Riverfront Times, May 19, 2021 by Riverfront Times

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MAY 19-25, 2021

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MAY 19-25, 2021

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MARCH 6-12, 2019

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MAY 19-25, 2021

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THE LEDE

“This is where I live ... I mean, I’m a Cardinals Fan, I’m a Blues Fan. ... But for people here in St. Louis, if we are people who believe in human rights ... and I think there are a lot of good people in St. Louis, then we in St. Louis should really feel the tie between St. Louis and Palestine. And one thing that really stands out is when we think of Black Lives Matter, and we think of Ferguson, I remember in 2014 seeing the texts and tweets from Palestine saying, ‘This is how if you have to deal with teargas. Like use milk, don’t rub your eyes.’ Things like that ... because we could see that what was happening here in the Black community in the United States was very similar to what happened to the Palestinians. It’s not exactly the same, but the tactics that are used are the same. So I want people in St. Louis to recognize that there are ties between what’s happening in our community here in St. Louis to the people here as well as to the Palestinians.”

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

BANAN EAD, PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE RALLY FOR PALESTINE AT KIENER PLAZA ON FRIDAY, MAY 14 riverfronttimes.com

MAY 19-25, 2021

RIVERFRONT TIMES

The Rise of Lauren Marx

ore than two years ago, we were able to put one of artist Lauren Marx’s pieces on our cover. It wasn’t like we were discovering her — she already had a growing fan base — but it was still an introduction to her arresting illustrations for a lot of our readers. For this week’s feature story, Riley Mack connected with Marx for an in-depth interview about the artist’s rapid ascent, the weirdness of seeing her work tattooed on strangers and the source of all her gory yet beautiful imagery. Also in this issue, we’re launching a new weekly feature called St. Louis Standards. Written by longtime RFT food critic Cheryl Baehr, it’s an opportunity to explore the bars and restaurants that are part of the metro’s identity. Keep an eye out for your favorite spot. —Doyle Murphy, editor in chief

TABLE OF CONTENTS Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Doyle Murphy

E D I T O R I A L Digital Editor Jaime Lees Interim Managing Editor Daniel Hill Staff Writer Danny Wicentowski Contributors Cheryl Baehr, Eric Berger, Jeannette Cooperman, Mike Fitzgerald, Andy Paulissen, Justin Poole, Theo Welling, Ymani Wince Columnists Thomas Chimchards, Ray Hartmann Editorial Interns Jack Killeen, Riley Mack A R T

& P R O D U C T I O N Art Director Evan Sult Production Manager Haimanti Germain M U L T I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G Advertising Director Colin Bell Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel Multimedia Account Executive Chuck Healy Digital Sales Manager Chad Beck Director of Public Relations Brittany Forrest

COVER In the Midst of Life

C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Kevin G. Powers

With Sacred Decay, her first book with prestigious publishers Dark Horse, St. Louis artist Lauren Marx’s fantastic meditations on the cycle of life and death find an ever-widening audience

E U C L I D M E D I A G R O U P Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services Stacy Volhein www.euclidmediagroup.com N A T I O N A L A D V E R T I S I N G VMG Advertising 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com

Cover art:

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“SERPENT OF MISSOURI” BY LAUREN MARX

INSIDE The Lede Hartmann News The Big Mad Feature Cafe Short Orders Reeferfront Times Culture Savage Love 6

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HARTMANN Good, Bad and Clumsy Trump’s party in Missouri had the muscle, but not the smarts to accomplish more of its agenda BY RAY HARTMANN

onvened on the very day that Donald Trump tried to overthrow American democracy, the recently concluded session of the Missouri General Assembly might have evolved as a paean to the wannabe oligarch. It didn’t. Missouri’s Republican Party proved notable more for fission than fiction by session’s end. Despite their 70-percent-plus stranglehold in both chambers, GOP legislators displayed an astounding lack of unity and fealty to Trump’s central disorganizing principles. Of course there were some awful top-line results from the session. The Republicans’ scandalous refusal to follow the state constitution and expand Medicaid coverage was and is unconscionable. So was the customary harlotry to gun zealots. And an attack on public education via private-school vouchers. And so on. But for fans of the false narrative that Trump had the 2020 election stolen from him, the 2021 session of the General Assembly must seem a great betrayal. Trump’s essential grievance checklist was left with many boxes empty, considering Missouri is a state he carried by more than fifteen percentage points over President Joe Biden. Where’s our new voter-suppression laws? Why didn’t you make it legal to mow down Black protesters? Why haven’t we outlawed trans kids’ surgery? Where’s all our anti-immigrant stuff? How about something for the QAnon freaks? Wingnuts cannot be happy. Republicans could have easily delivered the worst of the worst. Not only did they fail in that mission, but they permitted quite a few decent and normal bills to get to the

desk of Governor Mike Parson. That’s not the way the national bosses drew up the plays. To be clear, 2021 is an odd-numbered year, meaning there’s no election looming in November. Years like this are traditionally the only ones in which normalcy clings to a prayer in Missouri. The reddest of red meat is reserved for even-numbered years. But a band of feisty Democrats pulled off far more success than most of us ever expected. They were helped by some quietly rational friends in high places in the Republican caucus — often in secret — but they also played a paltry hand of political cards brilliantly. It didn’t hurt that Republicans were preoccupied with internal battles, providing some strange-bedfellow coalitions that Democrats exploited adroitly. That said, it ain’t till it’s over. No one can be sure what Parson is thinking — or if he’s thinking — when bills arrive at his desk. So there’s always the prospect of vetoes. And a special session is a certainty to complete the work a functional and competent legislature would have finished by its May 14 closing bell. One never knows to where a special session goes. But even more importantly, a landmark court battle over Medicaid expansion is inevitable, presumably to be waged in short order at the Missouri Supreme Court. Perhaps Missourians can travel across the river to Illinois to bet on the outcome of Democracy v. Douchebags. While waiting for all that to unfold, here’s one person’s assessment of the legislative session: The Astonishingly Good Stuff So, does Missouri celebrate becoming the 50th state — that’s right, 50th — to establish a statewide prescription drug-monitoring program to combat the epic crisis of opioid addiction? Does it celebrate becoming the 50th state — that’s right, 50th — to enact a so-called Wayfair fix to capture out-of-state revenues from online sales? Or when one’s 50th, does one just keep one’s head down and pretend the measure passed long ago? Go ahead and celebrate, just like with those legislative victories, large and small, that weren’t list-

ed in the pundits’ pre-season predictions. Unless Parson channels Trump and says “nyet,” the state will actually raise a tax without a ballot referendum since 1993, the first year of the late Governor Mel Carnahan’s tenure in office. That would be a phased-in — albeit modest — hike in the state’s gas tax for direly needed repairs to roads and bridges throughout the state. Combined with the online sales tax increase, that’s officially two tax increases in one year from state politicians who view revenues with more hostility than they do infectious diseases. While it may seem a baby step, Missouri actually enacted criminal justice reform by banning chokeholds statewide and establishing a database requiring the tracking and reporting of incidents of violence involving police. Yes, there were offsets with a list of new “rights” for bad cops to satiate those outraged by the notion of any reform of policing, but the very notion of any progress for any victims of police violence in Missouri is noteworthy. There were lots of small victories — some by artful deployment of amendments — that frankly don’t sound like the Missouri of recent decades. Women in both prisons and jails will have new access to menstrual products. Pharmacists will be allowed to dispense medication without a prescription to a customer after potential exposure to HIV, often critical to preventing infection. The state finally moved to crack down on abuses at faithbased schools and curtail the awful practice of seclusion and restraints in all schools. The Predictably Horrid Stuff The Republicans’ ongoing assault on the poor raged on. Along with refusing to follow the state constitution and expanding Medicaid coverage to some 275,000 citizens, GOP legislators failed for the first time in decades to extend the Federal Reimbursement Allowance — a tax on hospitals and other providers that would blow a multi-billion-dollar hole in the state budget. They decided it was a fine opportunity for a little ad hoc demagoguery against the evil of birth control. Presumably this will get fixed in a special session, but at what cost to humanity remains to be seen.

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The legislature also failed to rein in Parson’s dark instincts to torment people who were overpaid — because of government error, not fraud — in unemployment payments. There’s little upside to the state financially, just that nice cold feeling — where some people have a heart — that little people won’t get a break they didn’t earn. In the same vein, the legislators were fine to allow Parson to reject federal unemployment benefits, making a bold political stand that will almost undoubtedly wrack the state economy. To be fair, this one didn’t require independent thought: It’s part of a red-state fad. The same can be said for two monstrous legislative efforts. One, the so-called Second Amendment Protection Act (SAPA), makes a bold ’21 statement — as in 1821, not 2021 — that says no federal gun laws can apply in these here parts. And that any police department that tries to enforce such alien laws will be defunded — uh, sued heavily — should they try to take away a man’s gun. Then there’s long-awaited enactment of a private-school voucher program, a two-for-one assault on public education and the First Amendment separation of church and state. In normal times, that would have been a gigantic headline. Not in this era, when people who believe in democracy are actually celebrating that the General Assembly didn’t act overtly to end it. Somehow, the Republicans didn’t get around to making voter suppression a centerpiece of their agenda, as they have in many other states. Including ones in which Trump won easily but still would like air cover for his noxious lies about having the presidency stolen from him. You see, the session of the General Assembly that began January 6 might seem awful to normal people. But it’s Dear Leader Trump who’s especially not smiling. n Ray Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1977. Contact him at rhar tmann1952@gmail.com or catch him on Donnybrook at 7 p.m. on Thursdays on the Nine Network and St. Louis In the Know with Ray Hartmann from 9 to 11 p.m. Monday thru Friday on KTRS (550 AM).

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NEWS Republican Senators Divided During Legislative Session

“The Senate is a unique place, with very, very uni ue personalities,” Rowden said. “I think any notion that because we didn’t do something that doesn’t have to be done till eptember is somehow a failure, I think, is a misclassification. thin it’s a very short sighted view of things.”

The facts of factions

Written by

RUDI KELLER This story was originally published by the Missouri Independent.

hen the Missouri Senate gathered early Friday morning, with just under 18 hours before the state Constitution requires lawmakers to conclude their session, Sen. Paul Wieland asked a fellow lawmaker a question. “How long do you think me and you are going to have to talk, in these next 18 hours?” Wieland, RImperial, asked Sen. Bill Eigel, RWeldon Spring. “I don’t have the answer to that question,” Eigel replied with a laugh. The immediate issue was whether a bill extending medical provider taxes that finance Medicaid would include antiabortion provisions sponsored by Wieland. The larger issue, raised by Wieland and looming over every major fight of the legislative session, was the fracturing of the member enate epublican caucus. Every member of the Republican caucus campaigned as an abortion opponent, Wieland said. His amendment barring Medicaid funds from purchasing some contraceptive devices and medications, he argued, was a chance to prove that commitment. Instead, he said the Senate leadership was prepared to force a vote without his provisions. “I feel like I’m in the minority,” Wieland said. “I’m supposed to have friends. nd feel li e ’m out there swimming all by myself.”

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, left, listens to an answer from Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden. | RUDI KELLER/MISSOURI INDEPENDENT nd that was the story of the session in the enate. t times, it seemed, there were not two but three political parties — and whatever two of them agreed on is what was passed. “You know, I mean, clearly there’s emocrats and there’s, on their best day, there’s eight conservatives. nd there’s a bunch of us in the middle,” Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said in an interview. To be sure, the legislative session saw major pieces of the G P agenda find their way to the governor’s desk. Many of those — public money to help offset the cost of private school tuition, or a push to block cities from cutting police budgets — were key priorities of the Senate’s conservative caucus. ut for every significant bill where the Senate GOP remained united, there was another where they splintered. Senate Republicans stayed together on Thursday against emocrats on a - vote to pass a bill with sweeping provisions to nullify federal gun laws in Missouri. But the party fractured in votes on a . -cent gas tax increase and a prescription drug monitoring program. The fuel tax, a priority of Senate President Pro Tem ave chat , passed - on March , with epublicans and emocrat opposed. The drug monitoring pro-

gram passed - on pril with all no votes coming from epublicans. The climactic moment of schism came just before a.m. riday, when the Senate voted on a motion from Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, to insist on Wieland’s amendment in the provider tax extension. Provider taxes produced . billion of Medicaid’s . budget in fiscal . f a renewal bill failed for the first time in years, lawmakers would have to vote in special session to extend them or find replacement money after ept. . The Senate approved Onder’s motion on the vote, with emocrats joined by owden, ssistant Majority Leader Bill White and the two top Republicans on the enate ppropriations Committee, Chairman an egeman and Vice Chairman Lincoln Hough. The Senate soon went into recess. When members returned in the daylight of riday, emocrats filibustered, the House wouldn’t talk and the chamber adjourned with nothing else accomplished, four hours before the constitutional deadline. t a post-session news conference, Rowden tried his best to paint the defeat of the provider tax bill as a matter of little longterm importance.

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The bigger a legislative majority, political scientist Terry Smith of Columbia College said, the more likely it is to break into factions that fight each other with more intensity than the ostensible opposition. That, he said, is the reality right now in the Missouri Senate. emocrats hold fewer than onethird of the seats, which means Republicans can do anything they can bring to a vote and stay united behind. There are certainly also splits among Republicans in the House, but to a lesser extent since the chambers’s rules allow leadership to exert far more control over its members. When the House passed the fuel tax hike, for example, or on school-choice bills, they depended on emocrats for passage. “They talk to us about taxes and charter schools,” state Rep. Raychel Proudie, - erguson said. “Otherwise, we can kick rocks.” Tensions between the House and Senate, or between the legislative and executive branches, can also short circuit a session’s momentum. But it’s in the Senate where intra-party tension often has the biggest impact. Since they gained dominant control of the Senate, reconciling factions has been a task for Republicans. The GOP choice for the Senate’s top post, president pro tem, came down to a coin toss when the caucus split evenly after what one lawmaker called “a battle for the soul of the Senate.” n , a Gang of ine conservative senators almost forced a special session over the budget as they demanded changes. They were led by Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, who said his group was concerned about conservative principles, which he said were being abandoned by moderates more interested in

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REPUBLICANS Continued from pg 9

cozy relationships with lobbyists and Democrats. “They are just a bunch of RINOs,” he said, an acronym for GOP moderates that means Republican in Name Only. Despite the history of acrimony in the Senate, numerous longtime lobbyists and former lawmakers interviewed by The Independent said the Senate is as dysfunctional as they’ve ever seen it. “I see the problem as the leadership, which has not been consistent,” said one lobbyist who asked to speak anonymously for fear of retribution. This session’s main splinter group is the Conservative Caucus, which started at the end of 2019 with six members. They began with tactics that included filibustering bills and being very public with their positions. “We used to basically be very upfront, have our own press conferences, do that kind of thing,” said Sen. Eric Burlison, Battlefield. nd we found that tended to bring unnecessary pushback.” Instead, the caucus meets regularly to discuss issues and which lawmakers will take a lead on specific issues, he said. nd after pushing into politics in 2020 to help win hard fought primaries for new caucus members Mike Moon and Rick Brattin, the next step may be backing primary challengers to incumbent Senators. lignment of interests in the outcome are the key to success for a faction that is working with the minority party. nd in much the way that this year’s divisions among Republicans provided opportunities for Democrats, divisions among Democrats gave Republicans an outsized voice in deciding Senate leadership in 1981. Democrats outnumbered Republicans 23-11 that year, but rural Democrats joined with Republicans to oppose liberal Sen. Phil Snowden of Kansas City in the race for president pro tem. Now that Republicans control rural districts as the bedrock of their majority, the parties are more ideologically homogeneous. That actually makes intra-party fights more li ely and more intense, Smith said. “Be careful what you wish for in terms of having a dominant majority,” Smith said, “because sometimes the worst fights and the ones that are the silliest are the ones you have with people in

your own party if you are not going to lose the vote.”

Aggravating circumstances

The splits in this year’s session were often ideological. In the coming special sessions, and in 2022, personal political goals will be another factor. The coming retirement of U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt means Republicans in Missouri will lose their last major officeholder who first won a statewide election during the Ronald Reagan presidency of the 1980s. t that time epublicans had to appeal to emocrats or lose office — a Republican sweep in 1988 became a Democratic sweep in 1992. Now, Smith said, nomination in a Republican primary means almost certain election statewide and in most Congressional districts. That allows room for candidates who appeal to their party’s base, rather than a broad electorate, to gain office. “They would have to screw up in a huge way or there be some sort of major national realignment, a result of collapse in what is happening to the Republican Party nationally,” he said. Of the state’s six Republican members of Congress, four are making moves that could put them in a crowded primary to replace Blunt. Each of those Congressional districts includes several Republican state senators, many who are term limited or can run without

City, County End Mask Mandates for Fully Vaccinated People Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

t. Louis and St. Louis County are dropping mask mandates for vaccinated people in response to new federal guidance and decreasing COVID-19 cases. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and County Executive Sam Page announced the news Friday in a joint press conference at City Hall. “We’re in a big, big moment in our community,” Page said. “This is a big step forward.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a surprise announcement the day before that it was no longer necessary for vaccinated people to

losing their current seats. Some Senators, like Onder, have run for Congress before. Burlison, who lives in the 7th Congressional District, said he “can’t help but take a look” if U.S. Rep. Billy Long runs for Senate. Schatz is considering a run for Blunt’s seat from his post as president pro tem. The ambitions of members will play out during the 2022 session, said Rowden, who hasn’t ruled out a bid for Congress himself but said “he’s going to make darn sure it’s right for my family.” It will be impossible to keep those ambitions out of the Senate, he said.

“For the most part, next year could get worse, because then we’re going to know who’s in and who’s out of that top race, and then all the other ones,” he said. “So, I am not saying it is going to get worse, but with everything accounted for, this year I don’t think has been all that bad.” Schatz said his goal throughout the year was to focus on accomplishment and obtaining a majority that could pass major legislation. “You always have some of those outliers that have those very conservative or very liberal ideas, and they hold very strongly to them,” chat said. nd then it ma es it a very challenging place.” The Conservative Caucus is being quieter, and also has its eyes on the 2022 elections. Not to choose a member to promote to federal office, but to win primaries in districts where sitting members lack the ideological purity they feel they bring to the chamber. White, who drew the job of trying one last time to move the provider taxes in the early Friday hours and avoid a special session, said he thinks his actions will be approved by his southwest Missouri voters if he has a primary. “I don’t know that we’ve ever had a scenario where people actively sitting in the Senate have been challenged by other active people sitting in the Senate,” White said. “So I would not comment on that. I don’t think I’ve heard of a scenario like that.” n

wear masks indoors, leaving local governments and businesses to decide for themselves whether to keep mask mandates in place. Missouri never issued a statewide mask mandate, despite repeated pleas from health-care workers and administrators. As a result, the state became a puzzle of rules, varying county to county and even city to city as infections and deaths soared. St. Louis and St. Louis County maintained two of the strongest sets of COVID-19 protocols in Missouri. Less than two weeks before Friday’s announcement, the city and county aligned their policies to allow bars and restaurants to resume full capacity — or as close as they could come with social distancing measures in place. Friday’s announcement regarding vaccinated adults was another move toward a full reopening, although both Jones and Page stressed that unvaccinated people would still be required to wear masks. They also warned that everyone should remain cautious. “We’re not out of the woods,” Jones said. “We’re not out of the pandemic.”

Page said most people have willingly followed the rules put in place to slow the virus’ spread, but he and Jones made a point of asking those who want to ditch their masks to respect the people and businesses that don’t. Businesses will be able to ask customers if they have been vaccinated and require those who haven’t to wear masks under the new rules, although they’ll likely have to rely on customers to tell them the truth about their vaccine status. “If you’re vaccinated and still want to wear [a mask], keep wearing it,” Jones said. “I know I will. If you’re vaccinated and don’t want to wear one, please don’t pass judgment on those who do.” The majority of people in the city and county are not vaccinated yet. Only 30 percent of people in the city and 35 percent in the county are fully vaccinated. Jones and Page urged those who haven’t gotten their shots to take advantage of ample supply at sites across the metro region. FEMA is operating a mass vaccination site every day at the Dome at America’s Center. Walk-ins are welcome, although preregistering speeds up the process. n

The bigger a legislative majority, the more likely it is to break into factions that fight each other with more intensity than the ostensible opposition.

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St. Louis Jails Director Resigning Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

he head of St. Louis’ jails is resigning as controversies over conditions at the city’s two facilities

rage. City Corrections Commissioner Dale Glass will leave his post at the end of the month, Mayor Tishaura Jones announced on May 12. Glass was not asked to resign, according to a news release, but Jones has made it clear she isn’t happy with his work. “Failed leadership overseeing the City’s Corrections division has left the City with a huge mess to clean up,” Jones said in the release. “Between failing locks, lackluster maintenance and subhuman conditions for the detainees under our care, it only further justifies my promise to shut down the Workhouse within my first 100 days.” The city’s jails have long been a flashpoint between advocates for criminal justice reform and past administrations. The Workhouse, the 55-year-old jail officially named the Medium Security Institution, attracted most of the attention due to notoriously hellish conditions, including extreme temperatures and reports of violence, nearly inedible food, black mold and pests. Former Mayor Lyda Krewson had standalone air-conditioning units installed in 2017 after videos of detainees screaming out of the windows for relief from dangerously hot temperatures went viral online. The city started to empty the Workhouse in 2020 after organizations, such as the Bail Project and Action STL, along with public defenders and prosecutors worked to get people out of city jails during the pandemic. St. Louis aldermen had voted to close the aging facility by the end of December 2020, but that plan was delayed and the Workhouse population began to increase again, particularly after inmates involved in multiple uprisings at the City Justice Center, the newer jail downtown, were moved there. The protests at CJC added pressure on city leaders — and Glass — to address complaints inside the facilities, particularly as they related to allegations of woefully inadequate COVID-19 protections. In two separate revolts this year, detainees took over units inside CJC, smashed windows, set fires and shouted out to people on the street about long-delayed court hearings and inhumane conditions. Among the revelations was that locks at CJC didn’t necessarily lock and detainees could exit their cells as they wished. Under Krewson’s administration, officials pushed back on claims that the

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Dale Glass, St. Louis commissioner of corrections, is leaving his job at the end of the month. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI jails were filthy and unsafe. Now-former Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards told reporters after an uprising in January the incident was not a protest but a random spasm of chaos carried out by violent, opportunistic inmates who jumped in during a confrontation between a detainee and a corrections officer. But advocates for those locked away in city jails have said the complaints about conditions spiked during the pandemic, flooding in for weeks before the protests. Jones has promised to close the Workhouse and address issues at CJC. She and Congresswoman Cori Bush, along with attorneys and activists, toured the jails last month and spoke to those locked up inside. Jones and Bush described horrid conditions when they emerged. “The deplorable conditions we witnessed inside the City Justice Center and the Workhouse made clear that the City of St. Louis is in desperate need of new leadership in its corrections department,” Bush said last week in a written statement. “No human being should be forced to live in a place littered with trash and feces or eat food that is an unidentifiable mush. No human being should be forced to shower with moldy water or have their health put at risk by an uncontrolled infectious disease outbreak. No human being should be caged for weeks and months on end with little certainty of when and if they’ll ever see their family again.” RFT reporter Danny Wicentowski was at the Workhouse the day that news of Glass’ resignation was announced but was not able to speak with him. Jones says the city is looking to replace Glass. “We look forward to bringing effective leadership into the Corrections division that can account for these issues and raise the bar on effective management and oversight of the City Justice Center.” n

THE BIG MAD Anything Helps Maskless mania, passing on Pujols and a gun in every pot Compiled by

DANIEL HILL

elcome back to the Big Mad, the RFT’s weekly roundup of righteous rage! Because we know your time is short and your anger is hot: MONEY TALKS: It would have been so much cheaper for St. Louis County, if only Robert Fernandez was a politician drumming up votes. Instead, Fernandez, a homeless panhandler, spent his time holding a sign near an Interstate 55 exit in south county — an occupation that brought him into conflict with the county’s anti-solicitation laws. As it turns out, the laws were so thuddingly unconstitutional that on May 11 a federal judge struck them down and awarded Fernandez $150,000 in damages. It was a victory for the little guy, but the absurdity of the victory is that the county could have gotten away with it if it hadn’t decided to get cute with the First Amendment: The county’s requirement for a “solicitation license” exempted politicians or nonmonetary solicitors, leaving panhandlers like Fernandez with licenses that lasted three months and couldn’t be renewed. Police threw Fernandez in jail and cited and fined him dozens of times, all for the crime of holding a sign that read “Homeless. Anything Helps. God Bless.” While the judgment will hopefully improve Fernandez’s life, the county got here through inaction. Homelessness isn’t a crisis of litigation, but humanity. Fernandez’s case doesn’t solve the crisis, but, at least, it’s forced the county to update anti-vagrancy laws that haven’t changed since 1965. It’s not much, but it’s something. And anything helps. ADVICE FOR DICKS: Hey, you, the guy who threw a mask tantrum in Target, the CDC says you don’t have to cover your face anymore if you’re vaccinated. But guess what? Businesses get to decide if you can enter without a mask. Places are doing that. They’re also posting messages, pleading with you to be cool, because they’ve learned in the past year that you will be a dick to their employees. In fact, they’re betting that you’ll be even more of a dick now that the city and county have dropped mask mandates for vaccinated adults. Wait, we’re going to stop

you right there — nobody cares if you’ve “got the antibodies” or whatever stupid shit you’re about to say. Just don’t be a dick if a business asks you to wear a mask. That’s it. Don’t be a dick. PEANUTS AND CRACKERJACKS: It could have been so special. Here we were, excited at the prospect of a fling with an ex, when Cardinals management totally cockblocked us. One Mr. Albert Pujols was let go by the Los Angeles Angels with just months left on the ten-year contract he signed when he became a free agent after the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series. Pujols could’ve come back to St. Louis, where the Cards are looking like a championship contender, and he could’ve been the big baseball hero all over again. But no, that would have been too fun, so he’s now with the Dodgers. Don’t they know how beautiful it would have been? We could’ve been back in our Pujols jerseys, sipping on cold beers and pretending that it was still 2011 instead of stupid old 2021. Boo to all of this. GUNS OVER PEOPLE: In the GOP-dominated legislature, the Second Amendment is a semi-divine document, guns are an interior decorating flourish and domestic violence victims are an afterthought. How else to interpret the passage of a bill intended to “nullify” all federal gun regulations on May 14? The victory was celebrated by its sponsors with a press conference held around a pile of guns — but the same lawmakers ignored survivors of domestic violence who begged them to make it illegal for people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to possess firearms. Such a prohibition was on the books until 2016, but it was erased as part of a bill expanding concealed carry rights, thereby creating a “domestic violence loophole”. Five years later, the state Republicans have decided that, actually, domestic violence isn’t that bad. “If we say this misdemeanor, what misdemeanor is next?” asked Ron Hicks, the sponsor of the Second Amendment Preservation Act, as he defended the rights of people convicted of “criminal negligence by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument” to possess a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument. Then there was Rick Brattin, who argued, with somewhat concerning specificity, that “in a real-world application, when tempers are flared,” a person could just have “a really bad night” and then get charged with domestic violence. Yeah. Now, thanks to these profiles in courage, convicted domestic abusers in Missouri still have the right to carry a gun on all nights, good and bad, going forward. Thank goodness the Missouri GOP is here to stand up for the real victims. n

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MAY 19-25, 2021

RIVERFRONT TIMES

IN THE MIDST OF L An interview with rising St. Louis-based artist

lauren marx on the release of her new book, sacred decay 14

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ditional print run. Marx speciali es in a mixture of pen and ink and watercolor paintings that draw from the natural world. Her paintings live on the line between gore and an artist’s representation of the life cycle, almost always including animals inspired by scientific illustrations and Renaissance art. Seven years after graduating from Webster niversity, the almost -year-old who tells the RFT “death is knocking any day now” because she recently discovered some gray hairs simply hopes that she’s made her city proud. n her second-ever oom call the first was dedicated to an appointment with her therapist Marx chatted with the RFT about all things art, the artist’s path to success and her unending love for the Lou. Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Let’s jump into it. What was your experience like growing up as an artist? t was, uh, it was pretty fine. There’s a lot of artistic people in my family. o no one really uestioned it. Looking back I was like, someone should have been concerned that if I wasn’t good at this, there should have been a backup, but no one cared. It was just pretty normal. veryone in my family ind of did something artistic. But I was the only, like, traditional artist everyone else was music and things like that.

LIFE W by Riley Mack

hen fans tell St. Louis artist Lauren Marx that they love her work, which happens often these days, her response is always, “Why?” In fact, asked to describe herself, the first word that comes out of her mouth is cluttered. he explains that she means that both in the physical and mental context. Can hot-mess be hyphenated?” she jokes. Marx had never considered herself an “artist-artist,” and she is not uite sure what to ma e of her rapidly expanding profile among admirers in and out of the

art world. he’s amassed , followers on nstagram and made around , sales through her Etsy shop, which includes original works as well as prints, stickers, T-shirts and other items adorned with her illustrations. By Marx’s count, there are now hundreds of people who have her work tattooed on them one man had one of her pieces inked on his head, which she finds a bit odd. er most recent success was the release of her new book on May 4, Sacred Decay: The Art of Lauren Marx. our years in the ma ing, it sold out on preorders alone and was quickly scheduled for an ad-

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I see you went to school in St. Louis. What was your college experience like? Oh, yeah, so I went to Webster niversity. graduated in . There were a handful of nice professors that were not full time. That’s when I developed anxiety attacks and the shakes and all sorts of stuff. And I didn’t really ma e a whole lot of friends. o, it was actually a really hard time. But I left that being able to handle pretty much any criticism at that point. Many people told me was going to fail as an artist because of the style of my wor and that they wanted to brea me. nd yeah, it was pretty rough. And I had a few people ganging up on me about a year after I graduated to try to get my degree removed. Why would anyone want to take away your degree? Why would anyone care about that at that point? It was based on the thesis. When you graduate with an art degree from Webster, you have to do a thesis and have two fulltime faculty sign it. nd there was

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PREVIOUS PAGE: “Snake Bird,” 2019. ABOVE: “Sweet Damnation,” 2016. | LAUREN MARX

LAUREN MARX Continued from pg 15

just a u e, where couldn’t have the two full-time professors sign it and it was due. So, I talked to the thesis professors and it was completely OK for me to have two adjunct faculty sign. And that did not go over well. But it got to the point where the department chair emailed me and said, “I’ve signed your thesis; you’ve graduated,” and he’s like, “I’m sorry this is happening to you.” There were a handful of people that were incredibly wonderful and encouraging and super sweet that were rooting for me 100 percent. And they were great. They kind of kept me a little bit sane during that. So yeah, that’s kind of why I didn’t go to grad school. One of my professors said — he was so sweet — he was trying to keep me encouraged. And he’s like, “I don’t think you should go to grad school. I don’t think you can mentally handle it.” Like, you’re right. I absolutely cannot. Did that experience dissuade you at all from making a career out of art?

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It was kind of out of spite at that point, after being told that before my career had even taken off that it was going to fail. And yeah, I don’t know how I got to that point, but when I graduated, I pretty much already knew I was going to do art full time. So, I didn’t have any jobs or anything after that. And it worked out; it worked out really well. And there’s still a handful that are very happy for me. If you can share anything with young artists out there right now, what would it be? Oh, I would say do only what makes you happy. Don’t let people convince you to do something you don’t enjoy. And that’s usually what ends up making people not pursue it is after school or high school, or what have you: It’s not fun anymore. And to embrace social media. Social media is more important than galleries, in my opinion, so people need to really take that and run with social media. And yeah, do whatever the heck you want. Has the concept of being an artist

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changed since you’ve been out in your career? Or is it different than what you thought it would be in school, having social media as a new sort of tool? Yeah, absolutely. Your older professors, some of them understand, but most don’t really get it that social media has kind of changed everything. So when you leave art school, the idea you have in your brain is you’re only successful with these shows and galleries and that is what you should do. I still struggle with that, where most of my career’s on social media these days, and I feel like I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do. The art world has kind of begun to implode on itself because of that, because no one saw it coming. It changed so quickly. I would say, over the last four years maybe, everything has really really shifted to social media, and other artists have started to dial back on the traditional ways of pursuing art as a career. Has anyone ever gotten your work tattooed on them? Couple hundred people, I would say at this point. I’ve even seen

a guy get my art tattooed on his head. [Marx leans into the camera and whispers.] It wasn’t done well. A lot of people have gotten it tattooed. A lot of people. And that, to me, is the most amazing part of my career. You like my work so much — the work I don’t even like — to have it permanently put on your body for the rest of your life. What is wrong with you? But also, thank you! Especially since I don’t do commissions or anything of that sort. It’s just people getting random pieces done. It’s pretty nuts when it happens, and what if I run into one of them someday? I’d be like, “Oh my gosh, don’t stalk me, but this is great!” When you’re working on a new piece, what is your process like? So, I don’t really sketch, which is something I really need to start doing. I’ll write a little list of things I want, and then I get mad when I don’t like the piece because I didn’t sketch it. I never learn. At art school, they made it like a big thing that concept is really important. And that burnt me out pretty quick. So now I just kind of go off of how am I feeling about

Even as her work takes off, Lauren Marx plans to stay in St. Louis. | LAUREN MARX

drawing something. I will usually sit and have a million tabs open on my computer with all the reference photos, and I will just sit and work. The process just really depends on how I feel, if I want to do something more like what I used to do, or if I want to do like a rainbow unicorn or something. The unicorns and stuff are usually when I’m in a bad place. At this point in time, I don’t have a solid process. And that’s something that I’ve been really working on since the pandemic started. I kind of get distracted halfway through a piece and start another one because I don’t like it. And will keep doing that until I get sad. And then I take a break. Has the pandemic affected your work at all? Yeah, it has. I think, like, me and a lot of other people that I’ve spoken to, it made you not want to create. There is just so much bad news and chaos, and it just felt wrong, it felt wrong to want to focus on art when everything else was going on. And for me, the entire way I run my business just collapsed on itself in April last year. And I got so caught up in the stress and anxiety, I hardly made anything last year. I think made five pieces for the entire year. And when I was talking to other artists, it’s kind of the same. No one really felt inspired with all the things going on.

Especially with my more business side of my career, that did the opposite, where there was too much, because everyone was home online and buying stuff. So it got really switched around to where actually my shop takes up more time than art making. I was pretty burned out to begin with. And I needed a bit of a break. And it was a good mental excuse for a break. So I don’t regret not making anything. It’s just sad that it did that to me and a lot of other people. Do you treat being an artist as like a 9-to-5 job? What’s your typical hours on a daily basis? I tried to do a 9-to-5, but these days, which is something I am working on, I would usually spend six to eight hours a day just working on art and then spending another usually six hours on the shop a day. So I actually spend most of my days working pretty much from when I wake up till I go to bed, and even weekends. So it’s a lot, but ’m finally hiring an assistant. And I’ll get my weekends back. And then I can ideally do a 9-to-5 for five days a wee . How has the city of St. Louis played a role in your works? Well, I’m not sure if it’s done anything consciously, but I mean, I’ve only grown up here, I’ve only lived here. And so it may have

Four years in the making, Marx’s new book sold out through pre-orders. | LAUREN MARX

allowed me to do more of what I wanted because I wasn’t in the chaos of being somewhere else and being stressed about living in another state or another city. And that we have such beautiful nature here too, which I really love. And our zoo, of course. Since I was a kid, that was my main inspiration for a long time: the zoo and whatever the heck Grant’s Farm is. I think, because it is such a home base and such a stable part of my life, I can kind of push that out as an anxiety. I think really just being around my supportive family and especially all of our little plants and stuff out here. Did you ever picture yourself staying here and continuing your career here in St. Louis? Yeah, I’ve never thought about moving. I don’t know if that’s a good thing, if I’m using St. Louis as a security blanket or not. But I never imagined myself leaving. And it’s a big part of why I’m still here. I don’t want to live somewhere else. I don’t wanna live on the West Coast; I don’t want to live on the East Coast. It’s just not my vibe. Yeah, I’m gonna be here probably for the rest of my life. And I’m totally OK with that. What’s your favorite thing about the city? My favorite thing is that we’re a big town disguised as a city. So

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I like it when, pre-pandemic and post-pandemic, I could go pretty much anywhere and run into someone I know. And when I went to . . for the first time, saw this city of millions and millions of people. It was just like, I get to run into people I went to elementary school with. And I get to go to a bar with my old teacher from fourth grade. And I think that’s something we take for granted here, being able to make lifelong connections with people. St. Louis is sooo into being St. Louis, that you can always count on seeing the same people over and over and over again. And I love it. The amount of times I just run into someone from a random year or someone I went to high school with at a house party. And that’s what I really like about it. That makes me feel all sentimental towards St. Louis. You described it so beautifully. I’m very sentimental to the city in that way. You work with really interesting topics, and you’ve said that you’re inspired by religious symbolism, scientific illustration, medieval imagery, Renaissance paintings, stuff like that. How have these interests begun to make an appearance in your work? ’ve always loved scientific illustration. I think a lot of that has to

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LAUREN MARX Continued from pg 17

do with my grandpa. My grandpa was an artist. e did more figure drawing and oil painting and owned a printing company — my whole family’s in printing. It’s annoying; it’s a thing. I’m very bad at it. And so he had a family room in his place that was full of these old art books, and there were coasters with butter ies in them, and there were Audubon prints on the wall, and I love that kind of feel of scientific illustration, especially li e Audubon. I get the feeling of my grandpa’s old room. And especially since he passed away when I was four, so all I had was that room. And then, with the religious symbolism: So, I grew up entirely agnostic. I’ve only been in a church a handful times in my life. My family’s very removed from religion. So I don’t understand a lot of it. And I think it’s really fascinating from an outsider’s perspective, how the compositions will always mean something or, li e, this ower means something. I like the idea of being able to do what they did, which was create art around the idea of people who were illiterate. So they would make art in a way — I just thought it was so neat that you could read an entire story or a section of a story intentionally, which is why they’re usually very awkwardly put together. And that obsession with Northern Renaissance and medieval work started when I took a class on Northern Renaissance art in college run by my old advisor, who has since passed away. It was just so fascinating, all the rich colors, and I had never really been kind of thrown into religious artwork before. I just thought it was so pretty, especially with Northern Renaissance — the rich colors, the small details that were just insanely realistic. And especially with how they were obsessed with depicting things the way they were. They can ind of see that in scientific illustration. I always wish I could do realism to the level of them. My style is kind of my attempt to be as realistic, and I’m not. And I think that’s a good thing. But that’s kind of where that fascination started. And it kind of ended up melting together, because I just loved both of them. And that’s why I put a lot of weird symbolism in my stuff. And for a long time I used to only work in the same color palette as medieval art, which is basically primary colors plus green, a very strict color palette.

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“You Know Just How to Hold Me,” 2018. | LAUREN MARX And yeah, I’m still fascinated by it, the crazy things that people would make. Have you seen the catacombs saints where they’re covered in jewels? It’s just like, “That’s nuts! And I love that you did it!” and it doesn’t make any sense to me, but I really appreciate it. As a person that doesn’t know much about it, it’s really neat. I also read that your own mentalhealth journey has really played a role in your works. Can you explain how this has had an influence

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on you? Yeah. I didn’t have the easiest childhood, so I’ve dealt with a lot of issues growing up with what turned out to be anxiety, depression, ADHD. A lot of my work at the very beginning was just all about random animals stuff. I realized they are so negative, but it’s such a good outlet for my negativities. I decided to focus my work around the idea of how I’m feeling, and that’s kind of why this concept of my work these days is so hard to describe. Because I’m kind of in a whirlwind moment

with my health. That really started with my second solo show, called Flesh Blood Bone. It was all centered around my just complete anger around my immediate family, and needing to kind of close a chapter on my life. And it was kind of an experiment of taking hours and hours and hours and sitting in those emotions, focused on one person at a time. And it was so freeing. It’s kind of like meditating on it, basically. So I tried to use it again and again, but my mental health ended up slipping, about a year

after that. After that process, a lot of my art, I think it shifted to be a little bit worse, but it’s a good thing, because it shows me trying to claw my way desperately back into a sense of normalcy. And another reason why my art lately doesn’t have too much of a real meaning behind it is that finally started ta ing medication for my bipolar disorder about fourteen or fifteen months ago. And so 2020, not only was it stressful, but it was my brain slowly recalibrating itself into a sense of real normalcy. I had a really hard time working on art, because it was just like, “What is this even about anymore?” Now, it’s kind of done its job. And it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. And once this all craziness is done, I’m really excited to see what kind of work will be made on that. But I do struggle a lot. But I also think it’s a really good thing, because I get to have some sort of empathy towards people who are also struggling and get to use my social media platform as a way to be human. And to make sure, essentially, people who are struggling and just figuring it out, [don’t] feel alone because social media can be so closed off, so professional, so clean cut. And so while I’m struggling, I’m trying to use that to help others. And, yeah, it’s been a real uphill battle for sure. But that’s just how it is. And so I don’t get mad at myself for it. I don’t blame anyone for it. Because it’s genetic, usually. But yeah, it’s something. I think we all got a little bit of something. I want to talk about your book, just released on May 4. What would you like readers to know about it? Oh, well, the existential crisis! No, I’m just joking. I think it’s a really good visual representation. So there’s not a lot of actual explanations for what the work’s about or anything like that. It’s pretty much just visual; it’s just images. And I think if they know the ins and outs of my mental health, like what I just said to you, you can kind of see it — it’s really neat to see it chronologically. Like my ups and my downs and my attempts to progress. I feel like I’ve really done something for my city with it. It’s nice. It’s nice to represent St. Louis in a tiny way. And so I tried to get as many St. Louis people involved in it as possible. And it feels good to feel like I’ve done something for St. Louis. I mean, not to make it seem bigger than it is. But, it’s kind of like, I did a thing and I’m still here. I promise I won’t move to L.A. I promise!

“Unicorn,” 2020. | LAUREN MARX

“It took me about a week after getting the actual physical copy to cry about it and to be like, ‘Oh my God, this is actually happening.’ And it sold out before it even launched, and they had to make more copies. I thought after a year of delays, no one was going to care. And people cared.” I think it’s wonderful. I think you’re a great representation of the city. What was the process of making this book like for you? Oh my gosh, it was a very nice nightmare. So, Dark Horse [Marx’s publisher], they are the sweetest people. They are a company formed basically because artists weren’t being treated well enough. They just emailed me one day. I’d never heard of them before, and it was four years ago. And they just

emailed me saying, “Wanna do a book?” I was like, “Sure. I don’t have enough artwor to fill the pages. Give me a minute.” And then the actual making of the book: We had decided that it would finish in ecember of . o it was pretty much percent of everything I’ve made up until December of . nd they would ask me, “Hey, what do you think about this layout?” or “What do you think about this, or the cover?” And I was just like, “You guys are the actual designers, and I can’t do anything other than draw. And I’m not going to have any input on this whatsoever.” But they’ve been incredibly sweet. o was finally tiptoeing towards the finish line. nd there were book tours planned and launch parties planned, and they were wanting to do stuff for it. And I’ve never been to a comic con — they’re like, “You could go to comic con with us!” And I was like, “Yeah!” That would be a really great people watching. And then, in April of last year — and I think they made the absolute right call — they just said, “We have to indefinitely postpone it we don’t know when it will come out, we don’t know if it will come out at this point. Like, we need to

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shut down the printing,” because they’re in Seattle, and Seattle got hit really hard. And so everything just kind of went away. Unfortunately, people had started preordering it in December of . o, there were a lot of people that, understandably, were upset. I had to deal with that a little bit, and that was really stressful. I refused to talk about the book for the rest of the year. I was like, “It doesn’t exist. I don’t want to hear about it.” Like, this is the most amazing thing for my career. And, not to be selfish during the pandemic, but it’s just like, “Aw, man!” because everyone thought it was only gonna last like a month or two. But, you know, [Dark Horse] said it seems wrong to release a book during this. And I completely agree. And I was kind of glad that they said no. o didn’t find out until about the end of January that the book was actually going to come out in May. I had no idea. They just were like, “Hey, everything’s backed up. The presses are here. We got your book!” And then I got my copy of the book by the end of February. And it was just, it was like, “Oh, it’s real. Like in four years, and it’s real. It exists, people can get it.” It took me about a week after getting the actual physical copy to cry about it and to be like, “Oh my God, this is actually happening.” I have a bit of imposter syndrome. I don’t know if that shows, but I just thought people were gonna be like, “Cool.” Maybe I’d sell a couple. And it sold out before it even launched, and they had to make more copies. I thought after a year of delays, no one was going to care. And people cared. What would you say was the most surreal moment for you throughout this book-making process? would say when first saw the original draft of the book. I was like, “You fools!” [Marx laughs] I was like, “Oh, they like my work enough to do this.” And they clearly are betting on me. Like, how am I even like a big enough artist to have a book made? What makes you passionate each day about being an artist in St. Louis? It feels good to represent the city in some form. But, it’s mainly because of the people here, that’s for sure. I would not say it’s certainly about the art here, as much as the community. I feel like I could work anywhere I wanted to. But I’m staying here and working here because of the people. I want to make them proud of something. Because I love St. Louis. n

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CAFE

Chiang Mai is unlike any Thai restaurant in town. A sampling of dishes: som tum, sakoo sai moo, gaeng hung lay, kab moo, sai oua and nua sawaan. | MABEL SUEN

[REVIEW]

Mother Knows Best Chiang Mai’s Thai food serves as a delicious tribute to chef Su Hill’s mom Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Chiang Mai 8158 Big Bend Boulevard, Webster Groves; 314-961-8889. Tues.-Thurs. noon-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. noon-9 p.m. (Closed Sunday and Monday.)

ome of Su Hill’s most foundational memories happened in her mother’s kitchen in Chiang Mai, Thailand. A revered home cook who was trained

in the domestic arts in Thailand’s Grand Palace, Hill’s mother would spend innumerable hours painstakingly preparing traditional Thai cuisine, selecting herbs from her garden, grinding spices, making curry paste, dicing vegetables and then dicing them again. It was tedious work — and to Hill, it was absolute drudgery. Looking back, Hill admits that she did not appreciate her mother’s lessons at the time of her instruction. A teenager more interested in doing the opposite of what her parents wanted her to do than in trekking down their well-worn path, Hill would always ask her mother why they had to do all of this work. Even after getting into the restaurant business herself in the United States, Hill had not fully embraced her mother’s teachings in traditional Thai cooking, and, instead, opted to work for Italian and pan-Asian restaurants in hotels throughout New York, the West Coast and Memphis. In the early 1990s, Hill settled in

Cape Girardeau to take over her brother’s small noodle shop. After running that for three years, she moved the restaurant to a larger space and rebranded it as Bistro Saffron, a pan-Asian eatery whose mix of Thai, Korean and sushi packs the house to this day. ill might have been satisfied with Bistro Saffron were it not for an awakening that happened after her mother’s death a few years ago. Struck by the reality that she could no longer simply pick up the phone to talk with her mom, she began thinking of the ways in which she could still feel her presence. Food was the obvious thread that bound her to her late mother, and she felt an overwhelming sense of duty to share her legacy with the world. As Hill thought through how she could go about doing that, it became clear that she should open a restaurant dedicated to honoring the traditions that were now in her hands. Chiang Mai is that homage to Hill’s mother. The restaurant,

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which opened in Webster Groves last October, is unlike any other Thai restaurant in town in that it is deeply personal, rooted in the family recipes Hill absorbed all those years ago, even when she didn’t know she was doing so. Focused on the dishes that, for Hill, define the cuisine of her hometown, the restaurant is a soulful showcase of northern Thai cuisine that differs from the more Bango -in ected dishes that are commonly seen in Thai restaurants throughout the United States. To bring her vision to life, Hill relied on another family connection. Her sister, Nippon Tei owner Ann Bognar, previously owned Tei Too, the restaurant that occupied the storefront where Chiang Mai now sits. Bognar sold the space to Hill, who began work on converting it to its current iteration not long before the pandemic shuttered restaurants across the area last March. Though the delay was frustrating, Hill admits it gave her time

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Chiang Mai’s menu is deeply personal, rooted in the family recipes Su Hill absorbed all those years ago, even when she didn’t know she was doing so.

Som tum, or green papaya salad. | MABEL SUEN

CHIANG MAI

Continued from pg 21

she didn’t realize she needed to perfect her recipes. No longer a rebellious teenager, Hill reveled in the work that went into preparing the dishes the way her mother did, feeling that doing so was a way to have her there in spirit, if not in physical form. The result of her efforts is not only a window into northern Thai cuisine; it’s an utterly delicious journey into her mother’s kitchen that makes for one of the city’s most memorable dining experiences. Chiang Mai’s offerings are one revelatory delight after another that simultaneously comfort and light up the palate. Nua sawaan, for instance, is a masterful dish that features coriander-dusted strips of beef that are accented with palm sugar and sea salt, then ash-fried to give them a crispy exterior. Piquant pickled vegetables are served alongside the beef, offering a burst of fiery refreshment that cuts through the savory meat. Hill’s sai oua shows the glaring difference between housemade and mass-produced sausage. Here, rustic cut hunks of pork are mixed with fresh herbs and searing spices, then stuffed into a snappy casing; each bite coats the tongue in lemongrass, chiles and

Chef-owner Su Hill. | MABEL SUEN sweet pork fat. It’s electrifying. Saikoo sai moo, or tapioca dumplings, are delightfully sticky balls of minced pork and peanut, spiked with just enough chili heat to make the mouth tingle, but not burn. Even the straightforward pho piah todd are dazzling. The a y, cigar-shaped cheese rolls evoke crab Rangoon and are es-

pecially noteworthy thanks to the accompanying sauce, a delicate sweet and sour condiment deepened with fun y fish sauce. The above-noted small plates set the tone for an epic feast of entrée-sized dishes, like the gra dook moo. These tender baby back ribs are roasted with honey and garlic that forms a sweet and earthy

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glaze that tastes like a beautifully funky caramel. A beef massaman curry paired cubes of fork-tender meat with anise-scented sauce; slivers of cashews accented the dish, providing a pleasant crunch. Hill may be unafraid to use spice, but her mild dishes prove that she does not have to rely on such firepower to coax deep avor from her ingredients. A simple platter of crab and shrimp fried rice is warm, uffy and scented throughout with the gentle avor of shellfish. Chic en noodle soup is a bowl of pure comfort; the subtly sweet broth, tender chicken, noodles and bean sprouts make you feel as if you are being enveloped in a hug. Though all the dishes are special to Hill, the gaeng hung lay stands out because of how much it reminds her of her mother. Using the exact same technique to create the exact same avors, the dish pairs braised pork that is so tender you could spread it on bread with garlic and ginger-forward curry. The result is an absolute masterpiece that is the most stunning tribute Hill could ever make to her mother. When you order that pork — or really anything at Chiang Mai — you are experiencing more than just outrageously good avor. ou feel as if you are witnessing an intimate conversation with a mother and daughter that, no matter what separates them, is just as real as if they were cooking alongside each other in the restaurant’s kitchen. It’s a powerful feeling that makes Chiang Mai more than just an exceptional restaurant; it makes it a meaningful experience that we are privileged to witness.

Chiang Mai Sai oua ..................................................... $12 Gaeng hung lay ......................................... $14 Gra dook moo ........................................... $18 • Carryout, indoor dining, outdoor dining

MAY 19-25, 2021

RIVERFRONT TIMES

SHORT ORDERS

The Village Bar is a St. Louis Standard if there ever was one. About 140 years old, the Des Peres dive bar has held onto its character, even as Manchester has changed all around it. | ANDY PAULISSEN

[ S T. L O U I S S TA N D A R D S ]

It Takes a Village Village Bar marks 140 years with plans to add a distillery, event space and more Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

ohn Forrest remembers being struck by a particular kind of phone call he got when he first started working at the Village Bar (12247 Manchester Road, Des Peres; 314-821-4532) about six years ago. Unlike other hospitality gigs, it wasn’t uncommon for the longtime Des Peres tavern to be asked to host funeral luncheons. Initially, it seemed like a peculiar phenomenon, but it didn’t take long for him to realize why these were such common requests. “People would call up and tell us that this is where their dad had his

RIVERFRONT TIMES

first beer, and it was also where he had his last,” Forrest says. “When you’ve been around for 140 years, you get a lot of calls like that.” The Village Bar may be the “Cheers” of Des Peres, but it’s far from the only institution of its type in the St. Louis metro area. Neighborhoods throughout the city are filled with watering holes, bars and grills, and longtime independent restaurants that mean much more to their patrons than a place to grab something to eat or drink. Weave these establishments together with the iconic restaurants, bars and dishes that have come to represent the city’s food and beverage community and you get an impressive — if not a little well-worn — fabric that tells us who we are. Throughout my eight years as the RFT’s dining critic, I’ve been asked numerous questions over and over about the gig. Where is your favorite restaurant? Are you anonymous? We have people coming in from out of town — where should we take them to eat? However, the one query that’s always struck me is when I’m asked why we don’t spend more time and effort covering established places. Whereas so much space is spent

MAY 19-25, 2021

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Burgers and beers have soothed generations of regulars. | ANDY PAULISSEN talking about the shiny new things, there tends to be little room dedicated to the people and places who’ve been going about the business of operating their bars and restaurants for a long time. In an industry where it’s more common to fail than succeed within the first couple of years, that staying power is a feat that deserves to be celebrated, not just for their sheer endurance, but because they are a living history that tells the story of

our metropolitan area. In this spirit, we’re excited to launch St. Louis Standards, a weekly column dedicated to the people, places and dishes that make our food scene what it is. We’ll feature icons, of course, but we’ll also be shining a light on the establishments that might not be known outside their immediate community — but are, for their regulars, the center of the universe. The Village Bar is one of those

[ M E AT S ]

A Fine Swine Reopens as a Food Truck Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

ate last year, it appeared that A Fine Swine BBQ (afineswinebbq. com) was to be another casualty of the pandemic when owner David Stidham shuttered both his New Baden and Mt. Vernon restaurants. Now, the brand is getting a new lease on life as a food truck and catering outfit thanks to the new Metro East restaurant incubator Soucial Kitchen. The barbecue brand will begin operating as part of Soucial Kitchen this June, serving up the award-winning smoked meats Stidham has perfected during his time on the competition circuit. To do so, he’s converted an old box truck into a mobile smoker that will allow him to offer A Fine Swine’s most

popular items, as well as new pitmaster specials. Described as a “mobile cloud kitchen” or ghost kitchen, Soucial Kitchen is the brainchild of retired Brigadier General John E. Michel, who launched a similar operation in Arkansas. Part culinary incubator and part social enterprise, A Soucial Kitchen serves as a commercial kitchen space for affiliated trucks and also has a retail component that allows guests to order takeout or delivery. Soucial Kitchen is also focused on reducing food insecurity through its pay-it-forward meal donation program called Currency of Caring, which allows guests of the food trucks to buy meal tokens for those in need. Those who purchase the tokens can give them out, and the recipients can redeem them for a free meal at any Soucial Kitchenaffiliated restaurant. In addition to A Fine Swine, other brands operating out of Soucial Kitchen include El Guacqo Taco, Neo’s Wood-Fired Pizza, NashVegas Fried Chicken and Minuteman Hamburgers. The plan is for all the trucks who have committed to being a part of Soucial Kitchen to be up and running by June.

A new distillery on the property will soon make it even more of a destination. | ANDY PAULISSEN places. Not a hole-in-the-wall by any stretch of the imagination, the tavern’s sheer staying power has made it a multigenerational center of the Des Peres community, even before Des Peres existed. As owner Mark Disper likes to

point out, the bar was established roughly four years before the municipality was incorporated, getting its start in 1872 as the area’s post office and general store. t that time Manchester was a dirt road, and the building provided

A Fine Swine BBQ is back, serving its ‘cue from a food truck. | COURTESY A FINE SWINE BBQ As for A Fine Swine, Stidham is not waiting for June to get back to business. He is already booking food-truck loca-

tions and catering orders. To see where you can get your first taste of his mobile ’cue, visit afineswinebbq.com. n

food, liquor, feed and hardware to westward travelers. The outfit became a bar following Prohibition and has remained one ever since. Though it’s changed hands over the years, its essential character has not — that’s one of the reasons Disper felt it was so important to preserve when he bought it in 2016. Prior to that, he’d been a patron of the bar and heard rumors that there was a possibility it was being sold to Schnucks to be leveled and turned into a grocery store. He couldn’t let that happen. “It’s important to preserve the heritage and memories for the next generation,” Disper says. “You just can’t remake a dive bar like this.” ince ta ing over the bar five years ago, Disper has done a good job balancing preservation with needed updates, cleaning up the bar’s outside environs and rehabbing the adjacent farmhouse that is now part of the Village Bar complex. His biggest project, however, is the rehab of the old barn that sits on the property, which he and his business partners are making the base of their soon-to-launch distillery, 1879 Distilling Company. The project, which Disper hopes will begin operations in the com-

ing months, has involved a massive renovation of the space, using reclaimed and historic components from around the St. Louis area. Once it’s up and running, the distillery will not only make highquality spirits, it will also serve as a new events space. This, together with the forthcoming tasting room being set up in the old farmhouse, will make the Village Bar complex a destination for much more than its famous burgers, onion rings and ice-cold beer. Still, Forrest, who is now the Village Bar’s general manager, is confident that the essential character of the place will remain, even as the distillery will be a significant addition to the overall complex. It’s already shown that it can be an unwavering presence amidst change; pointing to Des Peres’ sixteen banks, numerous strip malls and urgent care centers, he believes the reason the tavern has been so successful is because it’s been confident enough in its own identity to stay true to itself, even if that means a little old, scrappy and well-worn. That charm, he says, is what keeps his regulars coming back. “It’s got marks and scars,” Forrest says. “Everyone gets beat up after 140 years, right?” n

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MAY 19-25, 2021

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[MURALS]

Steve’s Hot Dogs Moving to Mangia Space Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

ans of Steve’s Hot Dogs (3457 Magnolia Avenue, 314-9325953) will soon be getting their tubular meat fix at a different spot. teve wing’s beloved hot dog restaurant is moving from its Tower Grove East location to outh Grand, in the left-side storefront of the former Mangia Italiano. Though no concrete date has been set, the move will ta e place in a few months. ounded on the ill in , teve’s ot ogs opened its Tower Grove ast restaurant, connected to Tic Toc Tavern, in as a second location. ive years later, wing shuttered the ill spot and focused exclusively on serving his loyal guests out of the Tower Grove East storefront. In a release announcing the move, wing says the restaurant has been growing out of the current digs for some

[ M O R E M E AT S ]

BEAST Butcher & Block Resumes Barbecue Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

he air of the Grove is again filled with the smell of sweet smoke as BEAST Butcher & Block (4156 Manchester Avenue, 314-944-6003) has reopened its smokehouse for barbecue service. The acclaimed restaurant, owned by David and Meggan Sandusky, paused its barbecue service this February in response to challenges presented by the pandemic. With its dining room shuttered (the Sanduskys chose to offer only carryout and delivery out of an abundance of caution), operating at full capacity became financially unsustainable. In order to weather the COVID-19 storm, the Sanduskys closed the barbecue side of the operation to focus on the butchery and a sandwich pop-up. How-

RIVERFRONT TIMES

MAY 19-25, 2021

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Steve’s Hot Dogs is moving to the former Mangia Italiano. | SARA BANNOURA time now but he was loo ing for the right place that would eep the brand connected to the Tower Grove ast neighborhood that has come to support it over the past six years. The former Mangia Italiano proved to be that spot. fter the longtime outh Grand restaurant shuttered this past ecember as a result of the C pandemic, wing saw that it could be the perfect place to set up shop. The new storefront will double the restaurant’s dining room space and allow for a stage and full bar. The restaurant’s iconic Wayne t. Wayne mural will also be staying in place. We’re loo ing forward to this new chapter, wing said in his announcement. Than you, fam, for helping us bounce bac and grow uic er than we ever could have imagined We can’t wait to share this new space with you n ever, as Sandusky explains, demand for his famous ’cue continued to be so robust that he and Meggan decided it was time to give the people what they want. “We’ve been fortunate to create an exceptional following for the sandwiches from the butcher shop, but the people have spoken,” Sandusky says. “They want barbecue back, and it’s time to give it to them.” Though the restaurant had switched to full table service before the pandemic, it has reopened with a fast-casual format. Guests can either order at the counter or from QR codes at their tables. Sandwiches will still be available, but, as Sandusky notes, the barbecue will be the focus. “The menu will retain the more popular sandwiches we’ve recently created but will focus on what made us famous — badass barbecue with carefully sourced animals,” Sandusky says. “You’ll find everything a la carte for now like you’d expect from a local meat market.” The restaurant will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. The butcher shop will continue to operate Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. n

REEFERFRONT TIMES

[DISPENSARY REVIEW]

Tommy Chims Smokes Greenlight Dispensary’s Weed Written by

THOMAS CHIMCHARDS

thought I’d seen the pinnacle of pot-purchasing convenience as a teenager. Back in those days, one of the people whom I would frequent for weed-buying purposes had set up an ingenious method of peddling his wares out of his parents’ basement. This fella, who I’m going to refer to as This Guy going forward (not to be confused with The Guy or That Guy), had installed a small doorbell on the outside of his basement window. But rather than ringing a bell when pushed, the button was hooked up to a lamp, so whenever someone would come to pick up a bag, they’d simply hit the button a couple of times, whereupon a light would begin ashing in This Guy’s room, alerting him to the presence of a customer. This Guy would then open up his window, greet whomever was standing outside and supply them with whatever they came to buy. It was genius, really. This Guy’s parents were none the wiser, because they wouldn’t even notice people coming over and sneaking into their side yard, nor would they hear anything when people did show up. It also 86ed the tedious ritual of having to sit in your dealer’s house and pretend to care about anything they have to say, as you were on your way in mere minutes and never even invited inside in the first place. Really, it was a great setup. And while it’s still fair to say that was the most convenient way I have ever purchased ten-strips of acid tabs in my life, we have

an exciting new contender on the weed front, thanks to the drivethrough window at Greenlight Dispensary’s Ferguson location (517 South Florissant Road, Ferguson; 844-785-9333). The ordering process here is even easier than the ingenious idea This Guy had concocted. Customers simply hop onto Greenlight’s online menu, pick out what they want and then upload photos of their ID and medical card. Once the order is accepted, you get a series of text messages helpfully telling you its status until you’re ultimately informed that it’s time to come pick up your goods. The drive-through itself is located in the back of Greenlight’s Ferguson location and is less like a fast-food situation than it is an automatic car wash. Customers pull up to a bay door and wait for it to open, whereupon you pull into a small garage with a window within. There, you hand over your ID and medical card, and soon you are handed a bag containing your goods, after which a second bay door opens and you’re on your way. No muss, no fuss. That process was a dream, and certainly a huge selling point for Greenlight, but I still wanted to get a good sense of the dispensary itself, so after finished that transaction I parked my car out front and made my way inside. Greenlight is different from many of the local dispensaries in that it doesn’t seem to be trying too hard to style itself as a house of medicine, which can come across as kind of stuffy — on my visit, for example, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes and Nelly were all playing over the house speakers, none of whom I’ve ever heard at my doctor’s office. s a fan of early s radio rap, I found it to be a welcome development. Upon entry, I gave my ID and medical card to the person behind the front desk and sat for just a moment in a small waiting area before my budtender came

and led me to the sales oor. Inside, the shop has several glass cases displaying its products. One interesting detail this place has going for it too is a atscreen T showing multiple views of Greenlight’s grow operation in Kansas City, at a , -s uare-foot former Pepsi factory where all of its cannabis, edibles and prerolls are cultivated and packaged for sale. It’s nice being able to see exactly where the product you’re purchasing comes from. Another thoughtful detail is Greenlight’s pricing structure, which builds taxes into the advertised price of its products in the

store — helpful for avoiding the receipt shock that can come when those taxes are piled on at the end. (It should be noted, though, that the prices listed on the website are still pre-tax, which can be a little confusing.) I went with an eighth of AK-47 , an eighth of ava Ca e and a preroll of Magic Melon . My total came to . I started with the AK-47. Rated at 14.93 percent THC, this Greenlight-branded strain came in a little pouch of “budlets,” meaning it ain’t the prettiest to look at, but it comes at a discount. Essentially, Continued on pg 28

S T HIGHER THOU G H From the altered mind of

THOMAS CHIMCHARDS Welcome to Higher Thoughts, wherein ol’ Tommy Chims smokes one strain from this review — in this case, Lava Cake — and then immediately writes whatever comes to mind in the hopes

of giving you, dear reader, a clearer picture of its overall mental effects: no rules, no predetermined word counts and, most crucially, no editing. Here we go:

I KNOW THAT this may ruffle a few feathers, and I’m already kicking myself for walking into this hornets’ nest, but I just can’t keep quiet on this subject any longer: I think the trombone is the most badass of all the brass instruments to play an “air” version of. You get to punch your fist wildly with each change in pitch, you can pretend to know what you’re doing as you slide your arm back and forth in smaller and larger increments to correspond with the notes, and it’s not the airtrumpet, which really just consists of the wiggling of a few fingers and an air-mute if you’re lucky. Now, I know what you’re going to

say: What about the saxophone? And yes, I was alive during the Clinton administration too, so I know that the sax is, like, cool as hell or whatever. But consider this: Clinton’s support for the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was a politically motivated act that may well have been a war crime under international humanitarian law, and the actual act of playing an air saxophone is not dissimilar to what it would look like if you were to grab a ferret and tickle it with both hands. Plus you gotta believe that J.J. Johnson would never have allowed the bombing of the RTS headquarters to occur under his watch. I’m sorry, but it’s just not badass, man.

Was that helpful? Who knows! See you next week. Thomas K. Chimchards is RFT’s resident cannabis correspondent and aspiring air-tromboner. Email him tips at tommy.chim@riverfronttimes.com and follow him on Twitter at @TOMMYCHIMS

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MAY 19-25, 2021

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Should you go inside, Greenlight has an appealing setup. | COURTESY GREENLIGHT DISPENSARY

GREENLIGHT

Continued from pg 27

you’re dealing with the shake at the end of the bag here, but I knew what I was getting into so I had no issues with that. Upon opening the bag I was met with a rich, dark smell, sort of a cross between coffee and chocolate. The crumbles of weed within are a light, bright green color, with hints of darker green and orange hairs, and a really great, even distribution of trichomes. On breakup the fairly dry budlets crumbled easily and left a light dusting of keef all over my fingers. n inhale there’s a rich, sour avor that reminded me of the crawly leaves that sometimes separate buds — still pleasant, but not top-notch avorwise or anything (again, to be expected, and consistent with the fact these are budlets). This strain delivers a relaxed and mellow high that left me with the focus and concentration necessary to beat the Temple Tempest level of Donkey Kong Country, even as the Milwaukee’s Best Light I was also consuming eroded my hand-eye coordination. For that I will be forever grateful. Next up I dove into the Lava Cake. Rated at 20.36 percent THC, this Greenlight-branded strain boasts smaller, dark green buds with hints of lime green and purple patches, absolutely encrusted with orange and white hairs and a generous dusting of trichomes. The nuggets are tight and dense, and much more moist than the AK-47 budlets were — really beautiful, well-structured little buds — and I again got keef all over my fingers on brea up a grinder might be the way to go with this

RIVERFRONT TIMES

MAY 19-25, 2021

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one). Both the smell and taste of this strain are exceptionally fruity and sweet — downright delicious, even — and I felt its effects almost immediately. This stuff is strong as hell, and I found myself high as a kite within only minutes, my eyes droopy, my body relaxed and my appetite stimulated to the tune of an entire bag of Lay’s potato chips. Handle with care, especially if you are a novice smoker (or on a diet). I had a little trouble with the Magic Melon preroll. While the weed itself is top-notch, I found it difficult to hit for about the first third of the joint, li e it was packed too tight. I had to keep squishing it up and rolling it between my fingers to get a pull off of it, and by the end it had a run on one side. None of this is the end of the world, by any means — especially considering the quality of the cannabis. Rated at 14.34 percent THC, this strain, also Greenlight-branded, is exceptionally smooth on inhale, with a sweet, chocolatey taste that left me pleasantly high but not debilitated. It was certainly worth the trouble of a stuffy joint, and ’d suspect mine was an outlier anyway. All told, Greenlight is yet another excellent St. Louis dispensary with its own unique personality and some impressive products — that Lava Cake, especially, is a joy to behold. ts drive-through is nothing short of a revelation, one that will be invaluable to customers who are intimidated by the experience of visiting a dispensary or even those who are just big on convenience. Now, when is Missouri gonna legalize medicinal acid tabs? I’m looking forward to hitting up a drive-through for that. n

[ D R U G L AW S ]

Through the Cracks Missouri bill to undo drug law damage deleted before vote Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

potentially life-changing amendment to a public safety bill was mysteriously deleted before legislators voted on it, sidelining a change to a harsh drug law that could mean the difference between freedom and decades in prison for dozens of drug offenders. Senate Bill 26 passed on Friday, the last day of the session. It was supposed to include language restoring parole eligibility for some people convicted under Missouri’s so-called “prior and persistent drug offender statute.” But the version approved and sent to the governor didn’t include the the measure introduced by Rep. Cheri Toalson-Reisch. She told the RFT on Monday she had been assured the language was being included in a final version, but when she tried to confirm that on Tuesday, she was told it had been left out through a clerical error. Now, it could be too late. “I’m very upset,” Toalson-Reisch tells RFT. Enacted in 1989, Missouri’s “prior and persistent drug offender” law transformed low-level drug charges, even nonviolent ones, into decades-long prison sentences. The law set a ten-year minimum prison term for offenders with two prior drug convictions, but it was the elimination of their eligibility for parole that locked them into sentences usually reserved for murderers or repeat violent offenders. Although the law was repealed and replaced in 2017, Missouri’s Supreme Court in 2020 rejected arguments that the repeal should be applied retroactively. Legally speaking, the ruling left drug offenders in what Toalson-Reisch, who represents part of Boone County, calls “the crack” — trapped in prison sentences governed by the pre-2017 criminal code despite the repeal intended to help them. Under the measure she introduced this year, parole eligibility would be restored to drug offenders convicted of first- and second-degree drug trafficking who have served at least ten years of their sentence. A parole board would also have to determine that a person has a “reasonable probability” of not reoffending if released. The focus on trafficking charges meant it would affect only a portion of roughly 230 “prior and persistent” drug offenders still serving lengthy sentences,

In a cruel twist, a key amenment was erased from the bill. | VIA FLICKR / KOMUNEWS

It appears that a legislative “drafter” mistakenly erased the amendment prior to the final vote, though details are still unclear. but it would help some. The Department of Corrections identified 35 offenders serving time for trafficking, including eight who have served ten years or more. Timothy Prosser, the subject of a 2016 RFT cover story, is one of those who could have benefited. He is serving a life sentence without parole for a methrelated trafficking charge, a punishment so extreme that the even prosecutor on his case now calls it “unconscionable.” Toalson-Reisch’s amendment was among a flurry of additions attached last week to Senate Bill 26, a wide-ranging bill that included a police “bill of rights.” Several controversial measures were quietly killed, including the ones seemingly targeting protesters with a newly created crime for intentionally blocking a roadway. But Toalson-Reisch believed her amendment was among several key criminal justice reforms, including a ban on police chokeholds, that survived. She says it now appears that a legislative “drafter” mistakenly erased the amendment prior to the final vote, though details are unclear. “Once I find out which drafter thought this was wrong, whatever they were thinking, we’re all going to sit down with the House drafter,” Toalson-Reisch says. “We’re going to have a talk and make sure we’re all on the same page and make sure this doesn’t happen again.” She plans to refile the bill next year. However, there is no guarantee it will pass in a new vote. n

riverfronttimes.com

MAY 19-25, 2021

RIVERFRONT TIMES

CULTURE

[ F E S T I VA L S ]

All That Jazz Music at the Intersection announces three-day St. Louis festival with 60-plus acts Written by

DANIEL HILL

ive music is coming back to St. Louis in a big way this fall, in the form of a three-day festival set to bring some 60-plus acts to six stages throughout Grand Center. The inaugural Music at the Intersection Festival will see headliners including Roy Ayers, Gregory Porter and Lalah Hathaway joined by more than 40 local acts spanning across such genres as blues, rock & roll, jazz, soul, R&B and hip-hop. Additionally, national acts including Lee Fields & The Expressions, Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Ikebe Shakedown, Keyon Harrold, the Soul Rebels featuring GZA, Bettye a ette, M- un , the aylor Project and Don Bryant featuring the Bo-Keys will all perform as well. The festival will take place in Grand Center from September 10 through 12, with the Fabulous Fox Theatre, the Big Top, the Sheldon Concert Hall, the Grandel Theatre, Jazz St. Louis and the Open Air tent all playing host. It’s a welcome return to live music after an absolutely brutal year brought many local venues and artists to the brink of ruin. “Our local music economy has taken a hard hit this past year, and it’s time to start healing,” Chris Hansen, executive director of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, says in a statement. “We’re excited to have venues re-opening, our arts community reuniting and fans able to safely enjoy live music again. Our current mantra is ‘mask up and get down.’ With health and safety top of mind, we’re moving forward with a truly unique celebration of St. Louis musical heritage that we hope will have a long-term economic impact for the region and its arts

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Ferguson-raised jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, a first-call session musician for a slew of top-name hip-hop artists, is one of many acts slated for the festival. | YUKI TEI community.” According to a press release, special care was put into the programming of the festival to ensure that many of its out-of-town acts have St. Louis roots — a key goal for its organizers. Lalah Hathaway, for example, is the daughter of singer Donny Hathaway, who grew up in north city. Additionally, the members of the now New York-based Baylor Project previously lived in East St. Louis; R&B rocker Nikki Hill cut her teeth on stages throughout St. Louis; and members of Gregory Porter’s band are based in the St. Louis area. “This festival is meant to tell the story of St. Louis’ imprint on the American songbook, the relationship we have with our sister cities and the genres that have been birthed and fostered here,” Hansen says. “If you love this form of music, you’ll get it. This lineup is deeply representative of St. Louis’ heritage and musical future. For those who don’t go deep on these genres, we hope Music at the Intersection can serve as an immersive education on St. Louis’ incredible musical roots and impact on our culture.” Another notable artist with St. Louis roots is jazz trumpeter and activist Keyon Harrold, who grew up in Ferguson and has since be-

MAY 19-25, 2021

riverfronttimes.com

come a first-call performer who has worked with everyone from Snoop Dogg to Beyoncè to Maxwell to D’Angelo. Harrold’s inclusion in the fest comes hot on the heels of him being named creative advisor to Jazz St. Louis, one of the sponsors and participating venues for the festival, for a three-year term in which he is tasked with curating jazz perfor-

mances with artists working in disciplines spanning dance, poetry, hip-hop and visual arts. His performance at the festival will mar his first in t. ouis since stepping into the new role. “I am very excited to return to St. Louis because it is my home and I have always been a part of the Jazz St. Louis family. It is exciting to come full circle and I

Line ’Em Up Friday, Sept 10 (6 p.m. to 1 a.m.) will feature Roy Ayers, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Ikebe Shakedown, Mike Zito, Tonina, The Mighty Pines, Brothers Lazaroff, Naked Rock Fight, Beth Bombara, Dave Grelle’s Playadors, Ben Wheeler, Brother Francis & The Soultones, and Heartcave. Saturday, Sept 11 (Noon to 1 a.m.) will feature Gregory Porter, Keyon Harrold, The Soul Rebels ft. GZA, Bettye LaVette, DaM-FunK, The Baylor Project, iLLPHONiCS, Blvck Spvde, Midwest Avengers, Kenny DeShields, Sample Kulture, Mark Harris II, Katarra, Be.Be & The Neosouls, 18andCounting and TheOnlyEnsemble, Brock Seals, Janet Evra, Ryan Marquez, Scooter Brown, Kaleb Kirby, Brady Lewis and Parisian. Sunday, Sept 12 (Noon to 11 p.m.) will feature Lalah Hathaway, Booker T. Jones, Don Bryant featuring The Bo-Keys, Nikki Hill, Marquise Knox, Funky Butt Brass Band, Huntertones, Denise Thimes, Selwyn Birchwood, Anita Jackson, John Henry, One Way Traffic, Clark Terry Centennial Project, Cara Louise Band, Hillary Fitz Band, Jr. Clooney, The Scandaleros, Roland Johnson, Western States, We Are Root Mod, LoopRat and Syna So Pro.

look forward to doing something unique and thoughtful as well as boundary pushing,” Harrold said in a statement upon the announcement of his new role. “I plan on bringing a myriad of different voices — unexpected voices — to speak to the consciousness of now and to educate about where we come from musically and culturally.” Tickets for the Music at the Intersection Festival will be sold in the form of full weekend passes

or single-day affairs. Three-day passes range from $160 to $300 for VIPs, with Friday-only tickets running $55 to $90 and single-day passes for Saturday and Sunday coming in at $70 to $120 each. The three-day passes will go on sale through MetroTix on Tuesday, May 18, at 10 a.m.; the single-day passes will be available the following week at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 25. For more information, visit musicattheintersection.org. n

Drive-In STL at POWERplex was a big hit last year, so naturally it’s coming back. | VIA DRIVE-IN STL

[ PA R K I N G L O T S ]

Park and Vibe Drive-In STL will be hosting concerts and films all summer long Written by

JAIME LEES

rive-In STL (5555 St. Louis Mills Boulevard) opened last summer as a safe way for people to get together for a little fun and community during the pandemic. Set up on the large parking lot of POWERplex (a.k.a. the former St. Louis Outlet Mall, a.k.a. the former St. Louis Mills) in Hazelwood, this wide-open area with a video screen and a stage became a destination for all types of events in a socially distant manner. The site hosted concerts, graduation ceremonies, private parties and more. This year Drive-In STL is back with

even bigger plans for guests to roll in and enjoy. The twelve-acre lot will host concerts, movie nights, and music and film pairings from now through October. Country royalty Wynonna Judd has just been announced as the entertainment on Thursday, June 17, and there are plenty of other big names on the schedule, too. Ticket prices vary wildly depending on the event and on which level of ticket is purchased. Five different ticket levels are offered for different events with prices ranging from $24.95 for general admission (per car, includes a "private party pad" space next to your car) to a $449.95 VIP Private Party Pad for the Wynonna Judd concert which includes ten guests, twenty complimentary beverages (including alcohol), private restrooms and more. In addition to these optional upgrades, this year they’ve also added other enhancements, like a Hospitality Lounge with games and even a Food Truck Alley so you can try out some of St. Louis’ finest food on wheels. Visit driveinstl.com to see the schedule of events, to find out more details or to purchase tickets. n

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MAY 19-25, 2021

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MAY 19-25, 2021

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SAVAGE LOVE SHAFTED BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I’m a European heterosexual girl, and reading your column from afar has been a good way for me to better know the sex world! I am wondering if you have advice for me about a “faster” way to do blowjobs. Or rather a way to make my boyfriend come faster from them. I like doing them, but after some time my mouth begins to hurt and I’d like him to finish. My partner is “slower” to come than other men I’ve been with. During intercourse sex I don’t mind. I usually come first, but it is not a problem to wait for him to finish. But during oral sex, it is harder to wait. Sometimes I say no to giving him a blowjob because I know the effort it will take. I don’t want to talk with him about this because I don’t want to make him self-conscious. I know how good it is to receive oral sex without thinking about having to rush my own orgasm, and I don’t want to make him feel rushed. In the years of our relationship I haven’t found a trick that gives me the power to make it faster. I need some button to push. Maybe you have some tips for me? Sex Tips Inducing Faster Finish Easing Discomfort I have some good news: There is a button. It’s doesn’t work on all men, sadly, but for many men a little pressure on this button can speed up an approaching orgasm considerably. While this button isn’t hard to find, T , you can’t see it with the naked eye … because it’s inside a guy’s ass. The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that produces seminal uid it’s located inside and up a man’s bum. If you’re facing your boyfriend — which you would be while blowing him — his prostate is on the same side of his body that you are. lip a finger in his ass, make a gentle “come here” motion with your finger, and you’ll be hitting that button. Keep gently pressing on his prostate as his orgasm approaches and you should feel it harden, swell, and contract. But you’re gonna need to get your boyfriend’s consent before stic ing a finger in his ass, T , which means you’re gonna have to talk to him about trying this —

and I think you should level with him about why you wanna try it. While his stamina is great during P you always come first , it’s a challenge when you blow him. You need to be able to talk honestly with your partner about sex in general, T , and it’s particularly important that you’re able to freely give him feedback when sex is physically uncomfortable. While there’s an obvious upside for you to speeding up his orgasms during oral, e.g. less wear and tear on your face, there are two big upsides for him: You’re gonna get him there faster by making blowjobs more intensely pleasurable for him, and he’s gonna get more of those more intensely pleasurable blowjobs once they’re less physically taxing for you. And if a finger in the butt is a no-go for your boyfriend or you , T , there are some other tricks you can try. ome guys get there a little faster during oral if you cup, squeeze, or gently pull on their balls some guys get there a little faster if you play with their nipples (or they play with their own . nd you can always use your hands to speed things along, i.e. pull his dick out of your mouth, give him a few good pumps, get him a closer to the finish line, and then dive back down on his dick. Hey, Dan: My wife and I just celebrated our 34th anniversary. For the first year it was great. We shared many intimate moments. But on her 26th birthday (33 years ago!) she got “it.” A vibrator. Ever since I feel like I’ve been bumped down to a distant fourth in our relationship. Her priorities: family, job, “it,” then me. She thinks everything is fine and that we’re soulmates, friends, lovers, etc., but I feel like her lowest priority. I’ve read articles where women can become addicted to these devices, essentially snubbing their significant others. I know it’s complicated, but what can I do to win her back? I’ve tried romancing her but I’m always competing with “it” for intimate attention. How many others have been replaced by “it” in their relationships? What can I do? Vanquishing “It” Becomes Essential Quest top trying to compete with it. ex is not a competition, , and “it” is not your competitor. “It”

is a tool, , and it could and should be your friend and collaborator instead of your nemesis. irst, your wife is not bro en and her clit does not have addiction issues. Your wife is most likely one of the many women out there who can only come with the help of a vibrator. ome women and some other people with clits need sustained deep-tissue vibrations in order to get off. emember ic s and clits are made up of the same starter pac of fetal tissues a dic is a big clit, a clit is a small dick. But most of the clit — the “shaft” of the clit, e.g. the erectile tissues and chambers that anchor the exposed glans of clit to the body — is internal. You probably haven’t seen many men jer off, , but have. ome men and other people who have penises focus all of their efforts on the heads of their cocks — working the glans — while others barely touch the head and focus most of their efforts on the shaft. Basically, there are women out there who need the “shaft” of the clitoris stimulated in order to come — not the exposed glans, but the majority of the clitoris, which is inside the body. The sensations provided by a powerful vibrator are the best and, for some women, the only way to hit their shafts with the sensations required to get them off. o my advice after all these years is to finally learn to love “it.” Invite your wife to incorporate it into your sex sessions don’t make the mistake (or continue ma ing the mista e of forcing her to choose between sex with you that doesn’t get her all the way there and masturbation sessions with “it” that do. Let her use “it” on/with herself when you’re having intercourse and ask if you can use “it” on/with her when you’re not, e.g. every once in a while leave your dick out of it and focus on your wife’s pleasure. Hopefully you’ll come to see “it” as an extension of your body when “it” is in your hands and as your loyal wingman when “it” is in hers. Good luck and happy anniversary. Hey, Dan: My son, a 15-year-old straight guy, occasionally enjoys dressing in girls’ clothing. When he was little it was his sister’s tutus and painting his nails. These days he does it more to be funny. I have noticed, however, that

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once the joke is over he keeps the makeup and dress on longer and longer. This has never bothered me or his dad. We don’t encourage or discourage it. We have never gendered things in our very liberal house (no girls/boys toys, etc.). He is a pretty open kid with friends across the spectrum of sexual and gender identities, so I don’t get the feeling he would hide it if he is struggling with gender issues. I think he just likes to wear a dress around the house sometimes. I’m wondering if we still refer to a guy dressing in women’s clothes as a “cross-dressing” or is it now just “wearing a dress”? Is there a more modern term/name? Cross-dressing feels derogatory for some reason. We have no intention of trying to change his behavior, but I’d like to use the right words if he wants to talk about it. Demonstrating Respect Exposes Sincere Support No one is more up to date on the right words than the word cops at G , which used to stand for the “Gay and Lesbian Alliance gainst efamation and now just stands for G , because otherwise they’d need a new acronym that incorporated , T, , another , , another , , , P, another P, ... . nyway, , G says the term “cross-dressing” is fine While anyone may wear clothes associated with a different sex, the term cross-dresser is typically used to refer to men who occasionally wear clothes, makeup, and accessories culturally associated with women. G recommends people use “cross-dressing” instead of “transvestite” and notes that most cross-dressers identify as both male and straight and “have no desire to transition and/ or live full-time as women.” But your son is only years old he may be a straight male cross-dresser, , or he may be exploring his gender identity under the guise of wearing dresses for laughs. Give him time, give him space. And just as you’re keeping an open mind about your child’s gender identity, , would encourage you to keep an open mind about his sexual orientation. My mom thought I was straight when I was 15 years old, and look how that turned out. mail@savagelove.net @FakeDanSavage on Twitter www.savagelove.net

MAY 19-25, 2021

RIVERFRONT TIMES

MAY 19-25, 2021

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MAY 19-25, 2021

RIVERFRONT TIMES

MAY 19-25, 2021

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Riverfront Times, May 19, 2021

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