June 2014

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June 2014

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‘In The Beginning, There Was Base Ball ~ Big Wheel Breakdown Concert Series ~ Up From the AshesTransforming the Cityscape ~ June Calendar of Events ~ From Light to More Light ~ Wellness and Balanced Living ~ Forest Invaders ~ Let’s Go Bowling – For a Cause ~ Submissions

June 2014

Issue

Joanna Hoge

Serving Up Art, Music, and Culture for the Metro East’s Enjoyment

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Str8Up Magazine

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Inside Page

June 2014

Editors Word – June 2014 June 2014. The 23rd monthly edition of Straight Up Magazine, ‘Serving Up Art, Music and Culture for the Metro-East’s Enjoyment’. The Metro East deserves its own arts and entertainment magazine. It’s here and it’s called Straight Up!!! We are pleased to have Joanna Hoge as the cover artist for this twenty-third Straight Up edition! See more on Joanna in our Submissions section. We always thank our writers for their poignant features. We appreciate our fans who have submitted their works for publication. And “Likes” to all you followers on Facebook!!! Straight Up loves you!!!! Like Straight Up on Facebook and receive daily entertainment updates, photos, videos & more. The mission of Straight Up Magazine is to support local arts and artists and the businesses and organizations that support local arts and artists. Please feel free to contact us with ideas, comments, information, etc. that might assist us in our mission to serve you, the residents of the Metro region. Enjoy Str8 Up. Tell your friends. Send us your work. And visit our website at StraightUpMagazine.net (You can scan our QRC on the cover). You’ll see Straight Up Magazine at over 260 area distribution locations. And we’ll see you at the clubs, theatres and festivals all over the Metro-East.

Contact Straight Up Magazine:

PO Box 412 – Belleville IL (62222); 618-416-2289 straightup@straightupmagazine.net. The Editors thank you!!!

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Staff

June Credits

Editors: Dylan Seibert, Paul Seibert Layout Design Artists: Mark Polege, Michelle Reynolds Sales: Paul Seibert Ad Artists: Mark Polege, Michelle Reynolds, Wil Sullivan Calendar: Dylan Seibert, Paul Seibert Website Design: Mark Polege (MarkusDesignWorks.com) Photography: Mark Polege (PhotographyofMarkPolege.com) Distribution: Brenton Ebersole; Brian Gardner, Daniel Nygard, Kaila Ryan, Sarah Skiold-Hanlin

Contributors

Cover Art: “Samsara” by Joanna Hoge (JoannaHoge.com) Cover Logo: Josh Rowan (JoshuaRowan.com) Photography: Dan Cross (Up From the Ashes), Mark Polege (From Light to More Light) Feature Writers: Brenton Ebersole, Dan Cross, Mark Polege, Paul Seibert, Robyn Kirsch

Submissions

Joanna Hoge: Ink on Paper; Jacqueline Klene: Multiple Media; Mark Polege: Photography; Nic Tullis: Photography All material in this publication is copyrighted to the individual contributors or Straight Up Magazine, LLC and may not be reproduced without written consent. We are very grateful to those who have submitted material to be considered for publication. However, the opinions and views of those contributing content to Straight Up do not necessarily reflect those of Str8 Up Magazine.

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Table of Contents

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June 2014

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In The Beginning, There Was Base Ball – The Belleville Stags Vintage Base Ball Club

Big Wheel Breakdown Concert Series Up From the Ashes-Transforming the Cityscape June Calendar of Events

Str8 Up Magazine Distribution Locations: Alton Alton Sports Tap AmTrac Chez Marilyn Doc Holiday’s Fast Eddie’s Frank’s Restaurant Jacoby Art Center Mike’s Ten Pin Belleville 10th Street Baking Co 4204 Main Street Brewing Abbey, The Adenaline Prints Almighty Tatoos Althoff CHS Art Dept Anthony’s Salon At Home Computer Repair Bank of Belleville Bamboo Valley Buffet Beatnik’s Bell Air Bowl Belle Clair Expo Center Belleville Public Libraries Ben’s Crafts & Floral Big Reggie’s Blue Agave Bronx Zoo Casablanca Café CeLeen Gallery Centerfield Bar and Grill Chamber of Commerce Christopher Mikal Photo. Circa City Hall Club Escapade Crehan’s Pub Dutch Hollow Barn Eckert Florist Effinger’s Garden Center Facial Rejuvenation Center Fletcher’s Kitchen Geo’s Wings Governor French Gallery Grappa Growlers Green Forest Vapors Hair on Main Happy Hops Homebrew Hardees Harters Hobby House Hicks Bar-B-Que Hippie Daze

Hite Auto Body and Repair Imo’s Pizza Inside Out Ministries JR’s Last Call Katherine Frazier State Farm Kelso Auto Body Lindenwood Univ Local Lucy’s Mabista Salon and Spa Main Street Café Mary’s Hidden Treasures Max’s One Stop Melodic Rhythms Miscellanea New Concepts Bty & Barber MotoMart North Belt West Liquor Olympic Restaurant Papa Vito’s Patriot Restaurant Peachy Yogurt Pitchers Pub Pizza World Plug N Play Computers Renaissance Hair & Skin Care Rising Star Too Schnucks Schmidt Art Center Sears App and Hrdwe Seven Shop N Save Simply Sindy Smith Simply Thrift Sips n Splatters Sole Survivor Leather & Art Southwestern IL College St E’s Medical Arts Bldg Sullivan’s Super 8 Motel Sweet Sinsation TOCO Shop Towne & Country Mart Weingarten YMCA East Cahokia Cahokia Club KC MarkO’s Grill Spinner’s Restaurant Caseyville Amer.’s Best Inn & Suites First Western Inn Knollwood Retirement

Mudbugs Bar & Grill Quality Inn and Suites Centreville Terry’s Home & Garden Collinsville Bert’s Chuckwagon Dean’s Farmers Market Fifth Quarter Knights of Columbus Public Library Spring Garden Restaurant Swing City Music Columbia Columbia City Saloon Edwardsville Auto Tire Bailey Cakes Bin 51 Bridal Couture Circle K Edison’s Entertainment Enclave & Enclave West Green Mobile Handee-Mart (BP) Happy Up Toys Heroic Adventures Mark’s Appliances Public Library Run Well Sacred Grounds Southern IL University Stagger Inn Teaspoon Cafe Fairview Heights $1.98 Cleaners Best Western Casey’s Caseyville Twshp Bldg China King City Hall Drury Inn Express Medical Care Fortels Pizza Guitar Center Jacob’s Herb Shop Jonnie’s Pizza Just One More Time Hooters Hucks Lasting Impress. Floral Lilly’s Gyro

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From Light to More Light:

The Creative ‘Wonderland’ of St. Louis

Wellness and Balanced Living Forest Invaders

Let’s Go Bowling – For a Cause Submissions Now Available at Over 300 Locations!

Public Library Quiznos RaaQQa Food Mart Ramada Inn Randalls Wine & Spirits Sahara Hair Studio Schnucks Sheraton Four Points St Clair Bowl Sunshine Daydream Super 8 Motel Winchester Place Office VFW Freeburg Casey’s Deli Express Skootr’s West Tom’s Supermarket Glen Carbon Glen Mart Granite City Apple Tree Restaurant Southwestern IL College Highland 501 Blues Club CharlieDave’s BBQ Great Clips Highland’s Tru-Buy Randy’s House of BBQ Lebanon Artimis Fezziwig’s Marketplace Ghost Vapor Shop Las Cabanas Lebanon Visitors Center Legendary Creations Mama Gusto’s McKendree University MotoMart Public Library Sasafras Way Photography Tiadaghton House Whimsey Gifts Maryville Villa Marie Winery Mascoutah All Mart Smoke Shop American Legion Bee Hollow Mavrketplace Boyce Hund & Assocs Casey’s General Store Dauber’s Pharmacy

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Donna Mae’s Salon Han-Dee Mart Jo-Al Winery LaQuinta Hotel & Suites Mascoutah Steak House MidAmerica Inn & Suite McDonald’s Moore’s Family Restaurant Moto Mart Nite Deposit Sax Hometown Store Silver Creek Asstd Living Scott Credit Union St E’s Medical Plaza Tom’s Supermarket Visitor’s Center O’Fallon AC Computers Baymont Inn Candlewood Suites Casey’s Casa Azteca Circle K City Hall CoffeeHouse Co & Salon Country Inn and Suites CVS Days Inn Drury Inn Egg and I Extended Stay Frieze Harley Davidson Gias Pizza Hemingway’s Zen Garden Hilton Garden Inn Hometown Barber Knights of Columbus Lake Point Dental Luckenbooth Gallery McDonald’s Memorial Healthcare/ Therapy New Art Legacies Public Library RJs Computer Schnucks St. E’s Medical Center Suburban Inn Subway Super 8 Towne Lounge Vetta Sports Walgreens

Wood Bakery YMCA Sauget Sauget Diner SW IL Welcome Center Scott Air Force Base Chicago Chicken & Fish Ralph’s Barber Quick Mart Subway Shiloh Bank of Edwardsville David Anthony Barber Dierberg’s Golden Corral St. Louis Bread Quizno’s Walgreens Wings of Shiloh Smithton All Mart Century 21 Advantage No-Jacks Tom’s Supermarket Swansea Big Time Beads Concept Shoe Repair CVS Schnucks Dobbs Gas Mart Tourism Bureua of IL S. Wild Birds Unlimited Troy Inksane Asylum Randy’s House of BBQ Speedy Scrappers Troy Public Library ZX Fuel Waterloo BoBecks Sports Bar & Grill City Hall Gallagher’s JV’s Bar and Grill Karban’s Knotty Pines Knotty Pines Papa Vito’s Schorr Lake Vineyard St.Louis Cmty Arts & Movement Concrete Ocean Gallery Healing Arts Center

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Culture

June 2014

In The Beginning, There Was Base Ball – The Belleville Stags Vintage Base Ball Club by Robyn L. Kirsch

Are you looking for something different that will really knock your white socks off? Then head down to Belleville-Swansea Moose Lodge 1221 this summer to watch the weekend home games of Belleville’s very own heritage base ball team, the Belleville Stags Vintage Base Ball Club. “The game (we) play is ‘base ball’, a two-word ancestor of the modern one-word version,” said Todd Eschman, team founder and captain. “We play by the rules put down in ‘Beadle’s Dime Base Ball Player’, circa 1860. All of our guys are very active and want to play.”

One local Belleville resident, Vicki Rick, has gone to games with her boyfriend Sean Barber, to enjoy the friendly atmosphere. “It’s more friendly and more fun to watch than regular baseball,” Rick said. “The rules are definitely different and it took us a full games of watching for us to figure them out.” Rick said she’s already spreading the word about the team and its genuine, hometown feel to her friends, family and co-workers. The team’s inception was the curiosity of a few guys in August 2011 that grew into a well-established team of now about 17 men. As an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan, Eschman describes his interest in the history of game as turning into a plan of action for reviving the vintage sport in his own hometown of Belleville. “We initially started meeting and bouncing around ideas, and by the 4

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spring of 2013, we had uniforms, a team name, a treasury and a full schedule of games--we’re in our third season now,” Eschman said. Eschman said the team name is rooted in history with the backbone of Belleville’s local brewing industry, specifically the Stag Brewing Company which was going strong here until the 1990s. According to Rick, it’s just not a Stags Base Ball game unless she’s sporting her Stags team regalia and with a Stag Beer in her hand on a warm sunny day. “I’ve arranged for some friends to join us this coming Saturday, June 1, and I think they’re going to love it,” Rick said. “We’re lucky because St. Louis has a couple of teams like the Cyclones, the St. Louis Brown Stockings, the Unions and the Perfectos. Plus, there’s teams in Southern Illinois, Central Illinois, Chicago and Indianapolis,” said Eschman. “We have to travel a lot to find games, (unless) we want to play the same four teams all the time.” The level of camaraderie between the team members is one-ofa-kind that is obvious to the fans, also known as ‘cranks’ by period standards, according to Eschman. “We go out there to have a good time and uphold our mission to preserve, perpetuate and promote the game of base ball as it was played during its formative years,” Eschman added. “We work towards the highest standards of sportsmanship, gentlemanly behavior and courtesy which characterized the (NY) Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, established September 23, 1845,” Eschman said. “There’s evidence of base ball going back to the 17th century, but baseball as it’s known today started in the 1840s,” Eschman said. “So in 1860, the game wasn’t yet professional, but there were published rules by that point at least.” Back then, base ball was very much a gentleman’s game, Eschman said. “In fact, one of my favorite stories, I think, illustrates what kind of game it was. Base ball players traditionally wore wool uniforms, and the assumption then was that was a working man’s material — it’s heavy, it’s durable – but that’s not true at all,” Eschman said. “In 1860, when you would go out to buy your best suit--the suit was wool. Wool at that time represented finery and these base ball teams back in 1860 tended to sprout up along professional organizations such as chambers of commerce, country clubs and the like. It was a means for social contact and exercise.” A gentlemanly code of conduct is still observed by vintage base ball teams, according to Eschman. “This is first and foremost a gentleman’s game, and that’s something that was really part of the founding of the Stags; we really started looking for guys that were good guys first and good players second, but we were lucky enough to find guys who wanted to be a part of it that were all those things.”

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June 2014 Speaking of gentlemen, the rulebook states no gambling, no spitting and no cursing. “At least not overtly loud anyway. We did have a guy one time who got really upset and cussed. We suspended him for a game and told him ‘you can’t play until you learn how to curb your tongue’,” Eschman said. For situations like that, Eschman said they have Kangeroo Court after their double headers, where guys on the team can be fined with what would have been the equivalent of a week’s wage, which is about 25 cents. “(Or) if you’re rolling your sleeves up without asking permission from the ladies present (through) the arbiter (a.k.a. the umpire), then you can be fined too. We fine for various reasons, and it’s all in good fun, plus the money goes back to the team,” Eschman noted. Over time, Eschman said he has observed people making assumptions about rule interpretations, which he advises should be curbed. “We always say, you can’t make any assumptions because there was no precedence in 1860. The rules literally changed yearly for about 15 years,” Eschman said. “Even when they put down the first set of rules in 1849, even for that 11 years, the game changed significantly.” An example of this was in 1849, the sport had a common practice called “soaking the runner.” ‘To soak’ meant that to get the opponent out, players were permitted to simply throw the ball at the runner in between the bases, which Eschman explained remained legal up through the 1850s. Kelley offered his take on the change in game rules. “I also like how the game changes since fielders are able to catch the ball on one bounce for an out and there are no home run fences. So when I’m playing outfield and a guy named ‘The Hebrew Hammer’, who looks like Albert Pujols’ brother, comes up to bat, I just back up a few steps. No matter how far Hammer hits the ball, I always have a chance to make the play if I’m fast enough,” Kelley said. “The rules are quite different from today, but the biggest thing is that they didn’t have gloves in 1860, so we play barehanded, and the baseball we use is an accurate replica as it would have been used then,” Eschman explained. Although Eschman says the difference is subtle, a ball made in the 1860s measures 9 ½ inches in circumference and weighs between 5 ½ and 6 ounces, where a modern ball is 9 inches around and weighs 5 ounces. Balls are hand wound for accuracy with a wooden core and covered with leather, just like modern balls. They are commonly referred to as lemon stitch balls. “To answer a frequently answered question, they do, in fact, sting against the bare hand,” Eschman said. “They are the hardest when they’re brand new, but tend to soften somewhat after a couple matches.” With no gloves, a slightly heavier ball and all wooden bats, the team members are very familiar with common injuries like broken fingers, bruises

and muscular soreness. “But that doesn’t stop us. We expect it and it’s worth it for us to get out there and play together to entertain ‘the cranks’ and honor the game,” Eschman said. By the way, the wooden bats are hand-made by Eschman – another one of his heritage endeavors. Dan ‘Deadline’ Kelley, of Belleville, is a “scout” (a.k.a. an outfielder). He says he’s drawn to the game for different reasons than just its rich history. “While other guys on the team are very much into the history aspect of the game, if I’m honest, I would have to admit that the reason I keep coming back is because the game is fun,” Kelley said. “I enjoy the historical aspect of the game, but I actually like the game’s structure more than present day baseball or softball.” Kelley went on to give an example. “The modern game focuses very heavily on the duel between the pitcher and the batter. In the vintage game, the pitcher (hurler) is supposed to hurl the ball where the batter (striker) wants it pitched. So what happens is there are almost no strikeouts and the defense shifts from the pitcher almost entirely to the fielders (tenders and scouts). For fielders, this means the ball is in play nearly every at-bat and there is much more action in the field than the modern game in my opinion.” Eschman said he would like to seed more teams for the club in the near future. “We will be playing in September at Hough Park during the Belleville Bicentennial weekend,” Eschman noted. That tournament weekend is September 20 and 21. Photos by Brian Keller.

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Next home game: Belleville Stags VS Rock Springs Ground Squirrels; Swansea Moose Lodge, 2425 North Illinois, Swansea IL; June 7, 1-5pm For more information, visit BellevilleStags.com or Belleville Stags on Facebook.

Find out about Eschman’s “Old Dutch Classic Bats” at DutchBats.com.

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Music

June 2014

Big Wheel Breakdown Concert Series by J. C. Ward This summer, the Bike Surgeon of Shiloh is taking fun for the whole The Bike Surgeon is grateful to the events numerous sponsors. They family outdoors! And bicycles are optional. On June 8th, the Bike Surgeon include American Eagle Credit Union, Freeze Harley Davidson, Toolen’s will be hosting an Running Start of outdoor community O’Fallon, Raymond concert event at Three James Financial SerSprings Park in Shiloh vice, Republic Waste (IL). The Big Wheel Services, and 54th Breakdown Concert Street Bar and Grill. is one of a series of John and Chris and outdoor concerts in Bo thank the Village the park. The first of of Shiloh for its trethe series was in May. mendous support of A third in the series this series of events. will be on July 13th. Come Breakdown Dates for August and this month and the rest September Breakof the summer at Three downs are pending. Spring Park in Shiloh. The Bike SurThe Village of Shiloh – Catfish Willie Band geons owners, Chris The Place To Be. Norington and John Greenstreet, and their events coordinator, Bo McCall, Follow Bike Surgeon and Big Wheel Breakdown at: are excited about these concerts. “We are trying to offer a fun filled event for the community and families for all ages, something other than a bar or BikeSurgeon.com and restaurant. We also want to offer something for the community that gets everyone outside and enjoying the beautiful outdoors.” The idea for the Big Wheel Breakdown concert series arose when John and Chris were looking for such an outdoor event in the metro east area but found nothing like this here. They had attended events like this in on Facebook at Facebook.com/bikesurgeon the Carbondale area and decided to bring something similar to the metro east area. “We want to provide a free community event to support the community that everyone can rely on,” said Greenstreet. There will be plenty of activities provided at the event such as hillbilly golf, yard bags, foot races for the kids, plus Three Springs Park has a great children’s play area. Food and adult beverages will be available for purchase. Water and soft drinks will be provided free of charge. You’ll find Miller’s Meats serving BBQ and Global Brewing Company craft beers on What: Big Wheel Breakdown Concert Series with The Catfish Willie Band premises. Picnic baskets, coolers and lawn chairs are encouraged. Where: Three Spring Park, 2222 Frank Scott Parkway East, Shiloh IL And, of course, there will be live music. Last month, we heard the When: June 8th, 5pm-dark R&B soul sounds of Al Holliday and the East Side Rhythm Review. This Who: Sponsored by Bike Surgeon, the Village of Shiloh and numerous month’s music will be provided by the Catfish Willie Band, a four piece other area businesses. southern rock / blues band that is fun for the whole family. “The Catfish How: call 618-622-1693 or email info@bikesurgeon.com Willie Band is one of the most exciting, high energy Southern Rock and Blues bands in the history of modern music.” And that’s a quote directly Why: To celebrate summer fun and music in the beautiful great outdoors from the band’s website! Sounds like a show that should not be missed. Music will begin at 5 and carry on until dark. You are encouraged to come any time before that to begin the festivities. 6

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The Arts

June 2014

Up From the Ashes – Transforming the Cityscape by Dan Cross The thousands of visitors who came to Art on the Square in downtown Belleville last month were treated with more than the hundred plus booths full of works by national and international artists. If they strolled down to the 200 block of East Main Street, they may have also witnessed a local man working on a large, dramatic work of art not affiliated with the art festival. The work, a sort of architectural mural, is being built by Ronnie Phillips on the side of his building at 207 East Main. It is adjacent to the empty lot where a huge fire destroyed two buildings in the spring of 2010 and left behind downtown Belleville’s infamous ‘The Hole’, which scarred the landscape for over three years and spawned many jokes and prolonged legal wrangling over who was responsible for filling it in. The fire and subsequent demolition of the charred buildings also left a jagged and unsightly wall on the adjacent building, with crumbling brick and boarded up doorways. Also destroyed in the fire was one of Belleville’s last remaining murals by the brilliant local artist Novei Beige (remember the three giant red flowers that once graced the side of that building?). But now, rising from the ruins of that day in May, is a new, inspiring work of art. “I had to do something with the wall, so I just started working with what was there,” Phillips explained. “The arches were there, so I just emphasized them, and it kind of grew into what it is now.” What it has grown into is an interesting, three-dimensional mural/construction with columns, archways, and other features that puzzle and challenge the eye. Phillips is a self-taught builder with a lot of experience, and his handiwork is visible at various other locations in town: The Bronx Zoo, run by his sister Beverly, and Plum Local at 1011 West Main, the façade of which was completely transformed by Phillips a couple years ago. He has also renovated several bars, restaurants and residential/commercial buildings throughout the St. Louis metro area. His work is always creative both in appearance and also in the clever use of recycled and repurposed materials. “I use whatever I’m

blessed with today,” he explained while taking a break from tiling a floor. The wall project began in March of this year, and Phillips hopes to be finished with it by the end of summer. Much more is planned to go up, including more fanciful things like the eagle-head gargoyle which now peers down right next to the sidewalk on Main Street. Comments from passersby have been unanimously positive. “Everybody loves it!” Phillips said. “It’s all been super good.” As the construction takes shape, it is starting to be reminiscent of the fabulous trompe l’oeil mural by Richard Haas on the Edison Brothers Building in St. Louis, which is prominent whenever you drive westbound on Highway 40 near Busch Stadium. Haas’ murals are praised by critics and the public alike. New York Times architectural reviewer Paul Goldberger called his work “extravagant and inventive architectural fantasies; they rescue us from the ugliness of empty walls and, in so doing, transform the cityscape around them.” That is exactly what is happening right now in downtown Belleville. Another visionary artist/builder that Phillips’ project brings to mind is Bob Cassily, the brave and innovative creator of the City Museum in St. Louis. Cassily, like Phillips, used recycled materials in all sorts of innovative ways: bathroom walls made from hundreds of steel restaurant tins, stairway bannisters made from conveyor belt rollers, and a giant water feature made from an old boiler and transformed into the remarkable “puking pig” which spews out hundreds of gallons of water every 90 seconds to the delight of museum visitors. While smaller in scale than the works of Cassily or Haas, the project Phillips is creating is evolving into a great addition to the downtown Belleville landscape. He has a lot of ideas for the adjoining lot as well. “I’d like to put benches out there, plant some trees, build some water features, and make it a place for the public to enjoy.” So next time you are in downtown Belleville and you see a determined, creative guy on a big crane beautifying a big ugly wall, be sure to stop and watch. And, if you are so inclined, give him some praise for his efforts to make the town a cooler, more original and more attractive place to live.

Who: Ronnie Phillips What: Architectural Mural – a Public Display of Art (PDA) Where: 207 East Main Street, Belleville IL When: Currently in process / walk or drive by anytime

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June Calendar of Events

June 2014

June 1st (Sunday)

Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Sun thru Oct; 2-6pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - Ainad Shriner’s 48th Annual Circus; 2pm and 7:30pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - Doll, Toy, and Miniature Show Columbia City Saloon (Columbia) - Mike Lacey; 3pm Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - First Sunday Jam Session with Paul Bonn and the Bluesmen; 4-8pm Dutch Hollow Barn (Belleville) - Every Sunday Jam Session; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Hoosier Daddy’s; 2pm; Blue Steel; 7pm Hidden Lake Winery (Aviston) - Music by Bud Summers; 2-6pm Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke SeVen (Belleville) - EarthSol, 4-8pm Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night St Peter and Paul’s Church (Collinsville) - Church Picnic with Thunder Road; 5-8pm The Weingarten (Belleville) - Linda Ford; 2-6pm The Wildey Theater (Edwardsville) - Shameless: The Garth Brooks Experience featuring Nathan Orr; 8pm

June 2nd (Monday)

Barnes & Noble (Fairview Heights) - Monday Morning Storytime Veggies With Wedgies by Todd Doodler; 11am Columbia City Saloon (Columbia) - The piano artistry of Pat Joyce; 1-4pm Discovery Garden at LaVista Park (Godfrey) - Garden Workday; 9am–12pm Philharmonic Hall (Belleville) - Belleville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Summer Intergenerational Program – open to all musicians 6th grade to age 99 and all proficiencies (Cost is $40 for 1st musician $35 @ additional family member and includes a concert T-shirt). Registration required (618-207-8003). No audition; Rehearsals: Monday evenings June 2 thru July 21, 5:30-7:30pm. Concert Saturday July 26 at 2pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke Theatre & Dance Department, SIUE (Edwardsville) - Cougar Summer Theater Camp; “Flights of Fantasy & Fairy Tales”. Sing. Act. Dance. Perform. Students learn self-confidence, voice/singing, problem solving, dance/movement, critical thinking, acting skills, literature, collaboration. Cougar Cubs (ages 6-9) and Cougar Club (ages 10-13) June 2 thru June 13 (9am til 5p); Conservatory (ages 14-19) June 2 thru June 21 (1-7:30pm). Students from all 3 camps will perform in Cougar Showcase performances: June 12 & 13 at 7pm. And Disney’s Peter Pan Jr, performances June 19, 20, & 21 at 7pm and June 21 at 2pm 8

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June 3rd (Tuesday)

6pm

Bike Surgeon (Shiloh) - Tuesday Night Metro East Road Ride;

Gateway Center (Collinsville) - Act On Energy Business Symposium; 7am-2pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Mascoutah Historical Society (Mascoutah) - Civil War Exhibit; For a small town, comprised primarily of Germans, Mascoutah, Illinois, supported the Union cause more than one might first imagine. A rare opportunity to see how one small Illinois town contributed to the war effort. Every Tuesday 9am-12pm Mudbugs (Caseyville) - Blues Jam every Tuesday hosted by Paul Bonn; 7-11pm Rock Springs Park (O’Fallon) - O’Fallon Garden Club presents Steven Mueller “Arranging Flowers from Your Garden”; bring a container and clippings from your yard; 6:30pm; Social hour 6pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke

June 4th (Wednesday)

Barnes& Noble (Fairview Heights) - Special Storytime The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle; 11am Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz, Cigar/Scotch Night Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Karaoke Every Wed Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Prestige World Wide; 6pm Gateway Center (Collinsville) - Alternative to Knee Replacement Seminar Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Hidden Lake Winery (Aviston) - Dance Lessons with Jeff & Marcia Wuebbles; Free Dance lessons the 1st and 4th Wednesday of the month. The lessons will teach you to dance all night at a wedding! 7pm Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Miscellanea House (Belleville) - Acoustic Open Mic Night with Bill Fourness; every Wednesday; 7-10pm PSOP (Belleville) - Gateway East Artist Guild-GEAG Membership meeting: Stephen Davis Paper Cut Demo; 6pm PSOP/SWIC (Belleville) - Line Dancing; Our instructor, Carol Schwartz, will show you new line dances and techniques each week. This is a great group to dance with, so sliiiide on over. Cost is $2 per session. 1:30-3pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Open Mic with AfterHours Entertainment & your host Banyon Hanner; 7-11pm Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night Randy’s House of BBQ (Troy) - Open Mic Jam; 7-11pm Villa Marie Winery (Maryville) - Wine All You Want Wednesdays; “Group Therapy”; leave the men at home, ladies, for an evening of guaranteed fun; every first Wednesday; 6-9pm Wild Country (Collinsville) - The Taping of St. Louis Country with WIL gang, Derrick, Danny, Bo & Judy! $5 for everyone, FREE w/ valid College ID! 7pm-1am Wood River Roundhouse (Wood River) - Imperial Swing Dance

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June 2014 Lessons; 6:30–9pm

June 5th (Thursday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; tonight: Brother Hiram; 7-10pm 501 Blues Club (Highland) - Thursday Night Open Mic Jam Session; 8pm Bubby and Sissy’s (Alton) - Karaoke Dance Party; 9:30pm1:30am Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz Community Garden (O’Fallon) - Come play in the dirt; Community Garden Work Days every Monday and Thursday; tools provided – bring your own gloves; 8-11am Downtown (Belleville) - The Belleville Running Club holds group runs in downtown Belleville every Thursday night at 6pm and Saturday morning at 8am. Thursday night runs meet at the parking lot at A and Jackson (Baja Cali). Downtown (Highland) - Farmers Market; open air market features vendor grown vegetables, fruits, flowers, baked goods, preserves and specialty items as well as the work of artisans. Familyfriendly activities will be regular events at the market. Thursdays 4-7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - County Line; 7pm Gateway Center (Collinsville) - Wrestling Entertainment, LLC – Bell Time 7:30pm Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Bike Night every Thursday night Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Jailhouse Rock (Trenton) - Class Act Karaoke Pitchers Pub (Belleville) - Open Mic Night hosted by Kimmy V (of EarthSol) and Tony V (of Vitamen A); all musicians, poets and performance artists welcome; every Thursday; plus free Kraftig Rural King (Swansea) - Farmers Market; Fresh vegetables and fruits, baked goods and meats are available plus local handcrafted goods. Every Thursday thru October 11am-3pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Bike Night with Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Ross Kinkaid Silver Creek Saloon (Belleville) - Well Hungarians; Every Thursday Night The Abbey (Belleville) - Singer/Songwriter Thursday; Every Thursday night; 7-10pm The Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music Wild Country (Collinsville) - Free Dance Lessons w/ Joyce Warren; 7:30-10pm

Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Mondinband; 8pm-12am Downtown (Highland) - Peanut Butter and Jam Festival on the Square; Live Music, vendors and Free PBJ sandwiches; 11:30am-1pm Eckert’s (Belleville) - Free Summer Concert Series: Leland’s Road – Progressive Country; 7pm Edwardsville Arts Center (Edwardsville) - Main Gallery; 1000 Threads; DeToye Student Gallery; SIUE Students Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Scott N Karl; 3pm; Ultraviolets; 8pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Hidden Lake Winery (Aviston) - Music by Kerry Steinmann; 7–11pm Knights of Columbus Watering Hole (O’Fallon) – Gentlemen Bandits; 8pm-12am Jailhouse Rock (Trenton) - Class Act Karaoke Lilly’s Lounge (Alton) - Karaoke Papa Vito’s (Belleville) - Mr. Radio Stephen Koritta; 7pm Piasa Winery & Pub (Grafton) - Open Mic Night every Friday night from 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Pat Liston Shenanigan’s (Belleville) - DJ or Live Music Sheldon Art Galleries (St. Louis) - Str8Up feature photo artists Mark Polege and Nic Tullis are showcased in “The City at 250: A Celebration of St. Louis in Photographs”; Opening reception 5-7pm. Exhibit runs through August 23rd. The Abbey (Belleville) - Friday Night Jazz; Every Friday night; 7-10pm The Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music with EarthSol The Weingarten (Belleville) - Jim and Darcy Duo; 6-10pm

June 7th (Saturday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; tonight: Lil’ Sister; 7-11pm Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Sat thru Oct; 2-9pm Alton Riverfront Amphitheater - 5th Annual “Feed the Need

June 6th (Friday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; tonight: Gavin M; 8-11pm Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Friday thru Oct; 5-9pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - Stock Car Races Friday Nights through September Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz StraightUpMagazine.net

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June Calendar of Events

June 2014

2004” Live Benefit Concert for Meals on Wheels assisting Senior Services Plus to end senior hunger. Hosted by The Harman Family Blue Grass Band, featuring country superstar John Michael Montgomery. 8:30pm Barnes & Noble (Fairview Heights) - Meet Local Author Carolyn Mers; 1pm Bee Hollow Market (Mascoutah) - Wine Tasting & Ice Cream Social; Wine Tasting in conjunction with the Ice Cream Social & Volksmarch. Sample Ice Cream creations from local merchants and vote for your favorite. 10am-2pm BoBeck’s Sports Bar & Grill (Waterloo) - 3rd Annual Matt Lueke Memorial Ride. All vehicles (bikes, jeeps, cars, trucks). 50/50 raffle, silent auction and LIVE MUSIC; Registration at 11am. Ride starts at noon Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Karaoke Night Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Live Music Downtown (Belleville) - Old Town Market; Catch the morning’s pick of fresh, flavorful produce grown by local farmers. Peruse the booths of local artisans for one-of-a-kind treasures for yourself or to give as gifts. Shop outdoors and enjoy the sunlight while you get to know your local growers and run into friends or meet new ones! 7:30am-12pm Downtown (Belleville) - Second Annual Brew n Que barbeque challenge and craft beer walk; BBQ Challenge, 11am-8pm; Craft Beer Walk, 12-5pm; live music on the stage: DJ Benny, 11am-12:30pm; Sully, 12:30-1:30pm; Old Salt Union, 1:30-3:30pm; Scandaleros, 4-7pm; DJ Benny, 7-9pm Downtown (Belleville) - The Belleville Running Club holds group runs in downtown Belleville every Thursday night at 6pm and Saturday morning at 8am. Saturday morning runs meet at the parking lot behind the St Louis Bread Company. Downtown (Edwardsville) - Land Of Goshen Community Market; Come experience the Land of Goshen Community Market! The Market is your best source for locally grown farm products, tasty baked goods, and wonderful art and gift ideas. The selection changes weekly so plan to visit more than once to fully appreciate the wide selection available. Live entertainment and free demonstrations add to the festive atmosphere. 8am-12pm Downtown (Lebanon) - Car Show; over 100 classic cars and trucks will be on display while music from the 50s, 60s and 70s fills the street; 6-9pm Downtown (Mascoutah) - 12th Annual Ice Cream Social; Local businesses will serve free ice cream samples throughout downtown. Customers can vote for their favorite & the winner will receive a traveling ice cream bucket trophy. East Garfield & Abend Streets (Belleville) - Old Belleville Bicentennial Street Fair Celebration; 1800s period demonstrations beginning 10am; walking tours of 9 historic homes, 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm Eckert’s (Belleville) - Free Summer Concert Series: Matt Stell – Americana/Blues; 7pm 10

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Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Hoosier Daddy’s; 3pm; Ultraviolets; 8pm Fifth Quarter (Collinsville) - East of Eads Rock n Roll Throwdown; 9pm Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Karaoke every Saturday night; 8pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Tailgate Troubadours; 7pm Hidden Lake Winery (Aviston) - Music by Ken & Mike; 7–11pm Knights of Columbus Watering Hole (O’Fallon) - Mark Moebeck; 8pm-12am Laurie’s Place (Edwardsville) - Every Sat-Jam Session w/ Mo’ Pleasure; 2-6pm Lilly’s Lounge (Alton) - Karaoke Lindenwood University Auditorium (Belleville) - Summer Rhythm and Music Series: “The MoonDogs”; 50s and 60s rock and roll. Tom Calhoun (voice of the StL Blues) portrays and commemorates DJ Alan Freed (Father of Rock n Roll). Featuring Rich and Jim Lang (The Guild), John Goodwin (Walter Scott and the Guise), Gary McClain (The Guild), Joe Truttman (Full Moon Consort) and Virginia Williams (USAF Band). 7-9pm Loading Dock (Grafton) - Mondinband; 6-10pm No-Jacks Bar & Grill (Smithton) - DJ & Karaoke Every Saturday; 9pm Papa Vito’s (Belleville) - The Fade; 7pm Phil’s Bar & Grill (Wood River) - Karaoke/DJ; 9pm-2am

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June 2014 Pop’s (Sauget) - Kold Kace “Loyalty” Release Party; featuring: Kold Kace, Yak Boy Fresh, Superhero Villains, Mr. Conflict, V$A, & more; 7pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with the Scott Miller Band Shenanigan’s (Belleville) - DJ or Live Music Spectators Sports Bar and Grill (Alton) - Country Karaoke; 9pm-1am Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music with EarthSol The Cyclery and Fitness Center (Edwardsville) - Saturday Morning East Side Road Ride; 7am The Weingarten (Belleville) - Don Reitz; 6-10pm

Mascoutah Historical Society (Mascoutah) - Civil War Exhibit; For a small town, comprised primarily of Germans, Mascoutah, Illinois, supported the Union cause more than one might first imagine. A rare opportunity to see how one small Illinois town contributed to the war effort. Every Tuesday 9am-12pm Mudbugs (Caseyville) - Blues Jam every Tuesday hosted by Paul Bonn; 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke

Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Sun thru Oct; 2-6pm Columbia City Saloon (Columbia) - Mike Lacey; 3pm Dutch Hollow Barn (Belleville) - Every Sunday Jam Session; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Hoosier Daddy’s, 2pm; American Idle, 7pm Hidden Lake Winery (Aviston) - Acoustic Asylum; 2–6pm Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Dade Farrar Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night The Weingarten (Belleville) - Trish Prager; 2-6pm Three Springs Park (Shiloh) - Big Wheel Breakdown Concert Series; food and fun for all ages; music by Catfish Willie; “The Catfish Willie Band is one of the most exciting, high energy Southern Rock and Blues bands in the history of modern music.” Opens at 4pm; music at 5pm Tiagdahton House (Lebanon) - With expert guidance & personal instruction of artist Jackie Wind Clinton, create your own fullsize (16 x 20) work of personalized Initial Art; ages 14 and up; 1-4pm

7pm

June 8th (Sunday)

June 9th (Monday)

Barnes & Noble (Fairview Heights) - Monday Morning Storytime: Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian; 11am Community Garden (O’Fallon) - Come play in the dirt; Community Garden Work Days every Monday and Thursday; tools provided – bring your own gloves; 8-11am Discovery Garden at LaVista Park (Godfrey) - Garden Workday; 9am–12pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke

June 11th (Wednesday)

Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz, Cigar/Scotch Night Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Karaoke Every Wed Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Jay & Waylon; 6pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music;

Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Miscellanea House (Belleville) - Acoustic Open Mic Night with Bill Fourness; every Wednesday; 7-10pm PSOP/SWIC (Belleville) - Line Dancing; Our instructor, Carol Schwartz, will show you new line dances and techniques each week. This is a great group to dance with, so sliiiide on over. Cost is $2 per session. 1:30-3pm Randy’s House of BBQ (Troy) - Open Mic Jam; 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Open Mic with AfterHours Entertainment & your host Banyon Hanner; 7-11pm Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night Wild Country (Collinsville) - The Taping of St. Louis Country with WIL gang, Derrick, Danny, Bo & Judy! $5 for everyone, FREE w/ valid College ID! 7pm-1am Wood River Roundhouse (Wood River) - Imperial Swing Dance Lessons; 6:30–9pm

June 12th (Thursday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; tonight: Whiskey Dixon; 8-11pm 501 Blues Club (Highland) - Thursday Night Open Mic Jam Session; 8pm Bubby and Sissy’s (Alton) - Karaoke Dance Party; 9:30pm1:30am

June 10th (Tuesday)

6pm

Bike Surgeon (Shiloh) - Tuesday Night Metro East Road Ride;

Gateway Center (Collinsville) - Collinsville Area Women’s Connection; 12:15-2pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm StraightUpMagazine.net

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June Calendar of Events

June 2014

Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz Community Garden (O’Fallon) - Come play in the dirt; Community Garden Work Days every Monday and Thursday; tools provided – bring your own gloves; 8-11am Downtown (Belleville) - The Belleville Running Club holds group runs in downtown Belleville every Thursday night at 6pm and Saturday morning at 8am. Thursday night runs meet at the parking lot at A and Jackson (Baja Cali). Downtown (Highland) - Farmers Market; open air market features vendor grown vegetables, fruits, flowers, baked goods, preserves and specialty items as well as the work of artisans. Familyfriendly activities will be regular events at the market. Thursdays 4-7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - American Idle; 7pm Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Bike Night every Thursday night Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Jailhouse Rock (Trenton) - Class Act Karaoke Mama Gusto’s (Lebanon) - Thursday night special: live music with Rogers and Nienhaus; 7-11pm Pitchers Pub (Belleville) - Open Mic Night hosted by Kimmy V (of EarthSol) and Tony V (of Vitamen A); all musicians, poets and performance artists welcome; every Thursday; 9pm-12pm Rural King (Swansea) - Farmers Market; Fresh vegetables and fruits, baked goods and meats are available plus local handcrafted goods. Every Thursday thru October 11am-3pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Bike Night with Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Greg Silsby Silver Creek Saloon & Grill (Belleville) - Well Hungarians; Every Thursday Night The Abbey (Belleville) - Singer/Songwriter Thursday; Every Thursday night from 7-10pm Theatre & Dance Department, SIUE (Edwardsville) - Cougar Theater Camp Summer 2014 - Cougar Showcase performances: “Flights of Fantasy & Fairy Tales”. A culmination of the weeks of training for students from the Camp (ages 6-19). 7pm The Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music Wild Country (Collinsville) - Free Dance Lessons w/ Joyce Warren; 7:30-10pm

Daddies – Rockabilly; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Acoustic Asylum, 3pm; Planet Boogie, 8pm Gateway Center (Collinsville) - Arch Anime Preview Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Katina Karaoke; 8pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Stephen Koritta; 7pm Jailhouse Rock (Trenton) - Class Act Karaoke Lilly’s Lounge (Alton) - Karaoke Papa Vito’s (Belleville) - Joe Truttman and Ron Wooley Duo; 7pm Piasa Winery & Pub (Grafton) - Open Mic Night every Friday night from 7-11pm Randy’s House of BBQ (Highland) - Car Show Schatze’s (Belleville) - Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Noe and Diekempe Shenanigan’s (Belleville) - DJ or Live Music The Abbey (Belleville) - Friday Night Jazz; Every Friday night from 7-10pm Theatre & Dance Department, SIUE (Edwardsville) - Cougar Theater Camp Summer 2014 - Cougar Showcase performances: “Flights of Fantasy & Fairy Tales”. A culmination of the weeks of training for students from the Camp (ages 6-19). 7pm The Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music The Weingarten (Belleville) - Craft Beer and Wine Tasting; Brian Foggs Duo; 6-10pm

June 13th (Friday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; 7pm Bee Hollow Market (Mascoutah) - All day wine, liquor bourbon, scotch tasting; 10am-6pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - Stock Car Races Friday Nights through September Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Live Music Downtown (Highland) - Schweizerfest, the celebration of our Swiss heritage. Visitors enjoy activities, rides, entertainment and food in addition to parades both Saturday and Sunday nights. Eckert’s (Belleville) - Free Summer Concert Series: Woo 12

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June 2014 The Wildey Theater (Edwardsville) - Janis Ian; In her fifth decade of writing songs and performing, Janis Ian won her second Grammy Award of 9 total nominations over the years in 8 categories! 8pm

June 14th (Saturday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; 7pm Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Sat thru Oct; 2-9pm Argosy Music Hall (Alton) - Lee Gantt Band; A high-energy contemporary country band. Free with your Argosy Preferred Card; 7pm Barnes & Noble (Fairview Heights) - Special Father’s Day Storytime: Mighty Dads by Joan Holub; 11am Bee Hollow Market (Mascoutah) - All day wine, liquor bourbon, scotch tasting;10am–4pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - 32nd Annual Antique American Glass & Pottery Show and Sale; 10am-5pm Bobby’s Frozen Custard (Maryville) - The Darrells; 7:309:30pm BoBeck’s Sports Bar & Grill (Waterloo) – Live DJ spins your favs; 9pm Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Karaoke Night Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Live Music Downtown (Belleville) - Old Town Market; Catch the morning’s pick of fresh, flavorful produce grown by local farmers. Peruse the booths of local artisans for one-of-a-kind treasures for yourself or to give as gifts. Shop outdoors and enjoy the sunlight while you get to know your local growers and run into friends or meet new ones! 7:30am-12pm Downtown (Belleville) - The Belleville Running Club holds group runs in downtown Belleville every Thursday night at 6pm and Saturday morning at 8am. Saturday morning runs meet at the parking lot behind the St Louis Bread Company. Downtown (Collinsville) - Movies on Main – Free outdoor Movie Series, Public Parking Lot on the Corner of Main & Seminary. Featuring “Frozen”. Movie begins at dusk. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Guests are welcome to bring their own picnic baskets or coolers. Free Downtown (Edwardsville) - Land Of Goshen Community Market; Come experience the Land of Goshen Community Market! The Market is your best source for locally grown farm products, tasty baked goods, and wonderful art and gift ideas. The selection changes weekly so plan to visit more than once to fully appreciate the wide selection available. Live entertainment and free demonstrations add to the festive atmosphere. 8am-12pm Downtown (Highland) - Schweizerfest, the celebration of our Swiss heritage. Visitors enjoy activities, rides, entertainment and food in addition to parades both Saturday and Sunday nights. Eckert’s (Belleville) - Free Summer Concert Series: The Kevin Mitchell 4 – Martini Jazz; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Acoustic Asylum, 3pm; Planet

Boogie, 8pm Gateway Center (Collinsville) - Arch Anime Preview Gateway Center (Collinsville) - Hope Animal Rescues - All About Pets Expo Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Karaoke every Saturday night; 8pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Hough Park (Belleville) - Mutual Aide Picnic – Belleville Solidarity Department; Free food, free clothes, free hygiene items, free home supplies. Bring what you can, take what you need. Come join us in Solidarity as we come together as a community. 1-5pm Laurie’s Place (Edwardsville) - Every Sat-Jam Session w/ Mo’ Pleasure; 2-6pm Lilly’s Lounge (Alton) - Karaoke No-Jacks Bar & Grill (Smithton) - DJ & Karaoke Every Saturday; 9pm Papa Vito’s (Belleville) - Joe Truttman and Ron Wooley Duo; 7pm Phil’s Bar & Grill (Wood River) - Karaoke/DJ; 9pm-2am Schatze’s (Belleville) - Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live Music Shenanigan’s (Belleville) - DJ or Live Music Spectators Sports Bar and Grill (Alton) - Country Karaoke; 9pm-1am St Joseph’s Parish Center (Freeburg)-- Tribute to the Legends of Country Music; featuring Still Montgomeries, Emil Kromat, Don Barkau, Jim Feurer, Steve Jackson and more; dinner and cash bar; to benefit Freeburg’s Veterans Memorial and Honorary; doors 7pm; music 8pm Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music The Cyclery and Fitness Center (Edwardsville) - Saturday Morning East Side Road Ride; 7am

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June Calendar of Events

June 2014

The Weingarten (Belleville) - Race for the Cure Post Party; Graham Pagano, 1-4pm; Silverback Band, 6-10pm Who Dat’s (Columbia) - Mondinband; 3-7pm

June 15th (Fathers Sunday)

Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Sun thru Oct; 2-6pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - 32nd Annual Antique American Glass & Pottery Show and Sale; 11am-4pm Bobby’s Frozen Custard (Maryville) - Abbey Road Warriors; 7:30-9:30pm Columbia City Saloon (Columbia) - Mike Lacey; 3pm Downtown (Highland) - Schweizerfest, the celebration of our Swiss heritage. Visitors enjoy activities, rides, entertainment and food in addition to parades both Saturday and Sunday nights. Fathers Day Care Show Dutch Hollow Barn (Belleville) - Every Sunday Jam Session; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Acoustic Asylum, 2pm; Spun, 7pm Gateway Center (Collinsville) - Arch Anime Preview Hidden Lake Winery (Aviston) - Music by John Edwards; 2–6pm Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Gavin M Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night The Weingarten (Belleville) - Bud Summers; 2-6pm

Paul Bonn; 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke The Wildey Theater (Edwardsville) - Stryper Special Acoustic Concert; Stryper remains hard rock’s best kept secret. Sure they’re Christian, but they’re also decidedly metal. 8pm

June 18th (Wednesday)

7pm

Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz, Cigar/Scotch Night Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Karaoke Every Wed Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Scott N Karl; 6pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music;

Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Miscellanea House (Belleville) - Acoustic Open Mic Night with Bill Fourness; every Wednesday; 7-10pm Pitchers Pub (Belleville) - Comedy Night with Scott Long; 8pm PSOP/SWIC (Belleville) - Line Dancing; Our instructor, Carol Schwartz, will show you new line dances and techniques each week. This is a great group to dance with, so sliiiide on over. Cost is $2 per session. 1:30-3pm Randy’s House of BBQ (Troy) - Open Mic Jam; 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Open Mic with AfterHours Entertainment & your host Banyon Hanner; 7-11pm Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night Wild Country (Collinsville) - The Taping of St. Louis Country with WIL gang, Derrick, Danny, Bo & Judy! $5 for everyone, FREE w/

June 16th (Monday)

Barnes & Noble (Fairview Heights) - Monday Morning Storytime: Poor Doreen by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Alexandra Boiger; 11am Community Garden (O’Fallon) - Come play in the dirt; Community Garden Work Days every Monday and Thursday; tools provided – bring your own gloves; 8-11am Discovery Garden at LaVista Park (Godfrey) - Garden Workday; 9am–12pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke

June 17th (Tuesday)

6pm 7pm

Bike Surgeon (Shiloh) - Tuesday Night Metro East Road Ride; Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music;

Knights of Columbus Watering Hole (O’Fallon) - The Philosophers Jazz; Sophisticated music for special events; 8pm-12am Mascoutah Historical Society (Mascoutah) - Civil War Exhibit; For a small town, comprised primarily of Germans, Mascoutah, Illinois, supported the Union cause more than one might first imagine. A rare opportunity to see how one small Illinois town contributed to the war effort. Every Tuesday 9am-12pm Mudbugs (Caseyville) - Blues Jam every Tuesday hosted by 14

Str8Up Magazine

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June 2014 valid College ID! 7pm-1am Wood River Roundhouse (Wood River) - Imperial Swing Dance Lessons; 6:30–9pm

June 19th (Thursday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; tonight: Bottoms Up Blues Gang; 8-11pm 501 Blues Club (Highland) - Thursday Night Open Mic Jam Session; 8pm Bubby and Sissy’s (Alton) - Karaoke Dance Party; 9:30pm1:30am Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz Community Garden (O’Fallon) - Come play in the dirt; Community Garden Work Days every Monday and Thursday; tools provided – bring your own gloves; 8-11am Downtown (Belleville) - Downtown Diva Night; an exciting ladies night out! Start at CeLeen Gallery and Gifts; after block-party Facial Rejuvenation Center. 5-8pm Downtown (Belleville) - The Belleville Running Club holds group runs in downtown Belleville every Thursday night at 6pm and Saturday morning at 8am. Thursday night runs meet at the parking lot at A and Jackson (Baja Cali). Downtown (Highland) - Farmers Market; open air market features vendor grown vegetables, fruits, flowers, baked goods, preserves and specialty items as well as the work of artisans. Family-friendly activities will be regular events at the market. Thursdays 4-7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Legends Under Cover; 7pm Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Bike Night every Thursday night Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Jailhouse Rock (Trenton) - Class Act Karaoke Pitchers Pub (Belleville) - Open Mic Night hosted by Kimmy V (of EarthSol) and Tony V (of Vitamen A); all musicians, poets and performance artists welcome; every Thursday; 9pm-12pm Rural King (Swansea) - Farmers Market; Fresh vegetables and fruits, baked goods and meats are available plus local handcrafted goods. Every Thursday thru October 11am-3pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Bike Night with Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Downtown Diva Night Live music with Steve Reeb; 6-10pm Silver Creek Saloon (Belleville) - Well Hungarians; Every Thursday Night The Abbey (Belleville) - Singer/Songwriter Thursday; Every Thursday night from 7-10pm Theatre & Dance Department, SIUE (Edwardsville) - Cougar Theater Company’s summer production of Disney’s “Peter Pan, Jr”; a culmination of the weeks of training for students from the Camp Conservatory (ages 14-19), Camps Cougar Cubs (6-9) and Cougar Club (10-13). 7pm The Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music Wild Country (Collinsville) - Free Dance Lessons w/ Joyce

Warren; 7:30-10pm

June 20th (Friday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; 7pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - Stock Car Races Friday Nights through September Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Live Music Downtown (Highland) - Peanut Butter and Jam Festival on the Square; Live Music, vendors and Free PBJ sandwiches; music by Kevin Heim; 11:30am-1pm Downtown (Highland) - Municipal Band Concerts – mid-June through mid-August, on the Downtown Square. This talented 50 person band entertains audiences with a variety of musical selections including marches, Broadway hits and more. Concerts are free to the public. Bring lawn chairs. 8pm Eckert’s (Belleville) - Summer Concert Series: Slow Down Scarlett, Jambalaya Rock; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Hoosier Daddy’s, 3pm; Legends Under Cover, 8pm Frieze Harley Davidson (O’Fallon) - Friday Night Live 80s Bash; bbq, beer and live music by The Hair Syndicate; 5-10pm Gateway Center (Collinsville) - DieCon 2014 Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Live music with Sweet and Sour; 8pm

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June Calendar of Events 7pm

June 2014

Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music;

Jailhouse Rock (Trenton) - Class Act Karaoke Knights of Columbus Watering Hole (O’Fallon) - Tom Nickeson; 8pm-12am Lilly’s Lounge (Alton) - Karaoke Papa Vito’s (Belleville) - The Funatics – fun-lovin music with Steve Koritta and Tip Belz; 7-10pm Piasa Winery & Pub (Grafton) - Open Mic Night every Friday night from 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Paul Konya Shenanigan’s (Belleville) - DJ or Live Music Silver Creek Saloon (Belleville) - Car Cruise; every 3rd Friday; 5pm; live music; 9pm The Abbey (Belleville) - Friday Night Jazz; Every Friday night from 7-10pm Theatre & Dance Department, SIUE (Edwardsville)- Cougar Theater Company’s summer production of Disney’s “Peter Pan, Jr”; a culmination of the weeks of training for students from the Camp Conservatory (ages 14-19), Camps Cougar Cubs (6-9) and Cougar Club (10-13). 7pm The Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music The Weingarten (Belleville) - Sounds Familiar Duo; 6-10pm The Wildey Theater (Edwardsville) - Michael Winslow “Man of 10,000 Sound Effects” best known for his role as Sgt. Larvelle “Motor Mouth” Jones in the Police Academy series of movies and TV shows; Michael performs stand-up comedy around the globe and will be on stage at the Wildey Theatre at 8pm

June 21th (Saturday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; 7pm Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Sat thru Oct; 2-9pm Barnes & Noble (Fairview Heights) - Special Storytime Come Meet Spot; 11am Bel-Air Bowl (Belleville) - Bowling for Chris; family-friendly doubles competition; portion of proceeds to Breast Cancer in the name of Chris Allsup; traveling trophy and $50 prize; $25 / team of two includes shoes; sponsored by St Clair County Licensed Beverage Association; check-in 6:30 Belle Clair Expo Center (Belleville) - Belleville Flea Market; Southern Illinois’ Premier Indoor/Outdoor Market – Over 600 tables and 300-400 vendors selling antiques, collectibles, merchandise – old and new. Indoor/ Outdoor Year Round. $2 parking; Free admission; 9am-4pm Bobby’s Frozen Custard (Maryville) - Al Holliday and the East Side Rhythm Band; rhythm and blues; 7:30-9:30pm BoBeck’s Sports Bar & Grill (Waterloo) - Live DJ spins your favs; 9pm Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Karaoke Night 16

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Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Live Music Doc Holiday’s (Cottage Hills) - Mondinband; 9pm-1am Downtown (Belleville) - 7th Annual Metro East Pride Street Festival; handmade arts and crafts plus foods and beverages. Lambda Car Club show. Entertainment includes a fabulous live Drag Show, live music by The Gateway Men’s Chorus, CHARIS women’s group, POWjr72 and Summer Osbourne! The region’s first legal LGBT Marriage Ceremony will be performed on stage by Father Marek Bozek of Saint Stanislaus Polish Catholic Parish in St Louis. 12-10pm Downtown (Belleville) - Old Town Market; Catch the morning’s pick of fresh, flavorful produce grown by local farmers. Peruse the booths of local artisans for one-of-a-kind treasures for y ourself or to give as gifts. Shop outdoors and enjoy the sunlight while you get to know your local growers and run into friends or meet new ones! 7:30am-12pm Downtown (Belleville) - The Belleville Running Club holds group runs in downtown Belleville every Thursday night at 6pm and Saturday morning at 8am. Saturday morning runs meet at the parking lot behind the St Louis Bread Company. Downtown (Edwardsville) - Land Of Goshen Community Market; Come experience the Land of Goshen Community Market! The Market is your best source for locally grown farm products, tasty baked goods, and wonderful art and gift ideas. The selection changes weekly so plan to visit more than once to fully appreciate the wide selection available. Live entertainment and free demonstrations add to the festive atmosphere. 8am-12pm. Eckert’s (Belleville) - Free Summer Concert Series: Johnny Appleseed, Country; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Hoosier Daddy’s, 3pm; Legends Under Cover, 8pm Fireman’s Hall (Collinsville) - Trivia Night presented by the Miner’s Institute Foundation. All proceeds help the restoration and reopening of Miner’s Theatre. Outside food is allowed. Alcohol must be purchased on site. Doors open at 6:30pm; Trivia starts at 7pm Gateway Center (Collinsville) - DieCon 2014 Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Karaoke every Saturday night; 8pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm

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June 2014 Knights of Columbus Watering Hole (O’Fallon) - St Jude Hospital Benefit featuring Waiting for Jimmy; 8pm-12am Laurie’s Place (Edwardsville) - Every Sat-Jam Session w/ Mo’ Pleasure; 2-6pm Lilly’s Lounge (Alton) - Karaoke No-Jacks Bar & Grill (Smithton) - DJ & Karaoke Every Saturday; 9pm Oliver C. Joseph (Belleville) - Bicentennial Car Show; 12-4pm Papa Vito’s (Belleville) - The Fade; 7pm Phil’s Bar & Grill (Wood River) - Karaoke/DJ; 9pm-2am Schatze’s (Belleville) - Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Gavin M Shenanigan’s (Belleville) - DJ or Live Music Schmidt Art Center @ SWIC (Belleville) - Adult workshop; Plein Air Pastels. Explore MO Botanical Signature Garden and outdoor sculptures while “painting” with pastels; 8-11am Silver Lake Park (Highland) - Summer Solstice Fun Run; 2.5 miles; 7pm Spectators Sports Bar and Grill (Alton) - Country Karaoke; 9pm-1am Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music Theatre & Dance Department, SIUE (Edwardsville) - Cougar Theater Company’s summer production of Disney’s “Peter Pan, Jr”; a culmination of the weeks of training for students from the Camp Conservatory (ages 14-19), Camps Cougar Cubs (6-9) and Cougar Club (10-13). 2pm and 7pm The Cyclery and Fitness Center (Edwardsville) - Saturday Morning East Side Road Ride; 7am The Weingarten (Belleville) - Chris Beldon; 6-10pm The Wildey Theatre (Edwardsville) - Jack Schmitt Chevrolet Tribute Series; The Boat Drunks: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett; 8pm

June 22nd (Sunday)

Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Sun thru Oct; 2-6pm Alton Little Theatre (Alton) - Auditions for the 2014 “Vintage Voices--Voices of Courage”; 2pm Belle Clair Expo Center (Belleville) - Belleville Flea Market; Southern Illinois’ Premier Indoor/Outdoor Market – Over 600 tables and 300-400 vendors selling antiques, collectibles, merchandise – old and new. Indoor/ Outdoor Year Round. $2 parking; Free admission; 9am-4pm Bobby’s Frozen Custard (Maryville) - The Bottoms Up Blues Gang with Special Guest Dawn Weber; 7:30-9:30pm Columbia City Saloon (Columbia) - Mike Lacey; 3pm Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Gear-Jammers Car Cruise; 4-8pm Dutch Hollow Barn (Belleville) - Every Sunday Jam Session; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Hoosier Daddy’s, 2pm; American Idle, 7pm Gateway Center (Collinsville) - DieCon 2014

3pm

Hog Pit (Grafton) - Rogers and Nienhaus; 1-5pm Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Greg Silsby Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night St Paul’s UCC (Belleville) - 29th Annual Patriotic Concert; The Weingarten (Belleville) - Mark Gordon; 2-6pm

June 23rd (Monday)

Barnes & Noble (Fairview Heights) - Monday Morning Storytime: I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo! by Jill Esbaum; 11am Community Garden (O’Fallon) - Come play in the dirt; Community Garden Work Days every Monday and Thursday; tools provided – bring your own gloves; 8-11am Discovery Garden at LaVista Park (Godfrey) - Garden Workday; 9am–12pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke Schmidt Art Center @ SWIC (Belleville) - Kids Camps; Sculpture Creations, Grades K-2; Sample a variety of 3-D media to create sculptural showpieces. Through June 26; 8-11:30am

June 24th (Tuesday)

Barnes & Noble (Fairview Heights) - Special Monkey Storytime! Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed; 11am Bike Surgeon (Shiloh) - Tuesday Night Metro East Road Ride; 6pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Mascoutah Historical Society (Mascoutah) - Civil War Exhibit; For a small town, comprised primarily of Germans, Mascoutah, Illinois, supported the Union cause more than one might first imagine. A rare opportunity to see how one small Illinois town contributed to the war effort. Every Tuesday 9am-12pm Mudbugs (Caseyville) - Blues Jam every Tuesday hosted by Paul Bonn; 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke

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June 25th (Wednesday)

Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - Adam’s Auction; 5pm

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17

June Calendar of Events

7pm

June 2014

Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz, Cigar/Scotch Night Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Karaoke Every Wed Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Jay & Waylon; 6pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music;

Jack Schmitt Cadillac (O’Fallon) - 26th Annual Midwest Salute to the Arts Kick Off Event; displaying artworks from previous Midwest Salute to the Arts winners; wine tasting by Alto Vineyards, art demonstration by Str8Up cover artist Jake Bishop, live music by D.C. Cusanelli; catering by Stur restaurant and Sweet Katie Bee’s; 6-8pm Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Miscellanea House (Belleville) - Acoustic Open Mic Night with Bill Fourness; every Wednesday; 7-10pm PSOP/SWIC (Belleville) - Line Dancing; Our instructor, Carol Schwartz, will show you new line dances and techniques each week. This is a great group to dance with, so sliiiide on over. Cost is $2 per session. 1:30-3pm Randy’s House of BBQ (Troy) - Open Mic Jam; 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Open Mic with AfterHours Entertainment & your host Banyon Hanner; 7-11pm Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night Wild Country (Collinsville) - The Taping of St. Louis Country with WIL gang, Derrick, Danny, Bo & Judy! $5 for everyone, FREE w/ valid College ID! 7pm-1am Wood River Roundhouse (Wood River) - Imperial Swing Dance Lessons; 6:30–9pm

June 26th (Thursday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; 7pm 501 Blues Club (Highland) - Thursday Night Open Mic Jam Session; 8pm Bubby and Sissy’s (Alton) - Karaoke Dance Party; 9:30pm1:30am Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz Community Garden (O’Fallon) - Come play in the dirt; Community Garden Work Days every Monday and Thursday; tools provided – bring your own gloves; 8-11am Downtown (Belleville) - The Belleville Running Club holds group runs in downtown Belleville every Thursday night at 6pm and Saturday morning at 8am. Thursday night runs meet at the parking lot at A and Jackson (Baja Cali). Downtown (Highland) - Farmers Market; open air market features vendor grown vegetables, fruits, flowers, baked goods, preserves and specialty items as well as the work of artisans. Familyfriendly activities will be regular events at the market. Thursdays 4-7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Whiskey Dixon; 7pm Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Bike Night every Thursday night Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Jailhouse Rock (Trenton) - Class Act Karaoke Looking Glass Playhouse (Lebanon) - 2014 Youth Production: 18

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Seussical-The Musical. 7:30pm Pitchers Pub (Belleville) - Open Mic Night hosted by Kimmy V (of EarthSol) and Tony V (of Vitamen A); all musicians, poets and performance artists welcome; every Thursday; 9pm-12pm Rural King (Swansea) - Farmers Market; Fresh vegetables and fruits, baked goods and meats are available plus local handcrafted goods. Every Thursday thru October 11am-3pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Bike Night with Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Ross Kinkaid Silver Creek Saloon (Belleville) - Well Hungarians; Every Thursday Night The Abbey (Belleville) - Singer/Songwriter Thursday; Every Thursday night from 7-10pm The Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music The Wildey Theatre (Edwardsville) - Memories Of Elvis Salutes America; Steve Davis and the Mid-South Revival Band recreates a patriotic themed Elvis Presley concert that will have you dancing and singing to all the great hits and this great country. 7pm Wild Country (Collinsville) - Free Dance Lessons w/ Joyce Warren; 7:30-10pm

June 27th (Friday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; 8pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - Stock Car Races Friday Nights through September Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Live Music Downtown (Belleville) - Wine, Dine & Jazz Festival on the Square (today and tomorrow); Kingdom Brothers, 5-6:15pm; Hey Nineteen (Steely Dan tribute), 6:45-8pm; Carlos (Ralph Butler Carlos Santana tribute), 8:30-10pm; Free admission Downtown (Highland) - Peanut Butter and Jam Festival on the Square; Live Music, vendors and Free PBJ sandwiches; music by Babaloo; 11:30am-1pm Downtown (Highland) - Municipal Band Concerts – midJune through mid-August, on the Downtown Square. This talented 50 person band entertains audiences with a variety of musical selections including marches, Broadway hits and more. Concerts are free to the

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June 2014 public. Bring lawn chairs. 8pm Eckert’s (Belleville) - Free Summer Concert Series: Colonel Ford – Hillbilly Rock; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Prestige World Wide, 3pm; Spin the Bottle, 8pm Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Live music with Dirty Mike and the Boys; 8pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Jailhouse Rock (Trenton) - Class Act Karaoke Knights of Columbus Watering Hole (O’Fallon) - Moebeck and Gordon – Two Old Folkers; 8pm-12am Lilly’s Lounge (Alton) - Karaoke Looking Glass Playhouse (Lebanon) - 2014 Youth Production: Seussical-The Musical. 7:30pm Papa Vito’s (Belleville) - Live music; 7pm Piasa Winery & Pub (Grafton) - Open Mic Night every Friday night from 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with the Scott Miller Band Shenanigan’s (Belleville) - DJ or Live Music Stagger Inn… Again (Edwardsville) - Mondinband Stillpointe Wellness Center (Belleville) - MoonWave Balanced Living Expo: Sustainability, Organics and Holistic Living. Healthy Planet-Healthy You! A TIME OF TRANSFORMATION FEATURING: Speakers, Live Music, Teaching, Vendors, Medicine Wheel Lessons, Organic Gardening, Chinese Medicine, Raw Foods, Yoga Solar Energy, Meditation and much, much more! 5-9pm; flute meditation concert by John Two-Hawks, 8:30pm The Abbey (Belleville) - Friday Night Jazz; Every Friday night from 7-10pm The Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music The Weingarten (Belleville) - Dueling Pianos; 6-10pm

Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Live Music Downtown (Belleville) - Old Town Market; Catch the morning’s pick of fresh, flavorful produce grown by local farmers. Peruse the booths of local artisans for one-of-a-kind treasures for yourself or to give as gifts. Shop outdoors and enjoy the sunlight while you get to know your local growers and run into friends or meet new ones! 7:30am-12pm Downtown (Belleville) - The Belleville Running Club holds group runs in downtown Belleville every Thursday night at 6pm and Saturday morning at 8am. Saturday morning runs meet at the parking lot behind the St Louis Bread Company. Downtown (Belleville) - Wine, Dine & Jazz Festival on the Square; The Music of Herbie Hancock (Pete Ruthenberg), 4-5pm; Zeena, 5:30-6:30pm; Son Montuno, 7-8:15pm; Soul Café Jazz Group, 8:4510pm; Free admission Downtown (Collinsville) - Movies on Main – Free outdoor Movie Series, Public Parking Lot on the Corner of Main & Seminary. Featuring Steven Spielberg’s “The Goonies”. Movie begins at dusk. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Guests are welcome to bring their own picnic baskets or coolers. Free Downtown (Edwardsville) - Land Of Goshen Community Market; Come experience the Land of Goshen Community Market! The Market is your best source for locally grown farm products, tasty baked goods, and wonderful art and gift ideas. The selection changes weekly

June 28th (Saturday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; 8pm Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Sat thru Oct; 2-9pm Argosy Music Hall (Alton) - Concoction; An upbeat dance band spanning many genres. Free with your Argosy Preferred Card; 7pm Barnes & Noble (Fairview Heights) - Meet Local Author Jerry Poli; Book Signing; 1pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - Gun & Knife Show; 9am5pm Bobby’s Frozen Custard (Maryville) - Mondinband; 7:309:30pm BoBeck’s Sports Bar & Grill (Waterloo) - Live DJ spins your favs; 9pm Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Karaoke Night

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June Calendar of Events

June 2014

so plan to visit more than once to fully appreciate the wide selection available. Live entertainment and free demonstrations add to the festive atmosphere. 8am-12pm Eckert’s (Belleville) - Summer Concert Series: Chris Talley Trio – Bluegrass (as featured in “Belleville, The Movie”); 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Red Rock, 3pm; Spin the Bottle, 8pm Gateway Center (Collinsville) - ‘A Night of Elegance’ Remembering Luther Vandross - Featuring Danny Clay; $25; 5pm & 8pm Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Karaoke every Saturday night; 8pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Knights of Columbus Watering Hole (O’Fallon) - Ten Bands; Benefit Concert for Teressa Ryan; 1pm- 1am Laurie’s Place (Edwardsville) - Every Sat-Jam Session w/ Mo’ Pleasure; 2-6pm League Lounge (Belleville) - Live music by the Rocket Brothers Lilly’s Lounge (Alton) - Karaoke Looking Glass Playhouse (Lebanon) - 2014 Youth Production: Seussical-The Musical. 7:30pm No-Jacks Bar & Grill (Smithton) - DJ & Karaoke Every Saturday; 9pm Papa Vito’s (Belleville) - The Funatics – fun-lovin music with Steve Koritta and Tip Belz; 7-10pm Phil’s Bar & Grill (Wood River) - Karaoke/DJ; 9pm-2am Pitchers Pub (Belleville) - Bob “Bumblebee” Komanske; 9pm1am Rock Springs Nature Park (O’Fallon) - Gateway East Artist Guild (GEAG) – Marilynn Bradley Watercolor Workshop. This 2-day workshop (today & tomorrow, June 29th) will strive to work on three paintings with a demo for each composition. If weather permits we may work outside. 9am-3pm with lunch break (bring your own lunch). Schatze’s (Belleville) - Live Music SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Dayton & Joey Shenanigan’s (Belleville) - DJ or Live Music Spectators Sports Bar and Grill (Alton) - Country Karaoke; 9pm-1am Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Live Music Stillpointe Wellness Center (Belleville)- MoonWave Balanced Living Expo: Sustainability, Organics and Holistic Living. Healthy Planet-Healthy You! A TIME OF TRANSFORMATION FEATURING: Speakers, Live Music, Teaching, Vendors, Medicine Wheel Lessons, Organic Gardening, Chinese Medicine, Raw Foods, Yoga Solar Energy, Meditation and much, much more! 8am-9pm; concert of meditative musics with Mark Biehl and John Two-Hawks, 7pm The Cyclery and Fitness Center (Edwardsville) - Saturday Morning East Side Road Ride; 7am The Weingarten (Belleville) - Randy Webb; 6-10pm The Wildey Theatre (Edwardsville) - Curtain’s Up Theater Co in “Cinderella or the Story of Bigfoot”; This humorous retelling of 20

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the traditional story is a wonderful tale of how true beauty comes from within and that it’s not just OK to be yourself, but that it’s the only way to be. 1pm

June 29th (Sunday)

Aerie’s Winery (Grafton) - Stan Corliss in the beer garden every Sun thru Oct; 2-6pm Belle Clair Fairgrounds (Belleville) - Gun & Knife Show; 9am4pm Bobby’s Frozen Custard (Maryville) - The Scandaleros; 7:309:30pm Columbia City Saloon (Columbia) - Mike Lacey; 3pm Dutch Hollow Barn (Belleville) - Every Sunday Jam Session; 7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Spun, 2pm; Radio Star, 7pm Looking Glass Playhouse (Lebanon) - 2014 Youth Production: Seussical-The Musical. 2pm Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Rock Springs Nature Park (O’Fallon) - Gateway East Artist Guild (GEAG) – Marilynn Bradley Watercolor Workshop. This 2-day workshop (yesterday & today) will strive to work on three paintings with a demo for each composition. If weather permits we may work outside. 9am-3pm with lunch break (bring your own lunch).

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June 2014 Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke SeVen (Belleville) - Live music with Brad Noe Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night Stillpointe Wellness Center (Belleville) - MoonWave Balanced Living Expo: Sustainability, Organics and Holistic Living. Healthy Planet-Healthy You! A TIME OF TRANSFORMATION FEATURING: Speakers, Live Music, Teaching, Vendors, Medicine Wheel Lessons, Organic Gardening, Chinese Medicine, Raw Foods, Yoga Solar Energy, Meditation and much, much more! 8am-3pm; music by Jack Stewart, 11:30am and 2:30pm; Richard Carr, 1pm The Weingarten (Belleville) - Eric Brooks; 2-6pm

June 30th (Monday)

Community Garden (O’Fallon) - Come play in the dirt; Community Garden Work Days every Monday and Thursday; tools provided – bring your own gloves; 8-11am Discovery Garden at LaVista Park (Godfrey) - Garden Workday; 9am–12pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke Schmidt Art Center @ SWIC (Belleville) - Kids Camps; Bookmaking, Grades K-2; Learn how to make your own stories come to life with contemporary flair. Through July 3; 12:30-4pm

July 1st (Tuesday)

6pm 7pm

Bike Surgeon (Shiloh) - Tuesday Night Metro East Road Ride; Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music;

Katy Cavins Center (O’Fallon) - O’Fallon Garden Club presents Charlie Pitts “Practical Ecology for Urban Gardens, Why Natives are Essential”; 6pm Mascoutah Historical Society (Mascoutah) - Civil War Exhibit; For a small town, comprised primarily of Germans, Mascoutah, Illinois, supported the Union cause more than one might first imagine. A rare opportunity to see how one small Illinois town contributed to the war effort. Every Tuesday 9am-12pm Mudbugs (Caseyville) - Blues Jam every Tuesday hosted by Paul Bonn; 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Karaoke

July 2nd (Wednesday)

PSOP/SWIC (Belleville) - Line Dancing; Our instructor, Carol Schwartz, will show you new line dances and techniques each week. This is a great group to dance with, so sliiiide on over. Cost is $2 per session. 1:30-3pm Randy’s House of BBQ (Troy) - Open Mic Jam; 7-11pm Schatze’s (Belleville) - Open Mic with AfterHours Entertainment & your host Banyon Hanner; 7-11pm Stagger Inn…Again (Edwardsville) - Open Mic Night Wild Country (Collinsville) - The Taping of St. Louis Country with WIL gang, Derrick, Danny, Bo & Judy! $5 for everyone, FREE w/ valid College ID! 7pm-1am Wood River Roundhouse (Wood River) - Imperial Swing Dance Lessons; 6:30–9pm

July 3rd (Thursday)

4204 Main Street Brewing Co (Belleville) - Live Music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; 7pm 501 Blues Club (Highland) - Thursday Night Open Mic Jam Session; 8pm Bubby and Sissy’s (Alton) - Karaoke Dance Party; 9:30pm1:30am Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz Community Garden (O’Fallon) - Come play in the dirt; Community Garden Work Days every Monday and Thursday; tools provided – bring your own gloves; 8-11am Downtown (Belleville) - The Belleville Running Club holds group runs in downtown Belleville every Thursday night at 6pm and Saturday morning at 8am. Thursday night runs meet at the parking lot at A and Jackson (Baja Cali). Downtown (Highland) - Farmers Market; open air market features vendor grown vegetables, fruits, flowers, baked goods, preserves and specialty items as well as the work of artisans. Familyfriendly activities will be regular events at the market. Thursdays 4-7pm Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Legends Under Cover; 7pm Geo’s Wings (Belleville) - Bike Night every Thursday night Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Jailhouse Rock (Trenton) - Class Act Karaoke Mama Gusto’s (Lebanon) - Thursday Night Special: live music

Alton Riverfront Amphitheater (Alton)- International pop stars Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, Uncle Cracker and Sister Hazel; 8pm Cigar Inn (Belleville) - Live Jazz, Cigar/Scotch Night Crehan’s Irish Pub (Belleville) - Karaoke Every Wed Fast Eddie’s Bon Air (Alton) - Prestige World Wide; 6pm Hemingway’s Zen Garden (O’Fallon) - Live Acoustic Music; 7pm Mike’s Ten Pin (Alton) - Mondinband; 9:30pm-1:30am Miscellanea House (Belleville) - Acoustic Open Mic Night with Bill Fourness; every Wednesday; 7-10pm PSOP (Belleville) - Gateway East Artist Guild Membership meeting: Henrk Ptasiewz will discuss his painting style; 6pm StraightUpMagazine.net

Str8Up Magazine

21

The Arts

June 2014

From Light to More Light: The Creative ‘Wonderland’ of St. Louis by Mark Polege The St. Louis area art and fashion scene is about to get an upgrade... and a big one, and the person responsible for this upgrade is long-time commercial and music video industry art director, Sarah Faragalla. One year ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah after she relocated to St. Louis following an ambitious career in New York and L.A., where she would now organize and launch the RAW St. Louis monthly art shows. St. Louis has been described by some as an untapped resource of creativity. Sarah’s goal was to tap the St. Louis region like never before by providing new and exciting opportunities for local artists of all mediums to present their work and have it seen by prominent names in the industry. Sarah had this to say a year ago about the launch of RAW St. Sarah Faragalla Louis art shows. “With artists from all genres in each showcase, RAW events come together to form an amazing one-night circus of creativity.” With a year’s worth of monthly art shows in St. Louis for RAW to add to her already impressive career, Sarah has again launched a new project called the Fête Event Series, this time with the mission to “showcase our city’s finest artists in an authentic, provocative, inspiring way.” After working the art shows for RAW in St. Louis, Sarah discovered there was so much more talent in the area across every creative discipline, yet St. Louis lacked professional or income opportunities for local artists. With that in mind, the Fête Event Series was born with its first event having taken place on May 17th at the St. Louis Contemporary Art Museum. The event, entitled ‘Apocalyptic Wonderland’, challenged both the artists and fashion designers who participated in the event, as well as those who attended the event, to answer the theme question “What is left when all is lost?” The event portrayed the symbolic and literal pathway through the transitions of ‘darkness,’ ‘limbo,’ and ‘light.’ Every aspect of the event encircled this concept into a creative storm of artists, performers, designers, and patrons alike. This was accomplished by the carefully selected, creative work of local artists, as well as an open invitation for those attending the event to creatively interpret the event’s theme for themselves...some in costume and some without. Featured in the fashion show segment of the event was the design work of Straight Up Magazine feature artist, Tracy Welling of Tracy Welling 22

Str8Up Magazine

Collinsville, Illinois. Her 5 designs blurred the lines between fashion and fine art by her use of repurposed materials, as well as captivating the attendees by her use of texture and color and completing the event’s transition into Light. Tracy’s work made such a striking impact on the event, it is hard to believe that this was her first show. (see May Str8Up at StraightUpMagazine.net) The ‘Apocalyptic Wonderland’ event was only the beginning for the Fête Events, and much more is being planned for the future. Because of the marketing and promotional success of the first Fête Event, Sarah is also launching a company that will, as she described it, be a “hybrid of an ad

(left to right) Jenae Bretsch, Alyssa Jones, Mia Sagi, Libby Jane Houghton, Kimberly Andert modeling Welling’s MetaCreations line of Wearable Find Arts.

agency/talent agency/production company, where I can provide a designer approach to a client’s advertising/marketing needs.“ While operating on a very small budget, the promotion of the ‘Apocalyptic Wonderland’ event made great progress in promoting the event through social media to the scale of 4,500 Likes before the event, a promo video seen 1,500 times before the event, and produced an attendance of 600 people. Sarah had this to say on the response to ‘Apocalyptic Wonderland’. “The feedback has been incredible across the board from the artists to the guests, and I’ve already gotten offers for video and event work, which of course was the goal. Fête and my company are both very ambitious projects, but I believe the success of ‘Apocalyptic Wonderland’ proves the elements are here to do incredible work, so I’m very excited about the future!” For more on Fête Event Series visit: Facebook.com/FeteEventSeries

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Culture

June 2014

Wellness and Balanced Living by Paul Seibert There is a place of respite nestled into rolling hills just outside of Belleville. The family farm of Jan Rule is quiet and pristine. It is now also the home of the Stillpointe Wellness Center. Stillpointe Wellness Center is a sanctuary for healing and spiritual growth. Jan Rule, founding owner of the Stillpointe Wellness Center says this about her healing retreat. “Because I have been given so much, I too wish to give. There is a beautiful place, called Stillpointe, where I reside. It’s a sacred space, meant to be shared. The peace and serenity felt at Stillpointe is a gift from God; found in nature, found in the quiet.” The mission of Stillpointe Wellness Center is to provide a safe gathering place in the community, offering an array of therapies and educational services which foster health. Its purpose is to help those we serve attain and maintain physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. The vision of Stillpointe Wellness Center is that the enhancement of the wellness of Stillpointe participants will allow participants to better serve their families, friends and the greater community – leading to a healthier, more creative and peaceful community. To that end, Stillpointe has amassed an extraordinary team of practitioners to sooth and satisfy so many of the intricacies of human existence. At Stillpointe, one will find yoga, massage and physical therapies, meditation instruction, pranic healing sessions, art therapies, nutrition and wellness coaching, color and sound therapy, even neuromusculorskeletal and osteopathic manipulative medicine. Organic gardening, cooking classes and community sustainable agriculture are a natural fit on this beautiful farmstead location. Coming this month to Stillpointe is the MoonWave Balanced Living Expo, a three-day event in sustainability, organics and holistic living for a healthy planet and a healthy you. Billed as “A Time of Transformation”, the event will have speakers and sessions on organic gardening, raw foods, Chinese medicine, yoga, meditation, solar energy and wonderful live music. Here, one may experience the concepts of organic, sustainable and holistic living through interesting, enlightening and inspirational vendors, teachers and musicians. MoonWave is truly a sustainability festival, an art show, a mind body spirit gathering, a green conference and a healthy living seminar, wrapped all together. Featured at MoonWave Expo will be workshops by and the music of two great musical practitioners: Mark Biehl and John Two-Hawks. Mark Biehl, CSTP, lifelong musician and composer, is the founder of Acuity Soundworks®, dedicated to the development and presentation of music to inspire creative thought and action. Mark is a Certified Sound Therapy Practitioner,

and has received Certification in Sound Healing with Himalayan Singing Bowls from Nepalese Master Teacher Suren Shrestha. John Two-Hawks is a musician, composer, speaker, visionary and an international touring artist who has performed for audiences as large as 12,000. A remarkably gifted multi-instrumentalist, incredible vocalist and native flute virtuoso, Two-Hawks’ signature brand of World Fusion, New Age, Native and Alternative music is known and loved by millions around the world. Here at Stillpointe, in addition to musical performances, Two-Hawks will present a series of four seminars on the cardinal directions of the Lakota Sacred Hoop. The MoonWave Expo occurs at Stillpointe on Friday, Saturday & Sunday, June 27-29. Friday sessions are from 5pm to 9pm. They begin with yoga and meditation for children. John Two-Hawks will present on Lakota Sacred Hoop Lessons at 7pm. And flute meditation closes the evening. Saturday sessions are from 8am to 9pm and begin again with yoga – this time for adults. The day will be filled with an assortment of enlightening workshops on pranic healing, sound therapies, Sacred Hoop lessons and more. The evening will culminate with a concert of meditative musics with Mark Biehl and John Two-Hawks beginning at 7pm. Sunday also begins with refreshing and energizing yoga at 8am. The day’s full schedule includes sessions on purposeful living, breath work, Sacred Hoop lessons, organic and non-gmo farming, and vibrational healing. Live music on Sunday will include Jack Stewart at 11:30am and 2pm and Richard Carr at 1pm. Parking is free. There is a $5 gate fee. Some workshops have additional suggested donations. Saturday night’s concert is $20. To view the full schedule of events, go to Facebook.com/moonwaveexpo

For more on Stillpointe Wellness Center, visit StillPointe.org See and hear John Two-Hawks at JohnTwoHawks.com Mark Biehl can be found at AcuitySoundWorks.com

What: MoonWave Balanced Living Expo Where: Stillpointe Wellness Center, 2135 Dorothy Drive, Belleville IL

62223, (618) 531-8814 When: Friday, June 27, 5-9pm / Saturday, June 28, 8am-9pm / Sunday, June 29, 8am-3:30pm Who: A remarkable assemblage of artisans, practitioners, vendors and musicians

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Culture

June 2014

Forest Invaders by Brenton Ebersole Looking into the Metro East woodlands, one sees a vision of wilderness teaming with plants and animal life. It is unfortunate to realize that, despite this intense look of vibrancy, there is an underlying problem: the natural world is far out of balance. Amongst the old growth trees standing within the stretches of woodlands, there are a couple newer arrivals to our Metro East ecosystem. When an old tree falls, it usually leaves enough light through the canopy to allow more trees to grow through. However, there is another species that quickly grasps a hold of the now abundant solar energy. By far the most dominant invasive species on the edges of local woodlands is the Amur Honeysuckle or Lonicera maackii. It is native to the temperate forests of Asia and is actually listed as an endangered species in

The fruit is a bright red to almost black purple, forming in clusters with each containing numerous, small seeds. They ripen in autumn, and are eaten almost exclusively by birds, which disperse the seeds virtually everywhere in their droppings. The shrub is frequently found taking over abandoned lots, bursting through cracks in sidewalks, making a dense thicket running along roads, railroad and beneath power lines. Amur Honeysuckle often divides like a Hydra and becomes impassibly thick. Flowering is from mid-spring to early summer and usually brings a sweet smell to the air and a lot of pollinating insects to the area. This would seem to be advantageous to the forest ecosystem. However, the canopy formed by the vegetative stands of honeysuckle can completely monopolize the light. The bushes grow so effectively as to remove any competition from

Lonicera maackii

Honeysuckle berries

Japan. It has escaped from cultivation and become widely naturalized in most of the United States east of the Mississippi River. This plant is adaptable and successful in a wide range of conditions, growing extremely well even in the shadiest of areas and with little soil. In the United States, Amur Honeysuckle was first introduced in the latter half of the 18th century as an ornamental garden plant to attract butterflies and bees. It was once planted to control erosion and as field and roadway hedgerows. It spread across the countryside very easily as birds ate the fruit along winter migration routes and dispersed the seeds in many areas. It was soon naturalized. In nearly every deciduous forest under-story of the eastern United States, it forms dense growths with thick canopies that shade out most native shrubs, young trees, and wild flowers. Some seedling trees and shrubs will sit in a stasis dormant for years, not growing in size, barely holding onto life. The Amur Honeysuckle is a large, extremely fast growing shrub that, under the right growing conditions, can reach over thirty feet in height and canopy diameter. The leaves are oppositely arranged, ovals with pointed ends. The flowers are commonly produced with several pairs grouped together in clusters. They are about an inch long, starting white and fading into yellow or light orange in color.

native wildflowers and flowering trees, destroying the diversity of the forest. Fortunately, the wood of the Amur Honeysuckle is very brittle due and can be easily snapped even when lush and green. The plants can be taken back to the ground with nothing but hands and boots or hand tools. Other recommended control methods include cutting, flaming, or burning the plant to root level and repeating on two-week increments until the underground root nutrient reserves are depleted. Control through prescribed burning has been found to be most effective during the seed dispersal phase in late summer and early fall. Cutting plants back to the ground slows down their growth, giving remaining undamaged native species chance to shoot through the previous blanket level, in turn breaking the strangle hold that has been created on the forests of our area. This species must be given the respect it deserves as an amazing, adventitious plant. Though it was planted only to compliment the existing natural beauty by well wishing gardeners of old, it is the duty of environment conscious, modern-day human inhabitants to restore the balance of our natural surrounds. It is imperative to correct the error innocently created by our ancestors and ensure that, for generations to come, humans can walk beneath towering oak forests and soak in the beautiful array of color painted by native Spring wildflower blooms.

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Culture

June 2014

Let’s Go Bowling – For a Cause by Paul Seibert “Chris and Pat are waitressing super stars.” That’s the opinion of Al Carfagno, owner of Mama Gusto’s Italian restaurants in Lebanon and Belleville. “Wherever they worked, their customers followed.” He was speaking of twin sisters, Chris and Pat Allsup. As twins, they took jobs together at restaurants and bars. Customers had the joyful challenge of telling them apart. And the identical sisters loved the life they lived, much like they loved each other. And then there was the diagnosis in November 2009. Chris had breast cancer. The treatments and hospitalizations weren’t going to stop her from living her life. They may have slowed her down from time to time. They may have kept her off the job on occasions. And Pat would step in to take her shifts at work. And her friends and family would rally around her inspiring response to this malady. And in the end, thousands of people rallied to her cause as evidenced by the huge following on the Team Chris Facebook pages. I never met Chris Allsup. I have known of her anonymously over the last year because everywhere I turned, I saw a “Team Chris” poster in a store window. I saw the words “Team Chris” in marker on a car window. “Team Chris” caught my attention everywhere I turned. Usually accompanied by the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness. Sister Pat told me how Chris’ lengthy battle inspired people. “I would get back from the hospital to find 6,000 people on Facebook. In three days.” Her story has been told there and in the media, even on YouTube. And certainly in her father Dan’s best-selling book, “Team Chris, She Fought Like A Girl”. Her story is one that lends honor to and changed the tenor of the phrase “fight like a girl”. Chris lost her battle in January of this year. And what does all that have to do with bowling? Al Carfagno is also the President of the St. Clair Chapter of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association. The SCCILBA is a not-for-profit organization of mostly bar and restaurant owners. Every year, this dedicated group sponsors a fund-raising event in the form of a Scotch Doubles Bowling Tournament. I’m not a bowler myself, so I had to search the internet to find out what this event was. Goes like this: Divide your group into teams of two, and choose the order in which the teams will bowl. Instead of each player having his or her own frame, frames are shared in Scotch Doubles. Have the first player on team one bowl. If he or she does not bowl a strike, the second player on the team bowls the second throw of the frame. If the first player on the team does

score a strike, have the second member bowl the first throw in the next frame (ehow.com). And so on. Bottom line, such a bowling tournament is good, wholesome, family fun. And this particular tournament will be held at 6:30pm on Saturday, June 21 at Bel-Air Bowl in Belleville. 20 lanes will be reserved. At two persons per team, two teams per lane, that’s 80 people can play this game. $25 per team gets you three games and shoes. There will be a $50 cash prize to the winning team AND a traveling trophy follows the winner home till next year. And how this gets back to Chris: a portion of the proceeds from this event will go to the fight against breast cancer in the name of Chris Allsup. As Chris would say, “Live Life to the Fullest and Be Nice to Others”.

What: Bowling for Chris Scotch Doubles Tournament Where: Bel-Air Bowl, 200 South Belt West, Belleville When: June 21, 6:30pm Why: Family Fun that Benefits a Worthy Cause Who: St. Clair Chapter Illinois Licensed Beverage Assoc. & Team Chris

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For more on Team Chris visit: Facebook.com/teamchrisfightlikeagirl

PS- SCCILBA also sponsors the Taste of Southern Illinois in August. Find out more about this annual food and music festival at Facebook.com/TasteSIL

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Submissions

June 2014

Joanna Hoge Joanna Hoge is a visual artist and illustrator who works primarily in the medium of ink. She has exhibited work in several area venues including Art St. Louis, Drew Henry Salon & Gallery, The Tavern of Fine Arts, the St. Louis Art Fair and the Governor French Academy Art Gallery. Joanna holds a B.A. in Studio Art and French from Saint Louis University and is currently pursuing her M.F.A. at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. She aspires to eventually relocate somewhere near the mountains and the sea.

JoannaHoge.com

“One In All” ink on paper, 11” x 14”

Facebook.com/pages/JoannaHoge/243016982414676 “Samsara” ink on paper 28” x 40”

Jacqueline Klene A native of Belleville, currently a senior at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, Jacqueline Klene is completing her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in studio drawing. Her art works and illustration always have an element of humor and wit. She is particularly interested in her inner child and the idea of escapism. Throughout her college career, she has had the fortune to be showcased in a variety of exhibits, fine arts publications, and commissioned for a wide array of jobs. While illustration is her passion, she is always willing to offer her services as a muralist, portrait artist, and freelance artist. She has a third solo exhibition, featuring her series, The Sideshow. It will be on display at Sole Survivor Art Gallery in downtown Belleville, IL from May 9th - June 28th. “Private thoughts” 22” x 33” Ink, digitally manipulated photographs, duct tape 2014

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“Learn to fly” 18” x 24” Pen, 2014

She can be reached via her website: JacquelineKlene.net

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June 2014 Mark Polege

Mark Polege’s photographic artwork is an exploration in perspective and depth, and a story written in a tapestry of light. His pieces capture the past while harnessing color and composition into timeless moments that will awe, pause, and resurrect. Mark was previously featured in Str8Up Magazine in December 2013. Mark will be featured in “The City at 250: A Citywide Celebration in Photography”, June 6, 2014 August 23, 2014 at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries. The exhibition is a culmination of a citywide photo contest begun in the fall of 2013 and ending on February 23, 2014, which marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of St. Louis. This is a portion of the 6-image panoramic photograph which will be featured in the art show.

“Moon Over St.Louis”

See more of Mark Polege’s work at PhotographyofMarkPolege.com

Nic Tullis Nic Tullis (iPhonetography) is an up and coming young photographer from Belleville who specializes in capturing and/or editing photos using his iPhone 4s. Nic is self-taught, but aspires to travel internationally taking more than simple scenery shots. His awareness of social issues and societal challenges is evident in the images he captures on film, and is inspired in part by his grandfather, Jim Quinn, who was an award-winning photojournalist from Rockford, Illinois. Nic was previously featured in Str8Up Magazine in September 2013. Nic will be featured in “The City at 250: A Citywide Celebration in Photography”, June 6, 2014 - August 23, 2014 at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries. The exhibition is a culmination of a citywide photo contest begun in the fall of 2013 and ending on February 23, 2014, which marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of St. Louis. See more of Nic Tullis’ work at Facebook.com/PhotosByIphonetography “Focus on St.Louis”

Str8 Up Magazine is accepting submissions of artwork, photography, poetry, creative writing, etc. for possible publication in print and on the web. To have your work considered, send hard copy or disc to P.O. Box 412 in Belleville, IL 62222. Digital submissions should be 300dpi and can be e-mailed to editor@straightupmagazine.net.

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June 2014

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