie grounded in approachable comfort food. But then Ivanov and Wright, who had both also worked for Gerard Craft, came on board, and the chef’s vision evolved into a more sophisticated concept to accommodate his growing talent pool. At its heart, though, Reeds is still that approachable comfort-food spot. The restaurant occupies the cozy Maplewood storefront that

used to be Home Wine Kitchen (may it rest in peace). Walking in, it looks much like the same restaurant; the new touches are mostly just finishings. The shotgun-style space is flanked on one side by the bar, which sits against a backdrop of shiny white subway tiles. Across the room, wooden banquettes line a wooden-slat wall, decorated with a muted red and black graffiti-like design. Daughaday also converted Home’s private upstairs space into a second dining room, doubling the number of seats he originally planned on. He may have compromised on size, but he didn’t bend on the food. Reeds’ menu features familiar favorites so subtly nudged toward sophistication that diners may not always realize how good they’ve got it. Consider the braised beef cheeks small plate — arguably the best dish at Reeds. Succulent meat, the consistency of pot roast, is steeped in foie-gras cream, then piled atop a thick slice of buttery focaccia. The juices soak into the bread like a biscuit dipped in brown gravy, while slices of oven-roasted tomatoes provide a spark that cuts through the riverfronttimes.com

richness. It’s inspired by a recipe for chipped beef on toast that Daughaday found in his grandma’s church cookbook – but it’s also topped with on-trend goose liver. The result is nothing short of sublime. In another dish, pork belly — so tender it borders on spreadable — is paired with shaved Brussels sprouts, shiitake mushrooms and carrots, then drizzled with maple and date jus for the perfect balance of fat, sweet, earth and salt. Alone it is decadent; paired with a side of moist, bacon-fat-soaked cornbread, it’s almost pornographic. I wasn’t sure if I should dip my bread in the jus at the bottom of the pork-belly plate or in the melted honey-thyme butter that accompanied the bread, but both choices yielded pure joy. Even a simple small plate of roasted cauliflower dazzles — yellow curry adds an earthy accent, while pickled raisins and gremolata provide a bright pop. Missteps are rare at Reeds. In fact, the only dish that did not work well was the smoked-beet small plate. The earthy root vegetables were overly smoked, then paired with rye bread crumbles

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

Continued on pg 42

RIVERFRONT TIMES

A MODERN AMERICAN PUB WITH A RUSTIC TOUCH PROVIDING A HIGH STANDARD FOR FOOD AND BEER WITH A DISTINCTIVE APPROACH ON CRAFT COCKTAILS

now open IN THE CENTRAL WEST END 2 NO R TH S AR AH ST RE ET #RGP @RETREATGASTRO

f dishes from Reeds American Table: braised beef cheek, lamb stew and roasted pears. | MABEL SUEN richness. It’s inspired by a recipe for chipped beef on toast that Daughaday found in his grandma’s church cookbook – but it’s also topped with on-trend goose liver. The result is nothing short of sublime. In another dish, pork belly — so tender it borders on spreadable — is paired with shaved Brussels sprouts, shiitake mushrooms and carrots, then drizzled with maple and date jus for the perfect balance of fat, sweet, earth and salt. Alone it is decadent; paired with a side of moist, bacon-fat-soaked cornbread, it’s almost pornographic. I wasn’t sure if I should dip my bread in the jus at the bottom of the pork-belly plate or in the melted honey-thyme butter that accompanied the bread, but both choices yielded pure joy. Even a simple small plate of roasted cauliflower dazzles — yellow curry adds an earthy accent, while pickled raisins and gremolata provide a bright pop. Missteps are rare at Reeds. In fact, the only dish that did not work well was the smoked-beet small plate. The earthy root vegetables were overly smoked, then paired with rye bread crumbles

Authentic MexicAn Food, Beer, And MArgAritAs!

2817 cherokee st. st. Louis, Mo 63118 314.762.0691 onco.coM www.tAqueriAeLBr Continued on pg 42

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

Braised beef cheek with oven-dried tomatoes, arugula, focaccia and foie-gras cream. | MABEL SUEN

REEDS Continued from pg 41 that added to the bitterness – it tasted like I was licking the inside of a whiskey barrel. The spice from the ‘nduja vinaigrette only exacerbated the problem. The larger plates were a parade of successes. A thick-cut pork chop, so marbled that it looked like a chop of bacon, was expertly cooked to medium-rare plus, and its sweetness was brought out by a marsala cream sauce. But as wonderful as this dish was, it paled in comparison to the lamb stew. Daughaday slow-cooks lamb necks in a meritage of Middle Eastern spices and harissa, like an exotic chile. In place of sour cream and corn chips, though, he garnishes the stew with mint, yogurt and za’atar flatbread. He’d win first place if he entered this in a chili cookoff. Reeds excels at even its simplest offerings. The hearty sauce in Daughaday’s version of spaghetti Bolognese is mostly meat -- ground pork, beef and bacon are simmered in just a hint of tomato, then served over housemade noodles. Dollops of ricotta cheese make an already rich dish that much more so, but the standout is the accompanying

garlic toast. (I commend Daughaday and company: They go for the garlic.) Soak up the sauce on a piece of this buttery bread, and it will change the way you eat pasta. Daughaday’s savory offerings make it difficult to save room, but it would be shameful to leave without trying Wright’s roasted-pear dessert. Slices of the fruit are caramelized, skin-on, and served in their natural jus over luscious mascarpone cheese. The ricciarelli, however, make this dish. These glorious almond cookies are so delicious, I found myself calculating how much I would pay Wright to make them by the dozen. (A lot.) I wasn’t shocked by the cookies; Wright is a pastry wunderkind. Nor did I bat an eye when Ivanov’s hand-picked $7 house wine proved better than most restaurants’ highend pours. What was surprising, though, is how one of the year’s best restaurants made me feel as comfortable as if I were at a dinner party with friends. That’s what sets Reeds apart – and that’s why I felt privileged to dine there. n Reeds American Table Braised beef cheek ........................ $12 Lamb stew........................................ $16 Pork chop ........................................ $20

freshly CRAFTED DAILY Peel Wood Fired Pizza and Brewery is located in historic Downtown O'Fallon, Illinois. This is the second location for Peel. The first location opened in Edwardsville Illinois. The Peel O'Fallon location features an extensively renovated 10,000 square foot historic building, featuring two levels and has a capacity to seat 230 guests. In the brewing area, on the second floor of the O'Fallon Location, you will find an impressive display of the brew house and fermentation equipment. The 7bbl brew house and 8 vessel fermentation room can be viewed by visitors through glass panels. Peel Brewing Company is currently producing 7 craft beers including cream ale, moonlight IPA, brown ale, Belgian strong ale, Belgian double IPA, blood orange wheat, and oatmeal milk stout. All of the Peel Brewing Company beers can be enjoyed at both Peel locations in Edwardsville and O'Fallon, Illinois.

peelpizza.com

Edwardsville Hours

O’Fallon Hours

Monday - Thursday: 11am - 10pm Friday & Saturday: 11am - 11pm • Sunday: 11am - 8pm

Monday - Saturday: 11am - 10pm Sunday: 11am - 8pm

921 South Arbor Vitae - Edwardsville, IL 618.659.8561

104 S. Cherry St. - O’Fallon, IL 618.726.2244

riverfronttimes.com

Brew Pub Hours - O’Fallon Only Monday - Thursday: 11am - 11pm Friday & Saturday: 11am - 12am • Sunday: 11am - 10pm

Craft Beers Offered at Both Locations

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

SHORT ORDERS

[ R E S TA U R A N T R O L L C A L L ]

[FIRST LOOK]

Yes, You Do Want to Try Gus’s

314 THE CITY BAR OPENS DOWNTOWN Written by

SAMANTHA DEVER

Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

nless you’ve been living under a rock for much of the last year, you know that Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken (7434 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314-899-9899) opened last week in Maplewood. But even if you have been under that rock, chances are you’ve been subsisting off fried chicken. Never mind the classics, like Hodak’s, Porter’s or Frank & Helen’s Pizzeria – beginning with the opening of Old Standard last October, the town’s chicken coop has become increasingly crowded with a new flock of restaurants dedicated to the Southern-style fried bird. With so many great homegrown options, why would anyone bother with the St. Louis outpost of a Memphis chicken chain? We’d make that argument if this were any other fried-chicken restaurant. Legendary Gus’s, however, is giving us pause. Here are five reasons why we are excited about Gus’s, even as we debate the merits of yet another fried-chicken restaurant in our deep-fried market — much less another (gasp!) chain. 1. Gus’s is a legitimate, oldschool fried-chicken joint, not a corporate hack. In 1953, Napoleon “Na” Bonner and his wife Maggie opened the soul-food restaurant that would become Gus’s in Mason, Tennessee. It was called “Maggie’s Short Orders.” The restaurant has changed names, moved locations and expanded its business, but it remains a family affair passed down generation to generation. The Bonners’ daughter-in-law Gertrude Bonner-Jackson still serves as the restaurant’s matriarch, even though it’s now owned by her son Terry and his wife Anne. Gus’s chicken remains the same as when

RIVERFRONT TIMES

No such thing as too much fried bird. | JIM LARRISON/FLICKR their grandfather developed it, and only five people currently know the recipe — all of them family. 2. Gus’s is considered by many to be the best fried chicken in the world. In 2001, GQ listed Gus’s as one of the five places in the country worth hopping on a plane for a meal. Bon Appetit readers placed it on the topfive list of “best fried chicken ever,” and Gus’s consistently wins local awards for top fried-chicken honors. There’s no denying that a great deal of hype surrounds the humble chicken joint, but consistent accolades show that there is a legitimate reason for Gus’s success. 3. Gus’s patrons love its chicken so much, they’ve paid to rebuild the restaurant — twice. Maggie’s Short Orders proved so popular that it outgrew its original digs in 1973. Locals in Mason were so eager to get their hands on more chicken, they raised money for the Bonners to expand into a much larger space. When that location burned down in 2002, a local architect designed a new building for

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

the Bonners free of charge, while a construction company donated supplies and labor. 4. We freak out about Memphis barbecue around here, so we should probably check out its chicken. For such a proud food town, it’s funny that St. Louis still takes its barbecue cue from our neighbor to the south. From Pappy’s to Bogart’s, Memphis-style barbecue put St. Louis smokehouses on the map. If we have that much love for its smoked meats, we can only imagine how good they are battered and deep-fried. 5. Because really, there is never enough fried chicken. Old Standard is lightly seasoned and pressure-fried. Southern is all about Nashville-style hot chile fire. Byrd & Barrel has a thick, slightly sweet coating. Saying there is too much fried chicken is like saying there are too many colors in the rainbow. Each version is so unique and special, we’d argue it’s like eating a different dish every time. Or n so we tell our cardiologist.

elephone is fun. He’ll phone when he’s done? Hedgehogs love hugs??? Just like the classic game of telephone, the goal for the new telephone-adorned bar opened by husband-and-wife team Robert Wilmoth and Desiree Knapp, 314 the City Bar (1137 Washington Avenue; 314-328-2280), is fun. It certainly looks fun. With its shiny black-and-white checkered floors and flashy chrome on the bar and overhead, it’s the sort of place you walk into and feel just a little bit jazzier. It also sounds fun. According to Wilmoth, entertainment of all sorts is on the agenda. “We plan to have music, game nights, that kind of thing,” Wilmoth says. “We have a Giant Connect 4 and Giant Yahtzee.” Wilmoth and Knapp had been researching opening up a restaurant for the past four or five years and almost went ahead with several locations, but the right circumstances never quite presented themselves. “We had started to make moves in directions, but in the end we stepped back and said that it wasn’t the right fit,” Wilmoth says. After learning the space on Washington Avenue was open, they finally felt like it was time to go for it. “I actually did a lot of work for the owner of this building, so we had a good relationship there,” Wilmoth says. “The kitchen was there and built, the hood was there, the walkin. Financially it worked.” And now Wilmoth is working to make 314 the City Bar into Continued on pg 46

匀吀⸀ 䰀伀唀䤀匀ᤠ 唀䰀吀䤀䴀䄀吀䔀匀倀伀刀吀匀䈀䄀刀䔀砀挀攀瀀琀椀漀渀愀氀昀漀漀搀Ⰰ 挀爀愀昀琀戀攀攀爀猀 ☀ 猀瀀椀爀椀琀猀

314 THE CITY BAR Continued from pg 44 a neighborhood place. “The other places up and down Wash. Ave., they all have their different style. Some turn a little more night-clubby at certain times, but that’s not what we want to do. We want to be a place you can just pop by, have some decent food, have a drink, have a conversation.” 314 the City Bar is a “bar first” restaurant, Wilmoth says. Happy hour, which will typically run from 4 to 7 or 8 p.m., is a big part of the game plan. “We have some great happy hours. We try to do it all week, including the weekends,” Wilmoth says. “The food is really designed for something light to have while you’re drinking, but it does also make a nice portion for lunch.” There are several ways to make food fun; one of them is to make everything bite-size. For example, most people would agree that Dippin’ Dots are more fun than ice cream, Lil’ Smokies are more fun than hot dogs and so on. 314 the City Bar seems to subscribe to that philosophy with a menu of mostly

Everyone knows bite-size food is more fun than regular-size food. | SAMANTHA DEVER fun-sized items: sliders instead of burgers, tiny tacos instead of standard-size tacos, and a four-ounce petite filet rather than a rib-eye. Just like the game of telephone, sometimes the message reads clearly, as in the case of the fla-

6665 Delmar Blvd #100a, St. Louis, MO 63130

vorful pulled chicken Caprese sliders, and sometimes the end result is confusion. Most noticeably, the side of candied dill carrots we received were cloyingly sweet and the dill was nowhere to be found. But, hey, hide-and-seek is anoth-

er game. We just didn’t win this time around. And who needs vegetables anyway when the goal is fun, fun, fun? Even if you don’t make it in for happy hour, life is too short not to be full of good cheer. Order the sliders. n Fresh Pressed Sandwiches Homemade Soups Wood Fire Pizza Local Beer • Local Wine Ice Cream • Snacks

314.925.8452 SeoulQSTL.com

Thank you, St. Louis! BEST COMFORT FOOD - Reader’s Choice 2015

BEST DELI/SANDWICH SHOP - Editor’s Pick 2015

TOWER GROVE EAST Open 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. 3101 Arsenal

288 Golden Pint Winners Will Receive:

THE GOOSE THAT LAID

1/2 Price Draughts,

8-10 Pints Awarded Daily Throughout December

ALL OF 2016!

THE GOLDEN PINT

$2 Goose Island Pints

2 SEASONAL GOOSE ISLA ND BREWS ON TA P @TwinOakSTL

1201 Strassner Dr, Brentwood, MO 63144 • 314.644.2772 • twinoakwoodfired.com 46

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

OUT E IN SPECIALS & CARRY-OUT SPECIALS

DAILY DINE IN & DAILY CARRY-OUT DINE INSPECIALS & CARRY-OUT DAILY DINE IN SPECIALS & CARRY-OUT SPECIALS

900 Barton St.

GRAND REOPENING FRIDAY DECEMBER 18!

(CORNER OF 9TH & BARTON IN SOULARD)

314- 773 - 1 0 1 9 HANDMADE SPECIALTY APPETIZERS

HANDMADE SPECIALTY APPETIZERS

SHOT AND DRINK SPECIALS ALL DAY s s s h h h & & & ointksp&esc17hiaoDIFFERENT o o o k k k ts speciHOUSE t t t n n n s s s i i i r r r p p p d d d e e e MADE CHICKEN WING SAUCES c c cials y y y i i l l l a a a i i i l l l l a s s ....................s ............D . . .a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D . . .a ...... D NEWLY RENOVATED SPECIALTY PIZZAS, BURGERS, SANDWICHES, & WRAPS SPECIALTY PIZZAS, BURGERS, SANDWICHES, & WRAPS ........................................................... NOW NON-SMOKING DAILY DINE IN & CARRY-OUT SPECIALS ...........................................................

17 DIFFERENT HOUSE MADE CHICKEN WING SAUCES

DAILY DINE IN & CARRY-OUT SPECIALS

1/2 PRICE PIZZAS

DURING 1 / 2 P R I C E1 /P2I ZPZRAISC E1 /P2I ZPZRA ISC E P I Z Z A S IPZRZIACSE P I Z Z A S THE D u r i n g aDlulr i n g aDlulr i n g a l l aulrli n g a l l C A R D S G ACMA REDSS G ACMA RE DS S G A M EBLUES S AMREDS G A M E S MON-SAT: 11sp-1:30 s h & o k t n i r d e GAMES c y i l a i l a s D HOURS SUN: 3 -12 AM

11MON-SAT: -1 11 -1 SM-12AMSUN: 3PM-12AM AM

:30AM

MON-SAT: 11AMMON-SAT: -1:30AM 11AMMON-SAT: -1:30AM 11AM-1:30AM HOURS HOURS SUN: 3PM-12AM SUN: 3PM-12AM SUN: 3PM-12AM

HOURS 900 BARTON ST. KITCHEN HOURS LATE NIGHT MENU (CORNER OF 9TH & BARTON IN SOULARD) te NightLate MenuNight Menu Night Menu Late Night Menu Late Night Menu OURS KITCHEN HOURS KITCHENPMLate HOURS KITCHEN HOURS AM PM AM

pMMON-SAT: aM -12AMMON-SAT: N-SAT: -11pM 11MON-SAT: -12aM 11pM11-12-11 MON-SAT:MON-SAT: 11AMMON-SAT: -11pM 11 11 MON-SAT: -11pM 11pMMON-SAT: 11 -12AMaM-11pM11pMMON-SAT: -12aM 11pM-12aM PM PM PM PM PM PM PMSUN: PM PM 10 PM -11 PM PM SUN: 0SUN: 10PM-11SUN: 10 3-11-10 SUN: 3PM-10 SUN: 3PM-10 SUN:SUN: 10PM-11 3PM-10 SUN: 10PM-11PMSUN: 10PM-11PM

314-773-1019

eSoulard ook.com/dsplace.soulard • facebook.com/dsplace.soulard

T WI T T E R. twitter.com/DsPlaceSoulard COM/D S P LA C E S Otwitter.com/DsPlaceSoulard U LA R D ••facebook.com/dsplace.soulard F A C E Btwitter.com/DsPlaceSoulard O O K . C O•Mfacebook.com/dsplace.soulard / D S P LA C E. S O U•L Afacebook.com/dsplace.soulard RD

/ 2 P R IDSPLACESOULARD. S cesoulard lard.com 1 .com dsplacesoulard .comCOM .com .com Cdsplacesoulard E P I Z Z Adsplacesoulard

During all

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

42 58 Buy one lunch entree get $3 off Second

Valid at Washington Ave. location only 1901 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103 (314) 241-1557

DINING GUIDE OUT EVERY NIGHT

TheH Dining T U RGuide S Dlists AYonly restaurants

Price Guide (based on a three-course meal for one, excluding tax, tip and beverages): THE the Winks, Little $ FEW: w/ up Inner to $15Outlines, per person Falcon Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Lou$$ 6 p.m., $15$6. - $25 is, $$$314-289-9050. $25 - $40 FUNKY BRASS $$$$ BUTTmore thanBAND $40 HOLIDAY BRASSTRAV-

recommended by RFT food critics. The print listings below rotate regularly, as space allows. AYE VERB: 9 p.m., 3108 Locust Our complete Dining$12-$15. Guide isFubar, available online; St, Louis,and 314-289-9050. viewSt.menus search local restaurants by CAROUSEL: w/ the Maness Brothers, Maximum name or neighborhood.

Louis, 314-388-7777.

Effort 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Lou-

AGANZA: 9 p.m.; Dec. 19, 9 p.m., $15-$28. Off

is, 314-289-9050.

Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-

HELL NIGHT: w/ Carousel, the Maness Brothers,

3363.

Maximum Effort 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Lo-

MURPHY LEE’S BIRTHDAY BASH: 8 p.m., $15. The

cust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

OF MONSTERS AND MEN: 8 p.m., TBA. Peabody

SKALIDAYS: 9 p.m., $10-$15. The Ready Room,

Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-241-

4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

1888.

SOULARD BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz,

SCUZZ: w/ Drag, Bubbleheads 8 p.m., $5. Foam

Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-

Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis,

436-5222.

314-772-2100.

STEDDY P & DJ MAHF: w/ Gypsy Chldrn, Farout,

SOULS: w/ Daytripper, Reaver 7 p.m., $10. The

Apollo, Altayzie 9 p.m., $8-$10. Cicero’s, 6691

Demo, 4191 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-

Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-862-0009.

5532.

SUPER SEXY SLUSHY XXX HOLIDAY PARTY: w/ Cra-

THE BRAVE COMBO HOLIDAY SHOW: 7 p.m., $15.

zy XXX Girlfriend, Slushwave 9 p.m., $5. The

Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-

Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-

773-3363.

775-0775.

F R I D AY

S AT U R D AY

AMY SCHUMER: 7 p.m., $32.50-$128. Scottrade

THE BOOZEHOUNDZ: w/ Troglodyte, Seize The

Manchest

Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

Empire, Compelled to Destroy 8 p.m., $10.

TYLER WAR

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TOY [CARDINAL T H E L OGLENNON OP]

[Fubar, M A P L3108 E W Locust O O D ] St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

Olive St., S

DRIVE: w/ Doomed to Burn, Through the Scope,

FRANK SINATRA, JR.: 8 p.m., $59.50-$89.50. Lin-

6261 Delmar Boulevard, City; 314-721-5555. p.m., $10. The Demo,University 4191 Manchester Ave, St.

2810 Sutton Boulevard, Maplewood, 314-647-2567. 2300 W. Clay St., St. Charles, 636-949-4433.

from omelets and biscuits and gravy, to burgers and corn dogs. On the breakfast side, the “Finals Breakfast Sandwich” is a good one: an egg, griddled ham, bacon, sriacha and mixed-berry jam are sandwiched between two malty waffles. Ask for a side of maple syrup, and the dish becomes a quirky take on a Monte Cristo. Another standout is the chicken curry salad melt with Muenster cheese. And don’t leave without trying at least one of the seventeen different varieties of spiked milkshakes. They are break-up cures in a frosty glass. $-$$

Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O

7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Thursday, December 17, Friday, December 18 and Saturday, Salt + Smoke December 19. 6525 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-727-0200.

Jazz +atSmoke the Bistro, 3536 Avenue. $30. Salt infuses theWashington Loop air with the unmistakable smell of barbecue. The scent may draw diners in, 314-571-6000. but the delectable barbecue taste will keep the crowds coming back for ago more. this The latest ventureafrom restauFifty years month, mustarateur Tom Schmidt, best known for Franco in Soulard, chioed, thick-spectacled jazzbo afrom Salt + Smoke features Texas-style barbecue, huge bourbon selection comprehensive offerthe Bay Areaand named Vincecraft-beer Guaraldi ings. Fried pickles and hush puppies dipped in honey unknowingly thetheChristmas butter are standout entered appetizers, and falafel sandwich — though a surprise at a barbecue place — is the canon with his score and soundtrack closest thing a vegetarian can get to barbecue. St. Louis-cut are dry rubbed and Christmas. fall off the bone. Like Those to Aribs Charlie Brown who order the brisket are given the option of the fatty thethe cartoon special it accompanied, part, lean part or the burnt end. The lean part is tender and needs no sauce. The thick-sliced smokedand boloGuaraldi’s trio used some spare gna, flecked with fat, jalapeños and cheddar cheese, is impressionistic techniques toMayer match more like salami than the thin-sliced Oscar deli slices. Be forewarned: A little goes a long way. Salt + both the jubilation and melancholy Smoke offers thoughtful side dishes like white-cheddar-cracker mac & cheese, coleslawlisteners, tossed with apples of the season; for many the and fennel, and sweet creamed corn. And make sure to jazzroom triofor became thepie. preferred delivery save the chocolate The flaky crust and bittersweet pudding-like filling make it an excellent ending to a great meal. $$

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

8 p.m. Sa

The Sheldo vard. $25 t

Time — escape fact of it the first the defin years on Jay Farra express songs li will beco

KOA: 8 p.m

Salt + Smoke. | JENNIFER SILVERBERG

Peacock Bolyard’s Meat &Center Provisions denwood’s J. Scheidegger for the Arts, Danny Greene,Loop Hallow Diner Point, In My Silence 7 The latest feather in Joe Edwards’ (Blueberry Hill, PinLouis, 314-833-5532. Up Bowl) impressively plumed cap, Peacock Loop DinCHRIS CORNELL: p.m., $76. The Sheldon, er serves breakfast7and lunch staples 24 hours a3648 day, seven days a week. bright, 314-533-9900. retro-themed restauWashington Blvd., The St. Louis, rant is outfitted with a dizzying array of 1950s kitsch CLINT BLACK: 8 p.m., $27.50-$57.50. River City and boasts a curtained, rotating circular booth called Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. the Carousel of Love. The menu offers everything

Jay Fa

On a typical day at Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions, chef Chris HEY HERMANO: w/ Modern Lions 8 p.m., $10. CiBolyard wields a sharp boning knife from a trusty chaincero’s, Delmar University 314link utility6691 belt armed withBlvd., additional tools of theCity, trade. He skillfully breaks down a cut of grass-fed beef from Double 862-0009. B Ranch out of Perryville, one of the many local farms he JAY FARRAR: 8 p.m., $25-$30. The Sheldon, 3648 sources for pasture-raised animals. Elsewhere in his new Washington Blvd., St.his Louis, full-service butcher shop, staff 314-533-9900. preps sausage, braunschweiger and stocks from scratch. $$-$$$

RITICS PICKS] Piccadilly at[ CManhattan 7201 Piccadilly Avenue, Maplewood; 314-646-0016.

The Collida family opened the original Piccadilly at Mansystem for Christmas standards. Enter hattan in the 1920s. Nick and Maggie Collida undertook aMatt major Wilson’s renovation and reopened it inTree-O: late 2007.The The Christmas neighborhood spirit remains, friendly and familial, and drummer, woodwind the food is fun.along The friedwith chicken is very good,player and the burger might steal the show: a fat patty (or two), beautifulJeff Lederer and bassist Paul Sikivie, ly charred, thicker at the center than around the edges. If barbecue is available, on achestnuts half or even a whole takes many of splurge the old out slab of meaty baby-back ribs. $-$$

of the open fire and approach them Awith Pizza Story and plenty of wit, irreverence 7278 Manchester Maplewood; 314-899-0011. good cheer.Road, Expect a touch of the Huhammad Alwagheri, Sherif Nasser and Nael Saad avant-garde along with The thethree players’ didn’t set out to open a restaurant. Washington University academics just loved food. But at dinner appreciable technique — these may not parties, the conversation would quickly turn to: “What if we opened a restaurant?” The three finally took the leap be the same versions of the standards and opened A Pizza Story in downtown Maplewood. The you grew uppizzeria with,serves but the spirit comes Neapolitan-style classic wood-fired pies, like the Margherita, which simply consists of perfectly through all the same. charred crust, fresh tomato sauce, basil and mozzarella cheese. Heat-seeking meat a eaters shouldIf try the It Comes But Once Year: you “Thriller”: Its fiery capicola, spicy tomato sauce and carcaught Wilson and company at last amelized onions make for a satisfying meal. Though the restaurant is called A Pizza Story,at other offerings year’s holiday show themenu suitably take a starring role: A salad of arugula and beets pairs tacky Joe’s that this years’ perfectly with goatCafé, cheeseknow and lemon vinaigrette. The two pastas, shells ragu and fettuccine all’amatriciana are lightly four-night stand at the Bistro gives the sauced and full of meat: The ragu is like beef stew over shell-shaped pasta,more and thespace fettuccine simply heaped band a little toiswork. with pancetta. Save room for the creamy tiramisu — one –Christian Schaeffer of the best versions in town — and housemade gelato. It’s a sweet end to a Neapolitan feast.

Ave, St. Lo

THE OCCAS

SUND

DREW MIC

The Fireb 0353.

TERRAFOR

of Infinity

Louis, 314

MON

CHUCKIE C talleon 8

Louis, 314

GOODBYE,

October, T tations 7

Blvd., Uni

PURE OCT

Expectatio Cicero’s,

314-862-0

TUES

FREETHINK

3108 Locu

JAMAICA L

Witz, $5/$

Blvd, Univ

JAZZ ST. LO

“The Nut

p.m.; 7:30

$25. Ferri St. Louis,

SKIN TAGS w/ Tunic,

fee & Bee

Beer, Wine, & Full Bar Now Available!

FAMOU

Breakfast Served All Day! CHEAPEST DRINK PRICES IN TOWN!

S FRIED CHICKEN

, Fun Food, Happy People ! Great Drinks

St. Louis’ New Cajun-Creole Restaurant

Mary Moe A PORTABELLA & ARUGULA QUESADILLA WITH A SAUTEED ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE. TOPPED WITH TOMATO & ONION SALSA.

25 5 U n i o n B l v d . St . L o u i s , M O 6 3 1 0 8 31 4.4 5 4.1 5 5 1

Do w n t o w n L o c at io n No w Op e n 6t h & L uc as

106 main st. • edwardsville, il 618.307.4830 www.clevelandheath.com

Irish New Year’s Toast 6pm in STL is 2016 in Ireland!

the fun begins at 4pm, featuring: *Live Irish Music* *$4 Irish Beers and Select Whiskeies* *Countdown and Bubbly Toast at 6pm Sharp!* *Family Friendly*

NEW YEARS EVE AT BOOGALOO

4 COURSE DINNER FEATURING CRAB STUFFED BEEF TENDERLOIN AND CHAMPAGNE TOAST AT MIDNIGHT

$40 PER PERSON

SHOT & DRINK SPECIALS ALL NIGHT DJ FROM 10PM-1AM

Stay with us through Midnight, too! No package prices. good booze, great prices, as always

7344 Manchester Boogaloostl.com 314-645-4803 CALL FOR RESERVATIONS

Come to Come to Come to

OPEN AT 11:30am Tuesday-Friday

$1.50 OYSTER HAPPY HOUR!

SERVING:

Lobster Rolls Burgers Mixed Green Salad French Onion Soup

Mon-Fri 3-6 pm

threeflagstavern.com • 4940 Southwest Ave • (314) 669-9222

for the the Holidays for for the Holidays Holidays Christmas Day • December 25 Christmas Day 25 25 Christmas Day December Open All• December Day Open All Day

All(served Day Buffet Open Menu $12.95 noon–6pm)

Buffet Menupotatoes, $12.95sweet (served noon–6pm) Salad, rolls, mashed potatoes, gravy, (served noon–6pm) rolls, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, mac n’Salad, cheese, roast turkey, stuffing, roast pork, and dessert

Buffet Menu $12.95

ZEN Thai and Japanese Cuisine 314.842.0307 Dine-in

RSVP

Carry out

Moonstone Plum Sake !!! zenstl.com 9250 Watson Road Crestwood, MO 63126

Salad, mashed potatoes, sweet gravy, mac n’rolls, cheese, roast turkey, stuffing, roastpotatoes, pork, and dessert mac n’ cheese, roast turkey, stuffing, roast pork, and dessert

New NewYear’s Year’sEve Eve December 31 December New Year’s31 Eve Champagne Toast

Champagne Toast December 31 at Midnight at Midnight

Cover Toast Champagne NoNo Cover Prime Rib atPrime Midnight Rib Dinner Special (limited) No Cover Dinner DrinkSpecial Specials(limited) Prime DrinkRib Specials Dinner Special (limited) Visit 1860Saloon.com for music schedule and special event calendar • 1860 S. 9th Street Drink Specials riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

10 years with

The Bad Plus at jazz at the bistro Welcomed by New Music Circle

January 6-9

â&#x20AC;&#x153;...the Coen brothers of jazz.â&#x20AC;? The New Yorker tickets and info: jazzstl.org | 314.571.6000

the harold & dorothy steward center for jazz 3536 washington ave. st. louis, mo 63103 Presenting Sponsor of the 2015-16 Jazz at the Bistro Season

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

MUSIC

[REVIEW]

It’s a Gas Helium Comedy Club coming to the Saint Louis Galleria Written by

KELSEY MCCLURE

here’s a new comedy powerhouse coming to town, and this time it’s not just for one night of laughs. After four years of location scouting, Helium Comedy Club owner Marc Grossman finally found his gem in the Saint Louis Galleria. The new club will be the fifth in the Helium empire, which also has spots in Philadelphia, Portland, Buffalo and Raleigh. It’s been no simple task finding the perfect spot to call home in St. Louis. There were certainly a few “must-haves” for Grossman, who opened the first Helium in Philadelphia in 2005. “Safety, parking, a spot that is easy to get to from a lot of different areas — kind of a central location, let’s call it,” he says. “I felt like the Loop was too young. Parking was not great, and I couldn’t really find a big enough spot.” And though the Central West End was intriguing, space and parking issues once again ruled it out. The heart of the city was a non-starter as well. “I just don’t know what’s happening downtown, so I didn’t want to do it there,” he explains. When a basement room with an exterior entrance became available at the Galleria, Grossman pounced — though not without some initial reservations. “There are a lot of clubs in malls across the country, and I’ve always been like, ‘Wow, that’s just not cool. I’m not doing that,’” he says. “But I feel like it was my best option, especially because you can come in off the street, walk in and walk down a flight of stairs into this really cool space. Where it is in the mall, you’re going to walk in right next to a steak house, and yeah, you can see Restoration Hardware. But you’re not walking in through Dillard’s, you know? Or Sears, where you feel like, ‘Oh, what am I doing?’

Marc Grossman. | MABEL SUEN “Plus the fact that the Galleria sees over 20 million customers a year doesn’t hurt either,” he adds. “Foot traffic is a difficult thing to capitalize on, especially in a city that is particularly car dependent.” The main room will have a capacity near 275 people. A secondary room should hold 100. A restaurant is in the works down the line as well. “I think there’s a decent shot we will be open even for lunch, just because there’s traffic in the mall,” Grossman says. “It’s just a question of if they will come down to us. We’re hiring a chef probably in the next week, and then there will be a decision between the chef, the GM and myself what we want to do.” Grossman says he sees St. Louis as a city that shows a lot of promise, a place where the scene can continue to grow and become a hub for talent in the Midwest. “We feel very strongly about getting into the ground floor and making sure that comedians are constantly developing. It’s in our best interest for there to be more comedians and better comedians,

in the long run,” he explains. “I think of it like a baseball team. If you don’t have a farm system, then you’re going to wither away one day — just dry up, and then you won’t have anything.” There are a lot of reasons why a new club will be an asset to the comedy community, but there are certainly some who fear it will come in and take over. After all, the majority of comedy happening in St. Louis right now is at bars, music venues and coffee shops. “We’re definitely not looking to stop anyone’s independent local nights,” Grossman says. “There’s definitely a place for that stuff. We don’t look at that as competition; we just look at it as more ways for people to get stage time.” And for the local comics out there, there’s no need to worry about being banned if you work other clubs. There are no blackout dates, either. Grossman expresses contempt for both practices. “I think that’s short-sighted and stupid,” he says. “It’s not good for anybody. How is it hurting you if someone that works for you works riverfronttimes.com

at another club? It’s not hurting you. Nobody’s coming to see your middle act except maybe the guy with family members. They’re coming to see the headliner.” On that front, Helium is kicking its first few months off in a big way: Grossman had planned to kick things off in a big way, with a December 17 show featuring LA-based funnyman Josh Wolf. However, construction delays have pushed that back. Now, come January, the legendary Dave Attell should be performing for a full weekend if the space is ready in time. A new grand opening date had yet to be announced at press time. Grossman hopes his club will be a haven for comedy — one that will bring world-class acts that may have otherwise skipped over this Midwestern town — and function as a part of the team, not against it. “If we do it right and we’re smart, we can get the word out around the mall,” he says. “Whether it’s with signage or just word-of-mouth, the employees, whatever it is.... I think we’ve got a really good opportunity to knock it out of the park.” n

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

B-SIDES

Listen to It, You Will A look back at the long lost Star Wars Christmas Album, Christmas In the Stars Written by

KEVIN KORINEK

raditionally speaking, the Force has never been strong this time of year. Case in point: The abysmal 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special is probably the worst thing to be approved by creator George Lucas, next to Jar Jar’s mildly offensive accent. Lucas himself has said that he would like to take a sledgehammer to every copy out there. Comedy website Funny or Die has even gone so far as to recreate their own vision of what a modern day Star Wars Holiday Special might look like, made to look just as bad, but with a little bit more tonguein-cheek humor. With any luck, J.J. Abrams and company can turn this sleigh around for the official reboot of the franchise when Episode VII: The Force Awakens opens this Friday. But another holiday foible by Lucas that sticks out like a sore droid is Christmas In the Stars, the Star Wars Christmas album released in 1980. Every year we tune our radios and devices to play endless festive pap, yet we never hear this old gem. What gives, Star Wars fans? Sarlacc got your tongue? It’s always fun to look back at the franchise at its highest point — when Lucas was still kind of fumbling his way through success, cashing in on a myriad of toys and product placements, spin-offs and kitsch. Those business moves helped turn Lucas from a humble storyteller to a star destroyer of popular culture — and the Christmas album is right up there with some of his worst missteps. Released just after the premiere of Empire Strikes Back in an effort to profit even further on the mania sweeping the entire world, Christmas In the Stars was produced by

RIVERFRONT TIMES

RSO Records, a traditionally classical and jazz record label. In a ninepage letter, disco record producer Meco Menardo begged Lucas to allow him to put it together, having experienced success with the release of his Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk album. Interestingly enough, Christmas In the Stars would go on to be a touchstone for some big names in entertainment. Maury Yeston, at the time an unknown Yale music professor, penned many of the songs that made the final cut. He would later become a successful Broadway musician in his own right, writing the music and lyrics for the musical Titanic in 1997. But probably the biggest surprise of them all is the appearance of seventeen-year-old Jon Bon Jovi. Before his big break, he was sweeping floors in his cousin’s

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

recording studio, who also helped co-produce the album. Soon after, he started sweeping Grammys. The rest is history. RSO pressed 150,000 copies of Christmas In the Stars. Only days after the record hit the shelves, the company went out of business due to an unrelated lawsuit. To this day, rumors abound that there were many more Christmas songs recorded on the master tapes that have never seen the light of day. When RSO closed its doors, those tapes went missing. Many of the songs are of traditional holiday flair, with the exception of the originally-composed “What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)” and R2-D2 beeping out a rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The album is so soph-

omoric that it decidedly belongs to that class of yuletide tunes where a certain matriarch gets mowed down by a reindeer, or a little boy tries to coerce a hippopotamus out of Santa. While many of the critiques are understandably negative, many less-serious minded Star Wars fans find it to be just the right amount of festive silliness combined with one of their favorite movies ever — in the end, it’s all in good fun. One thing is for certain: If you remember this album, it almost certainly left a lasting impression of your mind in Christmas carbonite. So before you head off to see The Force Awakens, gather your Ewoks ‘round this holiday season, and introduce them to what happens when art takes a backseat to Christmas commercialism. n

TA K E H O M E TROPS!

Now offering $7 20 oz. legally sealed containers to take safely to your destination!

GAME DAY SPECIAL: Bring your BLUES or BILLIKEN ticket in for

$1 OFF ON GAME DAY 1800 S. 10 TH Street IN HISTORIC SOULARD! riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

HOMESPUN

ACCELERANDO Accelerando https://www.facebook.com/Accelerando-135533496522986/

or those musicians tutored enough to read sheet music, the term “accelerando” means to play with increasing speed — to accelerate until instructed otherwise. The local rock & roll quartet Accelerando may or may not be sheet music sight-readers, but the loose, grainy feel of its songs suggest that the band has taken its name as a statement of purpose. While the songs on Accelerando’s debut album may not always have the kinetic energy associated with a band named around the idea of acceleration, these tracks refuse to sit still or settle into a predictable structure. It’s restless rock music that doesn’t need to be referential to thrive. Forgive us, as this music theory talk may have buried the lede: Accelerando is driven by the voice, words and guitar of Mark Stephens, an accidental South Side saint and veteran of campaigns with bands such as the Boorays, Highway Matrons, Fred’s Variety Group and the Deserters. His vocals, craggy and cracked in the right places, still sound young more than twenty years after making his debut on local stages, but that’s due in part to some of the wizened grit he brought to those other bands. In Accelerando, Stephens is joined by drummer Kevin Siebenaler (Money for Guns), bassist Todd Dorsey (Red-Eyed Driver) and, on this recording, trumpeter and percussionist Baird Johnson. (John Beck, a guitarist who first played with Stephens in the Deserters, is a recent addition to the live band.) In conversation, Stephens expands on the band’s name and examines how that technique of abandoning verse-chorus-verse structures informs the music on the album. “There are some that have traditional song form, but when we started we were of the mind that that was sort of boring to us,” he says. “The idea is not repeating things in the normal way. I love that form — Tom Petty writes every song in that form — but we wanted to try something different.” Early in the album’s progression, the band’s approach becomes clear, but only if you’re pay-

ing attention to your CD player’s display. Songs bleed into one another with barely a breath in between and, in this sequence, build on the darktinted tension of what came before. First track “Broken Hearted Diet” finds Stephens delivering an equally sad-eyed and blistering kiss-off to an ex-love, while the following song “You Have Yet to See the Longest Day” trades in some of that angst

for atmospherics, buoyed in places by Johnson’s trumpet lines. Accelerando does not seem to have a particularly well-developed web presence — a limited Facebook page is all that exists on the eve of the album release. Whether that is intentional or an oversight is hard to say, but there’s a particular advantage to picking up a copy of the self-titled disc versus an online stream. The package features the photography of the late Bob Reuter, who was Stephens’ old roommate and who initially partnered with the guitarist and Siebenaler in a short-lived band before Reuter joined forces with the young men in Alley Ghost. “Bob was so much a part of the band,” says Stephens. “We used to practice over here at the house; he had taken tons of pictures of us. I kind of felt like it was important to get that out, since

it was his intention.” Reuter’s singular black-and-white style of photography graces the album art — a rusted-out car, a sweaty band rehearsal, a goof-off shot of Johnson — that, to Stephens, helps mark this album in a place and time. Johnson, in the words of Stephens, “disappeared” a few years ago, and Reuter’s sudden death in 2013 makes his distinctive photography — once a hallmark of many, many local releases — feel like a transmission from an earlier time. In a way, that’s in keeping with the album itself, which was recorded in the summer of 2012 and is just now seeing a release. Stephens explains the long lead-time: “We recorded it in the Black Rep where I used to work — it was this huge, black, long room,” says Stephens. The Black Rep was where Stephens met Johnson and, thanks to a lucky find in the props department, Johnson rediscovered his skills on the trumpet. Initially, with Siebenaler, the players started off as a bass-less trio. “Once, Tazu (Marshall, engineer and producer) got it back to his studio and we did some overdubs and stuff. He was having a hard time matching up the sound of the room with anything we had done after that,” Stephens says. While Marshall was tinkering with the recordings, the band was side-lined with a string of bad luck that left it unable to gig around town. “Todd was in the hospital for a long time with a staph infection, and after that Kevin broke his leg. We went almost a year just playing a few shows,” says Stephens. “There was just kind of a long period of fallowness.” When asked how Accelerando compares to his previous bands, Stephens simultaneously credits his old groups while propping up his current flame. He credits drummer Siebenaler in particular — for coming up with the band’s moniker, for naming many of the songs and for providing a malleable groove for these shape-shifting tracks to grow. “I love the way Kevin thinks and writes songs. It reminds me a lot of Fred’s Variety Group in that it’s a collaboration,” says Stephens. “Everyone feels it’s theirs.” –Christian Schaeffer

OUR patio…

a drinker’s paradise

Largest Patio on Morgan Ford Mon - Industry Night $2 Pints Wed - Ladies Night Thurs- Tenacious Trivia 8-10 We are now Non-Smoking! Happy Hour Mon-Sat 3-7pm 4 Blocks South of Tower Grove Park 3234 Morganford • 314-771-7979

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

. St

Lou

i s ’ O n ly T i k i B a

Still need a Gift idea?

buy a $50.00 gift card and receive a free $10.00 gift card

Over 200 rums

from around the world!! 4199 Manchester Ave in The Grove 314-202-8300

BEER WhiskEy pizza

LiVE MUsiC

Get in The Grove for exciting Drinking, Dining, Dancing, & Shopping!

WEDNEsDay 12.16

sash fERaRi aLBUM RELEasE

a tribute to the beastie boys

ThURsDay 12.17

sOULs DayTRippER REaVER fRiDay 12.18

BEyOND gONE MEDia's 4Th aNNUaL TOy DRiVE BENEfiTTiNgCaRDiNaLgLENNONChiLDREN's hOspiTaL saTURDay 12.19

kOa ThE DRifTaWays NEW yEaR's EVE

TiMEChasER 4191 MaNChEsTER aVE - sT. LOUis, 63110 ThEDEMOsTL.COM

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Bowling the way it is now – FUN!

A St. Louis Landmark

★ OPEN ★

Finals Breakfast Sandwich fried egg, ham, bacon & cheddar cheese between two waffles; with sriracha sauce and syrup!

Christmas FPO Eve Food 11 am – 3 pm Bar 11 am – 6 pm

3 words: Christmas Day

Food 6 pm – midnight Cheddar Cheese Balls! Bar 6 pm – 1:30 am

BlueberryHill.com 6191 Delmar · 314-727-5555 JUST ADDED! PinUpBowl.com

“St. Louis pioneers of craft beer and live music”

BlueberryHill.StL DuckRoomSTL

@BlueberryHillMO @DuckRoom

SAT. 12/26*

SUN. 12/27

MON. 12/28*

THU. 12/31

THU. 1/7

THU. 1/14

SAT. 1/16

SAT. 1/23*

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 TH

Fresh!- Hip Hop - 9pm - $5 - (Ladies Free until 10pm)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 TH

Steddy P & DJ Mahf, Gypsy Chldrn, Farout, Apollo, Altayzie - Hip-Hop - 9pm - $10

BAR STAGE

Doc Otis and Silence the Duck- Americana - 8pm - FREE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 TH

Hey Hermano & Modern Lions- PopRock - 8pm - $10

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 TH

UPCOMING SHOWS: 1/2

QUEENS OF COMEDY

1/30* THE MADISON LETTER

Gorilla Battle of the Bands- Rock - 5pm- $12

2/14* TOR MILLER

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21 ST

2/26* BRONZE RADIO RETURN

Pure October, This Is Our Dance, Great Expectations, Gaff & Pulley- PunkPop - 7:30pm - $12

3/3 AARON CARTER - 18+ 3/12* JOSEPH

DECEMBER 31 ST NYE

3/13* COMMON KINGS

Goose Island Presents

HOP INTO 2016: A CRAFT BEER MASQUERADE Includes: food, all draft beer, and party favors

$60 ADV /$70 D O S EVERY Beer of the month: Free glass with every Abita purchase. TUESDAY ABITA

6691 Delmar

In the University City Loop

314.862.0009 • www.ciceros-stl.com 56

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Tickets available at Blueberry Hill (no service fees with cash) All Ticketmaster ticket centers • Ticketmaster.Com *All Ages shows: $2 minor surcharge at doors.

Open 7 days from 11 am 6504 Delmar in The Loop ★ 314-727-4444

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

24/7 PeacockLoopDiner.com 6261 Delmar in The Loop

Delmar Loop

Saint Louis

2ND SHOW ADDED ON SALE 12.18 AT 12PM

12.18 AT 10AM 11/25 THUR.WEDNESDAY 2/18 ON SALE

ON SALE 12.18 AT 10AM WEDNESDAY 12/2 TUE. 3/15

FRIDAY 12/25 & SUNDAY 12/27

THURSDAY 12/31

SATURDAY 1/9

SATURDAY 1/16

WED. 2/10

FRIDAY 1/8

ON SALE 12.18 AT 10AM FRIDAY 11/27 SUN. 3/6

UPCOMING SHOWS 1.22 & 1.23 MUD TRACKS

2.25 DARK STAR ORCHESTRA

1.26 CITY AND COLOUR

2.28 GARY CLARK JR.

1.28 CARNAGE

2.29 LOGIC

1.30 RAILROAD EARTH

3.4 METRIC

2.4 BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS

3.13 MELANIE MARTINEZ

2.9 KEYS N KRATES

3.24 EXCISION

2.11 JIM JEFFERIES

4.9 YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND

2.12 STS9

4.10 UNDEROATH

2.13 MIKE STUD

4.15 CHARLES KELLEY

2.17 GAELIC STORM

4.16 JIM NORTON

2.21 BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE

4.22 ANDREW BIRD

2.23 DROPKICK MURPHYS

5.3 ANIMAL COLLECTIVE

2.24 HOODIE ALLEN

6.8 LEON BRIDGES

visit us online for complete show information facebook.com/ThePageantSTL

@ThePageantSTL

thepageantstl.tumblr.com

thepageant.com // 6161 delmar blvd. / St. Louis, MO 63112 // 314.726.6161

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

OUT EVERY NIGHT

T H U R S D AY

Louis, 314-388-7777.

[CRITICS PICKS]

THE FEW: w/ Inner Outlines, the Winks, Little AYE VERB: 9 p.m., $12-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust

Falcon 6 p.m., $6. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Lou-

St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

is, 314-289-9050.

CAROUSEL: w/ the Maness Brothers, Maximum

FUNKY BUTT BRASS BAND HOLIDAY BRASSTRAV-

Effort 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Lou-

AGANZA: 9 p.m.; Dec. 19, 9 p.m., $15-$28. Off

is, 314-289-9050.

Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-

HELL NIGHT: w/ Carousel, the Maness Brothers,

3363.

Maximum Effort 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Lo-

MURPHY LEE’S BIRTHDAY BASH: 8 p.m., $15. The

cust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

OF MONSTERS AND MEN: 8 p.m., TBA. Peabody

SKALIDAYS: 9 p.m., $10-$15. The Ready Room,

Opera House, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-241-

4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

1888.

SOULARD BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz,

SCUZZ: w/ Drag, Bubbleheads 8 p.m., $5. Foam

Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-

Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis,

436-5222.

314-772-2100.

STEDDY P & DJ MAHF: w/ Gypsy Chldrn, Farout,

SOULS: w/ Daytripper, Reaver 7 p.m., $10. The

Apollo, Altayzie 9 p.m., $8-$10. Cicero’s, 6691

Demo, 4191 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-

Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-862-0009.

5532.

SUPER SEXY SLUSHY XXX HOLIDAY PARTY: w/ Cra-

THE BRAVE COMBO HOLIDAY SHOW: 7 p.m., $15.

zy XXX Girlfriend, Slushwave 9 p.m., $5. The

Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-

Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-

773-3363.

775-0775.

F R I D AY

S AT U R D AY

AMY SCHUMER: 7 p.m., $32.50-$128. Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

Jay Farrar

Time — its judgment and healing, the escape it offers and the inescapable fact of it — is the central theme of Trace, the first album by Son Volt and one of the defining albums of the ‘90s. Twenty years on, the record still sounds great: Jay Farrar’s voice has never been more expressive, and his band backs his songs like it knows how timeless they will become. That iteration of Son Volt

is long gone, but Farrar has no desire to leave those songs behind. “Windfall” and “Tear-Stained Eye” have remained on the setlists for good reason. Farrar’s decision to honor the whole of Son Volt’s first album with a stripped-down anniversary tour offers a rare chance to trace its power back to the source. Pedal Power: Along with regular sideman Gary Hunt, Farrar will take the stage with Eric Heywood, whose pedal-steel guitar helped define the classic alt-country sound of Trace. –Roy Kasten

KOA: 8 p.m., $10. The Demo, 4191 Manchester

772-2100.

8 p.m. Saturday, December 19. The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Boulevard. $25 to $30. 314-533-9900.

Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-5532. THE OCCASIONALS: 9 p.m., $5. The Bootleg, 4140

W E D N E S D AY

THE BOOZEHOUNDZ: w/ Troglodyte, Seize The

Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

BOB “BUMBLE BEE” KAMOSKE: 8 p.m. Beale on

Empire, Compelled to Destroy 8 p.m., $10.

TYLER WARD: 8 p.m., $18-$20. The Firebird, 2706

Broadway, 701 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-

CARDINAL GLENNON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TOY

Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

7880.

DRIVE: w/ Doomed to Burn, Through the Scope,

FRANK SINATRA, JR.: 8 p.m., $59.50-$89.50. Lin-

Danny Greene, Hallow Point, In My Silence 7

denwood’s J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts,

S U N D AY

p.m., $10. The Demo, 4191 Manchester Ave, St.

2300 W. Clay St., St. Charles, 636-949-4433.

DREW MICHAEL: w/ Andrew Frank 8 p.m., $10.

JAZZ ST. LOUIS BIG BAND: performing Ellington’s

Louis, 314-833-5532.

HEY HERMANO: w/ Modern Lions 8 p.m., $10. Ci-

The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-

“The Nutcracker Suite” Dec. 21, 7:30 & 9:30

CHRIS CORNELL: 7 p.m., $76. The Sheldon, 3648

cero’s, 6691 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-

0353.

p.m.; Dec. 22, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.; 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.,

Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

862-0009.

TERRAFORM: w/ By the Thousands, Noesis, Ends

$25. Ferring Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave,

CLINT BLACK: 8 p.m., $27.50-$57.50. River City

JAY FARRAR: 8 p.m., $25-$30. The Sheldon, 3648

of Infinity 6 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St.

St. Louis, 314-571-6000.

Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St.

Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

Louis, 314-289-9050.

THE CHRISTMAS EVENT: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE:

[ C R I T I C S P I C K S ] M O N D AY

Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Thursday, December 17, Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Avenue. $30. 314-571-6000.

Fifty years ago this month, a mustachioed, thick-spectacled jazzbo from the Bay Area named Vince Guaraldi unknowingly entered the Christmas canon with his score and soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas. Like the cartoon special it accompanied, Guaraldi’s trio used some spare and impressionistic techniques to match both the jubilation and melancholy of the season; for many listeners, the jazz trio became the preferred delivery

RIVERFRONT TIMES

system for Christmas standards. Enter Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O: The drummer, along with woodwind player Jeff Lederer and bassist Paul Sikivie, takes many of the old chestnuts out of the open fire and approach them with wit, irreverence and plenty of good cheer. Expect a touch of the avant-garde along with the players’ appreciable technique — these may not be the same versions of the standards you grew up with, but the spirit comes through all the same. It Comes But Once a Year: If you caught Wilson and company at last year’s holiday show at the suitably tacky Joe’s Café, know that this years’ four-night stand at the Bistro gives the band a little more space to work.

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

–Christian Schaeffer

riverfronttimes.com

COURTNIE: 8 p.m., $7. The Demo, 4191 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-5532.

w/ Fresh Heir, Divine Hours, Nick Savage & the Outliers, St. Joseph’s Academy, the People’s Key

CHUCKIE CAMPBELL & THE PHACTION: w/ Repa-

7 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St.

talleon 8 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St.

Louis, 314-588-0505.

Louis, 314-289-9050. GOODBYE, GOODNIGHT: w/ Fight to Remain, Pure

THIS JUST IN

October, This Is Our Dance, the Great Expectations 7 p.m., $10-$12. Cicero’s, 6691 Delmar

AC/DC: Sat., Feb. 20, 7 p.m., $75-$139.50. Scot-

Blvd., University City, 314-862-0009.

trade Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-

PURE OCTOBER: w/ This Is Our Dance, the Great

241-1888.

Expectations, Gaff and Pulley 7 p.m., $10-$12.

BLUE OCTOBER: Sat., June 25, 8 p.m., $27.50-

Cicero’s, 6691 Delmar Blvd., University City,

$32.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St.

314-862-0009.

Louis, 314-726-6161.

T U E S D AY

p.m., $15-$23. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St.,

CALIFORNIA GUITAR TRIO: Fri., March 18, 8 St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

FREETHINKER: w/ Brainwaves 7 p.m., $5. Fubar,

CAVO: $1.05. The Ready Room, 4195 Manches-

3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

ter Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

JAMAICA LIVE TUESDAYS: w/ Ital K, Mr. Roots, DJ

CHILDREN OF BODOM: W/ Havok, Mon., Feb. 15,

Witz, $5/$10. Elmo’s Love Lounge, 7828 Olive

8 p.m., $20-$22. The Ready Room, 4195 Man-

Blvd, University City, 314-282-5561.

chester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

JAZZ ST. LOUIS BIG BAND: performing Ellington’s

DAVINA & THE VAGABONDS: Wed., Feb. 10, 8

“The Nutcracker Suite” Dec. 21, 7:30 & 9:30

p.m., $10-$12. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St.,

p.m.; 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.; Dec. 23, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.,

St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

$25. Ferring Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave,

ELECTRIC SIX: W/ Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocket-

St. Louis, 314-571-6000.

ship, Mon., March 7, 8 p.m., $15. The Firebird,

SKIN TAGS / HARDBODY RECORD RELEASE SHOW:

2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

w/ Tunic, Trauma Harness 8 p.m., $5. Foam Cof-

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS: W/ Mest, the Ataris,

fee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-

Handguns, London Falling, Fri., March 4, 6

RED WHITE & BLUE BALL 2016

DONATIONS MADE TO H.E.R.O.E.S. CARE!

[CRITIC’S PICK]

FOR EVERY ONLINE TICKET SOLD @

LACLEDES-LANDING.BIGDADDYSTL.COM

El Monstero | PAUL ADDOTTA

El Monstero 7 p.m. Friday, December 18, Saturday, December 19, Wednesday, December 23, Friday, December 25, Saturday, December 26, Sunday, December 27. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard. $27.50 to $50. 314-726-6161.

‘Tis the season for St. Louis’ Pink Floyd fans to bask in the tribute tradition that is Christmas with El Monstero — thousands and thousands of them, it seems, based on the fact the Pageant has cleared six days of its calendar for this year’s affair. As much musicianship as it is sheer spectacle,

El Monstero’s show combines the songs of Pink Floyd with its indelible iconography for a truly immersive experience that brings the KSHE set out in droves. Bring your whole family and take psychedelic drugs for a fully enjoyable holiday evening. On Second Thought: Avoid psychedelic drugs. It is very possible that even what you thought was a very small amount of mushrooms will make your friend, that weenie, start to freak out and want to leave. Join the masses in line at the bar instead. –Daniel Hill

p.m., $20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester

& Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-

Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

298-9944.

KIRK FRANKLIN: Tue., April 5, 7 p.m., $20-$75.

WADE BOWEN: Thu., Jan. 14, 8 p.m., $15-$18.

Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St.

Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-

Louis, 314-241-1888.

773-3363.

SAM BUSH: Thu., July 14, 8 p.m., $25. Old Rock

WARN THE DUKE: W/ Captain Dee and the Long

House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

Johns, Wed., Jan. 13, 7 p.m., $10-$12. Fubar,

SKIN TAGS / HARDBODY RECORD RELEASE

3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

SHOW: W/ Tunic, Trauma Harness, Tue., Dec.

WILDERUN: W/ Stormcaller, Tue., Jan. 5, 7

22, 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jeffer-

p.m., $7. The Demo, 4191 Manchester Ave, St.

son Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

Louis, 314-833-5532.

SKYLINE IN RUINS: W/ Roots Like Mountains,

WILLIE NELSON & MERLE HAGGARD: Sat., April

Ilia, Mental Fixation, Tue., Jan. 26, 7 p.m., $10.

9, 7 p.m., $56.50-$122. Peabody Opera House,

STAAKE: W/ Young and in the Way, Vattnet

1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

Viskar, Tyranny Enthroned, Xaemora, Mon.,

X AMBASSADORS: W/ Seinabo Sey, Powers,

Feb. 29, 7 p.m., $18-$20. Fubar, 3108 Locust

Tue., March 15, 8 p.m., $22.50-$25. The Pag-

St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

eant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-

TITUS ANDRONICUS: Tue., March 15, 8 p.m.,

6161.

$20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis,

YO MAMA’S BIG FAT BOOTY BAND: W/ Alanna

314-773-3363.

Royale, Thu., Feb. 18, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Old

VANS WARPED TOUR 2016: Wed., July 27, noon,

Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-

TBA. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70

0505.

2 GREAT PACKAGES FOR YOUR

NYE EXPERIENCE

Fri. Dec. 18

10PM

Clusterpluck

sat. Dec. 19

10PM

Southern Exposure

featuring members of Acoustics Anonymous,

The East Side Rhythm Band, The People’s Key and Blank Generation.

wed. dec. 23 9:30PM The Voodoo Players

Tribute to Bluegrass/Partygrass

Closed Dec. 24 & 25 & Jan. 1 736 S Broadway St. Louis, MO 63102 (314) 621-8811 riverfronttimes.com

$75 PREMIUM PATRIOTIC PACKAGE 6:30-12:30am OPEN BAR FOR 6 HOURS AMAZING 3 HOUR 5 COURSE BUFFET CHAMPAGNE TOAST @ MIDNIGHT $100 PLATINUM “BEN FRANKLIN” PACKAGE 6:30-12:30am OPEN BAR FOR 6 HOURS CELEBRATION SHOTS INCLUDED UNLIMITED CHAMPAGNE ALL NIGHT 5 COURSE FOOD BUFFET CASH BAR AFTER 12:30AM

OPEN TIL 3 AM!

VIP TABLE RESERVATIONS ARE NEW THIS YEAR

RESERVED SECTIONS FOR SMALL/LARGE GROUPS DEDICATED COCKTAIL/BOTTLE SERVICE CHOICE OF PREMIUM SPIRIT’S RIGHT ON THE TABLE

PARTY HOTLINE 314-621-6700 ONLINE SALES

LACLEDES-LANDING.BIGDADDYSTL.COM

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

TNT Glass

Designs

All-American

Smoke Shop Pipes • Vaporizers • Detox Locally Crafted Jewelry Hand-Blown Glass Pipes New PAX 2 Herbal Vaporizer Gift Sets Custom Wraps by Cody

SATURDAY DECEMBER 26

Voted Best Smoke Shop READERS CHOICE 2015

6163 DELMAR BLD. ST. LOUIS, MO | 314.863.8860

***HOLIDAY SHOW***

2720 CHEROKEE 2720 Cherokee Street St. Louis, MO 314-276-2700 AGES 18+ - 9 pm - $10

www.theschwag.com

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

PatriciasGiftShop.com

SAVAGE LOVE ROUGHLY SPEAKING BY DAN SAVAGE Hey Dan: I’m a straight 26-year-old man who wants advice on helping my fiancée realize a particular fantasy. We have been dating for three years and are in a happy monogamous relationship. I was always vanilla, but she enjoys rougher sex and light bondage. We’ve incorporated some of this into our sex lives, and we are both happy with how fun it is. She has expressed interest in a rape fantasy. Both of us want to be safe when we do this, and we trust each other completely. But I cannot think of a way in which she can get the experience she desires while still maintaining a safe dynamic. I am wondering if you have advice on how I can help act out her fantasy in a way that we both have fun. Seeking Erotic Advice Now You and the fiancée are obviously capable of communicating about varsity-level sex play, SEAN; your track record with bondage and rougher sex demonstrates that. Now you just have to use the same interpersonal skills that made your past kinky fuckfests possible—along with the same respect for limits, boundaries, and each other—to negotiate and realize your girlfriend’s edgy-but-thoroughly-common fantasy.

I recommend reading “Rape Fantasy: How to Carry It Out Safely,” a long and thoughtful post at Slut Lessons (slutlessons.wordpress.com), an engaging sex blog that’s sadly no longer being updated. The first recommendation from Educated Slut, the site’s anonymous author: Maybe we shouldn’t call them “rape fantasies” at all. “A rape fantasy is almost invariably more about forced sex and not a desire to actually BE raped by someone,” writes Educated Slut. “Very few people have the desire to be put through the physical and emotional trauma of a real rape. This is the primary reason I refer to this as ‘forced sex fantasy’ rather than rape fantasy; it just gives the wrong impression to some people.” You might to be one of those people, SEAN. You seem to be under the impression that there’s something inherently more dangerous about realizing/role-playing your way through a forced-sex scenario. And it may be more dangerous and/or triggering on an emotional level—talking through any past traumas or fears will be important—but slapping the label “rape fantasy” on rough(er) sex shouldn’t result in you having some sort of outof-body experience that leads you to go apeshit on your helpless fiancée. Talk things through in advance, just like you have before, agree on a safe word—a word that stops the action cold should either of you utter it—

and take it slow the first few times you go for it. Hey Dan: I’m a single straight guy and this is probably going to sound really stupid, but… I basically stumbled over the cuckold fetish and I can’t get it out of my mind. I’ve tried to stay away from it because I’m pretty sure you aren’t supposed to feel like garbage after enjoying porn. But I can’t get it out of my head. It’s worrying, since I fear that one day it might end up spoiling things when I fall in love with someone since I’m a bit of a jealous person. The idea of a cheating woman is really hot in spite of all of that. But there’s this lingering feeling of disgust surrounding the whole thing. Is it possible to have a fetish you hate? Baffled About Romantic Future Don’t you just hate it when someone leaves a fetish sitting on the steps and then you come along and stumble over it and—bam!—you fall and hit your head and when you come to you’ve got a brand-new fetish? Yeah, no. We don’t know exactly where people’s fetishes and kinks come from—how or why someone’s erotic imagination snaps on an inanimate object or a particular sexual scenario—but we can safely say that people don’t stumble into their fetishes or kinks. So what did happen to you, BARF? You found some cuckold porn online,

riverfronttimes.com

and your dick said: “DUDE. THIS IS IT. THIS IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR. RUN WITH THIS.” Your particular kink was already in there somewhere, already rattling around in your erotic subconscious, but you couldn’t articulate it—it didn’t take shape—until you finally “stumbled over” the images and narratives you were looking for all along. On to your question: Yes, you can have a fetish you hate, i.e., you can have a kink you don’t want to act on because the fantasy can’t be realized for moral or ethical reasons (it involves children, nonconsensual acts, Donald Trump) or because you’re fairly certain doing so would suck for emotional or physical reasons (potentially traumatizing, physically dangerous, Donald Trump). But if your only issue with your kink are those lingering feelings of disgust, BARF, those feelings may diminish the more time you spend thinking/jacking about your newly revealed kink. Time will determine if your feelings of disgust are merely your run-of-the-mill, beneficial-to-overcome kink negativity or if they’re a sign cuckolding should remain a go-to masturbatory fantasy for you, BARF, without ever become a cheating-woman reality. On the Lovecast, Peter Staley on the benefits and dangers of PrEP: savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Adult Entertainment 930 Adult Services

MEN 4 MEN

REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.

Personalize Your Massage We offer full body massage, soft touch sensual and also Tantric. We have a shower available before and after your massage so come and lets work all of those stiff Kinks. Incalls. Outcalls to your hotel/motel/home/office 314-236-7060 likeitxxxhott@aol.com T*R*A*N*S*S*E*X*U*A*L Come Ride Santa’s Sleigh With a Beautiful 5’6 130 lbs. Long hair (38c-24-36) FF Looking for clean discreet fun

` ` Call Kandi ` `

Try FREE: 314-932-2564

More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000

314-565-3971

Viagra!! 52 Pills for Only $99.00. Your #1 trusted provider for 10 years. Insured and Guaranteed Delivery. Call today 1-877-621-7013

Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+

960 Phone Entertainment

Feel The Vibe! Hot Black Chat

$10 BEST PHONE SEX

CHOOSE FROM: Busty Blondes, Ebony Hotties, Hot Coeds or Older Ladies

866-515-FOXY (3699) Only $10 per Call

$10 Buck Phone Sex Live 1 on 1 1-877-919-EASY (3279)

FREE PARTYLINE! 1- 712-432-7969 18+ Normal LD Applies

FREE SEX-SLGBT

HOT LOCAL SINGLES 1-800-LET-CHAT (538-2428) Check it out-browse FREE Then just 20 cents p/m 18+

CALL GORGEOUS SINGLES ON THE NIGHT EXCHANGE! Live Local Chat.Try us FREE! 18+ 314-480-5505 www.nightexchange.com

FUN, FLIRTY, LOCAL WOMEN Call FREE! 314-932-2564 or 800-210-1010 18+ livelinks.com

CALLING HOT HORNY ST.LOUISANS! Nasty talk is waiting for YOU. Join the conversation! Connect live with sexy local ladies! Try it FREE! 18+ 314-480-5505 www.nightexchange.com Curious About Men? Talk Discreetly with men like you! Try FREE! Call 1-888-779-2789 www. guyspyvoice.com (AAN CAN)

Call FREE! 314-932-2568 or 800-811-1633 18+ vibeline.com

Gay & BI Hot Chat! 1-708-613-2103 18+ Normal LD Applies Hot & Nasty Phone Sex Live 1 on 1 1-800-811-4048 18+ Intimate Connections 1-800-264- DATE (3283) Real Horny girls 1-800-251-4414 1-800-529-5733 Hot & Nasty Phone Sex 1-800-960-HEAT (4328) 18+

LAVALIFE VOICE

Talk to 1000s of EXCITING SINGLES in St. Louis! 1st Time Buyers Special Only $20 for 80 min! CALL TODAY! 314.450.7920 Must be 18+

Gay & BI Hot Chat! 1-708-613-2103 18+ Normal LD Applies

FREE TO LISTEN AND REPLY TO ADS Free Code: Riverfront Times

LOOKING TO MEET TONIGHT? So are the sexy singles waiting for you on the line!! It doesn’t get hotter than this!!! Try it FREE!! 18+ 314-480-5505 www.nightexchange.com

MEET HOT LOCAL SINGLES!

Browse & Reply FREE!! Straight 314-739-7777 Gay & Bi 314-209-0300 Use FREE Code 3275, 18+ Private Connections Try it free! 1-708-613-2100 Normal LD Applies Sexy Swinger’s line! 1-800-785-2833 1-800-811-4048 Erotic Playground!!! 1-888-660-4446 1-800-990-9377 Hot live Chat!!! 1-888-404-3330 1-800-619-Chat (2428) 18+ ST.LOUIS ADULTS ARE CALLING NOW For that hot and erotic encounter! Try us FREE!! 18+ 314-480-5505 www.nightexchange.com

SUPER SEXY

STRAIGHT & BI WOMEN Your Fantasy or Fetish Fulfilled ALWAYS THE BEST! 1-800-409-MEET (6338) No connect fee 18+

CALL GORGEOUS SINGLES ON THE NIGHT EXCHANGE! Live Local Chat.Try us FREE! 18+ 314-480-5505 www.nightexchange.com

DID YOU KNOW: 1.3M PEOPLE READ FIND REAL GAY MEN NEAR YOU St. Louis:

(314) 209-0300 www.megamates.com 18+

EACH MONTH?

Dating made Easy Meet sexy friends who really get your vibe...

Try FREE: 314-932-2568

FREE

More Local Numbers: 1-800-811-1633

to Listen & Reply to ads.

FREE CODE: Riverfront Times

St. Louis

(314) 739.7777

vibeline.com 18+

For other local numbers: 18+ www.MegaMates.com

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

riverfronttimes.com

WHO ARE YOU TRY FOR AFTER DARK? FREE

314-932-2561

Patio, laundry, great landlord! Nice Area near I-64, 270, 170, 70 or Clayton

300 Rentals

www.LiveInTheGrove.com

385 Room for Rent

320 Houses for Rent

CENTRAL-CITY $100/WK 618-501-3361 Very nice, quiet, large furn rms for rent. W/D, cable, AC, Owner onsite, major businesses outside. $75 deposit MIDTOWN $125-$135/Wk 314-306-3716 Fully furn, all utils inc.+extras, near Metro. Singles. Leave message

310 Roommate Services ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM. Lonely? Bored? Broke? Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at Roommates.com! (AAN CAN)

BEVO-MILL $795 636-230-0068 4157 Wilmington: 2 BR, 1 BA, hardwood floors, C/A/heat, W/D inc, fenced yard, garage w/opener BROADWAY! $550 314-309-2043 Updated 1 bedroom house, full basement, central heat/air, fenced yard, appliances included, plenty of storage, off street parking! rs-stl.com RG5PU CHIPPEWA-ST! $700 314-309-2043 Oversized 2 bed house, hardwood floors, big basement, central heat/air, garage, fenced yard, all appliances, off street parking! rs-stl.com RG5PX

317 Apartments for Rent CARONDELET-PARK! $400 314-309-2043 1 bedroom, hardwood floors, central heat/air, kitchen appliances, pets, stained glass, recently remodeled! rs-stl.com RG5PP DELMAR! $550 314-309-2043 2 bedroom, all appliances, hardwood floors, central heat/air, pets allowed, deck, off street parking, recent updates! rs-stl. com RG5PR DOWNTOWN Cityside-Apts 314-231-6806 Bring in ad & application fee waived! Gated prkng, onsite laundry. Controlled access bldgs, pool, fitness, business ctr. Pets welcome FOREST-PARK-AVE! $555 314-309-2043 All Utilities Paid! Nice apartment, all kitchen appliances, central heat/air, hardwood floors, flexible deposit! ready now! rs-stl. com RG5PT GRAND! $550 314-309-2043 2 bedroom, 2 bath, central heat/air, fenced yard, loaded kitchen, w/d hookups, thermal windows, Move in special! Call for details! rs-stl.com RG5PS LAFAYETTE-SQUARE $685 314-968-5035 2030 Lafayette: 2BR/1BA, appls, C/A, Hdwd Fl NORTH-CITY! $375 314-309-2043 1-2 bedroom, central heat/air, hardwood floors, enclosed porch, off street parking, recently updated! rs-stl.com RG5PN OVERLAND/ST-ANN $535-$575 314-995-1912 Near 170, 64, 70, 270. Great loc. Clean, safe, quiet 1 & 2BRs, garage RICHMOND-HEIGHTS $525-$565 (Special) 314-995-1912 1 MONTH FREE! 1BR, all elec off Big Bend, Metrolink, 40, 44, Clayton SOUTH CITY

$400-$850 314-7714222 Many different units www.stlrr.com 1-3 BR, no credit no problem SOUTH ST. LOUIS CITY 314-579-1201 or 636-939-3808 1, 2 & 3 BR apts for rent. www.eatonproperties.com. Sec. 8 welcome

SOUTH-CITY

ARSENAL-ST! $575 314-309-2043 Redone 1 bedroom house, central heat/air, full basement, fenced yard, beautiful fireplace, all appliances, pets allowed, ready now! rs-stl.com RG5PV

$400

314-277-0204

studio-townhouse, 3333 Lawn #1: range, fridge, A/C, parking SOUTH-CITY $400 314-707-9975 4321 Morganford: 1 BR, all electric, hdwd flrs, C/A. SOUTH-CITY $495 314-402-2621 5020 Mardel: Nice 1BR, 1st Flr, Hdwd Flrs, AC, W/D Hkups. Credit check required. SOUTH-CITY $495 314-707-9975 Grand & Bates: 1 BRs, hardwood flrs, all electric, C/A. SOUTH-CITY $575 314-968-5035 Newly Renovated, 1BR 1BA, 3850 Park Ave Located directly behind Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Less than 1 mile from SLU. New Kit. Appls & Cabinets, C/A, Coin Lndry, Off-St. Pkg, CATV wired & carpet. Park Property Developers LLC SOUTH-CITY 314-504-6797 37XX Chippewa: 3 rms, 1BR. all elec exc. heat. C/A, appls, at bus stop SOUTH-CITY! $385 314-309-2043 1 bedroom, appliances included, central heat/air, extra storage, carpet & tile, pets, w/d hookups, ready to rent! rs-stl.com RG5PO

GRAVOIS-AVE! $850 314-309-2043 Spacious 3 bed, 2 bath house, full basement, hardwoods, family room, central heat/air, fenced yard, appliances, pets, many upgrades! rs-stl.com RG5P1 GRAVOIS-PARK $795 636-230-0068 3449 Minnesota: 2 BR, 1 BA, fenced in backyard, ADT security inc. NORTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY 314-579-1201 or 636-939-3808 2, 3 & 4BR homes for rent. eatonproperties.com. Sec. 8 welcome OLIVE-BLVD! $775 314-309-2043 Big 3 bed house, walkout finished basement, hardwood floors, central heat/air, appliances, pets ok, plenty of storage, ready now! rs-stl.com RG5P0 PAGE-AVE! $725 314-309-2043 Recently updated brick 3 bed house, full basement, toasty fireplace, central air, fenced yard for pets & kids, washer/dryer included!! rs-stl.com RG5PY SOULARD! $650 314-309-2043 Loaded 1 bedroom house, central heat/air, full basement, hardwood floors, washer/dryer included, fenced yard, appliances, pets ok! rs-stl.com RG5PW SOUTH-BROADWAY! $735 314-309-2043 Remodeled 2 bed house, hardwood floors, walk-out basement, main floor laundry, central heat/air, kitchen appliances, must see! rs-stl.com RG5PZ

800 Health & Wellness 805 Registered Massage A New Intuitive Massage Call Natalie 314.799.2314 www.artformassage.info CMT/LMT 2003026388

A Wonderfully Relaxing intuitive massage by licensed therapist. OPEN SUNDAYS Open Christmas Eve & Christmas Day! 314-706-4076 2002030286 Escape the Stresses of Life with a relaxing Oriental MASSAGE & Reflexology You’ll Come Away Feeling Refreshed & Rejuvenated. Call 314-972-9998 Make Every Day Special with a Luxurious Asian Massage at Spa Chi Massage & Day Spa 109 Long Rd Chesterfield MO 636-633-2929 www.spa-chi.com

SOUTH-CITY! $475 314-309-2043 2 bedroom, recently updated, full basement, central heat/air, loaded kitchen, custom tile, fenced yard, pets ok! RG5PQ 314-579-1201 or 636-9393808 1 & 2 BR apts for rent. www.eatonproperties.com. Sec. 8 welcome

Health Therapy Massage Relax, Rejuvenate & Refresh!

Flexible Appointments Monday Thru Sunday (Walk-ins welcome) 320 Brooke’s Drive, 63042 Call Cheryl. 314-895-1616 or 314-258-2860 LET#200101083 Now Hiring...Therapists

Ultimate Massage by Summer!!!! Relaxing 1 Hr Full Body Massage. Light Touch, Swedish, Deep Tissue. Daily 10am-5pm South County. 314-620-6386 Ls # 2006003746

T HAPPY HOLIDAYS! T Complete Relaxation by Ireland. In/Outcalls, Walk ins Avail. Relaxing & Cozy Atmosphere. Downtown Location Mature Therapist. 314-449-6421 or 747-9888000

100 Employment 105 Career/Training/Schools

THE OCEAN CORP. 10840 Rockley Road, Houston, Texas 77099. Train for a new career. *Underwater Welder. Commercial Diver. *NDT/Weld Inspector. Job Placement Assistance. Financial Aid avail for those who qualify 1.800.321.0298

120 Drivers/Delivery/Courier ! Drivers Needed ASAP ! Requires Class E, B or A License. S Endorsement Helpful. Must be 25 yrs or older. Will Train. ABC/Checker Cab Co CALL NOW 314-725-9550

167 Restaurants/Hotels/Clubs

Pink Galleon

Billiards & Games

Hiring Servers & Door Persons at our Creve Coeur & South County Loc. FT/PT. For Interview, call Travis

l 314-974-7265 l

500 Services 520 Financial Services Are you in BIG trouble with the IRS? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 844-753-1317 (AAN CAN)

525 Legal Services

File Bankruptcy Now!

Call Angela Jansen 314-645-5900 Bankruptcyshopstl.com The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertising.

Personal Injury, Workers Comp, DWI, Traffic 314-621-0500

ATTORNEY BRUCE E. HOPSON

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision & should not be based solely on advertising.

530 Misc. Services DISH TV Starting at $19.99/ month (for 12 mos.) SAVE! Regular Price $34.99 Call Today and Ask About FREE SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 888-992-1957 (AAN CAN) WANTS TO purchase minerals and other oil & gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557, Denver, Co 80201

537 Adoptions

Rich & Charlie’s

Now Hiring EXPERIENCED LINE COOKS & SERVERS. Apply in Person Only. 4487 Lemay Ferry 9942 Watson Rd. SERVERS needed for High Profile Events. PT and flexible scheduling avl. Background checks & Drug tests req. Also hiring for kitchen & housekeepers. Call 314.863.7400

190 Business Opportunities Avon Full Time/Part Time, $15 Fee. Call Carla: 314-665-4585 For Appointment or Details Independent Avon Rep.

193 Employment Information CDL- A DRIVERS and Owner Operators: $1,000.00 sign on, Company/ Safety Bonuses. Home daily/ weekly. Regional runs. Great Benefits. 1-888-300-9935

CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Let us help! Assistance available 24 hours a day. Housing, medical, counseling and more. Call Adoption United 24/7 1-888-617-1470. (void where prohibited)

600 Music 610 Musicians Services MUSICIANS Do you have a band? We have bookings. Call (314)781-6612 for information Mon-Fri, 10:00-4:30 MUSICIANS AVAILABLE Do you need musicians? A Band? A String Quartet? Call the Musicians Association of St. Louis (314)781-6612, M-F, 10:00-4:30

810 Health & Wellness General SHAHS SALON Hair, Eyelash & Eyebrow Extensions. Walk-ins welcome. 9am-9pm Tues-Sat. 901 Pine Street • Downtown Ask for Ireland or Kita 314-588-8700 or 747-9888000

ST. CHARLES COUNTY

575

ST. JOHN $495-$595 314-423-3106 Special! 1BR.$495 & 2BR.$595. Near 170 & St.Charles Rock Rd TOWER-GROVE-EAST $525 314-223-8067 1/2 Off Dec. Rent! Spacious 1BRs, Oak Floors, Stove & Refrigerator, A/C, W/D Hook-Up, Nice area UNIVERSITY-CITY $895 314-727-1444 2BR, new kitch, bath & carpet, C/A & heat. No pets

NOTICE OF INTENT TO DISCONTINUE RAIL SERVICE

AB-290 (Sub-No. 384X) Norfolk Southern Railway Company (“NSR”) gives notice that on or about December 18, 2015, it intends to file with the Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423, a notice of exemption under 49 C.F.R. Part 1152 Subpart F — Exempt Abandonments and Discontinuances of Service and Trackage Rights permitting NSR to discontinue rail service over an approximately 2.0-mile rail line (referred to herein as the “Line”) extending from milepost S 3.0 (near Branch Street) to milepost S 5.0 (near May Street). The Line is located entirely in the City of St. Louis, MO. The Line traverses through United States Postal Service Zip Code territories 63102 and 63147. There are no customers on the Line proposed for discontinuance. The proceeding will be docketed as STB Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 384X). The proposed action entails the discontinuance of rail service over the Line for which further Board approval would be required to abandon service on the Line. Accordingly, this proceeding is exempt from environmental reporting requirements under 49 C.F.R. § 1105.6(c) and from historic reporting requirements under 49C.F.R. § 1105.8(b), and the STB will not prepare an environmental assessment. Appropriate offers of financial assis tance to continue rail service under a subsidy can be filed with the Board. Because the proposed action is for the discontinuance of service over, but not the abandonment of the Line, requests for public use conditions and rail banking/trails will not be accepted. An original and 10 copies of any pleading in response to the proposed discontinuance of service (such as offers of financial assistance) must be filed directly with the Board’s Section of Administration, Office of Proceedings, 395 E Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20423 [See 49 C.FR. §§ 1104.1(a) and 1104.3(a)], and one copy must be served on NSR’s representative [See 49 CFR § 1104.12(a)]. Questions regarding offers of financial assistance or other such matters may be directed to the Board’s Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance at 202-245-0230. Copies of any comments or requests for specific Board action should be served on NSR’s representative: William A. Mullins, BAKER & MILLER PLLC, 2401 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20037; phone: 202-663-7820; fax 202-663-7849.

WESTPORT/LINDBERGH/PAGE $525-$575 314-995-1912 1 mo FREE! 1BR ($525) & 2BR ($575 specials) Clean, safe, quiet.

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

RIVERFRONT TIMES

314-754-5966

SOUTHERN MISSOURI TRUCK DRIVING SCHOOL P.O. Box 545 • Malden, MO 63863 • 1.888.276.3860 • www.smtds.com

IF YOU DESIRE TO MAKE MORE MONEY AND NEED A NEW JOB EARNING

MAKE MONEY BY MAKING A DIFFERENCE. Donate at Octapharma Plasma today.

8780 Pershall Road Hazelwood, MO 63042 • 314-524-9015 Must be 18-64 years old with valid ID, proof of social security number and current residence postmarked within 30 days. Information at octapharmaplasma.com.

NEW DONORS EARN UP TO $250 FOR THE FIRST FIVE DONATIONS

314-620-6386

Get the Attention of our 461,000+ Readers Call 314-754-5940 for More Info

PAINLESS TATTOO REMOVAL SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 15 OR CALL 866-626-8346

HOLIDAY SHOPPING! 10am-6pm Daily

Personal Injury, Workers Comp, DWI, Traffic 314-621-0500

gringojonesimports.org l FB l 664-1666 lllllllllllllllllllll

ATTORNEY BRUCE E. HOPSON

MUSIC RECORD SHOP

Looking to sell or trade your metal, punk, rap or rock LP collection. Call us.

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertising.

South City Scooters

6666666666666666

Great Selection of Scooters! Sales & Service. @ the corner of Connecticut & Morgan Ford. 314.664.2737

Taking Orders For Christmas

JERKED TURKEYS!

www.LiveInTheGrove.com

Call DePalm Tree (314) 432-5171

lllllllllllllllllllll SL Riverfront Times — 12/17/201

6666666666666666

HOLIDAY SHOPPING! 10am-6pm Daily

SEE IT! HEAR IT! OPERATE IT BEFORE YOU BUY!

Earth Circle’s mission is to creatively assist businesses and residents with their recycling efforts while providing the friendliest and most reliable service in the area. Call Today!

Like the Riverfront Times? Make it official. www.facebook.com/riverfronttimes

NEW! 2016! Two-Year Warranty

Keep Your Factory Controls! iDatalink Maestro ready, 6.2” touchscreen image

BUILT IN

349

LLED INSTAICE! PR is CD

On Theiver! Rec

READY

Two-Year Warranty

NEW! 2016!

Three 4-volt preouts anchor a real mobile sound system

RIVERFRONT TIMES

# 2006003746

Made You Look!

lllllllllllllllllllll

Join the RFT Email lists for an inside look on Concert listings, ticket sales, events & more! www.Riverfronttimes.com to sign up

SWEDISH & DEEP TISSUE FULL BODY MASSAGE

South County Lemay Area

• More driving time than any other school in the state •

EarthCircleRecycling.com - 314-664-1450

Summer! Daily 10 AM-5PM

$45-$50 thousand the 1st year, great benefits, call SMTDS, Financial assistance available if you qualify. Free living quarters. 6 students max per class. 4 wks. 192 hours.

DATING MADE EASY... LOCAL SINGLES! Listen & Reply FREE! 314-739-7777 FREE PROMO CODE: 9512 Telemates

Ultimate Massage by

DECEMBER 16-22, 2015

SOUTH 5616 S. Lindbergh • (314) 842-1242 WEST 14633 Manchester • (636) 527-26811

riverfronttimes.com

129

Includes Install

HAZELWOOD 233 Village Square Cntr • (314) 731-1212 FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS 10900 Lincoln Tr. • (618) 394-9479

gringojonesimports.org l FB l 664-1666 lllllllllllllllllllll

MUSIC RECORD SHOP

Looking to sell or trade your metal, punk, rap or rock LP collection. Call us. DATING MADE EASY... LOCAL SINGLES! Listen & Reply FREE! 314-739-7777 FREE PROMO CODE: 9512 Telemates Like the Riverfront Times? Make it official. www.facebook.com/riverfronttimes

Haitian Queen

Mature therapist that knows what the mind & body needs. Relax in a Warm, Cozy New Atmosphere! Guaranteed to leave you with a smile! 6am-Midnight In /Out Calls 24/7! Availble in Downtown St. Louis to West County areas.

314-449-6421