St. Louis News Blog

You have a weekend, then a short week, and before you know it, you'll be in line outside the electronics store at 4 a.m. waiting to get flat-screen TV at deep, deeeep discount.

So please, enjoy this final weekend before holiday madness descends on all of us. Here are ten options for weekend fun for $10 or less, which is about the only thing these events have in common, besides their St. Louis location.

Looking for local music? Peep our weekend concert calendar.

Credit: Dale Chihuly

​Dale Chihuly at the Duane Reed Gallery (Opens Friday)
While nature is settling in for a long winter's nap, Dale Chihuly's glass pieces -- best known in St. Louis for being on display at the Missouri Botanical Garden are as lively as ever -- and they're within the warm confines of the Duane Reed Gallery (4729 McPherson Avenue; www.duanereedgallery.com or 314-361-4100) beginning Friday, November 20. Opening with a free public reception from 5 to 8 p.m., this exhibition of Chihuly's latest work features the stunning winter-whiteness of Palazzo Ducale Tower, a writhing, elegant form that will tower over gallerygoers, shimmering and shining all throughout the winter -- well, almost. The show remains on view Tuesday through Saturday until Saturday, January 30. Alison Sieloff has more details for your right here.

Ugh. Monday has reared its ugly head once more. And sadly, it looks to be a soaking wet week. (Again.)

Hopefully our weekend coverage will brighten your day a bit. Here's the recap.

Old School Tattoo Expo

Photo: Jason Stoff

This tattoo needs more... Cowbell! See more photos from the Old School Tattoo Expo.

​Over the weekend, Lyle Tuttle's Old School Tattoo Expo again got underway in St. Louis, and for the second year it was held at the Holiday Inn Select downtown. We have 58 photos from the tattooing bonanza. Even our photographer couldn't resist, getting his first tattoo.

Photo: partycovepics.com (site is very, very NSFW)

Captain of the raft at Party Cove in Lake of the Ozarks. Two business owners near the lake are being sued for allegedly allowing raw sewage to flow into it.

​For the second time in a little more than a year, raw or partially treated sewage has been dumped into popular vacation spot Lake of the Ozarks, according to two lawsuits filed by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster.

In one case: Mark Kelly, a condo developer, is accused of operating shoddy wastewater facilities, which let sewage flow straight into the lake, a popular swimming hole for Spring Breakers, families, and weekend partiers. Missouri Department of Natural Resources officials knew about the problems in April 2008, and warned Kelly to fix them, but he failed to do so, according to a statement released by the AG's office.

In the other case: The restaurant Shady Gators (yes, Shady Gators), owned by Gary Dean Prewitt, also the location of a wastewater treatment facility, was the site for sewage runoff right into the lake. According to the state's complaint against Mr. Prewitt, he allegedly allowed raw sewage to bypass the proper filtration system and let it flow into the lake. More than a year ago, Missouri's DNR informed Prewitt to clean up the mess, but he rejected. Then in June 2009, Prewitt told the state the problems had been solved.

So what happens if both men are found guilty?

All told, about 3,000 people showed up Thursday night at the City Museum for the Riverfront Times' annual Best of St. Louis party. There was a variety of attractions: free drink tickets, fire-breathers, burlesque dancing, stilt-walkers and the Dirt Cheap chicken among them. Nightlife photographer Egan O'Keefe was there and brought back these photos.

Photo: Egan O'Keefe

Burlesque performer Lola Van Ella. See more photos from last night's RFT Best Of St. Louis party.

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Photo: Egan O'Keefe

See more photos from last night's RFT Best Of St. Louis party.

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You could go out this weekend and spend a wad of cash drinking like a sailor. Or, you might find yourself online or at the mall, and end up charging a ridiculous-looking thermal coat to your Visa.

But why put yourself in the poorhouse (or the poky) when all the following events are just $10 or less?

P.S. We've got plenty of music choices this weekend, too.

Image Via

See Bob Run premieres Friday.

​See Bob Run at the ArtSpace at Crestwood Court (Opens Friday)
See Bob Run, a one-woman show by Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor, is a darkly weird combination of unreliable narrator and undeniable horror. Soundstage Productions presents this psychological drama at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday (November 6 through 8) at the Marble Stage Theater in the ArtSpace at Crestwood Court (Watson and Sappington roads, Crestwood.) Tickets are $10. Paul Friswold has more details about See Bob Run here.

Our sister paper, the Village Voice, has compiled nearly 50 of the best Halloween costumes in the country, comprised of photos shot and published in cities from New York to Seattle, Dallas to Minneapolis.

They've been nice enough to share this costume compilation, and you'll find that a few St. Louis costumes made the cut. See photos here.

Photo: Calibree Photography

At the Exotic Erotic Ball in San Francisco. See more of the best Halloween costumes spotted around the U.S.

​There are horse-fuckers in Dallas, sultry angels in San Francisco and (wink) douche bags right here in St. Louis. Now then, onto Christmas.

After a week where we rarely saw the sun, the weekend's weather seemed to make up for the days of gray. Besides Halloween, there was a lot going on and here's a recap of our weekend coverage.

John Oates at the 'Stache Bash

Photo: Chad Garrison

John Oates at the 'Stash Bash on Friday night.

​You might have read about Oates receiving a proclamation from St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay earlier in the day, but on Friday night, the second-half of Hall & Oates did what he does best at the 2009 'Stache Bash at the Roberts Orpheum Theatre. Read the full concert review here. Robin Wheeler writes:

Oates and his four-piece band started with "Camellia", the Oates-penned opening track from Hall and Oates' 1975 self-titled album. Marred by a sound mix that left Oates' vocals overpowered by the instruments, it wasn't looking good. But then he asked if there were any '80s fans before traipsing into a stripped-down version of "Maneater," and it all came together. Read more.

​ Hundreds of ruggedly handsome people gathered in downtown St. Louis on Friday for the American Mustache Institute's third-annual 'Stache Bash and the crowning of the 2009 Robert Goulet Memorial "Mustached American of the Year."

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Headlining this year's event was the inimitable John Oates of the incredibly famous pop duo Hall & Oates. After living the past two decades sans lip hair, Oates regrew a thin -- but admirable -- handlebar mustache for his performance.

Yet as rockin' as Oates' was on stage (concert review here), what really made the party were the people. Check 'em out below.

This year halloween fell on a weekend / Me and geto boyz are trick-or-treating / Robbing little kids for bags / Till an old man got behind our ass

Yes, like the lines rhymed by Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys on the 1991 hit, "Mind Playing Tricks On Me," Halloween was on a weekend this year, meaning there were a bevy of nightlife options for anyone who wanted to go out.

Pop culture-inspired outfits and attitudes dominated at many St. Louis Halloween parties last night, and from some vantage points, it appeared that the backlash against slutty Halloween costumes had an effect on attire of female revelers, as nary a sexy nurse, sexy pirate or sexy schoolteacher could be spotted.

We have two slideshows up now, from two downtown parties at Lure nightclub and a few blocks up the street at Flamingo Bowl.

Photo: Egan O'Keefe

Balloon boy. See more photos from Flamingo Bowl.

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​ Today a former Anheuser-Busch executive filed a lawsuit claiming her former employer  discriminated against her based upon her gender.

The suit filed by Francine Katz claims Anheuser-Busch (now AB-InBev) has a "locker room and frat party atmosphere" that works against female employees.

Whoa! Stop the presses! You're saying that a company that came up with an ad like this one (suggesting an act they refer to as "sodomy" down in Texas) is overtly sexist?



Nah! No way. And the ad below is somehow demeaning to women?

Image Via

​Heck, no! Who doesn't like to go home and cover her (or his!) naked body with Budweiser bottle caps!? That's not "frat house" culture and neither are the following Budweiser ads going back decades. In fact, we defy you to find a "frat house" or "locker room" in any of the following images. Go on! Just try!

It was a weekend for great concerts in St. Louis. We also saw the pre-Halloween parties begin. Here's a recap of our weekend coverage.

Victorian Fetish Ball at Lure Nightclub

Photo: Egan O'Keefe

See more photos from Saturday night's Victorian Fetish Ball at Lure Nightclub. Some photos are NSFW (Not Safe For Work!)

​On Saturday night, the tenth annual Victorian Fetish Ball got underway at Lure nightclub. Although as these photos suggest, the party may have strayed from the traditional theme this year. See for yourself in this slide show.

Jennifer Silverberg

Newman

​1. A bar is actually the poet's natural habitat. Dylan Thomas loved bars so much, he died in one.

2. If poetry is meant to be read aloud, can we agree it sounds exponentially better shouted over a jukebox or the house band?

3. The food in bars is a hell of a lot better than most of the shit they serve you at readings in university lecture halls. (Drawback: At bars, they usually make you pay for your own food.)

4. Ditto the alcohol.

5. Poets describe things better than everyone else. Wouldn't it be great to hear a moving description of a bottle of beer and then be able to order one of your own immediately?

6. Richard Newman gives readings in bars. Newman is, of course, one of the finest, funniest poets in St. Louis. (Officially! He was certified by the RFT as Best Local Poet of 2008.) He is also the editor of River Styx. Normally he presides over the magazine's monthly reading series at Duff's, but this Thursday, October 22, at 7:30 he is moving around the corner to Dressel's Pub Above to read from his latest poetry collection, Domestic Fugues.

Here's your guide to having fun this weekend on a budget. Looking for live music? Check out our weekend concert calendar.

Where the Wild Things Are opens Friday. Read J. Hoberman's review.

​Where the Wild Things Are at various theaters (Friday)
While J. Hoberman questioned some of director Spike Jonze's methods in this adaptation of the 400-word children's classic, the buzz about this film is inarguable. It opens Friday at various theaters here and across the country. Read Hoberman's full review before you go see Wild Things.

Paint by Numbers at Mad Art Gallery (Friday)
The Saint Louis City Open Studio & Gallery (314-865-0060 or www.scosag.org) hosts a fundraising event where everyone who wants to be an artist is an artist if only just for the night. Paint by Numbers is held at the Mad Art Gallery (2727 South 12th Street) -- it sounds artsy already! -- and throughout the evening attendees get to take up brushes and contribute colors to the largest paint-by-numbers mural in the state. $3-$5. Alison Sieloff has more details here.

Photo: Steve Truesdell

There are two (2) beer steins in this photo. How many more can there be!?

​The beer steins at Soulard Oktoberfest were everywhere. The liter-sized plastic mugs were so prevalent, you might find yourself trying to count them in our slide show from Saturday night.

So here's a fun contest for your Monday morning. The first person to comment with the correct number of steins wins a Riverfront Times Best Of 2009 shirt (sorry, only Medium or Large are available) and of course, a beer stein just like the ones you see pictured above, minus the beer. So remember to include your e-mail address and name, and we'll get your prize to you from there.

Here's a hint: Count all the steins you see, even if one is partially out of the frame. You might want to grab a piece of scratch paper and a pen. Good luck!

Good morning, St. Louis! What a weekend. Los Angeles absolutely owned both our Blues and Cardinals on Saturday night, and the Rams were easily defeated (again) on Sunday. But there were plenty of opportunities to get one's mind off the sports losses this past weekend. Here's a recap of our coverage of the weekend's winners.

They Might Be Giants at the Pageant

Photo: Jon Gitchoff

John Linnell and John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants on Friday night at the Pageant. The group played its entire 1990 album, Flood. See more photos here

​Fans of long-running indie band They Might Be Giants (remember their set at Mardi Gras 2008?) flocked to the Pageant on Friday to hear the band cover their 1990 record, Flood, in its entirety. We have a full review and set list as well as a slide show of photos from the show.

photo by Jennifer Silverberg

East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks

​East St. Louis mayor and liquor commissioner Alvin Parks may have finally had it with his city's nightclubs. After a bloody weekend that left four people injured or dead in two days at nightspots scattered across town, Parks says last call at the bars will be rolled back--at least for the time being-- from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Parks, who was at the scene of one of the murders--a fatal shooting at 3:14 a.m. at Club 2151-- when it occurred Saturday, told the Belleville News-Democrat that he was "very, very disappointed" after the latest round of violence attributed to East St. Louis' nightlife.

Earlier this year, Parks came under fire from metro east law enforcement officials and rival city leaders when the Illinois State Patrol revealed that fifteen homicides over the past five years had "came directly out of East St. Louis nightclubs." Many in the community urged the mayor then to tighten restrictions on liquor sales but he resisted, arguing that the clubs were not solely to blame for the violence and that the cash-starved city relied heavily on them for tax revenue.

The city's nightlife had been tranquil until the bloodshed began Friday morning at Club Etta.

For those of you still in college, this is the last weekend of summer. Time to get out there and make as many mistakes as possible in the next 48 hours before lying to yourself that you're "really going to hit the books" this semester.

For the rest of us, there's a variety of cheap choices this weekend -- from butterflies and books to local showcases of hip-hop and punk bands. Here's ten things to do for less than $10 this weekend for you and yo' broke-ass friends:

Pride and Passion at St. Louis Public Library (Through Friday)
Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience, a joint exhibition mounted by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the American Library Association, reveals the history of America's struggles with race and baseball through text and photographs. The exhibit's last day is today, August 21, at the Central branch of the St. Louis Public Library (1301 Olive Street; 314-241-2288 or www.slpl.org). At 2 p.m., baseball writer Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star visits to talk about The Soul of Baseball: A Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America, his book about a summer spent traveling and watching baseball with Negro League legend Buck O'Neil. Admission is free. Paul Friswold has more details here.

Black Spade is on the line-up for the Hip Hoppers Holiday show Saturday at the Atomic Cowboy.

​Hip Hoppers Holiday at Atomic Cowboy (Saturday)
Atomic Cowboy is the place to be Saturday, when the Hip Hoppers Holiday invades the venue all day. The $5 event starts at 3 p.m., goes until 3 a.m., and is all-ages until midnight. Annie Zaleski has the info, including the line-up (Midwest Avengers, Black Spade, Earthworms, and more) in A to Z.

Binge & Purge and Apop Records Barbecue (Saturday)
Cherokee Street staple Apop Records (2831 Cherokee Street) and new-comer, vintage store Binge & Purge (2839 Cherokee Street) are co-hosting a Summer's End BBQ starting tomorrow (August 22) at 2 p.m. Punk rules the line-up on this gig (Dark Ages, Cardiac Arrest, God Fodder, Medical Tourists, and more), with promised food available as well. Read more details over in A to Z.

Photo: Jennifer Silverberg

Sterman outside his downtown office in 2007.

Les Sterman, executive director of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, announced to his board yesterday that he is retiring from his position.

Sterman, 60, has headed the East-West Gateway for the past 26 years and worked for the planning agency for 31 years.

East-West Gateway serves as the metro planning organization for the bi-state area, dispersing federal funds for transportation and Homeland Security projects. It's once-a-month meetings are the only times that muncipal leaders such as St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley meet to discuss regional development.

Sterman will step down from East-West Gateway next month when he plans to take a position as construction supervisor with the Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention District -- a massive governmental program to rebuild and improve Metro East levees.

Unreal has not been immune to the recession. Sure, we still contribute a column every now and again, but times is tough and we're in the market for a second job to keep food on the table and booze in the belly.

Last week one Craigslist post in particular struck our fancy:

"Omalleys Irish Pub is looking for a little person/dwarf to work part time as a door person. Must like the bar atmosphere, have a good sense of humor and show up on time.... [N]o experience needed."

flickr.com/photos/prettywarstl

"Busch" Stadium -- or so they say.

So, I finally made it to my first ball game of the season this week. The event was not a pleasant experience despite a Cardinals victory and lovely spring weather.

Why?

Because the stadium's concessionaire, Sportservice, has nearly done away entirely with the sale of my favorite Anheuser-Busch product -- Busch beer.

You know, the beer whose name happens to sit atop the ballpark named (ironically enough these days) Busch Stadium!!!

Those pirates are dead. The Blues are in the playoffs. The Cardinals swept the Astros. And some people planned their Zombie Walk on the same day as when Christians celebrate Jesus' resurrection. What a weekend.

Photo: David Walthall

Click here for more photos in our slide show

On Friday night, Mangia Italiano, the haven for drinkers looking for a full-bar after 1:30 a.m., hosted late-night partiers who wanted to get in a few more shots before last call. Photographer David Walthall has a slide show of the scene there.

Many people consider today a holiday -- it is the home opener for the Cardinals -- but before you head to the ballpark or to work then the ballpark, here's what you missed over the weekend. It was a busy one in St. Louis.

Ting-Tings at the Pageant

Todd Owyoung

Katie White of the Ting-Tings on Friday, April 3 at the Pageant.

On Friday night, British pop duo the Ting-Tings played the Pageant. The show was originally scheduled to be held at the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, but the demand for tickets forced it down the street to the much larger Pageant. How was the show? Find out in A to Z and see pics in our slide show.

Freelance photographer and Irishman David Walthall was out with the drinkers today, and while he sacrificed any opportunities at drinking green beer, he did bring back these photos from the festivities in Dogtown.

SLIDE SHOW!

By David Walthall

drankbeverage.com

Here's some news you can snooze, the makers of relaxation elixir Drank recently inked a deal to offer the beverage at more stores in St. Louis.

According to the St. Louis Business Journal, Drank is now available wherever fine libations are sold -- you know -- Dierbergs, 7-Elevens and Phillips 66 gas stations.   

The over-the-counter Drank is named after the slang term for prescription-grade cough syrup that's so popular today with the kiddies.

Last fall Unreal got a chance to sample some of the purple tonic. We found its mix of melatonin, rose hips and valerian root to work as advertised. It makes you even sleepier when you mix it with vodka, though the distributor tells us that the company is "not marketing the product to mix with alcohol by any means."

Okay. If you say so.

flickr.com/photos/binkle76

Downtown East St. Louis

Illinois State Police Captain Mark Bramlett says after-hour nightclubs played a role in a dozen homicides his department has investigated in East St. Louis since 2005. And the perpetrators of those crimes are often booze-filled visitors from St. Louis.
 
"We're seeing an increase in violence, and it's often not from residents of Illinois who are attracted to the after-hours nightclubs," Bramlett told the Belleville News-Democrat yesterday. "When St. Louis city bars close, some Missouri residents come to Illinois and often get involved in armed violence as they head back across the bridge into St. Louis."

Now, according to the newspaper, East St. Louis officials are reviewing the operating hours of city bars and nightclubs -- some of which stay open 'til 6 a.m.
 

bobcasemusican.com

Bob Case and others will do the "Mardi Gras" tonight in Carondelet.

As I mentioned last week, the unofficial non-Mardi Grad Inc. version of "Fat Tuesday" takes place tonight in the south city hamlet of Carondelet.

The festivities begin around 7 p.m. in and around Iron Barley and The Wedge restaurants. Click here for a map of the location.

Events tonight include music by Mardi Gras rocker Bob Case and a parade -- of sorts. (I'm told that you might want to wear running shoes if you plan to march in the parade 'cause it ain't exactly sanctioned by the city.) I've also heard that members of the Banana Bike Brigade may also participate in the activities.

Should be fun. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Jeff Hamilton, emcee and Wash U literature professor

Tender was the night on Saturday, when patrons of The Royale were treated to a Valentine's Day tongue bath of love poetry karaoke as part of the Observable Readings series.

With the bartenders softly placing empties into the trashcan like eggs into a basket, emcee and Washington University literature professor Jeff Hamilton offered a contemplative reading of Foreigner's "Hot Blooded."

Two young ladies read aloud -- from cell phones -- their own compositions. One couple riled the crowd with some ribald love limmericks. And Dwight Bitikofer, publisher of the Webster-Kirkwood Times, gave a full-throated reading of excerpts from John Milton's "Il Penseroso."

But profundity hung thickest in the air toward the close of the evening, when a woman recited, with masterful restraint, the lyrics to Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff."

If you didn't get laid after love poetry karaoke, YOU dropped the ball.

See more photos after the jump....

Okay, so technically I lost last night's contest debating the merits of Riverfront Times vs. Alive Magazine.



Slide Show

But the way I see it, I won by forfeiture before the event even began. That's because while several Alive staff members were in attendance last night for Brennan's monthly Arguments and Grievances, none of them had the cojones to debate me. Instead, they arranged for the bar's owner, Kevin Brennan, to argue on the publication's behalf.

And you know what they say: The house always wins.

Video clips of the whole thing (very NSFW, or you should put on headphones) are after the jump. Thanks to Chad Compton for filming.
 

Congratulations to the mayors of Clayton, Creve Coeur, Olivette, Overland and University City. Last month they sent a letter to the St. Louis County Council and other municipal mayors asking for a county-wide ban on smoking in public places.

These five mayors did so despite the loud and vitriolic protests of the smoking minority and the real threat of losing votes to business owners who say a smoking ban would cost them customers. The latter concern has some merit should the ban take place only in St. Louis County, but efforts are also afoot to prohibit smoking in public places in St. Louis City.

As I wrote a few weeks back, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay has suggested he'd pursue a regional smoking ban that included St. Louis County. Still, smoking opponents face one possible -- and very significant -- roadblock.

Dooley, I say to you: Butt out!

I'm not sure if St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley is still a cigarette smoker, but he was back in 2005 when former council member Kurt Odenwald suggested a bill that would ban smoking in public places in the county. Dooley snuffed out Odenwald's proposal like a stale Pall Mall, and non-smoking bar patrons and employees in the county have been paying the price ever since.

Let's hope that this time around Dooley is more receptive to the majority of his constituents. Having to step outside to smoke a cigarette is not persecution.

What a weekend we just had. Decent weather, little precipitation, about 30 concerts around town and lots of football and pot-culture on Sunday. A big weekend all around, which might be why this weekend wrap-up is coming a little after noon. Forgive me.

In case you missed it, here's what went down over the weekend.

"Ladies of Lumiere" Calendar Release Party

Slide Show

On Saturday night, the 2009 "Ladies of Lumiere" 2009 calendar was released at the Hotel Lumiere. Steve Truesdell brought back these photos.