Riverfront Times - December 13, 2017

DECEMBER 13–19, 2017 I VOLUME 41 I NUMBER 50

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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP COULD BE THE BEST GODDAMN THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ST. LOUIS ...But he probably won’t be

BY LINDSAY TOLER

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THE LEDE

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

“I like to show parents and little kids how to make their own tops. If you make a top, the kids will find a way to play with it. You don’t need anything fancy; just find some sticks, and then you can make tops. Two sticks, an acorn with two sticks. Everybody could make this.

It’s very easy.”

–Top-spinning arTisT HirosHi Tada, pHoTograpHed ouTside THe sainT Louis arT MuseuM on deceMber 10

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DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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6

TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE

12.

President Donald Trump Could Be the Best Thing to Ever Happen to St. Louis ...But he probably won’t be Written by

LINDSAY TOLER Cover by

KELLY GLUECK

NEWS

CULTURE

DINING

MUSIC

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23

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41

The Lede

Calendar

Your friend or neighbor, captured on camera

Seven days worth of great stuff to see and do

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26

Crackdown Near Wash U

The Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood association is leading an effort to enforce city codes, but some landlords aren’t happy

Film

Robert Hunt enjoys James Franco’s inspired take on The Disaster Artist

Santa Fe Trail

Cheryl Baehr is transported by Taco Buddha, the new counterservice spot in University City

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Side Dish

Danny Meyer of Shake Shack shares his St. Louis favorites

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First Look

9

Lauren Milford checks out the Clover and the Bee, while Cheryl Baehr enjoys what’s cooking at Frankly Sausages

Pot Bill Draws Pushback

An ambitious pot legalization bill leads to a testy hearing at City Hall

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Food News

The accolades just keep coming for Vicia

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Guitar Heroes

Brian Curran, Tom Hall and Dave Black bring back their popular yearly showcase ... this time as a recording

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Homespun

The Funky Butt Brass Band A Funky Butt Family Christmas

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Out Every Night

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

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This Just In

This week’s new concert announcements

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NEWS

9

Rental Crackdown Near Wash U Written by

SARAH FENSKE

F

or more than six years, Afsaneh Razani has owned a rental property in the neighborhood just east of Washington University.

With a two-bedroom unit downstairs and a five-bedroom unit upstairs, her Skinker-DeBaliviere duplex is perfect for students.

Make that seemed perfect for students. Razani got a letter from a St. Louis building inspector earlier this month informing her she was in violation of city ordinances. The problem? She was renting to three or more unrelated people.

Razani plans to appeal her citation — because her home has two units, she’s convinced she is not in violation. She has three tenants in the upstairs unit and two downstairs; since the law suggests that each unit can hold up to three, the people she’s consulted think she’s OK, even by the letter of the law.

But she’s unsettled by the bigger picture. It’s not just that her appeal requires a $150 fee — “I have to pay to prove my innocence,” she says with a bitter laugh. It’s also that, as she acknowledges, she has rented the upstairs unit to more than three people in the past — with five bedrooms, that only makes sense. Limiting herself to three tenants going forward will hurt her bottom line.

And beyond that, she found herself wondering why she’s being targeted. She’s confirmed with police that the property has zero nuisance complaints; how did her tenants get on anyone’s radar?

As it turns out, it’s nothing personal — literally. Razani has instead gotten swept up in a little-noticed effort to root out landlords violating the rules in Skinker-DeBaliviere, a campaign led by the neighborhood association. In the past year, the executive director of the Skinker DeBaliviere ComContinued on pg 11

Afsaneh Razani purchased a duplex seven years ago to be a rental property. Now she’s facing strict limits on tenants. | COURTESY OF AFSANEH RAZANI

Pot Bill Draws Pushback Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

A

n ambitious bill in St. Louis would essentially legalize weed within city limits by barring enforcement of state laws prohibiting marijuana possession — but at a legislative hearing last Thursday, the bill’s sponsor, 15th Ward Alderwoman Megan Green, found herself fielding pointed questions about her bill’s unintended consequences.

Simply put, the bill in question, BB 180, would prohibit the city and its police department from committing resources to citing

people for small-scale weed possession — stipulated as two ounces or ten plants.

The bill includes exceptions, ostensibly to permit officers to crack down on larger quantities or underage sales, among other things. During the hearing, however, several aldermen pointed to potential devils lurking in the details.

“Decriminalizing marijuana is fine, but I think people should still be held accountable if they’re taking any substance while they’re employed,” said 14th Ward Alderwoman Carol Howard, who wasn’t alone in finding the bill’s requirements for employers to be problematic.

According to the bill, employers would be prohibited from refusing to hire someone based on their marijuana use — as long as that riverfronttimes.com

use fell within the two-ounce, tenplant limit. But to Howard, extending the bill’s provisions into the realm of employment law “goes beyond the reach” of the goals of legalization. For some jobs, she noted, such as a school-bus driver, an employer would have an understandable interest in hiring drug-free employees.

Although Green responded by saying that the bill intends to preserve an employer’s ability to fire a blitzed-out staffer or someone who violates the employee manual, Howard and others expressed concern that, regardless of her intent, that exception wasn’t actually built into the bill’s language.

At one point, Green suggested she would fix the problem by cleaning up the language. But after listening to Howard’s point, Continued on pg 10 she conced-

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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POT BILL Continued from pg 9 ed that trying to legislate employment decisions could present more headaches than it’s worth.

“If it’s going to make it easier for this bill to pass if we just strike that section, I’m OK doing that,” said Green, responding to Howard. “It does make this bill more complicated than it needs to be.”

Earlier in the hearing, Alderman Scott Ogilvie similarly cautioned that the bill’s employment provision “is clearly contradicted by state law.”

Ogilvie also highlighted problems in the bill’s enforcement provision, which states: “Any employee of the City of St. Louis who expends the City’s resources to enforce laws in violation of this Ordinance will lack the lawful authority to do so.” According to the bill, city employees in violation of the ordinance “may be subject to eviction from City real estate.”

That’s all well and good on paper, but Ogilvie had a reasonable question about how the bill would treat the city’s top prosecutor, who is elected.

“So, it’s your opinion that if Kim Gardner’s office prosecutes a felony marijuana case for possession, or for growing in somebody’s house, we can evict Kim Gardner from her office across the street?” he asked Green.

“How would you evict a police officer from the police station who writes up a charge and gives it to a prosecutor?”

Green faltered. “That I don’t know,” she said.

As an alternative, Ogilvie suggested that the police department and Circuit Attorney’s Office be allowed to create policies for how they’ll handle marijuana possession cases, without the threat of eviction from city property.

(That tactic would echo the Board of Aldermen’s actions in 2013, when its members voted to make possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana a municipal violation; the ordinance created a new policy for St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers to follow, providing guidance on when to write citations and when to send misdemeanor or felony cases to the circuit attorney.)

The legislative hearing lasted more than two hours, and Green weathered the most intense criticism from Board of Alderman 10

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A hearing on the bill included a testy exchange between Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green and Board President Lewis Reed. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI

“So, it’s your opinion that if Kim Gardner’s office prosecutes a felony marijuana case for possession, or for growing in somebody’s house, we can evict Kim Gardner from her office?”

President Lewis Reed, who has his own marijuana bill pending in the same committee. Reed’s bill, though, would merely reduce the current municipal fine for weed possession from $50 to $25.

Before throwing his own bill into the ring last month, Reed had blasted Green’s proposal in a lengthy takedown shared to NextDoor — a takedown that was then hacked to pieces by legalization activists who pointed to numerous errors in Reed’s comparisons between Green’s bill and Colorado’s statewide pot laws.

Taking his argument from NextDoor to real life, Reed laid into Green’s bill for “turning a blind eye” to the city’s violent drug trade and hamstringing police officers.

Green responded, “The illegal

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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drug trade is still illegal under this ordinance.”

“But we can’t police it,” Reed fired back, adding that because Green’s bill would allow marijuana use indoors — with a property owner’s approval, that is — he questioned how officers could ever investigate suspected drug houses. When Green attempted to clarify that her bill was only intended to legalize personal use, Reed cut her off.

“This isn’t about what your intent is,” he said. “Once this becomes law, if it’s not in here and in writing, it’s not going to matter about how you see it in a nuanced fashion.”

The exchange, already testy, soon took a sharply toxic turn, as Reed began chiding Green for the way she’d invoked former Missouri Supreme Court justice Michael Wolff, who co-authored a legal analysis of her bill. Reed warned Green to not misrepresent Wolff’s support, and Green responded by clarifying that Wolff had some concerns about the bill’s employment section.

“I’m glad you finally came clean on that,” Reed patronized, “but what I’m going to invite you to do is go back watch the video.”

This time it was Green who cut Reed off.

“Don’t call me a liar again,” Green shot back, seemingly in

reference to Reed’s two-year-old claim that she had lied about being offered bribes to support a financing deal to fund a new Rams stadium.

Not done, Green added, “It’s because I’m a woman, right?”

That barb was an apparent reference to Reed’s giggling along during a racist shock-jock’s sexist tirade leveled at Green last year.

“Stop with that,” Reed said back. “Don’t throw that woman thing at me. I’m not throwing the African American man thing against you. Are you having a problem with me because I’m an African American man? Stop that.”

After another round of verbal jousting, calm was restored to the hearing, which was mercifully adjourned minutes later. Although no public comment was allowed at yesterday’s hearing, the committee chair announced that there would be “at least one, if not two” public hearings scheduled before any bills are sent to the full board for a vote.

As for Reed’s bill, it was initially scheduled to be presented, like Green’s, at yesterday’s committee hearing. Reed’s chief of staff, Tom Shepard, explained to RFT that they’d decided to hold the bill back till a later date. “We knew it would be a long hearing,” n he said. He wasn’t wrong.

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Afsaneh Razani. | COURTESY OF AFSANEH RAZANI 7348 Manchester Ave. (in the ofManchester Maplewood) new residents — and then 7348ofManchester Ave. asking friendly-sounding 7348 Manchester Ave. (in the Heart Maplewood) questions. situation. Ninety-nine percent of 7348ofManchester Ave. “Most of the information we’re the time, they have no idea what’s 7348 www.paramountjewelers.com Manchester Ave. (in the Heart Maplewood) getting is from the neighbors,” he happening.”

314.645.1122 www.paramountjewelers.com says, “and they’re funneling that A spokeswoman for Wash U back to a committee member.” echoed that in a statement to the www.paramountjewelers.com Then, after doing its research, the RFT. “Washington University is supassociation gives the information portive of efforts by the City of St. to the city.

And while the city doesn’t pro- Louis and the Skinker DeBaliviere actively look for violators, Build- neighborhood to enforce occuing Commissioner Frank Oswald pancy limits in rental properties. confirms that it is taking action on The safety of students, and all who complaints. “What the city does choose to live in rental housing, is enforce the regulations when is a top priority. The city’s occuwe’re told it’s going on,” he says. pancy code provides important And the neighborhood association safeguards against overcrowding,” has proven a reliable source. “In the statement said.

Addressing the RFT’s question most cases, they’ve been right — about what happens to any stuand we’ve been acting on them.”

As for the motivation behind the dents forced out of their housing association’s initiative, Sterling as a result of the crackdown, the acknowledges no Neighbors-style statement continued, “Students frat-boy antics are in evidence. who need help locating suitable (This is, after all, Washington Uni- housing can contact Washington versity; even the undergrads are University’s off-campus housing smart.) And while parking is defi- office.”

As for Razani, she finds the nitely a problem in the neighborhood’s narrow streets, he says it’s entire situation frustrating. The the ultimately about bigger concerns. one exception in St. Louis to Please confirm approval by emailing uptown@trileafdesigns.com The neighborhood has 4,000 three-person limit, a boarding residents — and 2,200 house- house permit, requires sign-off holds. “Quite a large number are from 51 percent of neighbors — the renters,” Sterling says. “More same neighbors now trying to root now than ever before. So how do out landlords exceeding occupancy we create and maintain a stable totals. She’s not sure if she has any neighborhood? What role do they good options.

“I always try to rent one person play in that, and how many are liquid & lace enough, and how many are too per bedroom, and now they’re saying, ‘No, you can’t do that?’ This is much?”

As for any students being dis- the source of my income,” she says.

VAPE - CBD - KRATOM - ADULT TOYS - LINGERIE - PLUS SIZES possessed as a result of those ef- “And I want to ask them, ‘Why can’t forts, Sterling says, “We believe I rent to five kids who want to be 6 8 3 9 G R AV O I S • S T. L O U I S , M O 6 3 1 1 6 • 3 1 4 - 3 0 0 - 8 7 5 0 n the renters are the victims in this there?’ This is my house.”

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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP COULD BE THE BEST

I

BY LINDSAY TOLER

n north St. Louis County, between the airport and the riverfront casinos, there’s a landfill you should know about.

In 1973 a sketchy hauling company illegally dumped waste from the construction of Little Boy, the nuclear weapon dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 and co-credited with ending World War II, at West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri. Over decades, radioactive particles as fine as powdered sugar spread through the surrounding neighborhood, turning up in homes and parks.

(Not all of the leftover uranium, thorium and radium made it to the landfill. Some spilled into nearby Coldwater Creek, a tributary to the Missouri River that flows through some of St. Louis’ poorest and blackest neighborhoods. Rare cancers, immune diseases, reproductive disorders and death followed.)

There’s another reason you should know about West Lake Landfill: It is directly in the path of an unstoppable underground garbage fire.

When I say “garbage fire,” I mean it literally, not in the millennial sense of a bad situation that has grown irrevocably worse

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— though that definition undeniably applies. The fire burns 700 feet away from West Lake Landfill, too close to safely construct a barrier wall. No one is exactly sure what will happen if the sevenyear-old fire and the radioactive contamination meet; first responders, especially the Pattonville Fire Protection District, have had to consider the worst-case scenario: nuclear fallout.

Residents say the only solution is full excavation. Predictably, no one — not the company that owns the landfill, not the government, which declared it a Superfund site, and not the defunct business that dumped the junk there in the first place — wants to pay millions to dig up tons of urban toxic waste and transport it somewhere safe and remote. North-county residents who ask for excavation have been met with dismissal or cruel silence.

Until now.

There’s one more thing you should know. Something unexpected happened, something that has the potential to save this tragic story from its predestined ending (but probably won’t): Donald Trump got elected president of the United States.

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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“LET’S GET ST. LOUIS CLEANED UP”

It’s May 17, 2017. America is reeling from news that former FBI Director James Comey kept memos of his private conversations with Trump, including one where the president asked him to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

While other morning news shows excitedly debate the likelihood of impeachment, Fox & Friends has invited Scott Pruitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and America’s top environmental official, to promote draining the metaphorical swamp.

“The press made President Obama out to be the environmental savior,” co-host Steve Doocy begins, “and yet when you look at the number of toxic dumps left on your plate, it’s a big number.”

“Absolutely,” Pruitt responds earnestly.

He illustrates the problem with an example. “We have a site just outside of St. Louis called West Lake,” Pruitt stresses the name as though to say, If you haven’t heard of it yet, you will soon, “that’s taken the EPA 27 years just to make a decision. Not to clean it up, but just

to make a decision on what should be done to clean it up. That’s unacceptable.”

“These Superfund sites that need to be cleaned up, what’s your first target?” asks co-host Brian Kilmeade.

“Well, we’re very focused on West Lake,” Pruitt says.

“Do you know how to do it?

Have you decided on a way?”

Kilmeade asks rapid-fire.

“We have a plan in place that we’re going to announce very soon on West Lake. It’s very, very important to make those citizens know that we’re going to take steps to clean it up and clean it up quickly,” Pruitt answers.

“Mr. Pruitt…”

A rare second of dead air hangs as the men on the couch turn to co-host Ainsley Earhardt, who’s been mostly silent throughout the interview. Pruitt flashes a nervous smile as Earhardt deliberates on what to say next.

“We’re talking about memos and what’s happening in the White House,” Earhardt says, her voice dismissive. She continues animatedly: “This is what the American public needs to be focused on, right? Jobs, personal safety, protecting our kids from cancer!”

West Lake Landfill is known as “St. Louis’ dirtiest secret.” | KELLY GLUECK

GODDAMN THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ST. LOUIS “They want leadership, and this president is providing leadership,” Pruitt answers.

“Providing leadership to do what with the environment?”

Doocy asks.

“Clean up these sites,” Pruitt says, referring to sites on the National Priorities List, or Superfund, designated the nation’s most contaminated places. “You know, actually set a goal to say 13,022 sites is unacceptable.

Twenty-seven years to make a decision is unacceptable. Let’s get St. Louis cleaned up.”

“How much is that going to cost?” Doocy asks.

“The great thing about this is we have private funding,” Pruitt says, still referring to West Lake.

Doocy nods, visibly pleased, as Pruitt continues: “There are people out there responsible for these sites to clean up. The monies are there to do so. It’s not a matter of money, it’s a matter of leadership and attitude and management, and we need to do it much better.”

The interview ends with a brief mention of the 2015 Paris Agreement, from which Trump will withdraw the U.S. — with Pruitt’s support — two weeks later.

BACK-TO-BASICS ORIGINALISM

If Donald Trump’s administration successfully excavates the radioactive contamination from West Lake Landfill before it meets the underground garbage fire, Pruitt will be the one to thank.

Pruitt, a Republican lawyer best known for doggedly suing the EPA before Trump nominated him to be its administrator, has the round cheeks, approachable smile and paternal diligence of a youth group leader. A lifelong Baptist, Pruitt is a church deacon in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and credits his faith for his brand of environmentalism, which calls on people to be good stewards of God’s earth.

“What is true environmentalism?” Pruitt said in a November interview with the Washington Post. “I think it’s environmental stewardship, not prohibition. ... We can be about jobs and growth and be good stewards of our environment. The last several years we’ve been told we can’t do both.”

Stewardship is a popular topic for Sunday sermons and Wednesday night Bible study in evangelical congregations — like the one in which I grew up in Dallas, 250

...But he probably won’t be

miles south of Pruitt’s church in Broken Arrow. Unfailingly, the connotation is pecuniary. The word “steward” originally referred to seventeenth-century servants who oversaw kitchen stores and brought food to the dining hall — literally the warden of the stew.

“To make it really simple,” writes mainstream Christian organization Focus on the Family in an online series about stewardship, “everything — from your backyard and bank account to your mind and body — is a resource that you must manage for God.” Inherent to Pruitt’s environmental “originalism” is the belief that nature is a resource meant to be used. That’s wholly different from President Barack Obama’s globalist approach, which assumes that nature is an ecosystem meant to be sustained. Globalism shines in the international arena, where the U.S. could build consensus, especially on climate change, but it often proved ineffectual on domestic projects with implacable opposition, including and especially West Lake Landfill.

Pruitt says he’s returning to the agency’s “real” mission — clean air, water and land — with a “Backto-Basics Agenda” prioritizing the riverfronttimes.com

three Es: Environment, Economy and Engagement. The goal is a total transformation of the EPA from a confused bureaucracy into a potent agency with a narrow focus on priority projects, especially toxic waste cleanup. Pruitt has pledged to personally oversee any Superfund remediations costing more than $50 million and calls his work “some of the most consequential things domestically that can occur.”

This originalist mission to “co-manage” the Earth coincides nicely with Trump’s view of the world as one yuge “deal” in the making. “He’s got tremendous ideas,” Pruitt said of Trump. “He’s actually presented some things to me on the Superfund sites on how to improve our approach there. It was very instructive.”

Ever since that Fox & Friends interview, West Lake Landfill has been Pruitt’s go-to example of Obama-era globalism’s failures.

He’s named St. Louis in speeches to the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. On November 26, USA Today noted that Pruitt “often talks about the problems at the West Lake Landfill near St. Louis and how the EPA still hasn’t decided how Continued on pg 14

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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GARBAGE FIRE Continued from pg 13

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to proceed 27 years after it was tagged as a Superfund site.”

Pruitt has promised an official EPA remedy proposal for West Lake Landfill by January. It’s just a promise, the kind D.C. is lousy with. Still, it’s already more traction than residents ever achieved under Obama.

Pruitt’s ideological transformation of the EPA makes West Lake Landfill as high of a priority to the U.S. government as it’s ever been, but his Red Wedding approach to the agency’s budget and website make it hard to keep faith.

Some north-county residents fear Pruitt’s “environmental stewardship” is code for pursuing corporate interests over public safety.

And for all the attention he’s drawn to West Lake Landfill and St. Louis in speeches and interviews, there’s one word Pruitt never says: Fire.

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riverfronttimes.com

Franklin Roosevelt was president when Congolese uranium ore started arriving in St. Louis, where Mallinckrodt Inc. processed it into one ton of highly pure uranium dioxide per day. Richard Nixon was president when trucks illegally dumped an estimated 8.700 tons of leached barium sulfate cake residue mixed with 39,000 tons of contaminated soil in West Lake Landfill. Barack Obama was president when we discovered the landfill next door is on fire.

Trump’s legacy is undecided. He could be president when, for the first time ever, waste from nuclear weapons ignites in a suburban neighborhood prone to tornados, floods and earthquakes. Or, he could be the president who fixes the problem for good.

Of course, radioactive waste isn’t St. Louis’ only problem. Recent protests against police shootings and the bid for Amazon’s second headquarters have put a few of our city’s flaws in the spotlight. Comparatively, West Lake Landfill’s remedy is obvious and achievable: full excavation.

“Of everything happening in St. Louis right now, this is the easiest fix.”

It’s two days before Thanksgiving, and Dawn Chapman is studying an EPA feasibility study. Chapman and I are sitting with Karen Nickel at her dining-room table a couple of miles away from the landfill.

When the two first started asking questions about West Lake Landfill in 2013, officials responded brusquely: “Who are you?”

“We’re just moms,” the pair responded. Now they’re co-founders of Just Moms STL, a grassroots nonprofit that wants to see the landfill cleaned up and neighboring families relocated. Ambassadors for their neighborhood, Chapman says they’re afraid to get on a plane together: “If we go down, who’s going to carry this issue?”

“It’s the easiest fix,” Nickel repeats Chapman’s words, holding up a finger for emphasis, “with the most catastrophic effect on people if it goes wrong.”

“People keep saying West Lake is complicated. No, it’s not,” says Chapman. “It’s unique. It’s dangerous. The catastrophe is the complication, what to do if a catastrophe occurs.”

Chapman and Nickel recently returned from a trip to New York, where they lobbied the United Nations, which has been supportive if ineffectual. While there, they visited the 9/11 museum, where a memorial wall displays photos of victims of the terrorist attack.

“There won’t be a wall big enough to put our stuff on,” Nickel remembers thinking. “It’s just that our deaths are in slow motion.”

“This is a form of environmental terrorism,” Chapman says of West Lake. “And there’s a fix! There’s a way we can make sure this never happens. If we could go back and make 9/11 not happen, why wouldn’t we?”

Nickel answers sharply. “Because we are a reactive, not proactive. We are a country that doesn’t do anything proactive.”

She has a point: It’s easier to get the government to act on an actual catastrophe, such as the contaminated Superfund site in hurricane-ravaged Houston, than a potential catastrophe. Prevention requires, of all things, hope — the idea that something can be done.

“The No. 1 thing we have to fight, above illnesses, is hopelessness,” Chapman says. “And this is a very hopeless time for our nation, you know?”

Staying hopeful isn’t a purely rhetorical battle for the Moms.

Advocacy is physically taxing, especially for people whose health is affected by chronic, low-level radioactive exposure. Without hope, this grassroots campaign runs out of grass.

Chapman, a former teacher, stays home to raise three spe-

cial-needs children with her husband, who has an autoimmune disorder. “Nobody understands how the deck is stacked against us, how we’re not normal people taking on a cause,” she says. “These are people who are very limited, making calls sometimes between chemo treatments. A lot of them have used up a lot of their personal time already for illnesses. They’re doing this on days when they can get out of bed.”

“We are very sick people, there is no doubt about it,” Nickel says, nodding with her eyes down.

Nickel, who grew up near Coldwater Creek and now lives miles from the West Lake Landfill, has been diagnosed with lupus, psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia.

“That’s why we had the testimony hearing.”

THE APOLOGY

Albert Kelly doesn’t go by Albert or Kelly.

“Everybody calls me Kell,” he says by way of introduction.

Seated before him are a couple hundred St. Louisans, mostly north-county residents, listening intently. It’s October 19, 2017, and for the first time ever, a high-level EPA official is in Bridgeton for a public testimony hearing about West Lake Landfill. Residents are determined to make the most out of the unexpected opportunity, regardless of what he calls himself.

Under Obama, residents had to travel to D.C. to get the EPA’s attention, and even that didn’t always work.

Kelly is exactly the kind of bulldog businessman the Trump administration loves to recruit. He spent 30-plus years as a banking executive before his friend and fellow Oklahoman Scott Pruitt became the administrator of the EPA and brought him along to Washington as senior adviser. “Kell,” he explains, is his mother’s long-ago compromise: She wanted to name Kelly after his father, but she didn’t want them known as Big Albert and Lil’ Albert.

As the new head of the new Superfund Task Force, Kelly promises action. He’s here representing the third of Pruitt’s three Es: Engagement.

“We give no blame to anyone, we take responsibility,” Kelly says, sounding confident and credible, a drawl lengthening his vowels.

“This is ours to clean up. That’s what we intend to do.”

The crowd applauds, and Kelly

“Just Moms” Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel have sat at this table with reporters from national news outlets as well as federal officials while fighting for full excavation of the West Lake Landfill. President Donald Trump brings new hope. takes his seat behind a table covered in a white tablecloth and sips water out of a flimsy plastic cup.

Cathy Stepp, who’s been the EPA’s acting regional administrator for six weeks, introduces herself as Kelly readies his pen to take notes.

Nickel goes first, taking her position at the podium set up across the floor from Kelly.

“I am a Coldwater Creek contaminated person,” she says. “My parents had no idea we were being poisoned. ... I also live 1.8 miles away from the West Lake Landfill, and for the past twenty years, I’ve been raising my own four children near a contaminated waste site.”

Her voice breaks.

“Do not let my kids be standing in this position ten years from now,” she begs. “Because we have to do better, we just have to.”

Matt LaVanchy, the assistant fire chief for Pattonville Fire Protection District, speaks second.

“We’ve been responding to trash fires at the Bridgeton Landfill and the trash transfer station for years.

I personally have been on more than I can count on two hands,” he says. “Then we come to find out that we have an issue where the known radioactive material is not in the area where we were told it was. We still don’t know where the radioactive material is. We still

don’t know how close to the fire ...

“And I’m going to call it a fire.”

The official term for what’s happening in Bridgeton Landfill, which is currently smoldering at an average of 200 degrees, is a subsurface smoldering event (SSE) or a subsurface reaction (SSR). That’s what the EPA and Republic Services Inc., the company that owns Bridgeton Landfill and adjacent West Lake Landfill, call it.

A spokesman for EPA region 7, which includes Missouri, told the Hill in 2015 that the landfill garbage is “not actually on fire but only smoldering, a common occurrence, and the agency does not believe local residents are in immediate risk.”

(Residents will tell you the only reason EPA doesn’t call it a fire is because the agency is in Republic’s pocket. Republic, of course, denies this and dismisses residents’ accusations as fear-mongering. “We’ve been the only adult in the room for a long time,” company spokesman Russ Knocke told Bloomberg in September. “It’s been this spin-up of noise and fear and anxiety, and we generally feel like we’ve been the only ones that have been trying to say, ‘Guys, here’s the science.’”)

At the meeting, LaVanchy continues to applause. “I’m going to call it a fire because I want to say that riverfronttimes.com

I don’t think it’s fair for a company that has a lot of money to be able to attempt to buy their way out of scientific proof,” the assistant fire chief says. “I’ll tell you, SSE and SSR are exactly what I deal with and have been dealing with in my career of now 27 years. It is a fire.”

Next is Robbin Dailey, who filed a lawsuit against Republic Services last year after tests found radioactive thorium-230 particles at concentrations 200 times higher than background levels under the floorboards in her kitchen, on basement window ledges and in the backyard of her home in Spanish Village: “We’re just hard-working, middle-class Americans who are trying to retire in peace and live with dignity. We’re in the shadow of a disaster waiting to happen that won’t allow us any peace.”

Kirbi Pemberton, who’s lived within five miles of Spanish Village since her birth in 1971, brings to the podium a poster decorated with photos of her daughters. Her voice trembles, but not from fear.

“My daughter Kristee Pemberton was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme at the age of eight and passed away at the age of twelve,” she says. This type of brain cancer can be “caused by ionizing radiation and is found in mainly 60-yearold men.”

Continued on pg 16

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“My second daughter has fertility issues,” Pemberton continues, looking up at Kelly. “She has not had a menstrual cycle since 2014. She’s ready to get married and have babies. Does that seem possible?

“My third child, Kassidy. Boy, it’s been quite a year. She’s been hospitalized from February till July 17th of this year with depression, anxiety and bipolar, which was the No. 1 thing on Dr. Ken’s health survey when he went around,” she says, referring to a St. Louis County odor and emissions survey.

“Then I have my youngest daughter, who has dinosaur teeth,” Pemberton says, pausing to let the unusual diagnosis sink in.

“Literally, dinosaur teeth that grow out from the middle of her mouth. This has affected my entire life. My husband had grade-nine prostate cancer. I’ve had a hysterectomy. I’ve had lumps taken out of me the size of baseballs. This has ruined my entire life. This needs to be cleaned up.

“It’s time to help us. It’s time.”

BrieAnn McCormick, a teacher raising two children with her husband in Spanish Village, lists her family’s health problems: “low muscle tone, a languish disorder, asthma, epilepsy, eczema, Ménière’s disease, low liver function and severe dermatitis. I think it is important to note that none of these ailments occurred before we were in this home.

“I’ve watched water fall down a radioactive hill into a sewer ditch.

I’ve had my home tested by a reputable law firm that has found high levels of radiation in the vacuum cleaner, RAY-DEE-YUM. Imagine looking at your carpet having flashbacks of your babies crawling on it after being told that there’s radium in it.

“Hell just continues to get hotter,” McCormick concludes. She asks Kelly to make sure the EPA “is not just worried about the bottom line.”

Volunteers hold Meagan Beckermann’s posters while she speaks.

One is a collection of family photos.

The other shows the stages of her eight-year-old son Trevor’s condition.

“We moved here, less than two miles from the landfill, before he was one year old,” Beckermann says, starting to cry. “Trevor has an extremely rare form of alopecia, alopecia universalis. It has caused

him to lose all of the hair on his body, which has never grown back.

To me, this is his body’s way of calling out for help.

“My youngest, my daughter Faith —” the sob building in Beckermann’s throat finally breaks.

She braces herself against the podium, barely responding when someone offers to read the rest for her. “Faith was my only child who was conceived in our current home here. Unfortunately, we lost her in a miscarriage during my second trimester of pregnancy three months ago — the worst day of my life.

“The second worst day of my life was when I found out my home is less than two miles away from a leaking, burning radioactive landfill.”

The HBO documentary Atomic Homefront includes a scene from a previous community meeting three years — and one presidency — earlier. At that meeting, a vocally angry crowd asked the regional EPA’s public affairs deputy director if she would live in their neighborhood, knowing what she knows. The official said she would.

Kirbi Pemberton then stood, her face red, and unleashed the ruinous fury of a grieving mother. The official visibly recoiled. The EPA kept the Moms at arm’s length ever since.

Until Trump. This meeting feels different. In fact, after another Spanish Village mother asks why the EPA ignores residents’ pleas to test more areas for radioactive contamination (“What are you afraid you’ll find?”), something wildly unprecedented happens: Kelly apologizes.

“I want you to know I’m taking notes, and we’re …” Kelly solemnly lowers his eyes and grabs the microphone with his left hand.

“We’re sorry.”

An apology is only words, Kelly admits. “There is no way my words can in any way give you back the things that you lost, and I understand that. But what we are trying to do is be very proactive and not get half of a solution but get to a solution.”

Kelly has briefly interrupted the testimony, he explains, to share some news: “We’re going to go ahead and test additional areas” for radioactive contamination. The crowd applauds loudly for seven seconds before he can continue.

“We are moving as rapidly as we can and moving in a direction that has a good record, that will allow us to defend that record, and

that will get the entirety of this remediated in a way that is going to make it safe so that you all believe that it’s safe,” he says. He gestures toward the previous speaker and adds, “You talked about trying to test in other areas? We’re going to do that.”

“I think we will take that as a victory for right now,” Nickel says to applause.

Later, after another hour of grueling testimony, Chapman tells St. Louis Public Radio that the decision to do more testing makes her feel hopeful for once: “There’s something about this guy that makes me believe him.”

UNCOVERING ST. LOUIS’ DIRTIEST SECRET

Despite its moniker as “St. Louis’ dirtiest secret,” the radioactive waste dumped illegally at West Lake Landfill wasn’t secret for long.

Reporters started asking about the waste before it even got to the landfill, when it was stored near the airport on Latty Avenue in 1946. “Concerns disappeared after the Government and Mallinckrodt said the wastes were ‘not radioactive or otherwise dangerous,’” according to the New York Times.

On July 16, 1973 — coincidentally the 28th anniversary of the first successful test explosion of a nuclear weapon, in New Mexico — B&K Construction Company trucks started illegally dumping the toxic waste and contaminated soil into West Lake Landfill.

“Assuming the trucks were loaded with clean fill, the landfill superintendent waved them through without charging a dumping fee,” writes Robert Alvarez, former senior policy adviser for the Energy Department, in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. No one recorded exactly where the waste got dumped. “A truck driver said later that he and others used the black stuff in their home gardens.”

B&K Construction recorded on paper that it deposited fewer than nine tons of radioactive material “in St. Louis County sanitary landfill area No. 1 on Old Bridge Road” and that it was “probably buried under 100 feet of garbage.” In reality, an estimated 47,000 tons of radioactive waste and contaminated soil were haphazardly dumped in West Lake Landfill.

The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) found out about the illegal dumping just one year later.

Above, Kirbi Pemberton’s seventeen-year-old daughter Kassidy deals with 45-minute bloody noses, headaches, sore throat and nausea.

Left, Kirbi Pemberton speaks in remembrance of her daughter Kirstee, who was diagonsed with glioblastoma multiforme at age eight and passed away at twelve.

Inspectors didn’t know which St. Louis County landfill received the waste, but they knew B&K’s relocation violated federal disposal standards. “But the AEC and its successor, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, decided not to exercise their legal power to require the wastes to be retrieved and placed in suitable storage,” according to the Bulletin. “Instead, the AEC let the Cotter company [which contracted B&K Construction] off the hook by terminating its license to possess the material.”

The truth stayed buried from public knowledge for three years.

In 1976, Margaret Freivogel was filling in for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s environmental reporter, who’d won a year-long fellowship abroad, when she figured out where the radioactive waste and contaminated soil had been dumped. Reached at her daughter’s house on a sunny November afternoon more than 40 years later, she’s happy to tell me the story behind the story.

Freivogel says she was methodically tracking World War II-era waste when she called Colorado-based Cotter Corporation looking for a shipment that had supposedly arrived by rail from the Latty Avenue dump in St. Louis.

“I’m curious about what you

did with it when you got it. How did you make it clean?” Freivogel remembers asking the company.

“And they said, ‘We didn’t get it.’ I was like, ‘What do you mean we didn’t get it?’” The Cotter employee at the other end of the line acknowledged that B&K Construction sent some materials as contracted, but not the tons recorded in the paper trail.

“My guess was that it wasn’t profitable or maybe they couldn’t even figure out how to separate the waste from the radioactivity, so they weren’t interested in it,” Freivogel says.

She had a hunch: “Somebody was going to make some money by not actually doing the shipping.” So Freivogel went digging, so to speak.

Every week she thought she’d uncovered the truth only to hit a dead end. “I just kept calling people and saying, ‘Did you handle this? Where did it go?’ until I finally found somebody out at the landfill.”

A West Lake employee told the reporter that he remembered “a bunch of dump trucks coming in here and dumping some stuff.”

Freivogel called Cotter back with the news, and Executive Vice President David Marcott responded: “I suspect now that there was some hanky-panky going on.” riverfronttimes.com

Freivogel published her scoops on May 30 and June 1, 1976, poking holes in the federal inspection report: For starters, there’s no such place as St. Louis County Landfill No. 1 on Old Bridge Road.

Kenneth Karch, then-director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Division of Environmental Quality, clipped the articles out and mailed them the following day to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regional director.

With them, he sent a letter saying federal investigators couldn’t ensure the waste was safe — not if they didn’t know “the correct location of the dumping, the local geology, nor the actual concentration of uranium dumped,” Karch wrote.

The AEC’s assertion that the radioactive waste was “probably” buried under 100 feet of garbage had especially irked Karch. It was an impossible number. “No landfills in the St. Louis area contain 100 feet of fill,” Karch wrote. “I must therefore question the validity of the AEC ‘review’ of the burial operation.”

“State officials are disturbed,” Freivogel wrote in the Post-Dispatch on June 4, 1976, “that federal inspectors apparently lost track of the materials.”

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission addressed the problems in a 1977 report: The inaccuracies were blamed on “miscommunication” between federal inspectors and the hauling company. The erroneous “100 feet of garbage” line was an “offhand opinion” from Marcott, who’d toured West Lake before the dumping: “It was his recollection that the landfill area had a large deep pit.”

Testing started for the first time in August 1976. Surveyors found radioactive material, including an environmental sample with “slightly elevated natural uranium concentration.” The official report concluded that the site was not a health risk.

But there was one important caveat: It was dry on the summer day when investigators tested.

The commission recommended an environmental impact analysis to determine what would happen to this unlined, flood-prone toxic dump in the rain.

Fourteen years later, in 1990, EPA put West Lake Landfill on its Superfund list; another eighteen years passed before the agency did anything about it. In 2008, the EPA announced a plan to “cap” the contaminated West Lake waste with clean rock, soil and clay — the fastest, easiest and cheapest remedy.

Capping has never been a popular option — except with those who are on the hook to pay ten times as much for the only obvious alternative: excavation. West Lake Landfill is unlined, meaning it’s exposed to groundwater and underground fires, with or without a cap.

“That’s like putting a lid on a colander and expecting water not to flow through it,” says state Rep. Mark Matthiesen (R-Maryland Heights). I can’t help but picture an exterminator covering an ant hill with an upturned bowl.

Republic Services inherited this mess when it purchased the landfills as part of a broader acquisition in 2008, the same year the EPA announced its “remedy.”

The company figured it would pay $15 million toward a cap, keep an eye on the spot and call it a day; meanwhile, the $6 billion merger grew Republic into the second-largest company in its industry by revenue, according to Bloomberg.

Instead, the cap plan drew

broad criticism — including from the EPA’s own review board, scientists who concluded that partial removal of the toxic waste could be done safely and reduce longterm risk, especially considering “chemical and physical changes” at the landfill.

The EPA stalled its cap plan, citing community opposition.

Then the fire began.

“WHERE THE HELL IS 60 MINUTES?”

In August 2015, for the first time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed that radioactive materials from the Manhattan Project — the same source as the West Lake waste — had contaminated the residential properties along Coldwater Creek.

Neighbors weren’t surprised; they’ve known too many people who’ve died of rare cancers and disorders to feel anything but angry. “The bottom line is there is an astronomical amount of people who were affected by this,” Florissant resident Carl Chappell told the Post-Dispatch. Chappell’s son, who played in the creek as a child, died at age 44 of appendix cancer.

“This is an article or something that should be on 60 Minutes,” Chappell told the paper. “Where the hell is 60 Minutes?”

The next day McGraw Milhaven, the plainspoken host of the McGraw Show on KTRS 550 AM, wants to talk about West Lake Landfill on air. His first question to LaVanchy, assistant fire chief for the area, is, “How bad is this?” “[The fire] is closer today to the radioactive material than it has ever been,” LaVanchy answers.

“They say 1,000 feet,” Milhaven says. “That’s basically the length of a football field.”

“I wish I could say that I agree with that 1,000 feet, and I don’t want to sound like an alarmist,” LaVanchy begins, before explaining that no one, including the EPA, knows exactly how far the toxic waste has spread. “So to say that it’s 1,000 feet [away], that’s pretty much a guess. ... I think 1,000 feet might be conservative.”

LaVanchy has spent years preparing himself and his firefighters for the day when the fire meets the radioactive waste and he’ll have to ask them to run into a toxic smoke plume. But he still hopes he won’t have to.

“Maybe I’m an optimist,” La-

The EPA says the Bridgeton Landfill is “smoldering,” but not on fire. The Pattonville Fire District says otherwise.

Crews recently put down gravel to ease the immediate heat coming from the “subsurface smoldering event,” 700 feet from West Lake Landfill. | KELLY GLUECK Vanchy says, “but I just really don’t think that is ever going to be allowed to happen. With our elected officials, I think they’re finally realizing ... This is a situation that is a lot more serious than anyone really ever gave it credit for.”

“I just don’t understand,” Milhaven says, his eyes rapidly scanning the studio. “We have a burning landfill next to a nuclear toxic waste dump, and people are like, ‘So what did the Cardinals do last night?’ I mean, it is baffling to me that this continues to be a non-story in the St. Louis metropolitan area.”

LaVanchy keeps his voice calm: “And it’s almost like, how long do you bang your head against the wall before somebody realizes there is a problem?”

“Governors, senators, congressmen, elected officials, politicians, soon-to-be politicians — they all don’t have an answer for it,” Milhaven says, shrugging in imitation. “And the public, and the people of Pattonville ... anyway, we’re short on time.”

Two years later, time is growing shorter.

Today the garbage fire burns at least 300 feet closer to the radioactive waste. Engineers have found seven more contaminated “hot spots” along Coldwater Creek. Still no word from 60 Minutes. But now the nation has a new president.

“THIS GUY?”

It’s after 3 p.m. on November 29, and Trump is driving away from his St. Charles rally touting the GOP tax plan. Just Moms STL co-founder Chapman is still at the event center, sitting in her car, suppressing her hunger long enough to call everyone on her list with the day’s big news.

“We were able to get President Trump one of our West Lake Landfill books,” she says, breathless.

Chapman got to St. Charles by 11:30 a.m. to claim a seat close to the stage. She wore an unmissably bright pink top and curled her chinlength brown hair. Through sheer luck, she managed to get in the third row, close enough to shake Trump’s hand if he’d have reached in her direction, which he didn’t.

But U.S. Representative Ann Wagner (R-St. Louis County) did.

Wagner, one of the politicians who helped Chapman get into the Trump event, knew by sight what she wanted: to give Trump the Moms’ self-published book about the landfill, which they’ve pressed upon everyone up to and including former President Bill Clinton and then-Vice President Joe Biden.

“She said, ‘Is this your book for him? I’m in the motorcade next to him, I’m giving it to him right now,’” Chapman remembers. She handed Wagner the book and then whipped out her phone to take a picture as the congresswoman raced after the

president. “If she truly gave it to him — and it sure as hell looked like it, she was running after him with it — then we have literally just gone up as high as we can go. We’ve exhausted everything with our government.”

Chapman, who often uses chess metaphors to explain her efforts, says: “I guess we’re at check now.”

Delivering the book is a victory five years in the making. Even if Trump never glances at it, all of the elected officials riding in the motorcade and Air Force One with him know what it says, thanks to the Moms. “Ann Wagner, Roy Blunt, Eric Greitens, Josh Hawley,” Chapman lists. “They’re sitting there within inches of the man. All they have to do is lean over and say, ‘Hey, we need you to do this one thing. Here is your chance to champion for the ordinary people.’”

Now Chapman isn’t sure what to do next. She needs to eat (she’s craving a donut), but she’s also anxious to get home to her husband, who cancelled his medical treatment and took off work early so she could attend.

During the rally, she started getting calls from concerned neighbors about a compost fire at a Republic Services-owned landfill in Maryland Heights. “You can see it for miles, it’s dropping ash on people’s cars,” she says. The fire wasn’t at West Lake Landfill, but the news left Chapman panicked about being stuck on the other side of a river from her family. riverfronttimes.com

“Oh, God,” she thought during the rally, “please don’t let today be the day for this. What if I did all this for nothing?”

She also needs to call Nickel to figure out how to explain the day’s developments to their Facebook group followers, many of whom are not fans of this president.

“This is the best chance that we have ever had to get anything accomplished at this site,” Chapman says. “And thinking that makes me angry, because of all the people to be a champion for this issue, is it going to be this guy?”

NO GOOD DEED

No one agrees on the worst-case scenario for the West Lake Landfill problem, although there are many apocalyptic contenders. (Here’s the one that keeps me up at night: An earthquake liquefies the sand-anddirt foundation beneath the landfill, sending radioactive flow into the adjacent garbage fire and sparking a wave of evacuees, while crippling surrounding hospitals and fire departments.)

Everyone agrees on one of two best-case scenarios: The EPA decides to completely remove all contamination and, using its authority from the law establishing the Superfund program, requires Republic Services and two other responsible parties — Chicago-based Continued on pg 21

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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GARBAGE FIRE Continued from pg 19 Exelon Corporation and the U.S. Department of Energy — to pay for it. Then they do so, using the stores of money they’ve already set aside specifically for this purpose (yes, these funds exist) and instead of filing obstructionist lawsuits that delay action for years (remember, this is a best-case scenario). The waste is safely transported, probably by the Army Corps of Engineers, and contained. The fire burns itself out.

Or: The fire self-extinguishes or otherwise stays away from the radioactive waste. A cap prevents re-exposure or contamination and allays resident fears about public health risk.

Both scenarios are equally improbable, but Trump’s election creates an unexpected, yet undeniable, opportunity to accomplish the former. The president’s mission to dismantle the political establishment as well as his preference for tangible results over incremental change and global cooperation have opened a door to full excavation, starting with the unlikely confirmation of an environmental originalist as EPA administrator.

On December 7, Administrator Pruitt testified to a House committee that he’ll release a plan for West Lake Landfill next month.

“We should be able to announce a decision in the month of January,” Pruitt says. “There are proposals that I’m looking at this month to make a decision on West Lake. It’s been a long time coming, specifically 27 years. It’s a very important issue to the people of St. Louis. For those of you who don’t know on the committee, 8,000 tons of uranium commingled with 38,000 tons of solid waste dispersed over a very large geographical area buried about 80 feet deep, and it’s taken the agency 27 years to make a decision on whether to excavate or cap the site. That’s unacceptable, and the decision is coming in the month of January.”

The next day, the EPA released Pruitt’s official list of “Superfund Sites Targeted for Immediate Intense Action.” West Lake Landfill is one of 21 sites, one of only two in Region 7. “We want the list to be the administrator’s special emphasis list,” not a ranking, Kelly told me the week before its release. “He wants to get moving. The list will be fluid.”

On the same day Trump rallied in St. Charles, in fact, the EPA announced a $22.6 million cleanup plan for East Chicago: excavate

61,000 cubic yards of lead-contaminated soil from a landfill, contain arsenic-contaminated groundwater, ensure safety during digging and get financing from the site owner. The East Chicago plan sounds a lot like what residents want for West Lake, only our local problem has more than twice as many cubic yards of radioactive waste.

Optimistic that the EPA could announce a similar (but much more expensive) remedy here, activists have cautiously paused their quest to petition Congress to transfer responsibility for the site to the Army Corps of Engineers.

“I sure don’t advocate business as usual,” wrote John Paul Woodley Jr., a lobbyist and former assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works under President George W. Bush, in a May op-ed in the Hill. “But the EPA has new leadership, and Administrator Scott Pruitt has gone on record as saying that Superfund sites in general, and the West Lake Landfill in particular, are a top priority and will receive his personal attention. I would hold him to that and give the EPA one more chance to succeed.”

The optimism is bipartisan.

“Donald Trump has an opportunity to do a better job than establishment Democrats in office now” on West Lake, says state Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-University City), raising her eyebrows as though in shock at her own words.

Chappelle-Nadal tells me she “would think of Trump as a totally different person” if his administration got started on excavating West Lake. It’s a surprising admission; the progressive politician is so vocally against the president, the Missouri Senate formally reprimanded her in September for posting on Facebook that she hoped he would be assassinated. “He has his personality, I have my personality. But if he dedicated the time, money and resources to cleaning up that landfill, I would think of him differently.”

Alex Cohen, co-founder of the Earth Defense Coalition, isn’t legally allowed at West Lake anymore after he and nine fellow activists chained themselves to the landfill entrance to demand responsibility be transferred to the Army Corps. Even he admits things are different post2016: “We’re like, ‘Do we really feel hopeful under Trump?’” he asks.

Cohen still thinks Trump’s election will have devastating environmental consequences; he predicts Pruitt’s hyper-focus on Superfund combined with federal budget cuts will create additional toxic sites, no matter what happens to West Lake.

“We are all part of this toxic, polluted family,” Cohen says. “They better not use our site as an excuse to get away with polluting thousands of other communities.”

Gina McCarthy, Pruitt’s predecessor in the EPA, agrees the new administration’s focus is prohibitively narrow.

“It is just ridiculous to think that you can ignore the most significant threats to public health today while chasing Superfund sites that have been around for twenty years,” she told USA Today in November. “You don’t make those choices. You do both.”

From St. Louis, especially north county, McCarthy’s response to her successor sounds patronizingly glib.

Pemberton, the Spanish Village resident whose youngest daughter was born with dinosaur teeth, would offer West Lake Landfill — not global climate change — as her family’s most significant health threat. The landfill has been a Superfund site for 27 years; the contamination inside is the world’s oldest (and Mallinckrodt’s worst) nuclear weapons waste and will increase in radioactivity by a factor of 35 over the next 1,000 years.

And the Obama appointee certainly didn’t “do both” when she was in office. “Gina McCarthy blew us off,” Nickel says. “She was strictly focused on climate change and wanted nothing to do with anything else.”

And McCarthy wasn’t the first to ignore the situation.

“Trump wouldn’t be wrong to point out that this should have been handled decades ago,” Chapman tells me.

Republic Services, which owns both West Lake and Bridgeton landfills, agrees. “It’s taken too long,” company spokesman Knocke told the Washington Post in June. “We certainly welcome the priority the new administrator is placing on the site.”

That doesn’t mean there is consensus on what to do. No matter what the EPA decides in January, someone won’t like it, Kelly acknowledges to me. “All I can tell you is, no good deed goes unpunished.”

A decision to excavate West Lake Landfill — before the garbage fire becomes a “garbage fire,” that is — would put the U.S. government on its own collision course with the legal team at Republic Services, whose largest single shareholder is Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, the only tech leader who’s been able to meet President “Let’s Make a Deal” Trump face to face without inciting riverfronttimes.com

public outrage. (The coincidence makes Nelly’s seventeen-year-old lyric, “Bill Gates, Donald Trump/ Let me in, now,” feel downright prophetic.)

Republic Services already expects to pay $400 million to monitor and contain the fire, according to Bloomberg, and it’s paid out almost $6.9 million in a class action lawsuit from residents. It’s not hard to understand why the company would rather help pay for a $50 million cap than a $400 million excavation. But it has the money ready for either in case the government decides to sue, which Pruitt has threatened to do.

“Listen,” Pruitt told the Washington Post in June, “these [responsible companies] across the country are going to be held accountable.

They’re going to get these areas cleaned up, or they are going to be sued by this agency.”

Republic Services can file legal appeals of its own if the government chooses excavation. Lawsuits would likely stall action for years, especially since there are no studies to prove definitively how far contamination has spread since the toxic material was dumped in 1973.

Conversely, if the EPA chooses a cap instead of excavation, the people have no standing to appeal. Residents fear a cap will end up costing even more in the long run; if something goes wrong underground and engineers have to dig up the cap and the waste to fix it, that would be the most expensive remedy of all.

“It’s a courage issue,” Chapman says. “This has nothing to do with the science anymore, it’s the courage to make the call to piss off these corporations.”

Remembering the man who’d just stood mere feet away from her, Chapman says of President Trump: “Maybe this guy really is the guy to do it.”

When I pitch that idea to Freivogel, now retired after a long and venerated career in journalism, she laughs freely. I’m used to it.

Everyone I interview for this story betrays an incongruous chuckle at some point. No one trusts hope in Trump’s America.

Freivogel, who worked in the Post-Dispatch’s D.C. bureau for years, says it’s foolish to make plans on any politician’s promises.

“The whole reason that they dug it up from Latty Avenue was because they were supposed to make a permanent cleanup,” Freivogel reminds me, “and what happened is it got dumped somewhere else.

“And here we are debating it 40 years later.” n

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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CALENDAR

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WEEK OF DECEMBER 14-20

Scrooge is in for a Dickens of a night when A Christmas Carol takes the stage. | CHRISTIAN ROBERTSON

BY PAUL FRISWOLD

THURSDAY 12/14 A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens wrote four more Christmas stories after the success of A Christmas Carol, proof that the old man was not immune to the commercialization of the holiday, even in the 1840s. None of them did as well as the original, which isn’t surprising. A Christmas Carol has everything — ghosts, a miser, a kindly father, a disabled child, a haunting vision of a life with no redeeming qualities and a happy ending on Christmas Day. The Nebraska Theatre Caravan brings all of these elements to the stage in its theatrical adaptation of the tale, and throws in historically accurate Christmas carols (“Here We Come A-Wassailing,” “God Rest Ye Merry

Gentlemen”) too. The show is performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday (December 14 to 17) at the Fox Theatre (527 North Grand Boulevard; www. fabulousfox.com). Tickets are $20 to $49.

FRIDAY 12/15 Souvenir Florence Foster Jenkins was a music-loving socialite in the early part of the twentieth century. Her love for singing drove her to perform a series of intimate recitals for her many social clubs. These concerts were famous for Jenkins’ complete lack of singing ability. Her soprano floated beyond the grasp

of any song’s key, and her mushy diction and flamboyant stage persona combined to create a horrible racket — but many people loved her shows anyway. There was something pure in the spectacle; it was awful but entertaining in the way a bad movie can be. The life of Florence Foster Jenkins is the subject of Stephen Temperley’s two-character play Souvenir. Jenkins sings once again with her accompanist, Cosme McMoon, thanks to Max & Louie Productions. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (December 15 to 23), and again at 8 p.m. Thursday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday (December 28 to 31) at the Marcelle Theater (3310 Samuel Shepard Drive; www. maxandlouie.com). Tickets are $35 to $45. riverfronttimes.com

Charis: War & Peace Charis, St. Louis’ lesbian chorus, marks its 25th anniversary this year, and of course the ladies are celebrating with a concert. War & Peace features songs about the nature of charity and compassion, the necessary elements for a just society. The program includes Elizabeth Alexander’s prescient anthem for change, “Fighting Over What We Believe” (“I see us fighting over what we believe, how to love and how to pray. We begin with hope and resolve and dreams, and end up fighting over what we believe”), as well some lighter songs about the domestic battles that all partners wage on the homefront. Charis: War & Peace is Continued on pg 24

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23

CALENDAR Continued from pg 23 performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (December 15 and 16) at the Missouri History Museum (Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue; www.charischorus.org).

Tickets are $13 to $20.

SATURDAY 12/16 The Nutcracker The Saint Louis Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker is a grand ballet in the old sense.

More than 100 dancers (both professionals and children) perform during the holiday favorite, with lavish costumes, extravagant sets and almost 500 cheese cubes (the Mouse King’s pay) filling the stage. The story, and that wonderful Tchaikovsky score, remains the centerpiece. Young Clara falls asleep at a Christmas party and slips into a dreamworld in which toys come to life and her new nutcracker becomes a handsome soldier who gallantly defends her against the Mouse King. The Saint Louis Ballet performs The Nutcracker at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Thursday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday (December 15 to 23) at the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Touhill Performing Arts Center (1 University Drive at Natural Bridge Road; www.stlouisballet. org). Tickets are $25 to $69.

The Nutcracker The Nutcracker has long been viewed as an introductory theatrical performance for children, but that assumes the children in question love ballet. Sarah Brandt has updated the story for the child who isn’t mad about dance, with music and lyrics by Neal Richardson. Brandt’s The Nutcracker tells the story of Marie, a young girl who’s moved with her family to a new town. Now she’s facing a Christmas with no friends, but at least her Godfather Dross is looking out for her. He arrives on Christmas Eve with a special gift for her — a nutcracker, which he says is more than it seems to be.

During the night Marie discovers that the Nutcracker has come to life — and more surprises await her if 24

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Saint Louis Ballet performs a grand Nutcracker at the Touhill. | PRATT KREIDICH, COURTESY OF SAINT LOUIS BALLET

she agrees to help him. The Imaginary Theatre Company presents a modern Nutcracker at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday (December 16 to 22) at Nerinx Hall’s Heagney Theatre (530 East Edgar Road; www.repstl.org). Tickets are $8.

SUNDAY 12/17 The Endless Forest Nutcracker So many iterations of The Nutcracker! Common Thread Contemporary Dance Company and Dance Project St. Louis combine forces to present an interesting take on the ballet classic, The Endless Forest Nutcracker. Inspired by the Endless Forest, the massive multiplayer online game without either rules or speech that allows you to pretend you’re a deer exploring the woods, this Nutcracker is set in a mountain cabin. Clara journeys to the Endless Forest in search of her long-lost sister, discovering an enchanted realm where several important lessons will be learned.

The Endless Forest Nutcracker is performed at 4 and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (De-

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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cember 16 and 17) at Washington University’s Edison Theatre (6445 Forsyth Boulevard; www.edison. wustl.edu). Tickets are $15 to $40.

The Bolshoi Ballet So, how many versions of The Nutcracker are too many? The Bolshoi Ballet staged a memorable production in Moscow that was recorded for posterity on December 21, 2014. We’re now in the posterior of posterity, so Fathom Events has brought back the performance for a one-day-only encore on the big screen. The Bolshoi Ballet’s The Nutcracker, with choreography

by Yuri Grigorovich, is screened at 12:55 p.m. today at the Marcus Wehrenberg Des Peres 14 Cine (12701 Manchester Road, Des Peres; www.fathomevents.com).

Tickets are $17.

TUESDAY 12/19 Christmas Candlelight Concert One of the indisputable best parts of every Christmas is the music.

We may not get the gift we want, snow or even an apology during the annual airing of grievances, but there will always be music.

One of our longstanding cultural treasures is the Bach Society of Saint Louis, which has delivered music for Christmas for more than 75 years. The group’s Christmas Candlelight Concert combines a beautiful performance space, the soft glow of candles and two full choruses singing popular and classical Christmas songs. This year’s concert stars Handel’s glorious Messiah, with the St. Louis Children’s Choirs raising their voices with the Bach Society. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Powell Hall (718 North Grand Boulevard; www.bachsociety.org). Tickets are $30 to $75.

Planning an event, exhibiting your art or putting on a play? Let us know and we’ll include it in the calendar section or publish a listing on our website — for free! Send details via e-mail (calendar@riverfronttimes.com), fax (314-754-6416) or mail (308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103, attn: Calendar). Include the date, time, price, contact information and location (including ZIP code). Please submit information three weeks prior to the date of your event. No telephone submissions will be accepted.

Find more events online at www.riverfronttimes.com.

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FILM

Tommy Wiseau (James Franco, center) and his strange film come to life in The Disaster Artist. | JUSTINA MINTZ, COURTESY OF A24 [REVIEW]

The Personality of the Cult In The Disaster Artist, James Franco explores the mind of auteur Tommy Wiseau Written by

ROBERT HUNT The Disaster Artist

Directed by James Franco. Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. Based on the book by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell.

Starring Dave Franco, James Franco, Ari Graynor and Alison Brie. Now screening.

I

llusion and artistic creation are central to James Franco’s The Disaster Artist, an energetically silly film made stranger by its relation to real-life events. It’s a Hollywood fantasy, a story about

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success and failure as seen through the eyes of someone who can’t tell the difference. This look at the making of the 2003 cult film The Room is held together by Franco’s gifted and uninhibited performance/imitation of its subject, the elusive Tommy Wiseau. It’s not necessary to have seen The Room; the film and its maker are so inseparable that Franco’s film plays more like an alternate version, a fan remix of the 2003 original.

The Room has emerged in the last decade as an almost perfect example of a film maudit. Everything about it is so wrong, so misguided and yet so obviously deliberate that you can only stare in wonder at its very existence. Plot elements aren’t just left unresolved, they’re replaced by completely unrelated new ones. It’s a dozen teary Lifetime dramas edited in a Mixmaster and carried solely on the shoulders of the lumbering Wiseau, its writer, director, star and distributor, whose own elusive history neatly mirrors the film’s incoherency.

Refusing to discuss any details of his past (he lies about his age and explains his heavy Eastern European accent by insisting that

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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he’s from New Orleans), Wiseau produced The Room with a seemingly bottomless source of funds.

He bought the cameras and equipment rather than rent them, insisted on illogical production decisions such as using blue-screen photography for perfectly ordinary locations, and once the film was completed, spent $250,000 advertising it on a Los Angeles billboard.

After being celebrated for more than a decade as a masterpiece of unintentional comedy, the movie he created remains as mysterious as ever, a cinematic found object of outsider art.

The Disaster Artist is based on actor Greg Sestero’s account of the making of The Room and his friendship with Wiseau. It’s the most useful account of the film so far, but in Franco’s hands, it turns into something else, a comic extension of Wiseau’s film as a commentary on acting, the film industry and the pursuit of fame. The Disaster Artist allows Wiseau’s tormented, unpredictable on-screen personality (“You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!”) to run loose in slightly larger territory, showing an illogical creature forced to deal with the mundane

details of making a film and maintaining a friendship. Much of the humor comes from simply recreating the scenes of The Room, with its non-sequiturs and oddly unmotivated dramatic scenes, but there are also some pointed jabs at the nature of fame and ambition.

Franco’s film inevitably recalls Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, another portrait of a legendarily incompetent filmmaker. The Disaster Artist even reaches the same conclusion, ultimately finding something perversely admirable in the image of an artist overwhelmed by his own dizzy vision (and also nearly overwhelming the people around him in the process). And that, more than the opportunity for audiences to make wisecracks and throw spoons at the screen, is what makes The Room so continually fascinating. It’s raw and overwrought and, yes, even comically inept, but it’s clearly a work of passion, no matter how misguided or poorly executed. You can’t help but puzzle over the mind of its creator. The Disaster Artist gets us closer to that mind, even as it lets us continue to enjoy the puzzle’s missing pieces. n

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You can wash down Taco Buddha’s globally influenced tacos with a refreshingly tart margarita or maybe just a bite of tres leches cake. | MABEL SUEN

[REVIEW]

Santa Fe Trail Offering tacos from all around the world and chiles from New Mexico, Taco Buddha is transportive Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Taco Buddha

7405 Pershing Avenue, University City; 314502-9951. Tues.-Thurs. 8-11 a.m., 11:30 a.m.2:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 8-11 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 4-8 p.m. (Closed Sunday and Monday.)

T

aco Buddha has a decidedly laid-back, Mountain West way of dealing with its tiny dining room. “We have some blankets over there,” the woman working the counter told us, pointing to some wooden shelves lined with T-shirts, cacti and assorted Southwestern knickknacks. “You can grab one and sit around the fire pit outside.

It’s actually quite nice.”

As if to drive home the merits of a dining arrangement that hibernation-inclined St. Louisans might scoff at, owner Kurt Eller piped up as he made his way out of the kitchen. “There are four outdoor heaters that make the patio really warm,” he said. “Really, it’s good until at least 40 degrees.”

I smiled and nodded at his suggestion, but inside, I had to laugh.

Sure, we Midwesterners are fans of dining al fresco, but the thought

that we’d take a page out of his Santa Fe playbook and eat dinner outside when the temperature drops below 70 seemed aspirational at best. Breakfast tacos and Hatch chiles are imports we’ll take, but eating tacos on a patio when it’s cold enough to see your breath?

That felt like a step too far.

A subsequent visit on a busy Friday night had me eating my words.

As I walked up to the restaurant, bundled up in a wool coat and still shivering, I could hardly believe my eyes. Taco Buddha’s small patio was occupied — not sparsely with a few brave souls, but full. At the four communal wooden tables, diners sat elbow to elbow, washing down all sorts of tacos with cans of New Mexico-brewed beer. Desert landscaping and a wreath made of chile peppers gave the space the feel of a Southwestern garden, with classic country playing softly in the riverfronttimes.com

background. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought I’d stepped through a wormhole into Santa Fe, or Austin, or Denver.

But I was firmly in St. Louis, on the corner of Pershing and Jackson in a residential part of University City that has seen its fair share of businesses come and go. Indeed, if I was surprised at the patrons’ willingness to brave the cold, I was even more shocked that the house was packed in the first place.

The building has seen quite a few concepts — Sofia Bistro, La Piazza, Bici and Perjax. Nothing seems to quite take off in the spot, which has led to whispers about the building being cursed (hence the adjacent bike and coffee shop’s name: Cursed Bikes and Coffee).

Clearly, the line out the door that Friday night tells a different story, one that Eller was confident

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

Continued on pg 30

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29

TACO BUDDHA Continued from pg 29 of when he signed the lease on the building this past summer. Despite the spot’s reputation, he was convinced a winning concept could turn its fate, and he was certain he had that in Taco Buddha.

After moving to St. Louis from Austin in 2006, Eller found himself out of the restaurant business, where he’d spent many years, and on an entirely different career path.

He began catering weddings and small events under the name Taco Buddha in 2014, and his catering success, together with a desire to get back into the restaurant industry, led him to chat with Cursed Bikes’ owner Jeff Gerhardt, who was looking to sublease part of his space. After some aesthetic changes out front and minimal changes to the kitchen, he and partner Erin McCracken opened Taco Buddha’s doors in August.

Though the dining room is small, it has a distinctively Southwestern point of view, courtesy of McCracken. An interior designer by trade, she’s made the small space seem large with seating for roughly twenty people at wall-anchored rustic wooden tables that line both sides of the room. Above each table are pieces of living artwork: Canvasses with ferns peeking out of them like antlers give off a desert ambiance, and the wood-and-iron order counter adds to the New Mexico-influenced style.

Taco Buddha and Cursed Bikes and Coffee share more than just a wall. An adjoining hallway connects the two businesses, and, in keeping with the relaxed atmosphere of both businesses, Eller and Gerhardt welcome guests to move freely throughout both spaces. Cursed Bikes customers can grab a breakfast taco at Taco

Erin McCracken’s design makes the small room seem spacious, with ferms providing living artwork. | MABEL SUEN Buddha; Taco Buddha patrons can bring over their mug of coffee from Cursed. The arrangement comes in handy on busy weekend nights when Eller needs that extra real estate for his diners.

Eller is a restaurant veteran and fine cook (in addition to owning a restaurant in Austin, he spent a year training under a chef in Houston). Still, he reached out to chef Ben McArthur to help fine-tune his menu for a storefront. The St. Louis chef, who most recently won accolades for the now-shuttered J. McArthur’s: An American Kitchen, serves as Taco Buddha’s chef consultant. With his help, Eller put together a selection of eclectic tacos that have a decidedly global

influence while still seeming cohesive.

A deft touch is evident in all the vibrant flavors on offer, like the succulent shredded beef barbacoa.

Hunks of rich beef the consistency of pot roast fill a warm corn tortilla to the point you’d think it might burst. Lettuce, onions, cilantro and lime cut through the richness; cojita cheese and avocado add to it.

You could walk out satisfied after eating just one beef barbacoa taco, though you’d be missing out on the “spicy-sweet” pork version. Juicy pulled pork, kissed with the warm sweetness of baking spice, is glazed with red chile sauce that gets a pop of sugar from tiny bits of pineapple.

Tandoori chicken tacos also blend

warmth and sweet, though here, the spice is cumin and cinnamonforward masala with a touch of heat from an accompanying red chile cream. Mango chutney provides a tropical sweetness that makes the dish entirely Indian even as it’s reminiscent of a Mexican-style al pastor. Apparently, it’s become a fan favorite, and for good reason.

Another chicken taco, the “Chicken Tinga,” could just as well be on a barbecue menu; the pulled chicken is covered in a hearty chipotle tomato sauce that tastes straight from the smoker. Some crisp cabbage slaw evokes a Carolina pulled pork sandwich. Washed down with one of Eller’s refreshingly Continued on pg 33

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TACO BUDDHA Continued from pg 30 tart frozen margaritas, it’s about as good as fusion dining gets.

The kitchen’s comfort with Southern food also comes across in Eller’s blackened shrimp taco, in which perfectly cooked shrimp are dusted with Cajun spices. The red chile cream competed with the blackened seasoning; I would have preferred the spices, complex enough on their own, with simple lime and cilantro.

An appetizer of fried avocado slices was the only other miss of my visits. Though I appreciated the crisp panko breading’s textural contrast with the creamy avocado, the flavor was bland. I found myself reaching for salt and the wonderful complementary red chile salsa to give the dish some taste.

Green chile queso did not suffer the same problem. For someone whose love of Hatch green chiles borders on problematic (guilty!), infusing these spicy beauties into a ramekin of impossibly luscious cheese offers a pleasure beyond words. Think jalapeños in ballpark nacho cheese, only eating them on a mountaintop in Santa Fe while watching the famous hot air balloons as Georgia O’Keefe paints

you a picture. That’s how good this tastes.

Those chiles are the star of what is perhaps Taco Buddha’s finest offering: its breakfast tacos.

Filled with eggs and a selection of accoutrements ranging from potatoes and cheese to spinach and cheese to chorizo, these already perfect creations are made even more so when covered in these emerald jewels of the desert.

And if you want all of the above and then some, the “Migas Scramble” is a mixture of eggs, tortilla strips, tomato pico, Hatch chiles and an optional chef’s choice of meat. On my visit, it was the beef barbacoa. I didn’t think the barbacoa taco could get any better.

For the second time at Taco Buddha, I found myself proven wrong.

I’d eat breakfast on that patio in the dead of winter if that was my only option for enjoying those tacos fresh from the kitchen. Hell, I’d do it even if there weren’t any heaters.

The warmth of those Hatch chiles is all I’d need — that and a little Western-style inspiration courtesy of this gem of a restaurant. n Taco Buddha

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34

SHORT ORDERS

[SIDE DISH]

Danny Meyer Has Some STL Favorites Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

I

f you ask Danny Meyer to share his inspiration for Shake Shack (60 N. Euclid Avenue, 314-6275518), his culinary love song to St. Louis that opened its latest outpost Monday in the Central West End, the answer is self-evident: Ted Drewes for the frozen custard, Steak ‘N Shake for the burgers, Fitz’s for the crinkle-cut fries. However, when he discusses what ignited his passion for food in the first place, the story has a more international tint to it.

Meyer was born to a mother and father who spent the first two years of their marriage in the south of France (his father was Army counterintelligence), eating and getting to know the locals. Many of them were innkeepers, and when his parents returned to St. Louis, his father started a travel company with all of the connections he had made.

Many of the innkeepers later found themselves in St. Louis, working at his dad’s office and living at the Meyer household. That culinary education would prove foundational.

“They would often babysit at night, and the food and conversation at the dinner table was like getting an education that I never otherwise would have gotten,” Meyer explains. “We cooked together inside, outside, on the grill.

There’s not one memory of eating in St. Louis that I’ve forgotten. Not one.”

As Meyer got older, he began to explore the city’s food scene on his own — from a simple trip to Schnucks and the old Ladue Market to Soulard Market once he could drive. One of his favorite haunts was the now-shuttered upstairs restaurant at Straub’s in Clay34

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Everything Danny Meyer knows, he learned in his hometown: St. Louis. | MELISSA HORN ton, where his go-to meal would later inform the Shake Shack menu. “They had a great cheeseburger and some of the best coffee milkshakes ever. They’d pour your glass and give you the silver canister for the dividend so you could pour that extra in. It was hugely inspirational — we have a coffee milkshake here.”

Meyer is effusive in recalling the experiences of his youth that informed his outlook on food and hospitality. There were Slay’s and Giovanni’s on the Hill, as well as Kreis’ for the chicken and dumplings enjoyed under the cuckoo clock. Only when he was older would he get the massive prime rib.

Imo’s before Blues home games; Talayna’s after. And on extra special occasions — say, every seven years or so — his parents would take him to Tony’s.

“What all this added up to was not so much the food, but how they made you feel,” Meyer explains.

“When I think about what St. Louis gave me, it gave me everything I am in terms of understanding that a restaurant, at its best, can make people feel better than when they came in.”

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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But Meyer’s love of his hometown has added a layer of pressure in opening the first-ever St. Louis location of Shake Shack. Though he’s wanted to bring the brand here for almost ten years, questions about the supply chain, management team and the ability to maintain what he calls a culture of “enlightened hospitality” held him back. When Shake Shack opened in Chicago three years ago, he and his team realized they had paved the way for a St. Louis location — but if they were going to do it, they had to do it right.

“I get one crack at coming home, and we have to nail this,” says Meyer. “I can’t imagine if we didn’t bring our absolute best to town.”

For Meyer, “the best” means the brand’s top talent and its signature smashed burgers, thick concretes and crinkly fries, as well as a St. Louis-only menu of items, including the “Mound City Burger,” a double burger covered in molten Provel cheese, bacon and a secret sauce based on the “kitchen sauce” at Fitz’s.

However, outside of his restaurant, Meyer has his own list of bests — the places he tries to visit whenever

he comes to town and where he directs his friends when they ask for his St. Louis recommendations.

We asked Meyer to share his hometown guide — the itinerary he’d share if a friend asked him to plan the perfect weekend in St. Louis.

Here are his thoughts.

“If you have a weekend, I’m going to send you to the places that you can only get in St. Louis,” says Meyer. “I’ll tell you to start your Saturday morning at Winslow’s Home with a coffee and a pastry.

“I’ll tell you to head down to Soulard Market and just walk around.

You don’t even need to eat anything there. Then, I’ll send you to Mama Toscano’s on the Hill. Pick up a little container of toasted ravioli. Eat it in your car on the way to Crown Candy Kitchen. Make sure to get a BLT and a malt, whatever flavor is your favorite.

“Stop at Bissinger’s and get a molasses lollipop. It’s only four bites but it’s so good. Then you’ll go to either Pappy’s or Bogart’s for some ribs. For dinner, I’ll send you to Pastaria for the first night, but I don’t know what we are going to do for that second night because that’s when I try places I’ve never been.”

As for those places that are still on his wish list?

“I’ve never eaten at Olio, but I am dying to. I just went to Union Loafers today and it was so good. I’m dying to go to Vicia. They’re really nice; I knew them in New York.”

Though food is Meyer’s way of relating to his native city, a few non-culinary places make his list of must-visits.

“Forest Park is very important.

My mom has been involved with the Saint Louis Art Museum pretty much my whole life, and that’s really important. And if you have time, you have to go to the St. Louis Zoo. You don’t get a zoo like that in too many places.”

“I’d absolutely take you to the riverfront, the Arch, the Old Courthouse and Busch Stadium. I’d make a special effort to show you the riverfront where there is a plaque in honor of my late grandfather, Morton Meyer. He worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to raise funds to build the flood wall, and there is a plaque in his honor for the work he did.” n

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DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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squatter’s cafe

Frankly Sausages offers counter-service snacks, fries and, yes, sausages. | CHERYL BAEHR

[FIRST LOOK]

Cherokee Gets a Sausage Shop Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

W

hen Bill Cawthon came up with his artisanal sausage concept, Frankly Sausages, he knew he had a winning idea. He just needed to figure out how best to get it to the public.

At first, he and his wife Jamie thought about a counter-service operation inside of Six Mile Bridge Brewery in Maryland Heights, but they settled instead on a food truck so they wouldn’t be tied to one location. Its success led them to consider expanding their business, and when they heard about a vacant space on Cherokee Street, they knew they’d finally found the winning formula.

That brick-and-mortar, Frankly on Cherokee (2744 Cherokee Street, 314449-1178), opened three weeks ago in the small, shotgun space that used to house Calypso Cafe. The fast-casual restaurant does not replace the food truck (it’s still as operational as ever) but gives diners a chance to enjoy Cawthon’s sausages without having to track down the truck.

Having a storefront also gives Cawthon the ability to finally focus all of his energy on Frankly. Since opening the truck in late 2015, the Culinary Institute of America-trained chef has been doing double duty — working at Cardwell’s at the Plaza

by night and doing the Frankly Sausages truck by day. He even used the Cardwell’s kitchen as his commissary. Now his new restaurant gives him a chance to work fully for himself, as well as his own kitchen space.

Cawthon says to expect new dishes in addition to favorites from the truck. That includes a chicken liver mousse, served on crostini and topped with balsamic onions and chives. Cawthon also shows off his charcuterie skills on an item so new it has yet to make it on the menu board: a spherical terrine of hog trotters, lightly breaded and served with grain mustard jus and radishes.

Frankly’s classic sausages, such as a chicken version topped with butternut squash and caramelized leeks, an Italian and fennel, and a beer brat all make appearances at the new storefront, as do more exotic selections, such as sausages made from lamb, wild boar and alligator.

Perhaps the truck’s most famous dish, one that has nothing to do with sausage at all, is also available at the new restaurant: hand-cut Belgian-style fries smothered with molten raclette cheese. A striking cheese warmer stands just behind the order counter enticing guests to try the dish — if, that is, the intoxicating scent of the funky cheese that fills the room hasn’t already done that job.

The restaurant has seating for roughly 40 people, consisting of a mix of window seats, stand-alone tables and one large communal table that runs down the center of the room. The massive piece of wood and steel (made by one of Cawthon’s friends) fits in with the modern, yet rustic, aesthetic of the space.

Frankly on Cherokee is open Monday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. n

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[FOOD NEWS]

MORE HONORS FOR VICIA

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GIVE THE GIFT OF FOOD

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Olive + Oak’s little sis offers breakfast and lunch, ordered at the counter. | LAUREN MILFORD

[FIRST LOOK]

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F

rom the team behind ravedabout dinner destination Olive + Oak comes the Clover & the Bee (100 Lockwood Avenue), a counter-service breakfast and lunch spot in the space next door. After a few days of soft openings, it officially launched on Thursday, December 7.

One of the owners, Mark Hinkle, says the new restaurant wasn’t part of a master plan. “The success of Olive + Oak has been amazing,” Hinkle says, and “we’ve been listening to customers about what else they wanted to see in Webster.”

Olive + Oak is only open for dinner. And so when the space for the Clover & the Bee became available, they jumped on it as a way to serve even more diners.

“Another concept is a huge challenge,” says Hinkle, “but you can put any idea in front of Jesse and she will make magic.”

“Jesse,” of course, is Jesse Mendica, who is a partner and exec-

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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utive chef in both restaurants.

Mike Risk, who has been in the kitchen at Olive + Oak since its opening, now runs the kitchen day to day at the Clover & the Bee as the executive sous chef.

The Clover & the Bee will be offering breakfast and lunch for now, with plans to expand to dinner in 2018. The menu features coffee, tea, pastries and inventive breakfast dishes, such as an egg cup with potato-parsnip puree and pearl sugar bubble waffles.

The lunch offerings are substantial, from a roast chicken hand pie with tarragon gravy to lamb meatballs with polenta and a poached egg. Lunch options range from $7 to $15, while breakfast items run from $6 to $12. An eight-ounce house coffee is $2, and lattes and cappuccinos are $3.50.

Hinkle says creating the menu was a collaborative process, but he mostly credits his wife Jenn and his partner Greg Ortyl’s wife Becky for the space’s beautiful design. While the Clover & the Bee may fall into the fast-casual restaurant category, the look and menu are both sophisticated — the space is filled with gleaming white marble, gold wire chairs and emerald velvet banquettes.

Its focal point is a gorgeous graphic floral wallpaper.

Still, says Hinkle, “at the end of the day, it’s just good cooking.”

For now, the Clover & the Bee is open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. n

he national accolades keep coming for Vicia (4260 Forest Park Avenue, 314-553-9239), the eight-month-old restaurant from Michael and Tara Gallina.

The latest nod comes from USA Today, which named Vicia one of the twenty best new restaurants in the country. A panel of food writers made the initial selection, which serves as the basis for a reader’s choice poll that will determine the country’s ten best restaurants.

The award caps off a wildly successful year for the vegetable-forward restaurant, which opened last March in the Cortex innovation district. “It’s been kind of crazy what we’ve been able to accomplish the past eight months,” says Tara Gallina, Vicia’s co-owner and front-of-house guru. “I don’t mean the accolades. We’re really happy with the food and the guest experience. It took us a few months to find our stride and figure out what works, and it feels good that things are clicking.”

The Gallinas stunned the food world when they announced in the autumn of 2015 that they were leaving the revered Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York to open their debut restaurant in Michael Gallina’s hometown. Even before a single plate came out of the kitchen, the husband-and-wife team was garnering national attention as one of the country’s most hotly anticipated restaurants.

With the national restaurant spotlight trained squarely on their every move, there was intense pressure to get it right, and the Gallinas have proven up to the task. From the local press’ glowing reviews to national awards, including being named one of Bon Appetit’s “50 Best New Restaurants in the Country,” Vicia has earned high marks for its wood-fired cooking and impeccable service.

Tara Gallina could not be happier for the praise heaped on Vicia, but for her, the best part has been watching the St. Louis food scene achieve national recognition. “We’ve been really excited to watch St. Louis be included more in the national conversation,” she says. “It feels like people are starting to take us seriously as a food destination, and the more we can get national publications to talk about our city, the better.

We’re just grateful to be a part of it.”

Voting for USA Today’s “Ten Best New Restaurants” is live and runs until January 1 at 11 a.m. central time. Winners will be announced on January 5.

Currently, Vicia is in first place.

“Being in this position puts extra pressure on us to try harder. We think of it as holding us to a higher standard, which makes us really excited,” Gallina says.

“And I never thought Michael could be pushed any more!”

—Cheryl Baehr

&

c o n c e r t c a l e n d a r

WED DEC 13 Aqueous

THEGROVESTL.COM

DECEMBER FEATURE BURGER

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DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

RIVERFRONT TIMES

39

®

WEDNESDAY 12/13

FRIDAY 12/15

SATURDAY 12/16

SUNDAY 12/17

THURSDAY 12/21-23, 28-30

SUNDAY 12/31

SATURDAY 1/6

FEIDAY 1/12

MONDAY 1/15

TUESDAY 1/16

THURSDAY 1/18

SAT. 5/12

ON SALE FRI. AT 10AM

UPCOMING SHOWS 1/19 JIM NORTON

2/16 JOE RUSSO’S ALMOST DEAD

1/20 STORY OF THE YEAR ALBUM RELEASE PARTY

2/18 REBELUTION

1/25 CHASE RICE

2/20 BROCKHAMPTON

1/26 TIFFANY HADDISH

2/21 ABOVE & BEYOND

1/27 DATSIK 1/29 THE POINT BIRTHMONTH SHOW W/ K.FLAY

2/22 THE POINT BIRTHMONTH SHOW W/ WALK THE MOON

1/30 BØRNS

2/25 BIANCA DEL RIO

2/2 MØ & CASHMERE CAT

2/27 NF

2/9 THE POINT BIRTHMONTH SHOW W/ THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS

3/3 GANJA WHITE NIGHT

2/10 JACOB SARTORIUS

3/9 THE OH HELLOS

2/14 EXCISION

3/18 GRAHAM NASH

2/15 BLACKBERRY SMOKE

3/22 ERIC JOHNSON

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

@ThePageantSTL

thepageantstl.tumblr.com

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

40

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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MUSIC [PREVIEW]

Guitar Heroes Brian Curran, Tom Hall and Dave Black bring their popular yearly showcase to the recording studio Written by

THOMAS CRONE Sorry - Concert Is Sold Out Release Show 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday, January 7. The Focal Point, $10. 2720 Sutton Boulevard, Maplewood; 314-560-2778.

A

s the story goes, Brian Curran was about thirteen years old when his then-guitar teacher, Billy Barnett, suggested he catch Eric Johnson’s performance at Mississippi Nights. Curran’s parents brought him to the show, but they didn’t want to stick around for the headliner. Still, the opener, Tom Hall, caused the teen musician’s “jaw to drop to the floor,” and he was happy enough to go home after the hometown favorite’s set.

Listening to Curran spin that story, Dave Black unexpectedly notes that he was at the show, too. Small world.

That somewhat random connection was never uncovered until recently, when the three musicians were sitting around a table, forced to say nice things about one another.

There are a lot of connections between them, though, and the trio plans to release a unique, collaborative CD at Focal Point early next month, Sorry - Concert Is Sold Out. The disc features an interesting blend of material based around an annual show that’s come to be known as Guitar Heroes, a half-decade-running summertime performance that brings together three of the most talented guitarists in St. Louis. (Though it should be noted that all three are super sheepish about the “heroes” label, even if it applies.)

The genesis of the event, Curran says, came from another guitar teacher.

“Bobby Caldwell ... gave me the idea before he passed away,” Cur-

From left, Dave Black, Brian Curran and Tom Hall, St. Louis guitar masters. | PHOTO BY DANA CHAPMAN ran explains. “He was into the finger-style stuff, and I do country blues and that sort of thing. He said, ‘Me and you should do a show together, then get someone else to do something totally different.’”

But after Caldwell died, Curran would run with the idea with a pair of his other past teachers, Black and Hall. The three developed a unique approach to each summer’s gig — a pattern mimicked on their upcoming Sorry release. Each player offers an original song, played solo. The three then play in alternating duos, with an eventual three-man collaboration.

After an intermission, the process repeats itself during the second set.

Black says the Focal Point is the perfect location for their annual performance. “It’s a very intimate setting. About 120-or-so capacity. People can hear everything and there’s no outside noise. Very friendly, with people there to listen. What’s not to like about that?”

Hall says, “It’s the right-sized room: not too many, not too few.”

The trio has been in the studio, chopping away at recordings that they all say are extremely live — sessions have featured plenty of first-take successes and only a few overdubs. Still, they wanted to pull from some of the original source material, too, moments caught live at the Focal Point.

For the studio sessions, they chose to work with longtime producer and recording engineer David Torretta, who’s also touching up the live cuts.

Torretta is “a dream to work with,” Black says. “So laid-back, yet he contributes a lot. He’s a real wizard at finding ways to deal with issues of unwanted sound, elements that need to be rectified. He’s very quick, very assertive.”

Combining the live tracks and the new, studio work, Curran hopes that the disc allows the trio — relentless live players, all — the opportunity to capture some new listeners.

“With these shows, there’s been a real intermingling of everybody’s core group,” Curran says. “I think riverfronttimes.com

41

that’ll open us up to new people.

Dave’s fans will pick up a CD; Tom’s fans will, too. The main thing, really, is to thank the supporters we’ve had when doing this show. ... I think they’re going to dig it and not just get a recorded, live performance. The disc is a good way to say ‘thanks’ to those people who’ve been following us all over town, at shows in coffeehouses, bars, restaurants.”

Each of the three keeps a busy live schedule. Hall’s mostly gigging solo.

Black works in a variety of duos and combos. Curran’s got a group, the Dust Covers, along with solo and duo jobs. But with this blend, the three are able to tap into something kind of deep, whether it be Curran’s former teacher/student relationship with his partners or Black and Hall’s 35-yearsand-counting musical brotherhood.

Hall, for example, says of Black, “He’s the favorite guitar player that I’ve ever played with, no doubt about that. I love playing with him. And I have played with him, more than I ever could’ve imagined, in all kinds of situations, in so many different gigs over the years. He’s always inspired me to really play when I’m onstage.”

On the other hand, he says to laughter, “I have nothing to say about Brian. Just kidding. Brian put the scare into me a while back, because he was picking it all up too fast, y’know, back when I gave him some lessons for a brief period of time. I’m honored that he asks me to do this thing every year.”

“Musically, it’s so fulfilling,” Black explains. “There’s such diversity with this, bringing together the collective backgrounds of us, our musical styles. There are some projects where you feel musical fulfillment; you can really sink your teeth into it, but there’s not necessarily a personal connection. Here, I’m getting the best of both worlds.”

And Curran, the organizer, says, “I’ve thought, ‘I can’t believe I’m sitting in a studio with Tom Hall and Dave Black.’ With this, everyone’s doing a little something different, something they don’t normally do, to accommodate the other players.

I never thought that would’ve happened. It’s a real honor for me.

“For me, personally, I’ll cherish this more than any recording I’ve done so far.” n

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

RIVERFRONT TIMES

41

42

HOMESPUN

THE FUNKY BUTT BRASS BAND A Funky Butt Family Christmas funkybuttbrassband.com

The Funky Butt Brass Band Brasstravaganza

8 p.m. Friday, December 15, and Saturday, December 16.

Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $20.

W

hen the Funky Butt Brass Band formed ten years ago, the group was as interested in preserving tradition as it was perverting it. In channeling New Orleans’ storied second-line brass bands, the horn-heavy group could summon the ghosts of the Crescent City while maintaining its own weird brand of mayhem — you’re as likely to hear an Allen Toussaint cut as you are a Bee Gees medley at an FBBB show.

So it is in that spirit that Funky Butt has approached the Christmas season; the band has taken over Off Broadway for nine years running for memorable, irreverent and regularly sold-out holiday shows dubbed the Holiday Brasstravaganza. Those shows have now sprung two Christmas albums, and the band’s newest release, A Funky Butt Family Christmas, recreates some of that magic by inviting some of its regular guest vocalists and instrumentalists along for the ride, including Brian Owens, Steve Ewing and Roland Johnson.

“We wanted the first holiday record [2011’s Shiny Christmas Balls] to be a showcase for what the band could do musically and vocally. But we were having so much fun playing with these amazing guest artists at our holiday shows, we wanted to capture that in the studio,” says guitarist and singer Tim Halpin. “So on A Funky Butt Family Christmas, we’re essentially the backing band for some of St. Louis’ finest artists, people we’re lucky enough to call our musical family.”

Trumpet player Adam Hucke notes that the band’s first Christmas album, while musically dexterous, was a bit arch in its approach to the material — the title track “Shiny Christmas Balls” and its ripping, holiday-fried remake of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” are a hoot, but not exactly designed for egg-nog toasts with Grandma. “I think our new Christmas album captures a sound of sincerity that many Christmas songs and albums lack,” says Hucke.

In collecting these songs, FBBB and their guests have done a solid recreation of some of the better soul and R&B Christmas comps of yore. Owens, a gospel-trained singer whose national star continues to rise with the release of this year’s Soul of Ferguson, shows his range on a percolating cover of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” done in the style of the Temptations’ air-tight arrangement. Roland Johnson, a soul serenader whose 2016 album of originals Imagine This offered a new look at a longtime talent, takes on the Otis Redding-popularized “Merry Christmas Baby.”

According to Halpin, the tracks on Family Christmas were forged over the last few years’ worth of Christmas shows, and here the FBBB players serve as a crack backing band for the guest vocalists.

“These are all songs our guests have performed at one point or another at our shows,” says Halpin. “Sev-

42

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

riverfronttimes.com

eral people over the years have sung the Donny Hathaway tune ‘This Christmas’ with us, but we thought Steve Ewing was the guy to record it. And nobody nails the Darlene Love tune ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ like Emily Wallace. She brought the house down with it last year, so it was a must to include when we went into the studio.”

Along with some of the holiday hits come a few surprises; Dave Grelle contributes his rendition of Tchaikovsky’s classic on his boogie-woogie-fied “The Nutrocker” that showcases the group’s chops. The eight-track album closes with “Because It’s Christmas,” an original composition from a few years back that features a few of the guest vocalists offering a hopeful and heartfelt message.

As FBBB preps for this year’s slew of Brasstravaganza shows (which have come to include a kids’ matinee alongside the Friday and Saturday night sets), the band is bringing back some well-loved traditions: Founding members Matt Brinkmann (sousaphone) and Ben Reece (saxophone) will be back onstage alongside many of the vocalists from Family Christmas and guests including Bob Bennett (as a saxophone-wielding Santa Claus), the Urge’s Jerry Jost on guitar and local fixture Typewriter Tim providing an invocation with a scene-setting Christmas story.

“The holiday shows seem to have become a kind of ‘can’t miss’ event over the past eight years, which is a real thrill for us, and every year we see familiar faces and a whole bunch of new ones in the audience,” says Halpin. “We try to bring back a mix of familiar guests who have been with us a while and include some new ones to keep things interesting.”

“Every year we learn a few new songs and have a couple different guests,” says Hucke. “Thankfully it’s not too difficult to come up with new ideas to make it fun for us ... and of course there are certain traditions that the audience loves and probably expects us to keep as part of the show.”

–Christian Schaeffer

Hold Your Holiday Party at Duke’s 736 S Broadway • St. Louis, MO 63102 (314) 621-8811

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DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

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46

OUT EVERY NIGHT

THURSDAY 14 BAQBEET: w/ Diamond Face, Stllegend 8 p.m.,

HOLIDAY BRASSTRAVAGANZA KIDS MATINEE:

[CRITIC’S PICK]

w/ Funky Butt Brass Band 3 p.m., $5-$10. Off

$7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St.

Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-

Louis, 314-772-2100.

6989.

BRAVE COMBO HOLIDAY BASH: 7 p.m., $12-$15.

ILLENIUM: 8 p.m., $25-$30. The Pageant, 6161

Kirkwood Station Brewing Company, 105 E.

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

Jefferson Ave, Kirkwood, 314-966-2739.

MIKE ZITO: 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S.

GRETA VAN FLEET: 8 p.m., $17.50-$20. Delmar

7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

NORTH TO ALASKA: w/ Man The Helm, Harrison

HAIRBALL: 8 p.m., $20-$30. Pop’s Nightclub, 401

Gordon 7 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St.

Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.

Louis, 314-289-9050.

IVAS JOHN & BRIAN CURRAN: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s

RADIATOR HOSPITAL: w/ Pineapple RnR, Posture,

Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis,

I Could Sleep in the Clouds 8 p.m., $7. Foam

314-436-5222.

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

JOE METZKA BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues &

314-772-2100.

Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

TIDAL VOLUME: w/ *repeat repeat, Sigmund

KIM MASSIE: 10:30 p.m., $10. Beale on Broad-

Frauds, We Should Leave This Tree 7 p.m.,

way, 701 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-7880.

$11.50-$14.50. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd.,

THE PINK SPIDERS: 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway,

St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

TOM HALL: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups,

REPLACIRE: w/ Quaere Verum, Voidgazer 8 p.m.,

700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

$7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St.

TOWER OF POWER TRIBUTE BAND: 4 p.m., $10.

Louis, 314-328-2309.

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St.

TIM SCHALL: 7 p.m., $12-$15. The Stage at KDHX,

Louis, 314-436-5222.

3524 Washington Ave, St. Louis, 314-925-7543,

UNCLE ALBERT: 9 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

ext. 815.

Charley Crockett. | PHOTO VIA RED11 MUSIC

TOM HALL: 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

Home 8 p.m., $10. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St.,

Charley Crockett

FRIDAY 15 CHARMIST: w/ Nate Henricks, monsterSIZEDmonster 8 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS: 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-7735565.

EUGENE & COMPANY: 9 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

9TH ANNUAL FUNKY BUTT BRASS BAND HOLIDAY BRASSTRAVAGANZA: 9 p.m.; Dec. 16, 9 p.m., $18$28. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

THE INTERRUPTERS: w/ SWMRS, The Regrettes 8 p.m., $16-$18. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

THE IRREPLACEABLES TOUR: w/ The Girls from Dance Moms: Nia, Kendall, Chloe, Kalani 7 p.m.,

8 p.m. Sunday, December 17.

Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $12 to $15. 314498-6989.

When it comes to the neo-busker revival, there’s plenty of blame to go around. Emo, EDM, Sam Smith Pandora stations — even the most wired millennial will eventually crave the day when the whole global entertainment complex crashes and the only sound left is Taylor Swift tap-dancing in front of a shoe box on Music Row. Dallas-based blues shouter and boot-heel stomper Charley Crockett isn’t heralding a new

WHY NOT EP RELEASE: w/ Polterguts, Welcome St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

Great Depression; he’s shaking up the unplugged, fedora folkie scene by drawing on his Creole-Cajun heritage, channeling tent-revival gospel, jazz-funeral marches and steel-guitar burnished country without a trace of pretense. His old-time sound and style isn’t faddish; it’s a swinging, jumping, street-corner symphony.

Singing Up to His Notices: Among Crockett’s biggest supporters is fellow Texan Leon Bridges, and that soul stamp of approval is well deserved.

—Roy Kasten

$35-$250. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St.

WILLIE’S TOUPEE PRESENT: TOM PETTY’S GREATEST HITS: w/ Bobby Stevens, The Tulip Rebellion 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

XSCAPE: w/ Monica, Tamar Braxton 7:30 p.m., $47-$97. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000.

SUNDAY 17 BILL MURPHY: 11 a.m., free. SqWires, 1415 S 18th St, St. Louis, 314-865-3522.

CHARLEY CROCKETT: 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

CHIEF KEEF: 8 p.m., $30-$40. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

DANIEL KRAUS ROAST: w/ Daytime Television, Brian McClelland, Zack Sloan, Eric Jay Majeski 8 p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

Louis, 314-726-6161.

NICK VATTEROTT: w/ Ashley Barnhill 8 p.m., $20.

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

DANNY BARNES: 7 p.m., $12-$15. The Stage at

JON WAYNE AND THE PAIN: w/ Backup Planet 9

The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St.

CHRISTOPHER PARRISH: 11 a.m., free. SqWires,

KDHX, 3524 Washington Ave, St. Louis, 314-

p.m., $12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St.,

Louis, 314-833-3929.

1415 S 18th St, St. Louis, 314-865-3522.

925-7543, ext. 815.

St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

PLAYING FOR PUSSIES: A BENEFIT FOR CATTY

DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS BAND: 10 p.m., $5.

JAZZ NOEL: A CHILD IS BORN: 3 p.m., free. First

LEROY JODIE PIERSON: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues

SHACK: w/ Jeremy Essig, Langen Neubacher,

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St.

Congregational Church of Webster Groves, 10

& Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-

Jacob Vi, Josie Voyer 8 p.m., $10. The Heavy An-

Louis, 314-436-5222.

W. Lockwood Ave, Webster Groves, 314-962-

5222.

chor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

9TH ANNUAL FUNKY BUTT BRASS BAND HOLIDAY

0475.

LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz,

TOM HALL: 5 p.m., free. SqWires, 1415 S 18th St,

BRASSTRAVAGANZA: Dec. 15, 9 p.m.; 9 p.m., $18-

JUSTIN HOSKINS & THE MOVIE: 5 p.m., $15. BB’s

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

St. Louis, 314-865-3522.

$28. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis,

Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis,

436-5222.

THE ULTIMATE HIP HOP SHOWCASE: 6 p.m., $10.

314-498-6989.

314-436-5222.

MATTHEW MILIA: w/ Peter Oren, Holy Posers 8

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

HEARTLAND: 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028

LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 9 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz,

S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

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

HO HO HARDCORE: w/ NoxThanks, Lowered

436-5222.

p.m., $7. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

SATURDAY 16

NAKATANI GONG ORCHESTRA: 8 p.m., $10.

A.L.I.: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979

A.D., Church Key, Family Medicine, Kill Their

NEVER SAY GOODBYE: THE KSHE DOCUMENTARY:

William A. Kerr Foundation, 21 O’Fallon St., St.

Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300.

Past, Magmadiver 8 p.m., $10. The Sinkhole,

2 p.m., $12.95-$15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar

Louis, 314-436-3325.

BONERAMA: 8 p.m., $15. The Bootleg, 4140 Man-

7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

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

46

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

riverfronttimes.com

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Jazz St. Louis Big Band Plays The Nutcracker 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 19 through Thursday, December 21.

Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Avenue. $26.50. 314-571-6000.

The indestructible and endlessly mutable life of The Nutcracker continues to endure, morphing and mutating every holiday season. You can see it in its best-known form as a ballet performance, but dig deep enough and you can experience The Nutcracker on ice, as a Barbie doll and as a 3D film. In 1960, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn took Tchaikovsky’s score by

injecting it with a dose of swing. The Jazz St. Louis Big Band pays tribute to that reimagining with a revival of the suite — from Basin Street clarinets that lead “Toot Toot Tootie Toot” (based on “Dance of the Reed-Pipes”) to the syrupy saxophones that traipse through the languid “Sugar Rum Cherry” (better known as “Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy”).

Sir Duke, Prince Billy: The Big Band will round out the evening with a performance of other Ellington/Strayhorn compositions, such as “Take the A-Train,” “The Mooche” and others.

—Christian Schaeffer

PRESTON LACY: w/ Mike Stricker, Tim Brennan,

$25-$85. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester

Cuvi 8 p.m., $13-$15. The Firebird, 2706 Olive

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

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

SOUL REUNION: 10:30 p.m., $7. Beale on Broad-

WEDNESDAY 20

way, 701 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-7880.

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7

SZA: w/ Ravyn Lenae 8 p.m.; Dec. 19, 8 p.m.,

p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broad-

$25-$85. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester

way, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

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

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

MONDAY 18

THE KUHLIES: w/ the Haddonfields, The Roughneck Blues Band 8 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423

Louis, 314-772-2100.

South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

ROCKY MANTIA & THE KILLER COMBO: 8:30 p.m.,

MARTY SPIKENER & ON CALL BLUES BAND: 10

$10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway,

p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broad-

St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

way, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

SOULARD BLUES BAND: 9 p.m., $5. Broadway

WEDNESDAY NIGHT JAZZ CRAWL: 5 p.m. contin-

Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-

ues through Dec. 27, free. The Stage at KDHX,

621-8811.

3524 Washington Ave, St. Louis, 314-925-7543,

2017 BEST OF ST. LOUIS Readers Poll

BEST PLACE TO SING KARAOKE

Karaoke Thursdays with KJ Ray Ortega

KJ Kelly’s Saturday Night Karaoke Dance Parties

RUNNER-UP

2017 BEST OF ST. LOUIS Readers Poll

ST. LOUIS’ BEST WINGS

ext. 815.

YOUNG M.A.: w/ Bates 8 p.m., $25. The Marquee

THE 442S HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR: w/ Peter

Restaurant & Lounge, 1911 Locust St, St. Louis,

Martin, Christine Brewer, Erin Bode, Brian

314-436-8889.

560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University

THIS JUST IN

City, 314-421-3600.

THE ADVENTURES OF KESHA AND MACKLEMORE:

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

Tue., July 10, 6 p.m., $30.50-$100.50. Hollywood

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

Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy.,

Blvd, University City, 314-282-5561.

Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

KIM MASSIE: 10:30 p.m., $10. Beale on Broad-

ALANNA ROYALE: Fri., Feb. 16, 8 p.m., $10. Off

way, 701 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-7880.

Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-

MICHALE GRAVES: w/ the Winks 7 p.m., $13-$15.

6989.

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

BRIAN CULBERTSON: Sat., May 12, 8 p.m., $39.50.

0353.

The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-

PETER BRADLEY ADAMS: 8 p.m., $15. Blueber-

726-6161.

ry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd.,

CREED BRATTON: Sun., Jan. 21, 8 p.m., $25-$30.

University City, 314-727-4444.

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

ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: 8 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz,

DANNY BARNES: Sun., Dec. 17, 7 p.m., $12-$15.

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

The Stage at KDHX, 3524 Washington Ave, St.

436-5222.

Louis, 314-925-7543, ext. 815.

SZA: w/ Ravyn Lenae Dec. 17, 8 p.m.; 8 p.m.,

VOTED ST. LOUIS’

7880.

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

Owens, Montez Coleman 7 p.m., $15-$30. The

Th

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

LUCAS JACK: w/ Kristen Goodman 8 p.m., $7.

TUESDAY 19

! u o y ank

Continued on pg 48

200 N. MAIN, DUPO, IL riverfronttimes.com

LIKE & FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK @GOODTIMES.PATIO.BAR

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

RIVERFRONT TIMES

47

THIS JUST IN Continued from pg 47

music

THIS W

THE 442S H

tin, Christ

Montez Co

The 560 M

sity City, 3

A.L.I.: Sat.,

Grill, 3979 8300.

BAQBEET: Dec. 14, 8

Jefferson A

BIG RICH M

Wed., Dec

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Soups, 700 5222.

SZA. | PHOTO VIA RCA RECORDS

read more at RIVERFRONTTIMES.COM

FIND ANY SHOW

IN TOWN

rft ’ s online music listings are now

sortable by artist , venue and price . you can even buy tickets directly from our website

— with

more options on the way !

RIVERFRONTTIMES.COM/CONCERTS 48

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

riverfronttimes.com

SqWires, 1 3522.

SZA 8 p.m. Sunday, December 17 and Tuesday, December 19.

BILL MURP

BOB “BUM

p.m. Beale

Louis, 314

Many local fans of R&B singer-songwriter SZA were left disappointed when her St. Louis show in support of her debut album, June’s Ctrl, sold out in less than ten minutes. And when a second show was added, it too sold out in record time. To those disappointed fans who remain: Seriously, why have you been sleeping so hard? Stub Hub tickets are your best shot at this point, but if their $100+ pricetag is too cost-prohibitive, you may just find

yourself stuck in your bedroom with Ctrl on repeat, jealous of your fellow St. Louisans who have faster trigger fingers. Don’t get too down, though.

Considering her ability to effortlessly fill an 800-capacity club two times in only three days, it is pretty much a guarantee the fast-rising singer will be back — and probably in a much larger venue next time.

Native Soil: SZA was born in St. Louis before moving to Maplewood, New Jersey, where she was raised. Let’s make sure she gets a hero’s welcome upon her return.

—Daniel Hill

EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE’S: THE GREAT SATAN:

MOBILE DEATHCAMP: W/ Nethersphere, Dead

DANIEL KR

Thu., Feb. 22, 8 p.m., $12-$15. The Ready Room,

and Devoured, Thu., Jan. 18, 7 p.m., $12. Fubar,

Brian McC

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

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

Sun., Dec.

FASTER PUSSYCAT: W/ Right Quick, Fri., Jan. 5, 8

NOW, NOW: Wed., Feb. 21, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Blue-

3359 Jeffe

p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd.,

berry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd.,

DANNY BAR

St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

University City, 314-727-4444.

The Stage

FELLY: Thu., Feb. 1, 8 p.m., $20-$60. Fubar, 3108

PHOEBE BRIDGERS: Tue., April 10, 8 p.m.,

Louis, 314

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

$12-$14. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504

DAVID DEE

GABRIEL IGLESIAS: Sun., April 29, 6 p.m., $40-

Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

p.m., $3. H

$75. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St, St.

RUMPKE MOUNTAIN BOYS: Thu., Feb. 15, 8 p.m.,

Louis, 314

Louis, 314-499-7600.

$12-$15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St.

DAVID DEE

HARMONIOUS: Sat., April 14, 7 p.m., $7-$11. The

Louis, 314-588-0505.

16, 10 p.m

560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University

SAMSARA: W/ Devil In The Details, She Sees

Broadway

City, 314-421-3600.

Ghosts, Wed., Feb. 21, 7 p.m., $12. Fubar, 3108

EUGENE &

HOWARD HEWETT: W/ The Delfonics Revue,

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

Hammers

Glenn Jones, Sat., March 3, 8 p.m., $25-$55. Am-

SHANE SMITH & THE SINNERS: W/ Flatland Cal-

773-5565.

bassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd, North St. Louis

vary, Thu., March 8, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway,

9TH ANNUA

County, 314-869-9090.

3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

BRASSTRA

JAKE’S LEG - 20 NORTH REUNION: Sat., March 3, 9

TWIN PEAKS: W/ the Districts, Wed., March 28, 8

Dec. 16, 9

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

p.m., $15-$18. The Ready Room, 4195 Manches-

Lemp Ave

St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

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

GRETA VAN

KOFFIN KATS: W/ The Goddamn Gallows, Against

TY DOLLA $IGN: Sat., March 10, 8 p.m., $29.50-

$20. Delm

The Grain, Tue., March 27, 7 p.m., $15-$17.

$35. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave,

314-726-61

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

St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

HAIRBALL:

THE MATCHING SHOE: Thu., Dec. 28, 8 p.m., $7.

URIAH HEEP: Tue., March 6, 8 p.m., $60. Delmar

Nightclub

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

Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-

618-274-67

588-0505.

6161.

HEARTLAN

The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Avenue.$25 to $85. 314-833-3929.

BONERAM

Bootleg, 4 775-0775.

BRAVE COM

7 p.m., $12

Company, 966-2739.

CHARLEY C

Off Broad 498-6989.

CHARMIST

monster, F

7423 South

CHIEF KEE

Pageant, 6 6161.

CHRISTOPH

free. SqW 865-3522.

SAVAGE LOVE NEURODIVERSE

BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: As a 36-year-old straight woman with autism, I am often misidentified as lesbian because my social signaling must read as masculine. I am not bothered by this. However, it is annoying when someone who should know better thinks I would hide it if I were LGBTQ. I’m very direct and honest — sometimes to my detriment — and the idea that I would hide something so fundamental about myself is abhorrent to me. I don’t consider myself disabled; I am different than most people but not broken. But as a person with a diagnosed “disability” that includes an inability to accurately read and display social cues, I know that a person’s perception of your sexual orientation is definitely affected by social signaling. I enjoy your podcast and I feel like I am educating myself about how neurotypical people think. But I wish there was as good a source of advice for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

I have been searching, but a lot of the advice for people with ASD is written by people who are not on the spectrum and focuses on passing for neurotypical.

Not Disabled, Not Lesbian, Not Typical I shared your letter with Steve Silberman, the award-winning author of the New York Times bestseller NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, NDNLNT. I really have nothing to add to his response — your question is outside my supposed areas of quasi-expertise — so I’m going to let Steve take it from here.

“I’m not surprised to hear that NDNLNT is more annoyed by people thinking she’s in the closet than by them misidentifying her as gay. In my experience, a passionate concern for social justice — and compassion for other stigmatized and marginalized people — is so common among folks on the spectrum that it’s practically diagnostic. Furthermore, there seems to be an interesting overlap between being autistic and having a nonstandard gender identity — whether you define yourself as gay, bi, trans, straight but not cis, or nonbinary.

“My autistic friends share NDNLNT’s concern about the lack of good resources for autistic people who want to learn more about the nuances of sex, dating, and gender identity. As she points out, many of the advice books written specifically for people on the spectrum take the approach that the route to success in this arena involves acting as much like a neurotypical as possible, which just adds stress to an already stressful situation. They also tend to be tediously heteronormative and drearily vanilla-centric.

“But there are exceptions. My autistic friends recommend Life and Love: Positive Strategies for Autistic Adults by Zosia Zaks, The Aspie Girl’s Guide to Being Safe with Men by Debi Brown and the anthology What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew edited by Emily Paige Ballou, Kristina Thomas and Sharon daVanport. While not autism-specific, The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability also comes highly recommended. My favorite autism blog, Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, runs frank and fascinating pieces like ‘Autism and Orgasm.’ Another place to look for useful advice is in

presentations by autistic self-advocates like Lindsey Nebeker, Stephen Mark Shore, and Amy Gravino (whose TEDx talk ‘Why Autism Is Sexier Than You Think It Is’ is on YouTube).”

Hey, Dan: I’m an attractive 30-yearold woman. Recently, I was stuck in a packed subway car. I squeezed in next to the best-looking straphanger I could find, faced him like we were slow-dancing, pressed my tits into him, and straddled his leg. We were so close, my head was over his shoulder — I could feel an electrical charge running through his body — and we stayed that way until I got to my stop. Upon parting, I whispered, “You’re very attractive.”

And he whispered back, “So are you.”

I’ve pulled this on crowded trains a few other times. They’re my favorite erotic memories, and it sure seemed like the guys enjoyed these experiences. But Charlie Rose thought he was “exploring shared feelings.” So I wanted to ask: Am a groper?

Tiresome Reality Arrogates Intimate Nearness Yup. Some people would say the obvious response — the obvious way to open your eyes to what’s so wrong about your actions — would be to ask, “If a dude did this to a woman on a public conveyance, would that be OK?” But a woman seeking out the hottest guy on the subway and pressing her tits into his chest and straddling his leg exists in an entirely different context than a man doing the same to a woman.

As I wrote recently on my blog in the Savage Love Letter of the Day: “Men don’t move through their lives deflecting near-constant unwanted sexual

49

attention, we aren’t subjected to epidemic levels of sexual violence and consequently we don’t live with the daily fear that we could be the victims of sexual violence at any time and in any place.” So a man on the receiving end of your behavior — even a man who felt annoyed, offended or threatened — is going to experience your actions very differently than a woman subjected to the same actions by a man. A man is unlikely to feel threatened; a woman is unlikely to feel anything else.

While the men you’ve done this to seemed to enjoy it — and we only have your word to go on — that doesn’t make your subway perving okay. There are definitely men out there, TRAIN, who would be upset and/or angered by your actions. Me, for instance — and not (just) because I’m gay. (I don’t like being hugged by strangers. I would hate being humped by a random perv on the train.) There are also men out there who have been the victims of sexual violence — far, far fewer men than women, of course, but you can’t tell by looking at a guy whether he’d be traumatized by your opportunistic attentions. Even if your hump-dar (like gaydar, but for humping) was perfect and you never did this to a man who didn’t enjoy it, you’re normalizing sexual assault on subways and buses, TRAIN, thereby making these spaces less safe for women than they already are. Knock it the fuck off.

Listen to Dan’s podcast at savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

STREAK’S CORNER • by Bob Stretch

riverfronttimes.com

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

RIVERFRONT TIMES

49

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100 Employment 110 Computer/Technical

Leader, Business Analysis @ Mastercard

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Solution Integration Architect

(Nestlé Regional Globe Office North America, Inc. St. Louis, MO)

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Flexible Appointments

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

mmmmmmmm

DOUBLE

your pleasure

DOUBLE your fun...

Contact Jenny for a

See TWO girls or just ONE.

FULL BODY THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE

~ Soft Touch ~ ~ Swedish ~ ~ Deep Tissue ~ Call 314-688-2164

St. Charles, MO Location.

Call for appt 314-683-0894

Y Y Y Y ULTIMATE MASSAGE BY SUMMER!!!!

Relaxing 1 Hour Full Body Massage.

Light Touch, Swedish, Deep Tissue.

Daily 10am-5pm South County.

314-620-6386 Ls # 2006003746

St. Charles, MO Location.

187 Part-Time Jobs

Simply Marvelous

810 Health & Wellness General

Y Y Y Y A New Intuitive Massage Call Natalie 314.799.2314

www.artformassage.info CMT/LMT 2003026388 Escape the Stresses of Life with a relaxing

ORIENTAL MASSAGE & REFLEXOLOGY

You’ll Come Away Feeling Refreshed & Rejuvenated.

Call 314-972-9998

Health Therapy Massage Relax, Rejuvenate & Refresh!

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

HHHHH

Simply Marvelous

Call Cynthia today for your massage. M-F 7-5, Sat. 9-1.

314-265-9625 - Eureka Area #2001007078

HHHHHHH

mmmmmmmm

PERSONALIZE YOUR MASSAGE! vvvvvvv Full Body Massage Soft Sensual Touch Tantric Body Grooming & Exfoliation Incalls & Outcalls

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GENTLEMEN’S GROOMING 314-688-2164

500 Services 533 Miscellaneous

F

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HARMONIC HOME HEALTH CARE Respite Care Medication Reminders Safety Checks Errands Bathing Assistance Meal Preparation Personal Care

JOYFUL COMPANIONSHIP! (314) 828-0151 ~~~~~~~~~~

600 Music 610 Musicians Services

MUSICIANS Do you have a band?

We have bookings.

Call for information (314)781-6612 Mon-Fri, 10:00-4:30

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE

Do You Need...

A Musician?

A Band?

String Quartet?

Call the Musicians Association of St. Louis

(314) 781-6612 M-F, 10:00-4:30

RICHMOND-HEIGHTS-MAPLEWOOD $555-$645 314-995-1912

300 Rentals 317 Apartments for Rent

NORTH-CITY $295 / $375 314-921-9191 4008 Garfield-1BR apt. $295 deposit.

SPECIAL-1 MONTH FREE! Near Metrolink, Hwys 40 & 44 & Clayton.

Clean, Safe, Quiet!

SOUTH CITY $400-$850 314-771-4222

5073 Ruskin-1BR $375 deposit

~Credit Check Required~ NORTH-COUNTY $510 314-521-0388 Newly renovated 1BR apts for SENIOR LIVING 55+.

Safe and affordable.

1-3 BR Apts. Many different units.

NO CREDIT, NO PROBLEM! www.stlrr.com UNIVERSITY CITY $795 314-727-1444

H H H WINTER SPECIAL H H H FIRST MONTH FREE!

2BR, new kitch, bath & carpet, C/A & heat. No pets.

OVERLAND/ST. ANN $585-$625 314-995-1912 SPECIAL-1 MONTH FREE! Great location near Hwys 170, 64, 70 & 270.

10 minutes to Clayton.

Clean, Safe, Quiet.

RICHMOND-HEIGHTS-MAPLEWOOD $555-$645 314-995-1912 SPECIAL-1 MONTH FREE! Near Metrolink, Hwys 40 & 44 & Clayton.

Clean, Safe, Quiet!

SOUTH CITY $400-$850 314-771-4222 1-3 BR Apts. Many different units.

NO CREDIT, NO PROBLEM! www.stlrr.com

WESTPORT/LINDBERGH/PAGE $595-$635 314-995-1912 SPECIAL-1 MONTH FREE! Nice Area near Hwys 64, 270, 170, 70 & Clayton.

Patio, laundry, great landlord!

Clean, Safe, Quiet.

NORTH-CITY $295 / $375 314-921-9191 4008 Garfield-1BR apt. $295 deposit.

5073 Ruskin-1BR $375 deposit

~Credit Check Required~ NORTH-COUNTY $510 314-521-0388 Newly renovated 1BR apts for SENIOR LIVING 55+.

Safe and affordable.

H H H WINTER SPECIAL H H H FIRST MONTH FREE!

UNIVERSITY CITY $795 314-727-1444 2BR, new kitch, bath & carpet, C/A & heat. No pets.

WESTPORT/LINDBERGH/PAGE $595-$635 314-995-1912 SPECIAL-1 MONTH FREE! Nice Area near Hwys 64, 270, 170, 70 & Clayton.

Patio, laundry, great landlord!

Clean, Safe, Quiet.

NORTH-CITY $295 / $375 314-921-9191 4008 Garfield-1BR apt. $295 deposit.

OVERLAND/ST. ANN $585-$625 314-995-1912 SPECIAL-1 MONTH FREE! Great location near Hwys 170, 64, 70 & 270.

10 minutes to Clayton.

Clean, Safe, Quiet.

RICHMOND-HEIGHTS-MAPLEWOOD $555-$645 314-995-1912 SPECIAL-1 MONTH FREE! Near Metrolink, Hwys 40 & 44 & Clayton.

Clean, Safe, Quiet!

SOUTH CITY $400-$850 314-771-4222

5073 Ruskin-1BR $375 deposit

~Credit Check Required~ NORTH-COUNTY $510 314-521-0388 Newly renovated 1BR apts for SENIOR LIVING 55+.

Safe and affordable.

1-3 BR Apts. Many different units.

NO CREDIT, NO PROBLEM! www.stlrr.com

H H H WINTER SPECIAL H H H

UNIVERSITY CITY $795 314-727-1444

OVERLAND/ST. ANN $585-$625 314-995-1912

2BR, new kitch, bath & carpet, C/A & heat. No pets.

FIRST MONTH FREE!

SPECIAL-1 MONTH FREE! Great location near Hwys 170, 64, 70 & 270.

10 minutes to Clayton.

Clean, Safe, Quiet.

FILE BANKRUPTCY NOW! CALL ANGELA JANSEN 314-645-5900 BANKRUPTCYSHOPSTL.COM THE CHOICE OF A L AWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY ON ADVERTISING.

riverfronttimes.com

FIRST MONTH FREE! WINTER SPECIAL! FIRST MONTH FREE! AFFORDABLE

AFFORDABLE SENIOR LIVING (55+)

SENIOR1 Bedroom LIVINGApartments (55+) $510 Newly Renovated Newly Renovated 1 Bedroom Apartments $510 Appliances • Energy Efficient Appliances • Energy Efficient Laundry On-Site Laundry On-Site HERITAGE SENIOR APARTMENTS HERITAGE SENIOR NORTH COUNTYAPARTMENTS AREA

NORTH COUNTY AREA 314-521-0388 314-521-0388

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

RIVERFRONT TIMES

51

File Bankruptcy Now!

H VOTED BEST STEAKHOUSE! ••••••••

••••••••

The Changing Pointe at

-2017 Best of St. Louis Readers Poll

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

TUCKER’S PLACE Soulard u South County u West County

GET READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS! FFF

tuckersplacestl.com

__________________________________

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VOTED BEST CHINESE! ~2017 RFT Best of St. Louis Poll~

Lose weight permanently with Ultrasonic Cavitation, a non-invasive procedure that melts fat away.

WONTON KING

Dine-In~Carry-out 8116 Olive Blvd~University City 314-567-9997~wontonkingstl.com

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For more info call

314-236-7060

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If You Witness An Overdose

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

Missouri’s “Good Samaritan” law protects people who call 911 from arrest & prosecution for possession of drugs or paraphernalia.

Here’s what you’ll find tttttttt

LET’S SAVE SANTA THE TRIP & BE NAUGHTY!

Competitive obedience and rally Basic pet obedience/Canine Good Citizen Purebred and mixed-breed dogs Rescue dogs a specialty Puppy classes Just 9 Minutes from Downtown STL 1951 Townsley Ln Caseyville, IL 62232 (618) 293-1750 dskdogs.com

EarthCircleRecycling.com

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

Call Today!

314-664-1450

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EVANGELINE’S Bistro & Music House

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NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH! 11am - 2am Live Music All Day

Call 314-367-3644 for more info & reservations

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Shop Patricia’s

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AUDIO EXPRESS!

Lowest Installed Price In Town — Every Time!

Gift Ideas Under $100!

Listen And Talk!

39

$

99

Save More When We Install It!

SL Riverfront Times

patriciasgiftshop.com

VOTED FAVORITE INDIAN RESTAURANT! -2017 RFT Best of St. Louis Readers Poll

9720 Page Ave ~ (314) 423-7300 havelistl.com

WINTER SPECIAL

Save $70*

FIRST MONTH FREE

69

$

Cush Talk headphones include microphone and 54mm speakers.

99 Universal adapter.

Direct antenna link for superior sound.

Save More When We Install It!

Save $230*

9999

$

Save More When We Install It!

Complete Bass Package!

12” subwoofer and 1100-watt amp supply awesome bass sound

SOUTH: 5616 S. Lindbergh • (314) 842-1242 WEST: 14633 Manchester • (636) 527-26811 HAZELWOOD: 233 Village Square Center • (314) 731-1212 Mon. - Sat. 9 AM - 7 PM; Sunday Noon - 5 PM Unless otherwise limited, prices are good through Tuesday following publication date. Installed price offers are for product purchased from Audio Express installed in factory-ready locations. Custom work at added cost. Kits, antennas and cables additional. Added charges for shop supplies and environmental disposal where mandated. Illustrations similar. Video pictures may be simulated. Not responsible for typographic errors. Savings off MSRP or our original sales price, may include install savings. Intermediate markdowns may have been taken. Details, conditions and restrictions of manufacturer promotional offers at respective websites. Price match applies to new, non-promotional items from authorized sellers; excludes “shopping cart” or other hidden specials. © 2017, Audio Express.

DECEMBER 13-19, 2017

South City 3552 Gravois at Grand Mid County 10210 Page Ave (3 mi East of Westport) St. Peters 1034 Venture Dr (70 & Cave Springs-Outer Rd)

Link Phone To Any Radio!

Save $60*

evangelinesstl.com

RIVERFRONT TIMES

DON’T RUN, CALL 911

Hope for a bright future

Dog Sports at Kim’s

52

Call Angela Jansen ~314-645-5900~ Bankruptcyshopstl.com

riverfronttimes.com

AUDIO EXPRESS!

Lowest Installed Price In Town — Every Time!

AFFORDABLE SENIOR LIVING 55+

Newly renovated 1 bedroom apartments in North County.

Heritage Senior Apartments 314-521-0388

Ultimate Massage by

Summer!

SWEDISH & DEEP TISSUE FULL BODY MASSAGE mon - fri 10 am - 5 pm

•

some weekends

South County/Lemay Area

314-620-6386 # 2006003746