Riverfront Times September 12, 2018

SEPTEMBER 12-18, 2018 I VOLUME 42 I NUMBER 37

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She took office as a progressive reformer. But Kim Gardner’s first 21 months as St. Louis circuit attorney have seen chaos and controversy

BY DOYLE MURPHY

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“ I know a lot of people were bummed about LouFest, but I think it’s really incredible that the Kranzbergs stepped up and were willing to host acts that were part of it. This is giving an opportunity to people who were supposed to play to play tonight, and for people to go to those acts.”

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

Carlie TrosClair, righT, phoTographed wiTh rory Flynn ouTside The grandel TheaTre during The sound oF sT. louis showCase on sunday, sepTember 9

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE

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Short Circuit

For Kim Gardner, being circuit attorney has meant chaos and controversy Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

Cover illustration by

RONAN LYNAM

NEWS

ARTS

DINING

CULTURE

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30

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The Lede

Calendar

Cafe

Your friend or neighbor, captured on camera

Seven days’ worth of great stuff to see and do

Cheryl Baehr has a rave for Ben Poremba’s the Benevolent King

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Drugs

Dr. Brad Bradshaw is spending a lot, and suing both his rivals, in his quest to bring medical marijuana to Missouri

Film

Robert Hunt finds The Wife a bitter pill to take

Side Dish

For John Rodriguez, Hacienda was both heritage and destiny

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First Look

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Jerk Soul’s owners came to St. Louis because of a hurricane, but found a place that felt like home

Op-Ed

LouFest’s cancellation reminds us of the best things about St. Louis, writes Jaime Lees

Homespun

Shae Moseley’s Perfect Weather for Humans merges modern rock and shoegaze

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Preview

Dead Now is bringing melodic metal to the Firebird

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Comedy

Found Footage Fest celebrates thrift-store VHS finds, including “How to Meet Women in St. Louis”

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Out Every Night

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

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Savage Love

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

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NEWS

and away from his competition.

Still, if the promise of a historychanging medical breakthrough isn’t enough, Bradshaw has other methods. He’s suing the secretary of state in hopes of taking out both competing legalization measures.

Come November, if Bradshaw has his way, there will be only one medical cannabis option on the ballot: his own.

The Doctor Is All-In on Weed Written by

B

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

I

f Dr. Brad Bradshaw wasn’t a millionaire attorney/physician/ surgeon with enough cash to bankroll his personal vision to legalize cannabis in Missouri, he’d likely be written off as a nutcase. A scam artist. Some critics already liken him to a wannabe “weed czar.”

But he’s serious, Bradshaw insists, and he has the receipts to prove it. He’s bet more than $1 million on the outcome of the November election.

Bradshaw’s self-funded, selfwritten constitutional amendment, Amendment 3, faces competition from two measures similarly hoping to make Missouri the 31st state to legalize medical weed.

Those other proposals follow conventional models used in other states — Bradshaw’s measure, meanwhile, is anything but.

“People who don’t know me, they just assume, ‘Oh he’s going to make a lot money off this, this is all a power grab, a money grab,” Bradshaw says on a recent afternoon. “But I’m losing money. Millions of dollars.”

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Dr. Brad Bradshaw has sued to block two other marijuana initiatives. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI For months, the Springfieldbased attorney has been trying to drum up publicity for his proposal, but media coverage generally sticks to two basic points: The amendment’s proposed tax rate, fifteen percent, is the highest among the three options on the ballot. And second, the amendment would use that tax revenue to create a brand-new, well-funded state agency — a research center tasked with curing incurable diseases.

According to the actual text of the amendment, the person who would preside over that research center, at least temporarily, would be Bradshaw himself.

“If we’re going to find a cure for cancer, we can’t continue to do what we’ve done. We’re not going to find a cure at this rate,” he says.

“We need to bring together the best and the brightest, similar to the Manhattan Project, the Apollo moon mission.”

Bradshaw is not a research scientist. He’s never run a laboratory. No known universities, medical associations or patient groups have lent their public support to Amendment 3. The website for Bradshaw’s campaign, Find the Cures, features no endorsements.

Yet Bradshaw is banking on a cancer-curing moonshot to tip voters toward his proposal,

radshaw says he first learned of marijuana’s possible benefits in the late 1970s, when he was just starting medical school at University of Missouri-Kansas City.

“I knew of people getting arrested and their lives thrown off track because of marijuana,” he says. “I thought that was wrong — it shouldn’t be that devastating to people’s lives.”

But it wasn’t the injustice of pot prohibition that planted the seed for Bradshaw’s current ambitions. That happened earlier, when Bradshaw was eight years old, a time when the young boy watched his grandfather die of cancer. It was only a month after the first moon landing.

“Here we are, over 50 years later, and we still don’t have a cure for cancer in most cases,” he says.

As Bradshaw tells it, the blame rests with grant-seeking researchers and profit-hungry pharmaceutical companies, both of whom he criticizes for leeching “trillions of dollars” from patients by treating cancer as a chronic illness.

While lacking research bonafides — and no longer actively practicing Continued on pg 10

STREAK’S CORNER • by Bob Stretch

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WEED DOCTOR Continued from pg 9

medicine as a physician or surgeon — Bradshaw wears his credentials on his sleeve. The TV ads for Bradshaw’s law firm feature him in a surgeon’s scrubs or white doctor’s coat. Similarly, in a TV ad for Amendment 3, Bradshaw makes his case from the inside of an operating room, presenting himself as a surgeon while comparing his plan to cure cancer and legalize weed with the historic efforts that built the atom bomb and put a man on the moon.

Prior to the 2016 election cycle, Bradshaw had flirted with supporting a legalization proposal from Show Me Cannabis, which had already spent years on advocacy and polling. But when Bradshaw met with the group’s organizers, he suggested that cannabis sold to patients should come with an 85 percent tax — which stunned the activists in the room.

The tax figure was a non-starter for Show Me Cannabis, says Bradshaw.

“They were like, ‘Oh my god, that’s too high.’”

Bradshaw also opposed any proposal that allowed patients to grow their own weed, since he feared that would lead to an explosion of recreational use and blackmarket sales. Bradshaw broke with Show Me Cannabis. He now claims that he and the group came to a “gentleman’s agreement” in which he would withdraw his proposal and allow Show Me Cannabis to focus on the 2016 election without competition.

But in November 2016, medical marijuana was nowhere to be found on the ballot. Despite years of preparation and millions spent, Show Me Cannabis’ initiative (under the name New Approach Missouri) ultimately failed to collect enough valid signatures.

For the 2018 election cycle, Bradshaw vowed he wouldn’t stay on the sidelines again. And this time, his proposal would carry a 15 percent tax — still higher than the other two measures, but far lower than his 2016 plan. Bradshaw says the annual tax revenue, estimated by the secretary of state at $66 million, would still be enough to get his research institute off the ground.

Of course, that $66 million would come not from potheads buying recreational joints, but patients buying medically prescribed cannabis. Bradshaw doesn’t view that as exploitation or burden.

“Imagine going back to when

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Bradshaw no longer practices medicine, but has been at the center of campaign ads. | SCREENSHOT alcohol was legalized, and these people are making a fortune,” he notes of the coming cannabis industry. “Putting a tax on this to find a cure for cancer — and we can find a cure for cancer — I think that is not unreasonable.”

Bradshaw also found it reasonable to write language into his proposed constitutional amendment that essentially gives him the authority to select the institute’s board of directors. Although the amendment also requires that he resign after appointing all nine members, it still allows him to hand-select a government agency with untapped power and a mandate to shape a brand-new industry.

Bradshaw acknowledges that the amendment does provide him broad authority, however shortterm — not just in how the new agency is staffed, but where its headquarters will be built. (It’s not just a research institute; it would also be tasked with regulating and licensing cannabis in Missouri.)

It’s not a selfish takeover of a state agency, Bradshaw maintains, noting that his amendment doesn’t give him unlimited regulatory discretion or the ability to fill his own pockets with weed profits. In fact, he says that despite backing the campaign through personal loans, he has no expectation of ever being paid back.

“If I gave every dollar I ever make and never see a penny for it back, and if we find a cure for even one type of cancer, I think it’s money well spent,” he says.

As far as appointing himself temporary head of the research board, Bradshaw argues that he simply wants to make sure the institute

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“I knew of people getting arrested and their lives thrown off track because of marijuana.

I thought that was wrong — it shouldn’t be that devastating to people’s lives.” can quickly create a legal industry while avoiding delays by meddling politicians and bureaucrats.

“This idea that I’m going to be a czar that’s going to be running this thing, is total bullshit,” he says. “I want this to get rolling, and that’s why I thought, ‘I wrote it, I’m spending all the money on it, let’s make this happen.’”

Unlike 2016, though, Bradshaw isn’t facing a ballot bereft of cannabis competition. And for other cannabis activists, that’s where things have gotten nasty.

I

n May, a TV ad on screens across southwest Missouri hinted at the lengths Bradshaw was willing to go to in order to neutralize his competition.

“Don’t sign another medical

marijuana petition,” urged the ad, which was sponsored by Bradshaw’s Find the Cures campaign.

“We’re already finished in your district with the real medicalmarijuana petition.”

The ad was clearly aimed at dissuading area voters from supporting the two other medicalmarijuana proposals vying with Bradshaw’s on statewide ballots.

Both eventually gathered enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

But that didn’t halt Bradshaw’s aggressive strategy. In August, he ratcheted up the pressure by filing dual lawsuits targeting Amendment 2, which is backed by New Approach Missouri, as well as Proposition C, a proposed statutory amendment also known as the Missourians for Patient Care Act. Bradshaw’s suits give different reasons for the two to be tossed from the ballot: For Prop C, the campaign’s collectors narrowly met a benchmark in one of the congressional districts, gathering just 38 signatures above the minimum — and 39 of those signatures are invalid, Bradshaw argued.

As for New Approach’s Amendment 2, Bradshaw’s lawsuit alleges a system of “intentional corruption” and “voter fraud,” which he claims allowed New Approach to collect valid signatures in a manner that nevertheless violated election laws.

Specifically, Bradshaw accuses New Approach of using absentee signature collectors who left stacks of petitions at set locations, only returning when the documents were signed.

“I had a private detective go talk to some of their own people,” Bradshaw says. “We asked people, ‘Your name is here as a circulator, did you witness these people sign this?’”

According to Bradshaw, the circulators responded, “No, because a New Approach person came in and told me I didn’t have to.”

The lawsuit against Prop C is ongoing. But last week, a Cole County Circuit Judge ruled against Bradshaw in the New Approach litigation. In the ruling, the judge wrote, “The only relevant issue at this point is whether the signatures are those of registered voters.”

Bradshaw has already filed an appeal, and he says he’s willing to take the case all the way to Missouri Supreme Court if necessary.

“Maybe it’s the lawyer in me,” he laughs, “but I think you should follow the law and do things legally.”

Bradshaw’s eleventh-hour attempts to sue away his competition Continued on pg 11

[OP-ED]

LouFest’s Bad Brought Out STL’s Good Written by

JAIME LEES

C

omplaining is the official sport of St. Louis. We are international-champion, gold-medal-winning, legendary complainers. But this city is also full of some of the most generous, kind-hearted, thoughtful and community-driven people you’ll ever find.

That’s why in the hours after the LouFest cancellation, I wasn’t surprised to see people whining about it on social media — and then immediately coming together to try to help the vendors, bands and workers who were left holding the bag.

It was a sight to behold. Seemingly the entire city immediately shifted into gear and mobilized to try to make things right, not only for the disappointed ticketholders but also for the myriad local businesses that had been planning to service the event. With only a few days’ notice on the cancellation, many business owners thought they were screwed. But people all over St. Louis stepped up to help.

One of the first touching stories came from family-owned Gioia’s Deli in the Hill neighborhood. The deli had bought and prepped 700 pounds of beef in anticipation of feeding hungry LouFest attendees.

Yet co-owner Alex Donley told us that within a few hours of the 2 a.m. announce-

WEED DOCTOR Continued from pg 10

have only tightened the tension facing organizers of the other ballot initiatives. No one wants to get tossed off the ballot this late in the game, and the trauma of New Approach’s narrow failure in 2016 is still fresh — especially for New Approach.

“Brad Bradshaw is litigious by nature, and he’s filed a frivolous lawsuit in our case despite the fact that Amendment 2 qualified in every one of the six congressional districts, by at least a buffer of 5,000 signatures each,” says New Approach spokesman Jack Cardetti. “He’s really trying to get done in the courts what he’s not going to get done at the ballot box.”

And Travis Brown, spokesman for the Missourians For Patient Care Act, spares few words for Bradshaw and his lawsuits.

“Bogus,” Brown says. “Bogus.”

Both Brown and Cardetti at-

ment that the festival was cancelled, his phone started ringing with local businesses offering to help buy his excess product.

Touching stories like that came in so quickly that our newsroom scrambled all last week to try to keep up with the good news. As our social media feeds, email inboxes and phones were bombarded with tales of people trying to help out, it became apparent that our LouFest fallout coverage would be dominated by heartwarming stories featuring St. Louisans going out of their way to support impacted former LouFest-ers.

That’s why I was nothing short of disgusted when I read a Facebook post last Wednesday from an out-of-touch local business owner. The cancellation, he wrote, “reflects poorly on the St. Louis community and it’s an embarrassment that we can’t get our shit together enough to support a truly great annual event like LouFest.” He continued, writing that “LouFest belonged to the city of St. Louis and St. Louis dropped the ball, not the organizers.”

Excuse me?

The St. Louis community spent all damn week trying to fix a mess brought on by organizers who couldn’t pay their contractors, and this guy is going to lecture us that “it’s an embarrassment that we can’t get our shit together” and that we “dropped the ball” somehow?

What city do you live in, dude? Because in my St. Louis, community members were not only ready to bounce back, but also jumped in to help others absorb the hit. They set up new shows for touring bands. They set up a whole free showcase for local bands. They organized their own smaller festivals in Forest Park.

They promoted Pü Fest, the DIY LouFest alternative. And independent citizens not only arranged to show their personal support, but made sure that their friends also knew to spend money with local food and beverage vendors who would’ve been providing for the LouFest crowds this past weekend. (Gioia’s, in fact, sold out of all 700 pounds of meat

by Sunday.) Even Chuck Berry’s dead ass recommended a rescheduled show from beyond the grave. Somehow, it ended up being not a sad week at all, but a day when St. Louisans rushed to be heroes to their neighbors in need.

Nope, this little LouFest setback didn’t keep locals low for long. When St. Louisans get knocked down, we stand right the fuck back up. Our community

is never stronger than when it is facing adversity — when bad things happen, we stick together and pull through. Yes, we like to complain, but our altruism and our indomitable spirit almost always pull through regardless.

So we send our thanks to LouFest for the accidental reminder that we’re amazing. Maybe enough of us didn’t buy tickets in advance this year to make things pencil out. Maybe we are all too quick to turn to point blame. But when it really counts, when restaurateurs and bands and small business owners need a boost, we’re there for them — with vocal support, with sympathy, with patronage. And isn’t that worth celebrating?

tack Bradshaw’s amendment on technical and ethical grounds, and they warn that his role in the election represents more than an annoyingly timed lawsuit. Brown notes that Bradshaw’s research institute would conceivably be able to use the power of eminent domain to obtain land to build its headquarters; Cardetti argues that the amendment’s high tax and self-dealing authority should set off alarm bells.

“He names himself as the chairman, he names all the board members to a new sort of state board that hands out all the licenses, he determines how the revenue is spent,” Cardetti says.

“It really is mind-boggling, and it just shows that Amendment 3 is about Brad Bradshaw, not about patients.”

Bradshaw, though, accuses his opponents of trying to construct their own respective cannabis monopolies. He also maintains that his 15 percent tax is in fact the lowest of the three proposals,

as his amendment prohibits state and local taxes from being diverted from the state’s medical-weed revenue — the 15 percent rate would be all-in.

On paper, Bradshaw’s fifteen percent dwarfs the sales-tax rate in New Approach’s Amendment 2, which is at 4 percent. Missourians for Patient Care Act boasts the lowest tax rate of the three, just 2 percent. But Bradshaw maintains that his opponents are “scamming voters” with their stated tax rates; those proposals, he says, will actually charge marijuana patients “around 20 percent, as high as 30 percent” at the point of sale, as the cannabis tax is stacked atop local sales and use taxes.

In response, Cardetti says Bradshaw can’t wave his hand to exempt medical cannabis from state and local sales taxes, and that Amendment 3, if passed, would immediately be challenged on constitutional grounds. The contentious dispute is enough to make the most mild-mannered observer

reach for a joint.

Above the bad blood, lawsuits and political rhetoric, Bradshaw says he understands those with misgivings. But he’s determined to set up the mechanism to cure cancer right here in Missouri — and do so by selling pot to patients.

“I want to find a cure for cancer,” Bradshaw says, repeating a line that functions as a sort of chorus to his sales pitch. “I’m not some joker that’s trying to make money for myself, be a marijuana czar. I could care less.”

It’s going to take billions of dollars to cure cancer, predicts Bradshaw. The effort is going to need seed money, a base of research, a dedicated revenue stream. And the best minds of Earth.

Who those minds are, Bradshaw is still figuring out.

“I’ve talked to people who are interested in this,” he says, though he declines to name those candidates. He says the discussions have generally ended with, “If it passes, give me a call.” n

Tonina Saputo was a breakout star at the Sound of St. Louis, a last-minute festival booked at the Grandel Theatre Sunday in the wake of LouFest’s cancellation. | DANIEL HILL

riverfronttimes.com

Jaime Lees is the RFT’s digital editor

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SHORT CIRC She took office as a progressive reformer. But Kim Gardner’s first 21 months as St. Louis’ top prosecutor have seen chaos and controversy

BY DOYLE MURPHY

P

rosecutors in the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office arrived at work in January 2017 curious to hear what their new boss had planned.

Campaigning as a criminal-justice reformer, former state representative Kim Gardner had easily won the election to replace Jennifer Joyce, who was leaving her post as the city’s top prosecutor after sixteen years in office.

Across the country a new wave of prosecutors had just begun to roll into office on progressive promises to tackle issues such as mass incarceration and cash bail. Backed by a network of activists, Gardner became the first black circuit attorney in city history.

A few prosecutors in the St. Louis office didn’t like what they heard during the campaign. They packed up and left, but the majority who took the Carnahan Courthouse elevators up to the circuit attorney’s offices on Gardner’s first day were ready to see what was next.

“I think, for the most part, anyone who was still there in January, we were willing to give her a chance,” says an ex-prosecutor, one of eleven current and former staffers who spoke to the Riverfront Times in recent weeks.

Another former subordinate says they were looking forward to changes from Joyce’s famously rigid policies, which gave them little to no freedom to negotiate with defense attorneys.

“What happened, and Kim will never get it, we were excited for her,” the former prosecutor says. “We were done with Jennifer Joyce.”

Everyone assumed Gardner would call a staff meeting to introduce herself, explain her priorities and share expectations. A few remember a group photo and Gardner saying something vague about doing things differently. But the first day ended with no actual directives from the new leader, and it was quiet the

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rest of the week.

The following weeks passed the same way.

Gardner might say hello if they ran into her around the courthouse, but mostly she seemed content to huddle with an adviser brought in from her campaign and executive staff hired from outside the office. What they talked about and what she wanted, staffers could only guess.

In an interview, Gardner says she preferred to meet staff members individually, especially in the beginning. “When you go into an organization, you have to, one, evaluate the organization,” Gardner says. “So having these blanket policies and decisions, it takes time.”

However, prosecutors say individual meetings almost always included members of her inner circle, most of whom seemed hostile to holdovers from Joyce’s administration and often did most of the talking. (Gardner disputes this: “I think it’s kind of sexist because, as a female, to say I can’t make decisions myself, I think that really goes to the sexism and discrimination I face inside a system where you have the first African-American prosecutor in the city of St. Louis.”)

As a result, they say, Gardner’s stance could be hard to predict. Many assumed, for example, that a reform-minded prosecutor with an interest in ending mass incarceration would be more receptive than Joyce in re-evaluating cases they considered problematic or short on evidence. Instead, one of their first direct messages from Gardner was a staffwide email chastising prosecutors for what she saw as a disturbing trend of staffers trying to reduce charges or dismiss cases, according to multiple people who received the email.

“When Kim is re-

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T I U C G

ferred to as a progressive prosecutor it makes me cringe,” one recent staffer says, adding, “Her approach has been, when in doubt, lock them up.”

Another ex-prosecutor says Gardner and her executive staff seemed overly sensitive to the suggestion that they would go easy on criminals.

“I think she knew that that’s what people thought, and she was doing everything in her power not to appear soft on crime,” the former staffer says. ardner’s first year and nine months in office have been tumultuous. It’s not just her high-profile prosecution of the state’s sitting governor — a case which began when she personally interviewed the key witness and which was dropped only after the judge ruled defense attorneys could call Gardner to the witness stand. And it’s not even her staff’s prosecution of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley on a murder charge, a hard-fought trial that ended in acquittal and more than a month of protests in the city streets.

Those cases may have dominated the headlines (and Gardner’s schedule; she was a regular presence in the courtroom for both). But for the line prosecutors who handle the breadand-butter cases that comprise the office’s workload, a different set of concerns takes center stage.

To many, it seemed Gardner believed that the staff was loaded with employees loyal to Joyce or one of the two office staffers who’d run against her. Veteran prosecutors also suspect she is sensitive to the fact that she spent her five years as a prosecutor between 2005 and 2010 on low-level cases, never getting to try a homicide.

“I don’t think she trusted any of us and wanted to take advice from any of us who were there,” says a former prosecutor. “She knew there was a perception she was inexperienced,

she was ill-prepared.”

Instead of tapping into the staff’s expertise, she shut them out, leaving her and a few trusted staffers to muddle through the machinations of running the state’s busiest prosecutor’s office, former and current subordinates say.

Streams of people have quit or were pushed out. Exactly how many is unclear. The St. Louis-Post Dispatch reported that about two dozen of the office’s 60 prosecutors left in Gardner’s first seven months, but multiple others have left since, and the office failed to provide staff lists to the RFT despite repeated requests over a five-week period.

A number of the fleeing prosecutors have been white, leading to rumblings about bias, but numerous minority attorneys have also left. One black former prosecutor, who didn’t agree with Gardner’s management, says it is difficult to speak out because of the sense that there’s a concerted effort to take down the city’s first black circuit attorney. “I don’t want to be associated with that,” the former staffer says.

Dwight Warren, who had been a St. Louis prosecutor nearly 40 years, was let go during Gardner’s first three months. Gardner told him she could no longer afford his position, which Joyce had used special funding for, but Warren describes it as a “pretext firing.”

He says it was not as if prosecutors on staff were out to resist Gardner’s wishes — they simply did not know what those wishes were.

“What Kim’s philosophy is, I have no clue.”

Out of necessity, those who left have been replaced primarily by younger attorneys. People who might normally have a few more years to work drug cases and burglaries have been pressed into trying top-level felonies, current and former staffers say.

Critics — and even a few supporters — say there are few places to go with concerns. Several described two key members of Gardner’s newly hired executive staff, First Assistant

Robert Steele and Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Hinckley, as openly and inexplicably hostile.

(Spokeswoman Susan Ryan acknowledges the criticism, but defends the pair. “Ms. Gardner is aware of the feedback about Mr. Hinckley and Mr. Steele from some employees,” Ryan says in

ILLUSTRATION BY RONAN LYNAM

an email. “Every new attorney who comes into this office, regardless of his or her position, has to make the transition into a new environment.

All new employees have evolved into their positions, and so have the employees who have Continued on pg 13

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SHORT CIRCUIT Continued from pg 13

been with the office through various administrations.”)

The person who seems to be Gardner’s closest confidant, Maurice Foxworth, had been a paid consultant to her campaign before joining her office as a nonstaff adviser. A 2017 Post-Dispatch story revealed that Foxworth was being paid $25,000 for renewable six-month contracts, and also noted that Foxworth’s license to practice law was suspended in 2015 for unpaid taxes.

Staffers say nobody really understands Foxworth’s role, other than that he seems omnipresent.

He has sat in on meetings about cases, they say, and has often taken an active role. That struck them as problematic considering the status of his license.

When Gardner agreed to an interview with the RFT in late August, she showed up with both Foxworth and Ryan. Questioned about Foxworth, she denies that he does anything that would constitute practicing law. “That’s a lie,” she says.

Pressed to specify Foxworth’s duties, Gardner says, “I don’t really think he’s a part of this article, because he’s not an executive staff member.” Pressed again, she and Ryan describe what sounds like an IT worker or office manager, noting that he helped upgrade their infrastructure.

Foxworth, who remains an adviser, says, “Back then, it was mainly transitioning and keeping data for Kim and transitioning and helping with innovation systems, data collection, things of that sort.”

Gardner also insists she has an open-door policy and that she has done a good job communicating with staff.

Those who have worked for her, though, say that’s just not true. “I’m literally going to laugh at that,” says one. “The previous administration, it wasn’t like you could go walking into Jennifer’s office, but the door was literally open.”

Unlike outside observers, who might interpret the strife as a clash between the politics of a leftleaning reformer and more conservative staff, prosecutors say it’s more the day-to-day fumbling and erratic interventions from an unpredictable boss.

Four separate sources reference the case of a Metro East man named Darnell Murray, who was charged in a Dutchtown carjacking last year. Even after the FBI and an experienced prosecutor who handled the case raised

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“If the prosecutor is afraid of everybody, there is something wrong with that prosecutor,” Kim Gardner says. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI doubts about his guilt, Gardner insisted the case go to trial. Murray was eventually acquitted, but not before spending six months in city jail awaiting his day in court.

In fairness to Gardner, she has pushed forward on several parts of her reform agenda. She has doubled the diversity of the overall staff to 55 minority employees since taking over, and she has been bold on two issues of major concern to her progressive base.

She announced to staff in June that they would no longer prosecute marijuana possession cases of fewer than 100 grams. The new policy applies only to cases that don’t include allegations of violence or other serious crimes, but it is still a major shift.

She’s also been quick to go after cops accused of abusing their power. One of her campaign promises was to restore faith in the justice system. That’s included trying the case against Stockley, who was charged near the end of Joyce’s administration with murdering Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011 after a car chase.

The St. Louis Police Officers Association, unsurprisingly, saw the case as an attack on cops. The union initially focused much of its venom on Joyce, but the aggressive prosecution under Gardner set the stage for future clashes.

The union later opposed Gard-

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

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ner’s bid to create a new investigative unit to investigate policeinvolved shootings, and it blasted her decision to stop prosecuting nonviolent marijuana cases, too.

There is so little trust between the union and the circuit attorney that some cops pegged as witnesses in officer-involved shootings have refused to testify, citing their Fifth Amendment rights.

In the August interview, Gardner downplayed the clashes. She says she is bound to upset people sometimes.

“If the prosecutor is afraid of everybody, there is something wrong with that prosecutor,” she says.

When the Post-Dispatch previously questioned Gardner about turnover, she was sharp: “Most of the people who left, I’m not missing them.” Now, she’s a little more diplomatic. “Of course, we want people to stay, but at the same time, I respect people who have chosen to go on and further their career in other areas.”

A certain amount of turnover is common, she points out. Being a prosecutor is a relatively low-paying job for a lawyer, and it is grueling work. Most prosecutors who exited, she says, did so for more lucrative opportunities.

“So I’m not going to say everybody left just because of me, because I think that’s unfair to them as well as the office,” she says.

And while it is true that relatively young attorneys are now handling important cases, she claims it is not vastly different from previous administrations. Aside from a period following the housing crash when no one who had a job was quitting, people flowed in and out of the Circuit Attorney’s Office under Joyce, she and Ryan say.

The important part is evaluating attorneys to see how they handle the high-pressure workload.

“I say it’s in dog years, because one year in the City of St. Louis is like ten years, to be honest with you, in other jurisdictions, because they’re not handling the complex cases that we’re handling,” Gardner says. “They’re not thrust into trial as fast as this.”

For the first time in months, in August, there has been a stretch of relative calm around the office. The Greitens case has finally dropped from daily news coverage, and attorneys are grinding through the standard St. Louis mayhem. Gardner says she is focused on the longgame work of seeking justice and reducing harm.

“We didn’t get in this space overnight,” she says. “We’re dealing with systems that have been in place for 40, 50, 60 years — ever since I’ve been alive — that affect the violence and crime we see.”

A week later, as the city prepares to head into the Labor Day

weekend, the Post-Dispatch publishes a bombshell: Gardner has just given police a list of 28 officers whom she did not trust to put on the stand. Her prosecutors would not accept new cases that relied primarily on anyone on the “exclusion list,” and they would review existing cases for “viability,” according to the leaked emails.

And just like that, chaos returns.

Apparently unprepared for the news to leak, Gardner is left on the defensive, reacting to police outrage about victimized officers instead of highlighting what is potentially a very big problem: Prosecutors suspect St. Louis has more than two dozen cops and former cops who are fundamentally crooked.

The following days are filled with a hastily prepared statement and follow-up statements. By the end, no one seems particularly sure what is going on.

W

ithin hours of the Post-Dispatch story going live, Jeff Roorda is on the steps of the courthouse, bashing Gardner.

Roorda, the police union’s business agent, is possibly the nation’s most fervent believer that there is a war on police. (A portion of the sales of his book, called Ferghanistan: The War on Police, were dedicated to ex-Ferguson cop Darren Wilson, who killed eighteenyear-old Michael Brown in 2014.)

The exclusion list is, to his mind, further proof that cops are under attack. He claims the list put a dangerous city in even greater peril and torched the last shreds of a relationship between Gardner and officers.

“She’s completely ruined it,” Roorda says. “There is no relationship.”

The list itself was not part of the leak, and the union spokesman says if the names are made public, it could destroy the careers of officers who haven’t had the opportunity to challenge or even hear the allegations against them.

And Gardner has more problems than Roorda. Police Chief John Hayden initially puts out a noncommittal statement, only to come out swinging after Gardner claims police had requested the list.

“No leaders from our department asked the Circuit Attorney’s Office to compile an exclusion list, nor do we have any need for such a list,” he wrote, directly contradicting Gardner. “I was quite surprised to have received it.”

Hayden went on to say there was “no indication the list was

properly vetted,” noting that six of the officers didn’t even work for the department any more and several others had been investigated and cleared. “This list is an unnecessary overreach which would be better handled on a case-by-case basis.”

Gardner responds shortly after with her third statement in three days.

“If Chief Hayden is unaware of the details regarding our concerns with the credibility of some of his officers, then he needs to look no further for the information than from his own command staff,” Gardner’s statement said.

“We have documented communications between our Chief Warrant Officer and the Commander of Professional Standards regarding this issue.”

Prosecutors around the country have long kept at least mental notes about which officers they do and don’t trust. Often it is an unspoken designation, but lists exist and are sometimes made public. Philadelphia’s new district attorney, a longtime civil rights lawyer, released his predecessor’s secret list to defense attorneys this spring. He has also promised to build an even larger database of sketchy cops and share it with defense attorneys. An accounting of less-than-credible officers will ultimately help the police department, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“They need to know that so that they don’t put an officer whose credibility is in question in a position, when they could have put an officer deemed credible, [and] thereby mess up a case,” he said.

The Ethical Society of Police, which represents black cops locally, defended Gardner. “No doubt, the Circuit Attorney’s Office has some problems,” the organization tweeted. “However, officers invoking the 5th instead of testifying is really alarming because of our oath to uphold the law. How can you take verbal testimony/written reports by them in criminal cases at face value going forward?”

Roorda wouldn’t discuss specifics about any officers on the list, and neither would Gardner, saying only that it is essential that prosecutors can trust the testimony of police when pursuing cases.

“A police officer’s word, and the complete veracity of that word, is fundamentally necessary to doing the job,” she wrote in one statement. “Therefore, any break in trust must be approached with deep concern. When we prosecute a case, we have the potential to take someone’s liberty from them.”

Continued on pg 20

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wrong people in the system with this heavy touch.”

SHORT CIRCUIT Continued from pg 17

G

ardner says the job of prosecutors has become more complex in the era after the death of Michael Brown. “Post-Ferguson” is a term she uses multiple times in her 75-minute interview with the RFT. There is new scrutiny of mass incarceration, dubious convictions and a cash-bail system that keeps the poor in jail for minor offenses. Old-school lock-’em-up tactics are no longer acceptable.

“If we look at arrest rates and prosecution rates, St. Louis city has sent more people to prison than any other jurisdiction in Missouri,” she says. “So if that equals a safer city, we should be the safest city in America.”

Whether that will change significantly on her watch remains to be seen. So far, adversaries and allies describe mixed results. Gardner’s decision to stop prosecuting mid-level marijuana-possession cases will undoubtedly keep more than a few offenders out of the system. But defense lawyers have felt some of the same frustrations as they did with previous administrations.

Mary Fox, who leads the public defender’s office in St. Louis, won a court order in 2015 to force Jennifer Joyce to stop removing witnesses’ addresses and other information from reports given to defense attorneys. Fox had hoped evidence and reports would flow more quickly when Gardner took over, but it seemed worse, often in haphazard ways. In April, Fox filed a petition for a writ of mandamus, asking the court to find that Gardner was violating the original order. The office was doing such a bad job of turning over required evidence, she alleged, that the judge needed to force the circuit attorney to implement basic training for her young staff.

“I may not like Jennifer Joyce’s management style, but at least she had some management,” Fox told the RFT in May. “There was clear supervision and training of her staff members.”

Gardner bristles at mention of the petition, noting that Fox’s office has plenty of turnover and new lawyers, too. She says the claims are routine gamesmanship: “This is the same argument she [Fox] uses every year or two years.”

But Fox says the failures of Gardner’s office are real, and have had the effect of keeping low-income defendants in jail for months on end, despite no finding of guilt. “A

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I

n February 2017, less than two months after Gardner took office, U.S. Marshals raced after a red Kia Sportage as it sped wildly through the Metro East.

The Kia’s driver, a longtime criminal named Michael Putman, had just robbed a bank in Collinsville and was desperate to get away. Deputies spotted him soon after in a gas-station parking lot and tried to pull him over. Putman almost made it to the Eads Bridge before he lost control and flipped the little SUV, showering the interior with stolen $2 bills.

It was a pretty straightforward robbery case. And by luck, it Jeff Roorda has been critical of Gardner’s interactions with the city’s police. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI seemed investigators would also be able to hand off a strong lead in another case to St. Louis police and writ is an extraordinary remedy, prosecutors. A check of the Kia’s and we only do it when there are ownership revealed it had been extraordinary circumstances,” she carjacked twelve hours before in adds. the city’s Dutchtown neighborhood Still, both agree that the situaby a black suspect with a gun. tion has gotten better in recent Putman is white, but his pasweeks. Gardner now has a censenger — Darnell Murray, then 48 tralized unit dedicated to handle — was black. The carjacking vicdiscovery, and Fox says long-runtim later identified Murray from a ning negotiations with the circuit mug shot, all but wrapping it up. attorney’s senior staff have yieldThat would have made the bust ed results. “It has gotten signifia nice little two-fer, but the FBI cantly better,” Fox says. “It isn’t agent investigating the Collinsperfect yet, but it is moving in the ville bank robbery quickly develright direction.” oped serious doubts that Murray Gardner says she has focused was the right guy and made his on violence and the “crime drivconcerns clear to prosecutors ers” who are responsible for the in Gardner’s office. Prosecutors bulk of the city’s mayhem: “We there also began to suspect it was want to identify those individuals a case of mistaken identity. and prosecute those individuals But instead of backing off chargto the fullest.” es, Gardner ignored the concerns In a growing number of cases, of investigators and a senior proshowever, the Circuit Attorney’s Of- greater resources, including an ex- ecutor, insisting the case go to fice doesn’t prosecute them at all. cellent probation department, lead- trial, multiple people with knowlInstead, Gardner has been hand- ing to far lower recidivism rates. edge of the case told the RFT. To The feds also have the hammer people in the office who heard ing off cases to the feds. Under new U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen, federal of far harsher sentences. There is about the case — and accounts prosecutors in St. Louis have near- no parole in the federal system, definitely spread — it was an early doubled their criminal caseload. and there is also no local federal ly sign of just how little the new Between January and June, 2,389 prison. That means a robber who boss trusted the opinions of her defendants were charged in the might have done less than ten line prosecutors. federal system, compared to 1,444 years down the road in Pacific The case was handled by Asduring the same period last year. could spend twice as much time at sistant Circuit Attorney Morley Meanwhile, Gardner’s office is on a facility in Michigan or Texas, far Swingle. Swingle had just joined pace for about 4,600 cases in 2018, away from family visits. the office in 2016, but he was easiAt the same time, Jensen says he ly one of its most experienced trial a drop from the roughly 5,500 notched by Joyce’s prosecutors in and Gardner both work with the attorneys. One former colleague Urban League, Better Family Life describes him as “Mr. Prosecutor” 2015.

Jensen says his office and the and other social-service organiza- — an enthusiastic litigator who in circuit attorney’s are in contact tions to promote alternatives to his spare time writes crime novnearly every day, talking about the crime and punishment. els about attorneys. He served Gardner says she is also work- 25 years as the Cape Girardeau cases and strategies. “The close coordination between the super- ing closely with the police de- County prosecuting attorney bevisors has never been as close as partment’s gang officers to build fore leaving under the small-town new intel while also expanding a scandal of a romantic relationship it is now,” Jensen says.

And while critics grouse that the Crime Strategies Unit to focus on with the victim in one of his cases. feds are just cleaning up for an in- the city’s most violent offenders.

After a few years in Colorado, he “At the same time,” she says, returned to Missouri eager to hanept local prosecutor, Jensen says Gardner is off to a good start. He “we also have to reduce harm dle big cases again. says his office has the benefit of by making sure we don’t put the Continued on pg 22

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

“We didn’t get in this space overnight. We’re dealing with systems that have been in place for 40, 50, 60 years that affect the violence and crime we see.”

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SHORT CIRCUIT Continued from pg 20

Murray’s case was not that. In fact, there was plenty to suggest the eyewitness who picked him out of the lineup had made a mistake.

Murray had always insisted he was at an ex-girlfriend’s house in the Metro East the night of the St. Louis carjacking and went to the library the next morning. He says he met Putman for the first time after leaving the library, when the bank robber stopped him at random in Belleville to see if he had crack to sell. He didn’t, but the two eventually found a dealer, bought a $10 rock and smoked it.

Putman then persuaded his new acquaintance to ride with him to a bank to pick up some cash.

Murray told investigators he assumed it was going to be a normal withdrawal. But as he waited in the parking lot, Putman stormed in and told a teller, “Gimme all the hundreds!” Then he grabbed a stack of $2 bills from the cash drawer and fled.

In the car crash that followed, Murray cracked four ribs and Putman broke his wrist. The FBI agent interviewed them both at the hospital. The abrupt end to their exploits meant they had no opportu-

Darnell Murray spent six months in a St. Louis jail before he was acquitted. | TOM HELLAUER nity to match stories. Nevertheless, their descriptions of meeting that morning for the first time were consistent. Further supporting Murray’s alibi: electronic records showing he had spent part of the morning at the Belleville library, just as he said.

Still, Gardner seemed determined to see Murray’s case prosecuted. So Swingle took it to trial

— but staged a minor revolt along the way.

When Assistant Public Defender Julie Regenbogen asked the judge to reduce her client’s bond from $250,000 to a promise to show up for his next court date, Swingle made no objection, clearing the way for Murray’s release. He also consented to a second photo lineup on the morning of trial.

Gardner, who was still pushing the case, personally joined the lawyers in the room as the victim again picked out Murray’s blackand-white photo, Regenbogen recalls. The victim later pointed him out in court as well.

Still, that identification combined with Murray’s presence in the wrecked Kia twelve hours later was the entirety of the case against him. And at trial, Swingle himself called the FBI agent and deputy U.S. Marshal, who shared information suggesting Murray had been elsewhere during the carjacking. Prosecutors have a legal obligation to turn over information that could point to a defendant’s innocence, but Regenbogen says Swingle went above and beyond, ensuring she had access to both federal investigators.

“I really respect how Morley handled the whole situation,” she says.

Swingle’s closing argument is something other prosecutors still talk about.

“Your honor, the state’s position is that the evidence is sufficient for the court to find the defendant guilty,” he began. He dutifully explained that Murray was a passenger in the stolen Kia and the victim had identified him as the carjacker the night before.

Continued on pg 24

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Public NOTICE Suits have been filed on the properties listed on the Collector of Revenue website.

www.StLouisCollector.com Collector of Revenue Office St. Louis City Hall Room 109 1200 Market Street St. Louis, MO 63103-2895

SHORT CIRCUIT Continued from pg 22

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Former Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce says critics don’t understand the complexity of being the city’s top prosecutor. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI

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Then he pivoted.

“If the role of the prosecutor were just to always get a conviction and just be a rubber stamp for any eyewitness who thinks they’ve got it right, what I would say would end right at that moment,” Swingle told the judge. “But the role of the prosecutor is also to help the court get justice. And so we wanted the judge to hear all the evidence, warts and all, both good and bad in this case, you can make an informed decision whether there is a reasonable doubt in this case.”

Swingle went on to quote influential jurist George Sutherland — “But while he may strike hard blows, he is not at liberty to strike foul ones.”

Some colleagues later theorized Swingle was delivering what he suspected would be his last closing as a St. Louis prosecutor. (It was not. Swingle, who declined comment, remains on staff.)

Judge Jimmie Edwards, presiding over one of his last jury trials before he was appointed the city’s director of public safety, found Murray not guilty. He does not remember the details, he says, adding, “I do remember Morley having an issue with his bosses about whether the case should be tried or not tried.”

In his 25 years on the bench, Edwards says his position has always been that the trial attorneys should be “given a great deal of deference,” but concedes they sometimes get overruled by their bosses. “When that happens, it usually leads to problems.”

Gardner says she cannot discuss details of Murray’s case. She

bizarrely claims that he wasn’t charged under her watch, which is not true. Regardless, she maintains that it was a good case.

“I support the charges in that case,” she says. “I can’t speak on specifics, but in this office, we always have discussions about the strength and the weaknesses of a case. We have experienced prosecutors of over 40 years, 50 years that evaluate cases that prosecutors bring issues to and evaluate that case. We stand on the charges in that case.”

These days, Murray lives in a transitional housing facility in East St. Louis. He says he’s been clean for more than a year, but he suffers from bipolar disorder as a result of a head injury from an assault in the 1990s. Locked up for six months awaiting trial, his anxiety spiked, but he couldn’t afford to post bond on his $250,000 bail.

“I didn’t have no money,” he says. “I didn’t have anyone I could call that could put up their car or their house like that. I just sat.”

Those six months seem like a nightmare, but he reasons that they are in the past. He never sued. When he was acquitted, he just went back to Illinois.

He says he tries not to dwell on it.

“I guess they had to stick somebody with it,” he says. “May have been one of those ‘tough on crime’ things — make it seem like they’re tough on crime.”

T

he complexity of the circuit attorney’s job is nearly impossible to understand until you actually are the circuit attorney, Jennifer Joyce says.

That’s a lesson she learned, sometimes painfully, during her Continued on pg 26

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SHORT CIRCUIT Continued from pg 24

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first years in office. She remembers being a homicide prosecutor and wondering what exactly her predecessor, Dee Joyce Hayes, did to fill the hours since she was not carrying a heavy load of cases.

Now, she understands.

“You’ve got to deal with City Hall, the public, the media — you could do it 80 hours a week if you’re so inclined,” Joyce says. After retiring, she started a consulting business and cruises around the country in an RV. Joyce acknowledges that twenty prosecutors left during her second year in office (Ryan claims it was more). After that, she says, she got serious about improving her management skills. She learned to lean on experienced litigators.

And she worked to find ways to take the pulse of the staff — small things like delivering candy on birthdays as an excuse for a chat.

“When morale bottoms out, it’s really a struggle,” she says. “When morale is good, you can do anything.”

She declines to give an assessment of Gardner’s tenure so far, in part because she respects the way Hayes held her tongue during her own tough early years. But she says people should remember what a tough job circuit attorney is. “My hope is that she finds her footing in the job.”

Between the Stockley case, the Greitens case and the mass exodus of prosecutors, Gardner has had few slow days. But some see signs she is indeed finding her footing.

Career prosecutor Rachel Smith was an executive staffer under Joyce and has since gone parttime for family reasons. She now focuses on death-penalty cases.

Every boss is different, she says, but she is free to do her job. “I’ve got the autonomy I need and the independence I need to make my own decisions,” she says.

And after all the turnover, a young group of attorneys has begun to coalesce into a core that could lead the office for years to come. They’re getting their shot after maybe three or four years, instead of five or six, but they are energized by their responsibilities.

“We are actually liking it, because we are getting opportunities we probably wouldn’t have gotten,” one says.

All but six of the office’s attorney vacancies have been filled, and fewer people seem to be looking for new jobs. It was disconcerting to see so many mentors leave in such a short period, but most are just a

phone call away, the current prosecutor says. And, no, Gardner was not a good communicator at the start. They often learned about big moves in their office from reading the news. But she has gotten better and is letting her attorneys work; she really has no other choice.

“Right when Kim came, it wasn’t good,” the prosecutor says. “But two years later, we’re here and we’re working hard.”

The Rev. Darryl Gray, an activist and now community liaison for the Ethical Society of Police, says Gardner deserves a chance. Ultimately, the city needs her to do well, he says.

“The reality is she’s in there now, and we all have an obligation to make sure she succeeds,” Gray says.

It is never going to be easy. The latest clash over the exclusion list is all but guaranteed to fuel a series of flare-ups, and another major change in leadership is less than a week old. Robert Dierker, a former judge considered to be one of the state’s top legal experts, left on September 7 after less than nine months as Gardner’s chief trial assistant. He served a key role in the Greitens prosecution and argued in front of the state supreme court on behalf of the circuit attorney during his last week in the job. Dierker’s conservative views — he railed against “femi-fascists” in a 2006 book — made him publicly controversial, but he was seen inside the office as a stabilizing force. It’s a role he continued to play on his way out of the door.

“In the past, some departing folks have been rather snide in their farewells,” he wrote in an email to staff. “I want everyone to know that you work for a fine person in Kim and a fine office, which you all make what it is. Kim has shown great grit and integrity this year and is deserving of your support. She knows that you can and will support her in keeping the office up to high standards, and she truly wants to make the office a better place to work.”

The departure of Dierker is sure to be a blow, but this time Gardner seems to be prepared. She named his replacement, former Jefferson County associate judge and assistant prosecuting attorney Travis Partney, at the end of July. As far as criticisms about how she has run the office, she makes no apologies. The job is more complicated than it has ever been, she says. St. Louis’ crime is high, and the public wants change.

She says, “I’m that prosecutor who is choosing to look at those complex issues.” n

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Bloom Café serves a fresh take on casual dining while helping people with disabilities grow their independence through a unique job training program.

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WEDNESDAY, SEP 12

KRISTEN & KEN: A CABARET SOIREE

SHONEN KNIFE

8PM AT THE MONOCLE

BRIAN WILSON: HOME VISIONS

$6, 8PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

$20-25, 7PM AT THE READY ROOM 7PM AT THE MONOCLE

HAROLD NIGHT

TRIVIAL: A GAME SHOW

3 MILE GROUP RUN

$6, 8:15PM AT THE IMPROV SHOP

7PM AT RUNNING NICHE

FRIDAY, SEP 14

THURSDAY, SEP 13

PLEASE BE DRUNK: PART DEUX WITH LEX RONAN

GARY NUMAN, NIGHTMARE AIR $22-25, 7PM AT THE READY ROOM

$15, 8PM AT THE MONOCLE

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SATURDAY, SEP 15 6 MILE GROUP RUN

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LAYLA 3PM AT LAYLA

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TUESDAY, SEP 18 MIKE KROL

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THURSDAY, SEP 20 MIDNIGHT COMPANY PRESENTS

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THE FAUSTIVAL: "APOLOGY/FAUSTUS" & "THE HUNCHBACK VARIATIONS" 7PM AT THE MONOCLE

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CALENDAR

BY PAUL FRISWOLD

Wewolf (James Gregg and RubberLegz) in Henry and Edward. | COURTESY OF DANCE ST. LOUIS

THURSDAY 09/13 Into the Spotlight

FRIDAY 09/14 Made of Mexico

While the transgender/genderfluid community continues to become more welcome in American society with every passing year, for the most part, its younger members tend to be most visible within the mainstream. Youth is inappropriately valued in our culture, but you can be certain that a growing number of older trans and gendernon-conforming people are out there living their best lives. Photographer Jess T. Dugan and social worker Vanessa Fabbre spent more than five years traveling the nation to photograph and record the life stories of this hidden demographic, finding subjects in both big cities and small towns. The duo’s work is compiled in a new book and exhibition, both titled To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults. On Thursday, September 13, the exhibit opens and the book is officially released at a dual reception from 5 to 8 p.m. at Projects + Gallery (4733 McPherson Avenue; www.projects-gallery.com). A dozen large-scale photos of participants are on display, along with ten 18-by-24-inch portraits; all of them include a written narrative about the subject’s life. The show continues through October 10.

Lola Álvarez Bravo was a Mexican artist, educator and curator whose life spanned nearly the entire twentieth century. From the 1930s to the 1970s, Álvarez Bravo crisscrossed her way across the country with camera in hand, creating portraits of other working artists. Always shooting, she also made images of regular people and the architecture — both old and new — at a time when Mexico was rapidly growing and transforming. Lola Álvarez Bravo: Picturing Mexico, the new exhibition at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation (3716 Washington Boulevard; www.pulitzerarts.org), features more than 40 of her black-andwhite photographs in all their glory. Picturing Mexico opens with a free reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, September 14. Also debuting the same night are more than 60 sculptures by Ruth Asawa, who often worked with wire. Both shows remain on display through February 16. The Pulitzer is open Wednesday through Saturday.

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SATURDAY 09/15 A Buncha Hot Air The Great Forest Park Balloon

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SueZie, 51, and Cheryl, 55, Valrico, FL, 2015. | COURTESY OF PROJECTS+GALLERY AND JESS T. DUGAN Race began in 1973, which means at least two generations of St. Louisans have gone to the race as kids and then brought their own kids to the race in due time. That’s a longstanding tradition, even by St. Louis standards. The 2018 edition starts at noon on Saturday, September 15, in Forest Park (www. greatforestparkballoonrace.com), with a series of performances by Consuming Kinetics Dance Company, the Muny Kids and the Purina Pro Plan Performance Team, which is a team of very good dogs leaping after Frisbees. Purina also sponsors the kids area, which is stocked with inflatables, games and a mural painting experience.

At 4:30 p.m. the “hare” balloon — PNC Bank’s Orange Blossom balloon — takes off, with the chase balloons beginning pursuit at 4:45 p.m. From that point forward, the

skies over St. Louis County will be full of balloons drifting where the wind takes them. Admission to race day is free.

Hop on Down Schlafly’s Hop in the City marks its twentieth anniversary this year, and it’s not going to be a small celebration. For the price of a $35 to $40 tasting ticket, you get unlimited samples of more than 40 types of beer, including six specialty tappings and a Hop in the City exclusive festival beer. The brewery offers a special, limited menu of food outside, and the Tap Room’s full menu inside. Jake’s Leg, Trippin’ Billies and the Voodoo Players pay musical tribute to the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band and Tom Petty, respectively, providing a familiar and fun soundtrack for

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 13-19 all. Hop in the City takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 15, at the Schlafly Tap Room (2100 Locust Street; www.schlafly. com). Come out and celebrate our oldest local craft brewery.

When Two Become One Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has fascinated readers for more than a century. What sort of transformation can remake a mild-mannered intellectual as a cruel monster with savage instincts? That evocative transformation is the inspiration for Wewolf’s new dance piece, Henry and Edward. James Gregg and RubberLegz fuse breakdancing, contortion and contemporary dance to lock their bodies together into a series of dynamically altered human forms. Gregg and RubberLegz’s bodies are recognizably human, but also somehow more than human. Wewolf presents the North American premiere of Henry and Edward at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 15, at the Grandel Theatre (3610 Grandel Square; www.dancestlouis. org). Tickets are $30 to $40.

SUNDAY 09/16 Viva la Bevo The neighborhood around the Bevo Mill has been GermanAmerican and Bosnian-American, and now the city’s Mexican-American population is moving in.

Just about a half-dozen Mexican restaurants, including Mariscos el Gato and Mi Lindo Michoacan, have opened their doors in Bevo.

Sunday, September 16, is Mexican Independence Day, and what better way to say “hola” to the neighbors than with a street party?

From noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday Gravois Avenue will be closed to cars from Taft to Gannett avenues, and instead will be packed with live music from Jenni Lopez and La Maquinaria Norteña, games for the kids, food booths and a mechanical bull. Admission is free, but you’ll need money for food and drink. For more information, call 314-933-0757.

El baño, 1930s.

Photograph by Lola Alvarez Bravo. © 1995 Center for Creative Photography, The University of Arizona Foundation

MONDAY 09/17 Less than Human The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum may be closed while a new wing is constructed, but that doesn’t mean the Kemper isn’t contributing to the arts community. Its new Technofutures: Science Fiction Film and Modern Design Series presents three forward-looking silent European films from the 1920s, each featuring visually compelling design and scenery directly inspired by Cubism, Constructivism and Expressionism. First up is Marcel L’Herbier’s 1924 film L’Inhumaine. It’s a simple story of a famous opera singer, who entices men, flirts with them shamelessly and then spurns them all.

A young scientist is duly rejected and, in his despair, kills himself.

But she discovers he’s faked his death, and by using his new inventions, she too can become something more than human. The real star of the film is the design, which synthesizes motion and abstract painting, courtesy of artist Fernand Léger. A digitally restored version of L’Inhumaine will be shown at 7 p.m. Monday, September 17, at the Landmark Tivoli Theatre (6350 Delmar Boulevard, University City; www.kemperartmuseum.wustl. edu). Admission is free.

TUESDAY 09/18 Secret Admirer Ten years after her horrific experience at and under the Paris Opera House, famed soprano Christine Daae arrives in America with her husband Raoul and son Gustave. Life hasn’t been great; Raoul

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has both a gambling and drinking problem, and Christine needs to find success in New York to keep the family solvent. But little does the family suspect that its invitation to visit America came from the mysterious Phantom, who now operates (from the shadows, of course) a successful attraction at Coney Island. Can the Phantom reclaim Christine’s love, which he possessed for one brief night, or will she remain loyal to her dissolute husband? The musical Love Never Dies is less a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera than a second story starring the same characters, according to composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Love Never Dies makes its St. Louis premiere at the Fox Theatre (527 North Grand Boulevard; www. fabulousfox.com) this month. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday (September 18 to 30), and tickets are $35 to $99. n

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FILM

33

[REVIEW]

This Old Spouse The Wife’s star power can’t overcome its gimmickry Written by

ROBERT HUNT The Wife Directed by Björn L. Runge. Screenplay by Jane Anderson; based on the novel by Meg Wolitzer. Starring Christian Slater, Jonathan Pryce and Glenn Close. Now playing at the Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

I

f you’re a regular visitor to your local theatre specializing in “independent” films — they can’t really call them “arthouses” anymore — you’ve probably noticed a trend: familiar actors and actresses showing hints of the charm that made them famous forty or fifty years ago even as they face old age. They feed on a kind of nostalgia, showing someone with movie-star appeal facing the uncertainties of 21st-century life even while assuring us that their (and our) free-spirited past wasn’t a lost cause.

These films tend to fall into two categories: If it’s a comedy, the aging performers show they haven’t lost their rebellious joie de vivre by digging out that old LP of Days of Future Passed or tackling some new endeavor, like running a hotel. (Bonus points for learning how to make friends with their Asian neighbors.) If it’s a drama, we discover that the characters, having survived the 1960s or ‘70s, have in fact been harboring a secret, some grain of disappointment they’d buried as they entered adulthood but that suddenly leaps up through the cracks now that they face retirement or physical decline.

The Wife, the latest film to rest on the appeal of familiar faces fading gracefully, follows the second path. Set in 1992 to avoid the clutter of smartphones and online gossip, it begins with graying novelist Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce) being notified — not entirely to his surprise — that he’s won

Genuine rancor is brewing in the marriage of Joan (Glenn Close) and Joe (Jonathan Pryce). | GRAEME HUNTER, COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS the Nobel Prize for literature. Despite the good news, his wife Joan (Glenn Close) almost immediately begins to show signs of irritation, setting the bitter tone that engulfs the rest of the film. Joan fumes silently, while their son David, an aspiring author angling for his father’s attention, sulks and provokes arguments. Joe, in a permanent dither, tries to navigate the tantrums and rebukes without much luck. This is a film where almost every character is out of sorts for no clear reason.

In almost no time, Castleman, his silently fuming wife and his petulant son are in Stockholm, where the author must balance the pageantry of the Nobel ceremony with the increasingly churlish mood of his entourage.

Christian Slater turns up as a would-be biographer, first fawning, then “trolling for nuggets of bitterness,” deliberately sowing the resentments of both wife and son and throwing Castleman’s history of infidelity in Joan’s face. But rather than comply with Slater’s questioning, Joan turns to the cinematic equivalent of conflict avoidance: the flashback.

In brief installments, The Wife leaps back to the Castlemans’ early days, when Joe was a married

professor and Joan (played in her younger incarnation by Close’s daughter, Annie Starke) a student.

A request to babysit soon turns into one of those teacher-student affairs that no fictional academic can ever resist. Young Joan was also a promising writer, one whose ambitions were set aside after a visiting author (Elizabeth McGovern) warns her that women are automatically excluded from what Terry Southern used to call “the Quality Lit game.” “Don’t ever think that you can get their attention,” McGovern warns (bitterly, of course).

With successful writers, sensationalist hack writers, would-be writers and frustrated writers filling up every scene, you would expect The Wife to have something to say about literary life, but the film offers no more than a contrived view of what writers do or how they work. We see little evidence of the writing process; Castleman and his son, in separate scenes, simply show up with complete manuscripts in hand, waiting for praise and overreacting at the slightest criticism. Books exist only to be published or to establish reputations; the content is evidently irrelevant.

There is, as it happens, a big literary mystery to be solved in The

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Wife, and that is also the film’s biggest problem dramatically. At the risk of triggering the “spoiler alert” brigade, I’ll keep this as vague as possible: one or more characters have long-held secrets, which are eventually revealed and which are intended, I suspect, to change the way we see them. If this were a mystery, these secrets would provide the climactic moment to surprise or unsettle the viewer, but The Wife is a character study, not a puzzle. The revelations are supposed to tell us something about the figures we’ve been watching, but they instead simply confuse. Because there’s no emotional foundation, and nothing at stake, the twists and contrivances have no weight. They are a gimmick, so dramatically out of place that the filmmakers have no choice but to rush to an abrupt and fairly labored ending.

No matter how much we enjoy watching Pryce and Close, both excellent performers, they can’t create personalities or compensate for a slim, barely coherent story.

At one point in the film, someone recites the line (attributed to various authors) that “a book is never finished, only abandoned.” The filmmakers appear to have followed that adage too literally. n

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CAFE

35

[REVIEW]

The Chef Who Would Be King Ben Poremba made his name as a restaurateur. At his new eatery, he triumphantly revisits the kitchen — and his culinary roots Written by

CHERYL BAEHR The Benevolent King 7268 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314899-0440. Tues-Thurs. 5-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5 p.m.-1 a.m. (Closed Sundays and Mondays.)

I

f you want to know the inspiration for the Benevolent King, all you have to do is visualize Ben Poremba in the kitchen rolling briouat, or crispy Moroccan “cigars.” Chicken, scented with turmeric and cinnamon and glistening with honey, is packed into a cigar-shaped phyllo wrapper before being fried to the golden hue and crackly texture of late-autumn leaves. It’s a painstaking task.

But the scene in question takes place far away from his new Maplewood hotspot. Instead, Poremba wants to take you back to one of his foundational culinary memories, to a time when he was ten years old and in his mother’s home kitchen in his native Israel.

He often found himself there, helping her as she prepared food.

A chef, restaurateur and caterer, Poremba’s mom was always cooking. She found in her son a miniature version of herself, with the same talent and passion for food — and by extension, an assistant who could be talked into helping her roll a thousand briouat. Young Ben’s technique was impeccable, and, both paying a compliment and predicting the future, she told him as much, observing, “You have the hands for this.”

Six restaurants, numerous accolades and a few James Beard award nominations later, no one doubts

The Benevolent King’s Moroccan-Israeli dishes include tabbouleh with toasted bulgur, roasted pepper, lemon and parsley. | MABEL SUEN that Poremba indeed has the hands of a chef. He proved as much the moment the doors opened to his fine-dining flagship, Elaia, and his Mediterranean-inflected bar, Olio, back in 2012. Since then, however, Poremba’s journey has led him out of the kitchen and into the role of restaurateur as he has expanded his empire, opening Parigi, Nixta and the now-shuttered Old Standard Fried Chicken.

The Benevolent King isn’t just another restaurant in a line of them, though. From a tiny kitchen on a charming block, Poremba is reclaiming his identity as a chef with his most personal concept to date, one that draws its inspiration from the food he grew up eating, the food that made him fall in love with cooking and the food that he feeds his family today.

Of course, this is not the first restaurant that honors his Moroccan-Israeli heritage; bite into

Olio’s Jersualem bagel covered with labne and za’atar and you’ll get an immediate taste of Poremba’s childhood cuisine. But the Benevolent King is more earnest than anything he has done in the past, informed by the pure joy of cooking what he loves to cook, with nothing to prove. Poremba has made his name; now he gets to have fun.

And what fun it is; the feeling fills you the moment you walk into the sultry restaurant and bar.

Poremba fell in love at first sight with the former Water Street Grill space, and now that he’s impressed his style upon the space, the rest of us are sure to be equally smitten.

Black paint covers the ceiling and three walls, with the fourth mirrored from floor to ceiling. Candlelight dances in the reflection and across the gilded décor. Small bistro tables, surrounded by blackand-white wicker chairs, evoke a

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Moroccan beachside cafe, while the shiny tiled floor and bar-tops give off a swanky vintage feel. You half expect to see Humphrey Bogart himself welcoming you inside.

It’s the sort of place to take your date if you, how should I say it, want the evening to end on a very high note.

But you could also achieve the throes of passion simply by eating what comes to your table. Ripe cherry tomatoes, painstakingly peeled and charred until they are ready to pop, are the star of a simple appetizer. Mint, garlic and thinly sliced miniature hot peppers infuse a dressing of red-wine vinegar and oil that coats the tomatoes with piquant flavor.

Equally simple is a dish of stewed eggplant, paired with roasted red peppers, olive oil, oregano and whole cloves of roasted garlic.

Whether spread over freshly baked

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BENEVOLENT KING Continued from pg 35

pita or scooped up with a spoon, this flawless dish is as Mediterranean as the Aegean is azure.

Kalamata tapenade is enlivened with rich anchovy, while a crudité of crisp fennel cuts through the salt and sea with licorice-kissed refreshment. Caviar dip delights with its restraint. Tangy crème fraiche is the star, accented by the fish eggs and garlic — not overtaken by them.

If baba ganoush is considered peak eggplant, then Poremba’s “Romanian Eggplant” has broken through to another realm.

Fire-roasted, laden with garlic and soaked with crème fraiche, the chunky spread is what you would get if onion dip married baba ganoush and gave birth to the Christ child.

Poremba’s falafel, made from split peas, is delicate in both texture and in flavor; warm spices light up spherical fritters that would be satisfying enough on their own. When dipped into harissa laden with chile and garlic, it’s ethereal — although perhaps not as ethereal as the fresh farmer’s cheese, another of the Benevolent King’s “snacks” that, given

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enough quantity, you could happily turn into an entire meal. Luscious, pungent cheese accented with dill, fennel pollen and dried mint tastes as if cream cheese studied abroad in the Maghreb — and never came back.

Scallops, tender and perfectly cooked, might be the highlight of their platter at a lesser restaurant.

Here, they stand on equal footing with leeks that have been cooked to the point of being silken. I’d eat an entire bowl of the vegetables, but here they are but one player in a beautiful symphony of shishitos, chermoula and shellfish.

If you have the privilege of vacationing in the Mediterranean, dine al fresco at a beachside restaurant and order the branzino.

If you don’t, order the fish at the Benevolent King and you will be just as satisfied — at least in terms of your meal. Here, Poremba’s deftness lies not so much in what he does but what he doesn’t do, namely over-manipulate an already spot-on meal. The European bass is cooked until its tender flesh turns a pearlescent hue, and roasted chicories, lemon and capers accent its succulent meat the way a simple strand of pearls adorns a little black dress. If less is more, then our cup runneth over.

Though all the Benevolent King’s

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dishes are meant to be shared, savvy diners may want to order a second round of the lamb meatballs or risk losing a digit. The fist-sized spheres of mild lamb are so delicate, they feel as if they have been coaxed, not forced, into forming. Fluffy Moroccan couscous and smoked tomato sauce are served alongside these masterpieces; a bite of the balls with a dollop of sauce makes you wonder how the Italians cornered the market on spherical meat.

Though it’s easy to fill up on the savory items, it would be a disservice to skimp on dessert. Poremba’s mother recently moved from Israel to St. Louis to be closer to her son and his family, and not only does she make an assortment of delightful Moroccan cookies, but the milk custard is a feast for both the palate and the mind. The rich, rosewater-scented cream is covered in halvah fluff, a fibrous, tahini confection akin to a sesame cotton candy. Its sugary sesame flavor dissolves on the tongue; its sweetness lingers like the kiss of a long-lost lover. It’s haunting.

With such a strong food component, it might be tempting to qualify the Benevolent King as a restaurant first, bar second. However, with the talented Tony Saputo in charge of the drink list, what’s in

the glass stands shoulder to shoulder with what’s on the plate. His thoughtful list may read esoteric, but beneath the unfamiliar ingredients lie classic flavors.

They won’t come cheap, however. Drinks at the Benevolent King will set you back $15 to $18 a pop — steeper than the majority of the establishment’s food items.

Whether this is worth it depends on how you value good drinks.

Personally, I find Saputo’s talent on par with some of the city’s top chefs; I’m not surprised his drinks run the same price as one of their edible pleasures. Just be prepared that if you want to have more than two, you will either be maxing out your credit card or finishing your night with some Stag down the street at the Crow’s Nest.

But as intoxicating as Saputo’s cocktails may be, the Benevolent King is, first and foremost, a referendum on Poremba as a chef in his rawest, most authentic form.

And the verdict is a resounding one, even though it needn’t have taken us all this time to render it — his mom made the call many, many years ago.

The Benevolent King Fresh farmer’s cheese ............................. $12 Lamb meatballs ....................................... $18 Grilled sea scallops ................................. $24

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With aims of being the best sandwich shop in the city, Snarf’s award-winning sandwich shops has carved out quite a delicious niche in St. Louis. Owners Jodi and Maty Aronson opened Snarf’s first successful St. Louis location after Jodi’s brother Jimmy Seidel founded the concept in Colorado. Currently at four locations, Snarf’s is readily feeding the Gateway City’s appetite for fast, flavorful, toasted sandwiches using only the finest ingredients. Choosing a favorite from more than 20 classic and specialty sandwich options is difficult, but try the New York Steak & Provolone, with juicy bits of premium meat cooked to perfection and accented with cheese and Snarf’s signature giardiniera pepper blend for a kick. All sandwiches are made with Fazio’s locally made fresh-baked bread and can be customized with a variety of fresh toppings. Don’t forget to check out the salads served with homemade dressings, rotating soups, sides such as Zapp’s gourmet potato chips, and desserts. Snarf’s also offers vegetarian options, a gluten-free menu, a full catering menu and delivery.

“Laissez les bons temps rouler” typically is what you’d hear in New Orleans, but thanks to the southerncomfort cooking at Highway 61 Roadhouse & Kitchen, there are plenty of good times rolling in St. Louis, too. The Webster Grove hotspot blends the voodoo of the bayou with hearty fare and drinks for a spicy experience. In a charming, funky space with colorful blues paraphernalia lining the walls and live music throughout the week, kick off the night with deep-fried wontons stuffed with shrimp, Cajun grits, bacon and a blend of pepperjack and ghost cheese. For a real taste of Louisiana, order the D.D.D. Sampler; named for the “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” episode that visited Hwy 61, the sampler includes the restaurant’s signature red beans and rice, BBQ Spaghetti and CajAsian potstickers. If you’re really hungry, opt for platters that feature the smothered catfish, stuffed chicken or blackened meat medallions served with a variety of kickin’ sides. Wash it all down with plenty of beers, wines and specialty cocktails.

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3 ST. LOUIS LOCATIONS VISIT WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION

314.727.6500 622 N AND SOUTH RD. ST. LOUIS, MO 63130

For a transcendent wine experience in St. Louis, Copia is the place to be. Named for the Roman goddess of abundance, wealth, pleasure and harvest, Copia pours plenty of vino alongside its classic New American fare. Experience the world through dozens of wines, available by the bottle or by the glass; for the adventurous, there are wine or spirit flights that offer tastes of Copia favorites. The wine doesn’t stand alone, though – at Copia, the food is as thoughtful as the drink. For dinner, feast on slow-roasted prime rib or slow-braised lamb shank, each succulent and served with delectable sides. From the sea, try jumbo jalapno and cilantro shrimp jambalaya, served with cajun-spiced andouille sausage and creole rice. And now there’s even more Copia to go around – 14 years after opening the flagship location downtown, Copia recently has added a location in Clayton and also soon will be in West County.

As one of the premier vegetarian restaurants in the St. Louis area, Frida’s has earned accolades for serving hearty meals that are as tasty as they are nourishing. Owners Natasha Kwan-Roloff (also the executive chef) and Rick Roloff elevate vegetarian cuisine by marrying high-quality, local ingredients with innovative flavors. All items are made from scratch, have no butter or sugar and use little to no oil – but with the flavors and creativity at Frida’s, you won’t miss anything. The University City restaurant’s newest hit is the Impossible Burger – a massive plant-based patty that has the texture and juiciness of meat and often fools carnivores. Frida’s award-winning signature namesake burger is no slouch, either, with its tahini-chipotle slaw topping and local bun. The menu also boasts decadent favorites like tacos, wraps, pizzas and desserts, and a new Sunday brunch that just launched in April. Beer and wine are available, and many of Frida’s menu items can be modified for vegan or gluten-free diners.

BLOOD & SAND

BLK MKT EATS

BLOODANDSANDSTL.COM

BLKMKTEATS.COM

314.241.7263 1500 SAINT CHARLES ST. ST. LOUIS, MO 63103

314.391.5100 9 S. VANDEVENTER AVE. ST. LOUIS, MO 63108

Everyone needs a hideaway – a place that’s “yours,” where you can find good food, good drink and good friends. In St. Louis, Blood & Sand is such a special spot. The acclaimed downtown parlour has become known for excellent cocktails like its namesake, a tribute to the Rudolph Valentino silent movie; other favorites are named for popular songs, such as the Wannabe (Spice Girls) and The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff). Blood & Sand has an carefully crafted New American menu to complement those drinks, as well. Kick off dinner with the ceviche, featuring king diver scallop, aguachile and avocado before moving on to main courses like wild boar loin or roasted quail. At the end of the meal, don’t miss the Candy Bar, a decadent log of coffee, chocolate, dulce de leche, coconut and almond.

Previously available for its membership only, Blood & Sand now has opened its doors to the public, though members will continue to receive extra touches like preferential pricing and special tastings.

The fast-fresh, made-to-order concept has been applied to everything from pizza to pasta in St. Louis, but the sushi burrito surprisingly had no Gateway City home until BLK MKT Eats opened near Saint Louis University last fall. It was worth the wait, though, because BLK MKT Eats combines bold flavors and convenience into a perfectly wrapped package that’s ideal for those in a rush. Cousins and co-owners Kati Fahrney and Ron Turigliatto offer a casual menu full of high-quality, all-natural ingredients that fit everything you love about suAVERAGE SUSHI shi and burritos right in your hand. TheNOT SwedishYOUR Fish layers Scandinavian cured salmon, yuzu SPOT dill slaw, Per9 SOUTH VANDEVENTER DINE-IN,favorite, TAKEOUTthe OR OG DELIVERY MON-SATyour 11AM-9PM sian cucumbers and avocado for a fresh flavor explosion.

Another Fire, features choice of spicy tuna or salmon alongside tempura crunch, masago, shallots, jalapeño and piquant namesake sauce; Persian cucumbers and avocado soothe your tongue from the sauce’s kick. All burrito rolls come with sticky rice wrapped in nori or can be made into poké bowls, and all items can be modified for vegetarians.

COPIABRAND.COM

EATATFRIDAS.COM

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Tuesdays SEPT 4–25 6–8pm Forest Park Museum’s North Lawn mohistory.org/twilight-tuesdays

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SHORT ORDERS

dad’s legacy because this was his life’s work,” says Rodriguez. “I’d never want myself to be identified with it. I could never earn that because it’s all my dad. I may be taking it and growing it, but I will never say it’s mine. I just feel good taking care of it.”

Rodriguez took a break from planning the festivities surrounding Hacienda’s 50th anniversary to share his thoughts on the St. Louis food-and-beverage scene, his secret love of the freezer aisle and why you will never see massproduced chips in his restaurant.

[SIDE DISH]

Hacienda Was His Heritage — and Destiny Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

T

hough John Rodriguez insists on downplaying his role in the story of Hacienda Mexican Restaurant (9748 Manchester Road, Rock Hill; 314962-7100), there is no question the landmark eatery is a part of him — and he a part of it.

“I think my handprints are in the concrete. Literally,” Rodriguez laughs, thinking back on the childhood he spent at the restaurant owned by his parents. “When we were young, my sister and I were all over the dining room. We are open 720 shifts a year, from six a.m. until 1 a.m. Our parents were always there, so we got used to being up there. We’d come to work with mom and dad, and they would give us our toys to keep us busy.”

Running Hacienda was perhaps Rodriguez’s destiny. His father, Norberto, immigrated to the United States from Mexico with only a few dollars in his pocket and no education, then worked his way up in the restaurant business, opening his first place in 1963.

Though it was an American concept, the elder Rodriguez began peppering the menu with Mexican specialities. Buoyed by their reception, he decided the city was ready for a bona fide Mexican restaurant. He opened Hacienda in Overland in 1968, moving it to its current digs on Manchester nine years later.

There was no escaping the business for his son — not that he wanted to. As soon as John and his sister, Alex Rodriguez de Torres, were old enough, their father put them to work doing inventory, hostessing and helping out around the place — and they loved it.

However, when the time came

39

John Rodriguez left Los Angeles, and the music business, to run his family’s restaurant. | JEN WEST to pursue their own paths, neither sibling went into the restaurant business. It’s not that their parents dissuaded them from doing so; they simply wanted the children to forge their own paths and have the experience of going to college because it was something they did not have themselves.

For Rodriguez, that path led to Berklee College of Music in Boston where he pursued his lifelong passion for music. After graduating the prestigious program, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked in his chosen profession for nearly a decade. He engineered tracks, wrote and produced songs for films, television, video games and commercials,

living his dream until reality began to sink in.

“I was scraping out a living in L.A., but I started to rethink it,” Rodriguez explains. “I was getting older and didn’t see a stable future out there. At the same time, we had needs at the restaurant, and my parents really wanted ownership presence there. I was looking for a change and they needed the help.”

A sense of obligation brought both Rodriguez and his sister back to St. Louis to take over restaurant operations. Rodriguez insists he did so not with a heavy heart, but with passion for preserving his family’s legacy.

“I feel like a caretaker of the place; it’s always going to be my

riverfronttimes.com

What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did?

I don’t cook at the restaurant, but I cook at home almost every day.

What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you?

Listening to podcasts.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

To be able to see every corner of the restaurant at once.

What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year?

I’m a big fan of ramen, so it’s nice to see that category growing.

What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see?

More places where my wife and I can both get the breakfast that we want.

Who is your St. Louis food crush?

Quincy Street Bistro. It’s probably the only place other than Hacienda or Mayana that I could go every week.

Which ingredient is most representative of your personality?

Any good cut of beef.

If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing?

I’d probably still be kicking around the music business.

Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant.

Mass-produced tortilla chips.

What is your after-work hangout?

Home.

What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure?

Anything from the freezer aisle.

What would be your last meal on earth?

Ribeye steak and baked potato. n

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

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[FIRST LOOK]

Island Flavor Comes to Hyde Park Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

T

elie Woods and Zahra Spencer were on the cusp of realizing their restaurant dreams in the U.S. Virgin Islands. They had planned it all out during the course of their not-quite-year-long courtship: He would move from his native Chicago to join her in St. Thomas, where they would launch a brunch spot focused on chicken and waffles. They had a menu planned, a perfect beachside location, and a plane ticket booked for Woods. Then, Irma struck.

“I’d been there for only one week before Irma,” Woods recalls, referring to the devastating Hurricane Irma, which destroyed much of the U.S. Virgin Islands in September 2017, including their not-yet-open restaurant. “We went through the storm together, and then my family was wanting me to get back.

Zahra stayed because her family was there, and I evacuated by boat to Puerto Rico because it was the only airport open at the time.”

Not far behind Irma, however, was Hurricane Maria, a storm that leveled Puerto Rico. Woods was aware of the impending hur-

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ricane but did not know how to get out until a friend from St. Louis helped him get a flight back to the U.S. mainland. His was the last one out before the storm.

Instead of returning to Chicago, Woods stayed with his friend in St. Louis, focused on reuniting with Spencer. The pair still wanted to open a restaurant, but now that the islands were devastated, they knew they could not do it in St. Thomas. Something told him to begin searching St. Louis for a space, and within three days, he’d found a completely renovated restaurant waiting for its first tenant in the middle of the Hyde Park neighborhood. Immediately, he knew it was the right fit.

While Woods explored his new town, he quickly realized the dearth of Caribbean restaurants, especially in the city. Unlike back home in Chicago, St. Louis lacked the casual jerk chicken spots he used to frequent, and that gave him an idea. He called Spencer, told her the idea for Jerk Soul (2016 Salisbury Street, 314-601-3871) and asked her to join him in St. Louis.

“I’ve been to the East and West coasts, but never to St. Louis,” Spencer explains. “Coming here was a leap of faith.”

That leap has paid off in the form of the delightful, takeout-only Jerk Soul, a restaurant Spencer and Woods describe as the perfect combination of their two selves.

Spencer is represented by the authentic Caribbean side of the menu, with dishes that she grew up learning to cook while standing on a step stool in her grandmother’s St. Croix kitchen. Specialties such as braised oxtail, jerk wings, curry chicken and Caribbean corn

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

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Jerk Soul’s chicken wings get an overnight marinade and pimiento wood smoke. | CHERYL BAEHR have been passed down for many generations in her family, and she has been cooking them since she was nine years old.

Woods adds his Chicago background on the side of the menu he and Spencer describe as “fusion.”

Traditional Caribbean specialties like a jerk chicken are presented in “American” form, with options on a Philly cheesesteak sandwich or atop a pizza. And, as Woods attests, there is no better side to pair them with than the macaroni and cheese — his grandmother’s special recipe.

Spencer and Woods are thrilled with the response they have received from their Hyde Park neighbors — in fact, the desire to

become a part of the north-city community was what sold them on this particular property.

“The area is up and coming. It’s being revitalized and restored to its former glory,” says Woods.

“We’re excited to be here because we feel like we are a part of that revitalization. With the new hospital and the National Geospatial headquarters coming in, we’re pumped. We feel like we are playing a role in revitalizing the neighborhood.”

Jerk Soul is open Sunday through Friday from noon until 8 p.m.

Though the storefront is strictly a carryout operation, the restaurant also does catering and special events. n

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MUSIC & CULTURE

43

[HOMESPUN]

Fairweather Friends Native St. Louisan Shae Moseley’s Perfect Weather for Humans merges modern rock and shoegaze Written by

CHRISTIAN SCHAEFFER

W

hen reached by phone in early September, Shae Moseley takes a break from working in his home office in San Diego, California. After a recent heat spell, he says he’s turned off the air conditioning and is letting his adopted city’s famously mild weather drift through the house; one imagines the faint fragrance of lavender or jasmine on the breeze.

Or maybe that’s just some typical California dreaming from the other end of the telephone in St. Louis, where the afternoon temperatures routinely crack the 90s even after Labor Day. Moseley, who grew up in tiny Kinmundy in southern Illinois but spent the better part of his young adulthood in St. Louis, remembers the heat and the humidity well. He doesn’t miss it.

It’s not clear if Moseley named his latest musical project Perfect Weather for Humans as a tribute to southern California or a mild dig at his native Midwest. But St. Louis was clearly on his mind as he assembled the songs and players for this project; for a pair of recordings released this year — a self-titled full-length and the just-released Echo V EP — Moseley worked with guitarist and recording engineer Will Jones to craft a set of songs that merge the propulsiveness of modern rock with the layered, textured swirl of shoegaze. To round out the recordings, locals Micah Parker and Chan Evans contributed drums and guitars, respectively.

“When I moved away I almost immediately started messing with music here on my own,” Moseley says. “Will Jones and I had always

Shae Moseley may have figured a way out of wet hot St. Louis summers, but he still relies on the city’s musicians. | VIA THE ARTIST talked about doing some form of collaboration. The idea we had for this band for years. Since Will has a nice studio, we thought it would be cool to create this collective of musicians who can tap in when we need them.”

When Moseley left St. Louis eight years ago to be near his nowwife Toni, he had gained a reputation as an in-demand drummer, keeping the beat for Americana experimentalists Magnolia Summer and heartland soul band Jon Hardy & the Public. But he also took a stronger songwriting role in groups such as Ghost in Light and Jovian Chorus, and those bands’ love of hazy atmospherics and unconventional rock & roll dynamics inform where Moseley and company take Perfect Weather for Humans.

Moseley serves as the singer, songwriter and guitarist for these tracks, and even though the distance between St. Louis and San Diego made live-in-the-room recording tough, he relies on the input from Jones, Parker and Evans to help sculpt the final form of the songs.

“I guess it has the look of a solo project, but I want to get more and more of our friends involved,” he

says. “I’d like for it to keep moving in that direction. It keeps it interesting — we’re not really a band since we can’t play live shows. I think that’s something that could keep it fun for everyone and keep inserting people as we move along.”

To that end, Moseley would send sketches of songs to Jones and the others — his home studio has a modest setup including a few mics, pre-amps and an entry-level Garageband program on his Mac. He would send his output to Jones, who owns and operates Yellow Hat Studio on Cherokee Street.

“I would make a scratch track, usually, with keyboard or guitars and vocals; sometimes they started with a drum machine beat,” Moseley says. “I’d send it their way and they’d play around with it. Other songs we messed with the arrangements or added another section of the song. Sometimes if you have to play everything to a click it can be unfortunate, but this allowed us to share things back and forth.”

Moseley had played in a few bands since moving to California — he currently drums in a country-Western outfit — but Perfect Weather for Humans was the first

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time in years he actively followed his own muse. And while most of the tracks on both releases ride an electric pulse into the stratosphere, some of Moseley’s songwriting was borne of turmoil.

“I guess the thing, I think, that really spurred it along as far as me writing a lot more was that I went through some things during that time,” Moseley says. “My dad got sick and passed away, and that was a big reason I had more to say than usual. I don’t think the music came off as morbid because of it, but I think it came out as more existential or searching.”

As an avid music fan (and a former Riverfront Times contributing writer), Moseley has deep crates to pull from, and his avowed love of bands like the Afghan Whigs, the Cure and Slowdive peek through in elements of these songs.

“There’s so many things that influence me,” he says. “My biggest problem when I write songs is that I hear things all the time and want to write songs like that. ‘I want to be a power-pop band! I want to be an electronic dance artist!’

“My biggest challenge has been trying to find a direction to myself and pull all that stuff into something that works together.” n

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Wednesday September 12 9:30PM Urban Chestnut Presents

The Voodoo Players Tribute To The Stones

Thursday September 13

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Surco

Friday September 14

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Jeremiah Johnson Band Saturday September 15

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Funky Butt Brass Band All Roostered Up 3PM FREE SHOW! Sunday September 16

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Wednesday September 19 9:30 PM Urban Chestnut Presents

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[PREVIEW]

Dead Now Comes Alive With Melodic Metal Written by

BOB MCMAHON

F

or a band called Dead Now, the Atlanta trio of guitarist/singer Andrew Elstner, bassist Derek Schulz and drummer Bobby Theberge has been especially active. The stoner-rock outfit played its first show in August 2017 but has already embarked upon a month-long tour with like-minded heavy rockers Red Fang. This run of shows kicked off on September 7, the same day vinyl specialty label Brutal Panda Records released Dead Now’s self-titled debut EP. Along the way, the group has received press from the likes of Consequence of Sound, Revolver Magazine and Metal Injection.

It’s been a quick return to prominence for St. Louis native Elstner, who returns to town with Dead Now on September 13 at the Firebird. Known here for his work in loud but melodic local luminaries Riddle of Steel and Tilts, Elstner gained relative fame for his fiveyear tenure in Miami-based popleaning metal act Torche.

It was during that run that he discovered Day Old Man, an Atlanta doom-metal duo composed of Theberge and Schulz. An instant fan, Elstner got to know the group both on and off stage when it joined Torche for a tour.

“I was already thinking of hitting them up just to do something ’cause I love the way they play,” Elstner says. When Torche parted ways with him in November 2016, he didn’t waste any time turning thought into action. “I came back from the last fateful tour,” Elstner says. “I was working at [Atlanta venue] 529. I think one of them came to say hello and I was like, ‘Hey, do you guys want to start a band?’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah!’”

The trio soon convened to write with just a single loose direction for its sound.

“The only thought I had was ‘let’s do what you guys have been doing [in Day Old Man] but in tighter passages,’” Elstner says.

St. Louis native Andrew Elstner, right, formerly played in Riddle of Steel, Tilts and Torche. | VIA ARTIST BANDCAMP While he says he loves Day Old Man’s ability to fit multiple tunes’ worth of ideas into twelve-plusminute opuses, Elstner generally prefers to write shorter songs.

“It’s not for like commercial reasons,” he says. “It’s more short attention-span reasons.”

The resulting Dead Now is the best-case scenario for the marriage of the sludgy, mostly slow and hard-hitting approach of the still-active but backburnered Day Old Man to Elstner’s power-popmeets-heavy-rock stylings. The former’s foreboding atmosphere is found in the half-time meter and brooding riffs of “Brunette” and “Bird Leaf,” but Dead Now can do fast just as well. In addition to sporting self-aware song titles, fist-pumping ’70s-metal-inspired jam “Ritchie Blackmourning” and the motorik rush of “Motorekt” illustrate that Elstner remembers a few tricks he learned in Tilts and Riddle of Steel, respectively.

Throughout the EP, Dead Now showcases a balanced attack. On “Brunette” and “Motorekt,” Elstner rides a fifth-interval drone while Schulz establishes the melody through roving basslines.

Later Elstner leads the charge with blistering and spacey solos on “Ritchie Blackmourning” and “Powershapes.” Theberge meanwhile lays down heavy complementary grooves and matches the axes’ accents until it becomes necessary to take over a song with punishing but tasteful fills. Such a versatile nature is necessary when songs are subject to sudden shifts; “Powershapes” goes from a stomping march to an eerie quasi-

funk breakdown that slams into a repeating chromatic riff that accompanies furious drumming.

Despite the variety on display, the EP is a cohesive 23 minutes that forges an adaptable identity rather than trying on many.

Credit for this may be due to the group’s writing process, in which, with few exceptions, songs were created and refined through jamming. Elstner is a big proponent of this method.

“It just sort of pushes your brain in more creative ways, I think, because you’re getting immediate response,” he says. “And something that you might not even really think is cool somebody else picks up on immediately and goes, ‘Oh my God! What was that?’ And then … you have something that you definitely would not have come up with on your own. I love it.”

It didn’t hurt that Dead Now features a rhythm section that has played together for over a decade in various bands. Noting that they “function as a single unit,” Elstner holds his bandmates in high regard. “A lot of times at practice we’re just jamming, it’s just me holding on for dear life while they’re just writing away,” he says.

An experienced rhythm section is not the only advantage Dead Now has.

“I have zero shame, I don’t know why anybody would feel bad or embarrassed, plying every connection I still have,” Elstner says. “From label people to promoters to other bands to gear endorsements, anything that makes touring and writing and record-

riverfronttimes.com

ing easier for a band so you can more quickly get out there and get something released.”

One such connection is Red Fang, who Elstner bonded with as a member of Torche when the bands toured together. This led to an opening slot for Dead Now when Red Fang came to Atlanta in January. Impressed by the band’s set, Red Fang recommended the group to Bob Lugowe of its label Relapse Records (also home to Torche). This led to Lugowe seeking out early Dead Now recordings, and based on their strength eventually releasing its EP on his side label Brutal Panda Records.

From there it was only natural that Dead Now would join Red Fang on the road.

Elstner is grateful for the help.

“I think they’re absolutely wonderful human beings and a killer band,” he says.

While Elstner acknowledges that Dead Now has had some breaks, he emphasizes that they didn’t come out of the blue. “[We’re] very lucky to be in the position [we’re in], but all three of us have worked our asses off to get to that position as well,” he says. “It wasn’t like we won the lucky dice roll.”

And outside of its doom grooves, the band has no intention of taking it slow. After all, Dead Now was partially formed out of Elstner’s feeling that he was “not done at all with writing, recording or touring.”

That sounds pretty alive to us.

Dead Now 8 p.m. Thursday, September 13. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street. $18 to $20. 314-535-0353.

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

45

{LOLZ]

Found Footage Fest Celebrates Thrift Store VHS Tapes Written by

THOMAS CRONE

I

t’s obvious in talking to Nick Prueher that he’s a man who’s found a calling, unlikely as it might be. Along with lifelong friend Joe Pickett, Prueher has been involved in a project that dates back to either 1991 or 2004, depending on which birthdate you use.

It was in ’91 that the pair began collecting offbeat VHS tapes as a hobby. Their first score came in the form of a McDonald’s training video called “Inside and Outside Custodial Duties,” which is about as pedantic, and amusing, as you might imagine. (To this day, instructional videos remain Prueher’s faves.) And in 2004, the Found Footage Festival was born, with a show in their adopted hometown of New York City. The duo has spent the last decade-plus cutting together versions of their work for tours that take them on the road for up to 130 showings a year.

Audiences come in all shapes and sizes, Prueher says, including “older people and younger people and 30-something guys who look like Peter Jackson before he lost all that weight.” And any town, on any night, can provide them the best gig of the tour.

“There really isn’t a bad town,” he says. “Austin, as you might expect, is always good. New York, where we live, and San Francisco are always great. But then there are towns like Tucson, Arizona, or Madison, Wisconsin, that really turn out well. And we love coming back to St. Louis. We’ve always had good shows there.”

For their September 16 show at Delmar Hall, the pair is including local themed touches, with bits culled from two VHS scores: “St. Louis Earthquake Survival Guide” and “How To Meet Women In St. Louis.” Whenever possible, the

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher got booked on three news shows claiming to be a strongman duo called Chop & Steele. | SCREENSHOT pair attempts to include some local flavor. And they’re not above using a private eye if it means uncovering a person they’ve found on video who they’d like to highlight at live events.

Asked how folks react when a hip production company reaches out to inquire about a relatively ancient recording, Prueher says, “Generally, people have long since forgotten about the video.

They’re like VHS skeletons. Many of these were promotional videos, or someone who made a video about self-defense or a singing instructional tape. ... I don’t think anyone’s offended. Once they’re at the show, they can laugh at it, too.

They’re little celebrities in their own hometown for that day.”

Still active in fishing for tapes, the pair finds a few things to be true about America, Prueher says. Stereotypes be damned, he says, “New York and Los Angeles were hubs for public-access show footage, of which we’ve found a lot in thrift stores or have had donated to us. You find new-age videos in the desert, in New Mexico or Arizona, commingling with energy-crystals types of videos.

“In the Midwest, a lot of training videos; there seem to have been a lot of headquarters in cities like Omaha, Minneapolis and outside of Chicago. In the South, you’ve got a lot of religious tapes, from ministries and places like that. Sometimes a find really does tell a story.

In Atlantic City, on the top shelf of a thrift store were twelve different

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

riverfronttimes.com

tapes about ventriloquism. Clearly this was dropped off by someone who failed at ventriloquism, or who now has their own show in an Atlantic City casino.”

Pickett, a contributing writer for the Onion, and Prueher, formerly of The Colbert Report and Late Show with David Letterman, have taken stabs at extending the format, not only creating the touring clip shows but moving their VHS collection into new, extended contexts or modern twists. Most recently, the pair has been livestreaming on YouTube with their Tuesday night VCR Live Party! series.

Within the last year, Pickett and Prueher also settled a lawsuit filed by a Wisconsin TV station after their fictional alter-egos — a pair of “strongmen” known as Chop & Steele — trolled its morning show.

The two would appear on various morning shows and prove inept at the whole fitness thing, leaving red-faced hosts in their wake; a Wisconsin station wasn’t amused.

The Chop & Steele videos, taken off YouTube during the litigation, are back online and quite amusing.

They’ve also worked in longform documentary making, with arguably their best-known work coming in 2009 with Winnebago Man, a doc built around the “world’s angriest person,” Jack Rebney. In this one, the pair (using their private eye) tracked down an infamous internet character, who had been captured cursing during breaks in filming for an RV commercial.

In finding and cutting together the footage, they unknowingly released a popular, early YouTube viral video and ultimately found Rebney living in near-solitude in northern California.

“The ending of the film,” Prueher says, spoilers be damned, “is of him hugging us. If the angriest man in the world could hug us after a show, we’re doing something right. It shows that we’re not mean-spirited. It’s a celebration of all this weird stuff.”

Prueher, always amusing, is thoughtful in summing up possible next steps for himself and Pickett.

“Well, we’ve just started doing the live internet show,” he says.

“We finally got an office, where we put all the videos on our shelves.

“So let’s, every Tuesday at 9 p.m., broadcast as we watch videos.

It’s stuff we’re usually doing all alone. It’s a new, fun outlet, more loose than live shows. We get to sit around, pop in videos for ourselves.

People like David Cross have come by. We’ve been developing something for TruTV. There’s so much material that it could easily translate into a TV series.

“And after that,” he says, “theme parks is the next obvious step.

Then we can just die.”

Found Footage Festival 8 p.m. Sunday, September 16. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Boulevard. $12 to $15. 314726-6161.

OUT EVERY NIGHT

47

Duke’s Sports Bar Where the Games Begin

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Duke’s Photos by Big Stu Media

Big Sam’s Funky Nation. | VIA CROSSOVER TOURING

Big Sam’s Funky Nation 8 p.m. Friday, September 14. The Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street. $15.

314-588-0505.

Once upon a time the music of the streets of New Orleans belonged all but exclusively to those streets. With rare exceptions, the marching bands, Mardi Gras Indians and bluesmakers who produced some of the funkiest music on the planet had few opportunities to widen their gigging orbits. But with the emergence of contemporary festival culture and a new generation of jam bands, the joyful,

THURSDAY 13

CARBON LEAF: 8 p.m., $20-$25. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

CLOVEN HOOF: w/ Vanlade 8 p.m., $20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

DEAR GENRE: w/ The Ricters, Slish 9 p.m., $7.

The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

FLATFOOT 56: w/ Captain Dee and the Long Johns, Eric Moeller 8 p.m., $12-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

GARY NUMAN: w/ Nightmare Air 8 p.m., $22$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

GILLIAN WELCH: 8 p.m., $38-$40. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

HORSE CULTURE: w/ Shitstorm, Sunwyrm 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

JOE METZKA BAND: 9 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

LADY ANTEBELLUM AND DARIUS RUCKER: 6 p.m., TBA. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

MAROON 5: w/ Julia Michaels 7 p.m., $46.50$146.50. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

PAUL BONN & THE BLUESMEN: 8 p.m., free. Ham-

honking noise of the likes of the Rebirth Brass Band and Trombone Shorty now knows no bounds. Big Sam’s Funky Nation deserves the same acclaim. Led by trombonist Sammie “Big Sam” Williams, the collective unleashes tough jazz funk with the force of a dirty dozen hurricanes. Talk about taking it to the streets; this band mainlines the streets straight to your body and soul.

Blood Lines: Big Sam has New Orleans music running through his veins. In fact, he’s the great grandson of one of the fathers of jazz, Buddy Bolden.

—Roy Kasten

duke’s VOTED ST. LOUIS’ FAVORITE BAR & BEST SPORTS BAR AT THE CORNER OF MENARD & ALLEN IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC SOULARD

merstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

RED FANG: w/ Big Business, Dead Now 8 p.m., $18-$20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

STEVE ’N’ SEAGULLS: 8 p.m., $17. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

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

FRIDAY 14

ARTISTS FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS: w/ Jay E + Guests, Mvstermind, Eric Donté, Blvck Spvde and the Svmthingnvthingz, Brother Lee and the Leather Jackals, Sweettalker, Hills, VThom, Hal Greens 7:30 p.m., $10-$12. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

BIG JON ATKINSON BLUES BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

BIG SAM’S FUNKY NATION: 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

BILLY THE KID: THE DEFINITIVE BILLY JOEL TRIBUTE: 8 p.m., $12.50-$15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

BOOTS, BLUE JEANS & BOOGIE: 7 p.m., free.

Cedar Lake Cellars, 11008 Schreckengast Road, Wright City, 636-745-9500.

ILLPHONICS: w/ Black Spade, DJ Nune 8 p.m.,

every game every week FIND OUT ALL THAT’S GOING ON @DUKESINSOULARD

Continued on pg 48

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OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 47

$20. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

JD MCPHERSON: 8 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

LEROY JODIE PIERSON: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

LUCKY OLD SONS: 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

MAKE ME BREAK ME 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW: w/ Fly Method, Thieves to Kings, The Wild & Free. 6 p.m., $7. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

MATT “THE RATTLESNAKE” LESCH: 7 p.m., free.

Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061.

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE: WERQ THE WORLD: 9 p.m., $55-$167. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

SCHOOL OF ROCK END OF SEASON SHOW DAY 1: 5:30 p.m., $8. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

SPOONFED TRIBE: 8 p.m., $10-$13. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

UPON A BURNING BODY: w/ Buried Above Ground, Adrift on River Styx. 6 p.m., $18.

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

WINE AND JAZZ UNDER THE STARS: w/ Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers 6 p.m., $75-$90.

Butterfly House, 15193 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, 636-530-0076.

SATURDAY 15

YOUR NEW FAMILY STEAK HOUSE ON THE HILL 5257 SHAW AVE, STL HILL

NewSTEAK HOUSE BRUNCHES SAT & SUN 10AM - 2 PM HAPPY HOUR 4 - 6PM TUE-FRI (314) 449-MEAT

TWO RESTAURANTS, ONE GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD

HAPPY HOUR 4 - 7PM

LOCAL SMOKEHOUSE + STL BBQ CATERING

2131 MACKLAND AVE, STL HILL

48

RIVERFRONT TIMES

(314) 499-PITT

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

riverfronttimes.com

AFTER HOURS: w/ Bruiser Queen, Midwest Avengers 9 p.m., $10-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO BAND: 8 p.m., $25-$30.

Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161.

BENEFIT SHOW FOR MADY ROSE: w/ Ellen Hilton Cook, Modern Andy 8 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

BIG EASY: 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300.

BIG JON ATKINSON: 8 p.m., $5. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061.

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

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

HEARTLAND MUSIC: 3 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

KEOKUK: 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521.

LOVE A LITTLE LOUDER! A FREE MUSICAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS RALL: w/ The Wilhelms, Cree Rider Family Band, Justin Johnson 8 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

MOM JEANS: w/ Just Friends, Shortly 7 p.m., $13-$15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

MONEYBAGG YO: 9 p.m., $45-$55. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

OLD SALT UNION: 9 p.m., $15-$18. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

OLD WEBSTER JAZZ + BLUES FEST: noon, free.

Old Webster, W. Lockwood Ave and Elm St, Webster Groves.

PIG: w/ Saence, Thanatos Eternal, Giant Monsters on the Horizon. 8 p.m., $15-$17. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

SCHOOL OF ROCK END OF SEASON SHOW DAY 2: 2:30 p.m., $8. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

TOM HALL: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

UNCLE ALBERT: 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

WHISKEY & THUNDER: 8:30 p.m., free. Behrmann’s Tavern, 3155 Meramec St., St. Louis, 314-353-9626.

SUNDAY 16

BECK: w/ The Voids 7 p.m., $35-$125. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111.

BLANKY: w/ Beau Diamond and the Collective Dream Band, Display-Only, Sunsulking 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St.

Louis, 314-772-2100.

EDDIE RANDALL TRIO FEATURING ROBERT NELSON: 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

THE FLORISTS: w/ The Sigmund Frauds, the Boy 6 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL: 8 p.m., $12-$15.

Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314726-6161.

HAIRBALL STL 2018: 7 p.m., $45-$70. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

LIGHT BEAMS: w/ Necessities, Rightteen 8 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

PERSEID STRING QUARTET: 7 p.m., $5-$15. The 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University City, 314-421-3600.

PIEBALD: 8 p.m., $20-$24. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

RBRM: 7 p.m., $45-$95. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000.

THE EXPLOITED: w/ Total Chaos, Ultraman 8 p.m., $25. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314289-9050.

MONDAY 17

JAKE LA BOTZ: 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

ROCKY MANTIA & THE KILLER COMBO: 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

YO LA TENGO: 8 p.m., $25-$28. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

TUESDAY 18

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE: 7 p.m., $32.50-$35.

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

IRON CHIC: 8 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

KARIMA WALKER: w/ Honeydew, Kelly Latimore 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

MIKE KROL: 8 p.m., $8-$10. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-935-7003.

PIOUS FAULTS: w/ 9 p.m., $5-$7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: 8 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

TAYLOR SWIFT: w/ Charli XCX, Camila Cabello 6 p.m., TBA. The Dome at America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza St., St. Louis, 314-342-5201.

WEDNESDAY 19

ALL THAT REMAINS: w/ Toothgrinder, Escape the Paradigm, Gears 7 p.m., $15-$17. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

BEATS ANTIQUE: 9 p.m., $25-$28. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

CHROMEO: w/ Steven A. Clark 8 p.m., $30-$35.

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

THE MARCUS KING BAND: w/ Bishop Gunn 8 p.m., $15-$18. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

MARTY SPIKENER & THE ON CALL BAND: 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

MOUTON: w/ Boreal Hills, Pono AM 9 p.m., $5.

Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

RABBIT EAR MOVEMENT: A TRIBUTE TO R.E.M.: 7 p.m., free. Just John’s Club, 4112 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-371-1333.

SUICIDEGIRLS: BLACKHEART BURLESQUE: 8 p.m., $25-$60. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

THIS JUST IN 120 MINUTES: Sat., Oct. 20, 9 p.m., free. Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave, Maplewood, 314-241-2337.

ARTISTS FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS: W/ Jay E + Guests, Mvstermind, Eric Donté, Blvck Spvde and the Svmthingnvthingz, Brother Lee and

[CRITIC’S PICK]

Beck 7 p.m. Sunday, September 16. The Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Boulevard. $35 to $125. 314-534-1111.

Since the early ’90s, Beck has proven the reigning champion of genre-bending, largely uncategorizable music. Sure, “alternative rock” is the catch-all, but the LA-based artist takes a collage-like approach to his work, layering different sounds and styles to create songs that are wholly original. Over the course of thirteen albums he’s incorporated elements of psychedelia, folk, soul, hip-hop,

the Leather Jackals, Sweettalker, Hills, VThom, Hal Greens, Fri., Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12.

The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

BASS DRUM OF DEATH: Fri., Nov. 2, 8 p.m., $15. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

BENEFIT SHOW FOR MADY ROSE: W/ Ellen Hilton Cook, Modern Andy, Sat., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

BIG GEORGE JR. & THE NGK BAND: Sat., Sept. 29, 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

BIG JON ATKINSON BLUES BAND: Fri., Sept. 14, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Wed., Sept. 19, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

BOUNCE HOUSE: W/ Sorry Scout, Granddad, Tiger Rider, Wed., Oct. 31, 8 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

BRIAN CURRAN: Thu., Sept. 20, 4 p.m., free.

Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

CAVEOFSWORDS: Sat., Oct. 6, 4 p.m., free. Shaw Neighborhood, 4100 Flora Place, St. Louis, 314-771-3101.

CHER: W/ Nile Rodgers & Chic, Fri., May 10, 8 p.m., $34.95-$195.95. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

CLOZEE: W/ Frameworks, Thu., Oct. 25, 8 p.m., $20. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

CUB SPORT: Wed., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

DAVE KOZ & FRIENDS: W/ Mindi Abair, Jonathan Butler, Keiko Matsui, Shelea, Tue., Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m., $50-$198. Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St Charles, 636-896-4200.

DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS: Fri., Sept. 21, 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS BAND: Sat., Sept.

15, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

A DRAG QUEEN CHRISTMAS: Fri., Nov. 30, 8 p.m., $43.50-$172. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

EDDIE RANDALL TRIO FEATURING ROBERT NELSON: Sun., Sept. 16, 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

GREG LASWELL: Wed., Jan. 9, 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

GROVE FEST AFTER PARTY: SAVED BY THE 90S: Sat., Oct. 6, 11 p.m., $10. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

HEARTLAND MUSIC: Sat., Sept. 15, 3 p.m., free.

Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

HORSESHOES & HAND GRENADES: W/ Grassfed Mule, Fri., Nov. 9, 8 p.m., $12. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

JAKE LA BOTZ: Mon., Sept. 17, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

JOE METZKA BAND: Thu., Sept. 13, 9 p.m., $5.

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

Continued on pg 50

folk and country to create his own genre, which could only be described as Beck Music. His latest album, October’s Colors, showcases more of that same eclectic approach, with tracks ranging from the MGMT-style bounce of “Dreams” to the ’80s pop shine of “Seventh Heaven” to the Beatles-esque psychedelia of “Dear Life.” The album was met with acclaim by critics and fans alike, proving that, nearly 30 years into his career, Beck still hasn’t lost his touch.

Different Strokes: Rock band the Voidz, founded by Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, will open the show.

—Daniel Hill

[WEEKEND]

BEST BETS

Five sure-fire shows to close out the week

STL’s Hottest DJ Dance Party!

THURS - FRIDAY - SATURDAY

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Illphonics w/ Blvck Spvde, DJ Nune 8 p.m. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Boulevard. $20.

314-533-9900.

Illphonics stands out in a scene crowded with revelatory rap — no small feat, considering the collective’s contemporaries include Nato Caliph, Thelonious Kryptonite and even Nelly. Four of Illphonics’ five members cut their teeth at University City High School and have done their hometown proud since the mid-2000s. This crew’s output has been relentless, averaging one release each year (other than 2011) for the last decade. Blvck Spvde could be considered one of the River City’s unsung heroes, if only showgoers and hip-hop fans weren’t constantly singing his praises. He adds an eclectic edge to a soulful night of genre benders and local innovators.

Duke’s Photos by Big Stu Media

Always Fun and Games on the Patio

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Love a Little Louder! A Free Musical Mental Health Awareness Rally 8 p.m. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. Free.

314-498-6989.

Free-wheeling folk duo the Wilhelms spearheads a full night of Americana rife with lush riffs. And this night of music is free to attend, with support from three organizations: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Great Circle and Provident. The idea here is that everyone is welcome, but donations are happily accepted. With both Justin Johnson and the Cree Rider Family Band on the bill, the wealth of excellent music on hand should Continued on pg 51

AT THE CORNER OF MENARD & ALLEN IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC SOULARD FIND OUT ALL THAT’S GOING ON @DUKESINSOULARD

riverfronttimes.com

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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[CRITIC’S PICK]

Yo La Tengo. | GODLIS

Yo La Tengo 8 p.m. Monday, September 17.

Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Boulevard. $25.

314-726-6161.

In certain circles, a Yo La Tengo show is practically a Holy Day of Obligation: Both come around fairly regularly, but for the devoted they can serve as a reaffirmation of faith, beauty and a sense of cosmic orderliness. That’s a lot to put on a modest trio of indie-rock lifers out of Hoboken, New Jersey, but the unwavering quality of the band’s records is only

OUT EVERY NIGHT Continued from pg 49

Louis, 314-436-5222.

JOY WILLIAMS: W/ Anthony da Costa, Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $20-$22.50. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

JULIAN MARLEY: Sun., Oct. 28, 8 p.m., $25. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

JUST JUICE: Wed., Nov. 28, 8 p.m., $18. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

KRIS ALLEN: Wed., Dec. 5, 8 p.m., $20-$70. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS: W/ the Sadies, $25-$30. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

LEROY JODIE PIERSON: Fri., Sept. 14, 7 p.m., $5.

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

LUCKY OLD SONS: Fri., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

THE MAGPIE SALUTE: Thu., Jan. 31, 8 p.m., $30$32.50. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

MARTY SPIKENER & THE ON CALL BAND: Wed., Sept. 19, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

MC LARS & MC FRONTALOT: W/ Mega Ran, Schaffer the Dark Lord, Mon., Oct. 22, 8 p.m., $18. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

MY POSSE IN EFFECT: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEASTIE BOYS: W/ Discrepancies, Sat., Nov. 3, 8 p.m., $15-$20. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

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matched by its willingness to tinker with its formula every few years. Its most recent, There’s a Riot Going On, apes the title of Sly Stone’s most famous work but transmutes its funky paranoia into ruminative, groove-oriented snippets of song that plumb the quieter depths of YLT’s songbook.

More the Merrier: The show is billed as “An Evening With Yo La Tengo,” which connotes no opening act and leaves room for the band to dive into its 30-plusyear history.

—Christian Schaeffer NATE LOWERY: Thu., Sept. 27, 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

THE NEIL SALSICH DUO: Fri., Nov. 16, 1 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

OLIVIA GRACE: W/ Ella Fritts, Alex Eakin, Thu., Sept. 20, 8 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

PAUL BONN & THE BLUESMEN: Thu., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

PRE-HALLOWEEN DANCE PARTY: Sat., Oct. 27, 9 p.m., free. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

QUEEN NAIJA: Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $20-$65. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: A ST. LOUIS TRIBUTE TO ARETHA FRANKLIN: W/ Renee Smith, Kim Massie, Theresa Payne, Teec’a Easby, Skylar Rogers, Beth Bombara, Sharon Foehner, Laura Green, Sun., Oct. 7, 7 p.m., $15-$30. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

THE RADIO BUZZKILLS: W/ System Restore, The Hybrids, Thu., Oct. 4, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

RICH MCDONOUGH & THE RHYTHM RENEGADES: Thu., Sept. 27, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

ROAST OF RONNIE RADKE: Fri., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $20.

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

ROCKY MANTIA & THE KILLER COMBO: Mon., Sept. 17, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

ROLAND JOHNSON & SOUL ENDEAVOR: Fri., Sept.

28, 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

RYAN KOENIG: W/ Charles Hill Jr., Jenny Roques, Michaell Sandman, Wed., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., $7.

The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

riverfronttimes.com

SEAWAY: W/ Trophy Eyes, Microwave, Can’t Swim, Hot Mulligan, Sat., Dec. 8, 7 p.m., $18.

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

SLIDERS: Thu., Sept. 20, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

SMOKING POPES: W/ Amuse, Sat., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $15-$18. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

SONGBIRD CAFE: Wed., Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m., $20$25. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778.

ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: Tue., Sept. 18, 8 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

STEEL PANTHER: W/ Wilson, Sun., Dec. 9, 8 p.m., $25-$28. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

STREET SECTS: Tue., Nov. 20, 7 p.m., $10-$12.

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

SYNTHFESTL: W/ CaveofswordS, Wax Fruit, Hands & Feet, Rthik’s Mind, Kudzu, Sat., Oct. 20, 7 p.m., $15. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

TIM & LISA ALBERT: Sat., Sept. 29, 3 p.m., free.

Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

TOM HALL: Thu., Sept. 13, 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-7735565. Sat., Sept. 15, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

UNCLE ALBERT: Sat., Sept. 15, 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

VERA SOLA CD RELEASE SHOW: W/ Le’Ponds, Mon., Oct. 1, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

VISTA KICKS: Wed., Dec. 5, 8 p.m., $15. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

WHISKEY & THUNDER: Sat., Sept. 15, 8:30 p.m., free. Behrmann’s Tavern, 3155 Meramec St., St. Louis, 314-353-9626.

WOOKIEFOOT: Fri., Oct. 12, 8 p.m., $20. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

THE YESTERDAYS: W/ Eddie’s Munsters, Down Swinging, Austin Estrada, Sat., Sept. 22, 7 p.m., $10-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

THIS WEEK

AFTER HOURS: W/ Bruiser Queen, Midwest Avengers, Sat., Sept. 15, 9 p.m., $10-$12. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO BAND: Sat., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

ALL THAT REMAINS: W/ Toothgrinder, Escape the Paradigm, Gears, Wed., Sept. 19, 7 p.m., $15-$17.

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

ARTISTS FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS: W/ Jay E + Guests, Mvstermind, Eric Donté, Blvck Spvde and the Svmthingnvthingz, Brother Lee and the Leather Jackals, Sweettalker, Hills, VThom, Hal Greens, Fri., Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12.

The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

BECK: W/ The Voids, Sun., Sept. 16, 7 p.m., $35$125. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314-534-1111.

BENEFIT SHOW FOR MADY ROSE: W/ Ellen Hilton Cook, Modern Andy, Sat., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., $10.

The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

BIG EASY: Sat., Sept. 15, 9 p.m., free. Nightshift Bar & Grill, 3979 Mexico Road, St. Peters, 636-441-8300.

BIG JON ATKINSON: Sat., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., $5.

Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061.

BIG JON ATKINSON BLUES BAND: Fri., Sept. 14, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

BIG RICH MCDONOUGH & RHYTHM RENEGADES: Wed., Sept. 19, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

BIG SAM’S FUNKY NATION: Fri., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., $15. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

BILLY THE KID: THE DEFINITIVE BILLY JOEL TRIBUTE: Fri., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., $12.50-$15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

BLANKY: W/ Beau Diamond and the Collective Dream Band, Display-Only, Sunsulking, Sun., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

BOOTS, BLUE JEANS & BOOGIE: Fri., Sept. 14, 7

p.m., free. Cedar Lake Cellars, 11008 Schreckengast Road, Wright City, 636-745-9500.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE: Tue., Sept. 18, 7 p.m., $32.50-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

CARBON LEAF: Thu., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., $20-$25.

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

CHROMEO: W/ Steven A. Clark, Wed., Sept. 19, 8 p.m., $30-$35. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

CLOVEN HOOF: W/ Vanlade, Thu., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., $20. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

DAVID DEE & THE HOT TRACKS BAND: Sat., Sept.

15, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

DEAR GENRE: W/ The Ricters, Slish, Thu., Sept.

13, 9 p.m., $7. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.

EDDIE RANDALL TRIO FEATURING ROBERT NELSON: Sun., Sept. 16, 5 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

FLATFOOT 56: W/ Captain Dee and the Long Johns, Eric Moeller, Thu., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.

THE FLORISTS: W/ The Sigmund Frauds, the Boy, Sun., Sept. 16, 6 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL: Sun., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., $12-$15. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

GARY NUMAN: W/ Nightmare Air, Thu., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., $22-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

GILLIAN WELCH: Thu., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., $38-$40.

The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

HAIRBALL STL 2018: Sun., Sept. 16, 7 p.m., $45$70. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

HEARTLAND MUSIC: Sat., Sept. 15, 3 p.m., free.

Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

HORSE CULTURE: W/ Shitstorm, Sunwyrm, Thu., Sept. 13, 9 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

ILLPHONICS: W/ Black Spade, DJ Nune, Fri., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., $20. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-533-9900.

IRON CHIC: Tue., Sept. 18, 8 p.m., $15. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

JAKE LA BOTZ: Mon., Sept. 17, 10 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

JD MCPHERSON: Fri., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., $20.

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

JOE METZKA BAND: Thu., Sept. 13, 9 p.m., $5.

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

KARIMA WALKER: W/ Honeydew, Kelly Latimore, Tue., Sept. 18, 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

KEOKUK: Sat., Sept. 15, 7 p.m., free. Das Bevo Biergarten, 4749 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-224-5521.

LADY ANTEBELLUM AND DARIUS RUCKER: Thu., Sept. 13, 6 p.m., TBA. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.

LEROY JODIE PIERSON: Fri., Sept. 14, 7 p.m., $5.

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

LIGHT BEAMS: W/ Necessities, Rightteen, Sun., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.

LOVE A LITTLE LOUDER! A FREE MUSICAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS RALL: W/ The Wilhelms, Cree Rider Family Band, Justin Johnson, Sat., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., free. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.

LOVE JONES “THE BAND”: Sun., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

LUCKY OLD SONS: Fri., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

MAKE ME BREAK ME 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW: W/ Fly Method, Thieves to Kings, The Wild & Free., Fri., Sept. 14, 6 p.m., $7. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

THE MARCUS KING BAND: W/ Bishop Gunn, Wed., Sept. 19, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

MAROON 5: W/ Julia Michaels, Thu., Sept. 13, 7 p.m., $46.50-$146.50. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.

MARTY SPIKENER & THE ON CALL BAND: Wed., Sept. 19, 10 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

MATT “THE RATTLESNAKE” LESCH: Fri., Sept. 14, 7 p.m., free. Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, 34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, 314-968-0061.

MIKE KROL: Tue., Sept. 18, 8 p.m., $8-$10. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-935-7003.

MONEYBAGG YO: Sat., Sept. 15, 9 p.m., $45-$55.

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

MOUTON: W/ Boreal Hills, Pono AM, Wed., Sept.

19, 9 p.m., $5. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.

OLD SALT UNION: Sat., Sept. 15, 9 p.m., $15-$18.

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

OLD WEBSTER JAZZ + BLUES FEST: Sat., Sept. 15, noon, free. Old Webster, W. Lockwood Ave and Elm St, Webster Groves.

PAUL BONN & THE BLUESMEN: Thu., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

PERSEID STRING QUARTET: Sun., Sept. 16, 7 p.m., $5-$15. The 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., University City, 314-421-3600.

PIEBALD: Sun., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., $20-$24. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.

PIG: W/ Saence, Thanatos Eternal, Giant Monsters on the Horizon., Sat., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., $15-$17.

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

PIOUS FAULTS: W/, Tue., Sept. 18, 9 p.m., $5-$7.

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

RABBIT EAR MOVEMENT: A TRIBUTE TO R.E.M.: Wed., Sept. 19, 7 p.m., free. Just John’s Club, 4112 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-371-1333.

RBRM: Sun., Sept. 16, 7 p.m., $45-$95. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., St. Louis, 314-977-5000.

RED FANG: W/ Big Business, Dead Now, Thu., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., $18-$20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

ROCKY MANTIA & THE KILLER COMBO: Mon., Sept. 17, 7 p.m., $10. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups,

BEST BETS

Continued from pg 49

provide plenty of motivation to part with your hard-earned money.

Mom Jeans w/ Just Friends, Shortly 7 p.m. Fubar, 3108 Locust Street. $13-$15. 314-289-9050.

Mom Jeans’ power pop is bubbly and buoyant despite the serious undercurrent flowing underneath. Snappy beats carry a body of mostly melodic work with sly hooks hidden throughout. The lyrics, while heavy-handed, work as a Cupid’s arrow shooting straight for the gut. Puppy Love, released in July, throws down a heartfelt gauntlet that is equally exhausting and enthralling.

The band could be compared to a slew of others, each with a mall-chic name seemingly tailored to appeal to shoppers at Hot Topic — yet Mom Jeans’ appeal comes in its skill at figuring out how to grease and properly use the wheel instead of reinventing it.

Moneybagg Yo 9 p.m. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard. $45 to $55.

314-726-6161.

Moneybagg Yo’s ascent can be closely tracked through the release of mixtapes dating back to 2012. He’s taken

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

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE: WERQ THE WORLD: Fri., Sept. 14, 9 p.m., $55-$167. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.

SCHOOL OF ROCK END OF SEASON SHOW DAY 1: Fri., Sept. 14, 5:30 p.m., $8. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

SCHOOL OF ROCK END OF SEASON SHOW DAY 2: Sat., Sept. 15, 2:30 p.m., $8. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., St. Louis, 314-535-0353.

SPOONFED TRIBE: Fri., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., $10-$13.

The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314-775-0775.

ST. LOUIS SOCIAL CLUB: Tue., Sept. 18, 8 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

STEVE ’N’ SEAGULLS: Thu., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., $17.

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

SUICIDEGIRLS: BLACKHEART BURLESQUE: Wed., Sept. 19, 8 p.m., $25-$60. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.

TAYLOR SWIFT: W/ Charli XCX, Camila Cabello, Tue., Sept. 18, 6 p.m., TBA. The Dome at America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza St., St. Louis, 314-342-5201.

THE EXPLOITED: W/ Total Chaos, Ultraman, Sun., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., $25. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

TOM HALL: Thu., Sept. 13, 4 p.m., free. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-7735565. Sat., Sept. 15, 7 p.m., $5. BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.

UNCLE ALBERT: Sat., Sept. 15, 9 p.m., $3. Hammerstone’s, 2028 S. 9th St., St. Louis, 314-773-5565.

UPON A BURNING BODY: W/ Buried Above Ground, Adrift on River Styx., Fri., Sept. 14, 6 p.m., $18. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.

WHISKEY & THUNDER: Sat., Sept. 15, 8:30 p.m., free. Behrmann’s Tavern, 3155 Meramec St., St. Louis, 314-353-9626.

WINE AND JAZZ UNDER THE STARS: W/ Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers, Fri., Sept. 14, 6 p.m., $75-$90. Butterfly House, 15193 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, 636-530-0076.

YO LA TENGO: Mon., Sept. 17, 8 p.m., $25-$28.

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

DJ DANCE PARTY FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE MUSIC EVERY WEEKEND

full advantage of a recent deal with Interscope, dropping four releases since signing last summer. Some will call it trap, yet Moneybagg Yo takes a stylish bent that’s at times disarming and tactful. He runs a cold flow over tense beats for a great sense of depth.

In his latest string of videos, “Correct Me” is a standout, exploring the fates awaiting young rappers and those finding fame — jealousy, exploitation and even death. Released last month, his new EP Bet on Me is still making waves.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Light Beams w/ Necessities, Rightteen 8 p.m. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway. $7.

314-328-2309.

Light Beams will no doubt draw comparisons to its now-famous older brother Parquet Courts, yet in some ways this Washington, D.C., crew leads the pack in relentlessly danceable punk.

The kaleidoscopic songs are dressed in the colors of funk, soul and early postpunk, with a glossy sheen here that reflects a bright (and sometimes blinding) vibe filled to the brim with positive energy. This is the kind of band that grabs you by the head and contorts your face into a smile by sheer force of will.

—Joseph Hess

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SAVAGE LOVE GAY AND LONELY

BY DAN SAVAGE Hey, Dan: I am a gay man in my late 50s and have never been in a relationship. I am so lonely, and the painful emptiness I feel is becoming absolutely unbearable. In my early twenties, I hooked up off and on, but it never developed into anything. I have always told myself that’s OK; I’m not a people person or a relationship kind of guy. I have a few lesbian friends but no male friends. I have social anxiety and can’t go to bars or clubs. When hookup apps were introduced, I used them infrequently. Now I go totally unnoticed or am quickly ghosted once I reveal my age. Most non-work days, my only interactions are with people in the service industry. I am well-groomed, employed, a homeowner and always nice to people. I go to a therapist and take antidepressants. However, this painful loneliness, depression, aging and feeling unnoticed seem to be getting the best of me. I cry often and would really like it all to end. Any advice?

Lonely Aging Gay “In the very short term, LAG needs to tell his therapist about the suicidal ideation,” said Michael Hobbes. “In the longer term, well, that’s going to take a bit more to unpack.”

Hobbes is a reporter for HuffPost and recently wrote a minibook-length piece titled “Together Alone: The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness.” During his research, Hobbes found that, despite growing legal and social acceptance, a worrying percentage of gay men still struggle with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

Loneliness, Hobbes explained to me, is an evolutionary adaptation, a mechanism that prompts us humans — members of a highly social species — to seek contact and connection with others, the kind of connections that improve our odds of survival.

“But there’s a difference between being alone and being lonely,” said Hobbes. “Being alone is an objective, measurable phenomenon: You don’t have very many social contacts. Being lone-

ly, on the other hand, is subjective: You feel alone, even when you’re with other people. This is why advice like ‘Join a club!’ or ‘Chat with your waitress!’ doesn’t help lonely people.”

The most effective way to address loneliness, according to Hobbes’ research, is to confront it directly.

“LAG may just need to get more out of the relationships he already has,” said Hobbes. “He has a job, friends, a therapist, a life. This doesn’t mean that his perceptions are unfounded — our society is terrible to its elders in general and its LGBTQ elders in particular— but there may be opportunities in his life for intimacy that he’s not tapping into. Acquaintances LAG hasn’t checked in on for a while.

Random cool cousins LAG never got to know. Volunteering gigs you fell out of. It’s easier to reanimate old friendships than to start from scratch.”

Another recommendation: Seek out other lonely guys — and there are lots of them out there.

“LAG isn’t the only gay guy who has aged out of the bar scene — so have I — and struggles to find sex and companionship away from alcohol and right swipes,” said Hobbes. “His therapist should know of some good support groups.”

And if your therapist doesn’t know of any good support groups — or if you don’t feel comfortable telling your therapist how miserable you are, or if you’ve told your therapist everything and they haven’t been able to help — find a new therapist.

Hey, Dan: I’m a fortysomething gay male. I’m single and cannot get a date or even a hookup. I’m short, overweight, average looking and bald. I see others, gay and straight, having long-term relationships, getting engaged, getting married and it makes me sad and jealous. Some of them are jerks — and if them, why not me? Here’s the part that’s hard to admit: I know something is wrong with me, but I don’t know what it is or how to fix it. I’m alone and I’m lonely. I know your advice can be brutal, Dan, but what do I have to lose?

Alone And Fading “AAF said to be brutal, so I’m going to start there: You might not ever meet anyone,” said Hobbes.

Finding a soul mate is largely out of our control.

Whether you allow your lack of a soul mate to make you bitter, desperate or contemptuous is not.

“At every age, in every study, gay men are less likely to be partnered, cohabiting or married than our straight and lesbian counterparts. Maybe we’re damaged, maybe we’re all saving ourselves for a Hemsworth, but spending our adult lives and twilight years without a romantic partner is a real possibility. It just is.”

And it’s not just gay men. In Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone, sociologist Eric Klinenberg unpacked this remarkable statistic: More than 50 percent of adult Americans are single and live alone, up from 22 percent in 1950.

Some are unhappy about living alone, but it seemed that most — at least according to Klinenberg’s research — are content.

“Maybe there is something wrong with AAF, but maybe he’s just on the unlucky side of the statistics,” said Hobbes. “Finding a soul mate is largely out of our control. Whether you allow your lack of a soul mate to make you bitter, desperate or contemptuous is not.

So be happy for the young jerks coupling up and settling down.

Learn to take rejection gracefully — the way you want it from the dudes you’re turning down — and when you go on a date, start with the specificity of the person sitting across from you, not what you need from him. He could be your Disney prince, sure. But he could also be your museum buddy or your podcast cohost or your afternoon 69er or something you haven’t even thought of yet.”

Hey, Dan: I am a 55-year-old gay male. I am hugely overweight and

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have not had much experience with men. I go on a variety of websites trying to make contact with people. However, if anyone says anything remotely complimentary about me, I panic and run. A compliment about my physical appearance? I shut down the profile.

I don’t like being like this. I just believe in being honest. And if I’m honest, I’m ugly. The face, even behind a big-ass beard, is just not acceptable. I have tried therapy, and it does nothing. How do I get past being ugly and go out and get laid?

Unappealing Giant Loser Yearns You say you’re ugly, UGLY, but there are some people who disagree with you — the people who compliment you on your appearance, for instance.

“I’m not sure I even believe in the word ‘ugly’ anymore,” said Hobbes. “No matter what you look like, some percentage of the population will be attracted to you. Maybe it’s 95 percent or maybe it’s 5 percent, but they are out there. When you find them, do two things: First, believe them.

Second, shut up about it.”

In other words: Just because you wouldn’t want to sleep with you, UGLY, that doesn’t mean no one wants to sleep with you.

“I remember reading an interview with Stephen Fry, where he said that when he first started out as an actor, people would come up to him and say, ‘You were so great in that play!’ and his first response would be, ‘No, I was terrible,’” said Hobbes. “He thought he was being modest, but what he was really doing, he realized later, was being argumentative.

Eventually, he started to just say ‘Thank you.’”

Hobbes thinks you should try to be like Fry, a big dude with a cute husband: “The next time someone tells him they’re into big dudes with beards, don’t argue, don’t panic, and don’t hesitate. Just say ‘Thank you’ and let the conversation move on.”

Follow Michael Hobbes on Twitter @RottenInDenmark and listen to his podcast You’re Wrong About..., available on iTunes.

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

SEPTEMBER 12 - 18, 2018

RIVERFRONT TIMES

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Located in the Southwest Garden neighborhood, Sandrina’s is in the heart of a family-friendly area that’s along the route to everything, including employers, grocery stores and Tower Grove Park -- all of which makes it the perfect spot to unwind with friends and coworkers. The cozy environment features a bar area with gorgeous warm wood, an inviting dining room with murals of Missouri pop-culture greats on the walls and a game room. There’s also a banquet room that seats up to 80 people for cocktails and appetizers or a full gourmet reception.

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