52nd City: December 2007

Wonderful Local TV

Now that cable has entered this blogger's life, the allure of the local TV stations is somewhat dimmed. But two choice bits of programming are on tap for New Year's Eve. Yay.

Channel 9, 10 p.m.-midnight: live from Grand Center, Nine's "Living St. Louis" producers will be broadcasting from the various venues along Grand and the nearby sidestreets. Here's hoping it stays relatively warm and dry out there.

Channel 11, 11 p.m.-3 a.m.: four hours of "Three Stooges." Nyuck.

Saturday Mix

Mix? A different option than the ACC's "Stew," but is it better? We continue to fool with the concept, yes. But so many odds/ends to report that we've got to sum 'em up in a neat, little compendium. Here we go.

********

Perhaps it's a matter of not reading the right blogs, but I hadn't seen anything on this around town: Lucas Hudson is the new editor of the Vital Voice. Ran into the former ACC editor last night and he confirmed the news, which coincides with the publication's retooling of editorial content in early 2008.

********

Ordinarily, the Observable Readings are held the first Thursday of the month at the Schlafly Bottleworks, but in January, they're staggered by a week. Here's the announcement of the next event, compliments of series curator Aaron Belz:

Thursday, January 10, 8-10 PM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Observable Readings Presents
Poets Dana Goodyear and Aliki Barnstone

Dana Goodyear is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Honey and Junk (Norton, 2005), of which Publishers Weekly writes: “All the poems are short and well-calibrated … her poems perfectly reproduce the claustrophobic atmosphere of love among the ruins of plenty." Goodyear, a native St. Louisan, now lives in Los Angeles.

Aliki Barnstone's most recent books are The Collected Poems of C.P. Cavafy: A New Translation (W.W. Norton, 2006), Blue Earth (Iris Press, 2004), Wild With It (Sheep Meadow Press 2002), and Changing Rapture: Emily Dickinson's Poetic Development (University Press of New England, 2007). A new book of poems, Pique, is forthcoming with Sheep Meadow. She is Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Now in its fifth season, Observable Readings was recently named BEST READING SERIES 2007 by the Riverfront Times. It is supported by grants from Missouri Arts Council and Regional Arts Commission.

********

This might be the longest link I've ever come across, but it'll yield interesting results. Reader Patrick Landewe's, expat and lighthouse keeper, was kind enough to send along word of a site that allows you to zoom in-and-out of an 1875 map of St. Louis, by neighborhood. Interesting stuff:

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/addItemLink.pl?tourl=/gmd/gmd416m/g4164m/g4164sm/gpm00001/gpm00001.html&style=gmd&itemLink=r?ammem/gmd:@field(NUMBER+@band(g4164sm+gpm00001))

Thursday Stew

With apologies to Dave Drebes for the title.

It's time to clear the e-desk. Hold on tight.

********

Speaking of Dave Drebes, the Dave Drebes Players will be in action tonight, with a date at the Way Out Club. Expect to hear the songs of Dave Drebes, performed by a hand-picked band, namely, the Dave Drebes Players. I imagine some type of cover charge will be involved, though I couldn't tell you the amount. And some time of start time will be observed, though it's unknown to me. Only the best, most thorough info is given here at 52nd City, America's favorite blog.

********

A plug for the Sons of the Southside, in action this weekend:

Hi Thomas, thought you might be interested in John O'Brien's "Mayor of Affton's Annual Mayoral Ball" occuring tomorrow night at the glamorous 10 Mile House:

http://afftonmayor.blogspot.com/

The band, the Sons of the Southside, feature an all-star lineup of MU330, Love Experts, Core Project, Bagheera and Jenny Kavanaugh Band alums…

********

If red light cameras have you down, check out Ran Mano's new website, dedicated to keeping you $100 richer:

www.stlredlight.com

Finally: the web used for good, not evil.

********

Being dangerously out-of-touch, I didn't realize that "High Fidelity" had been turned into a musical, let alone that it was coming to St. Louis in 2008. Now, I know. Check the New Line page for details on the June show.

********

St. Louis expat Molly Hayden, a fashion photographer by trade, sent along note that her Honolulu-based 48 Hour Film is on YouTube. St. Louisans, well known for their love of 48 Hour Films, are encouraged to view it here.

********

It for now. More "Stew" soon, unless someone's got a better "round-up-type" slug. Hit me!

Christmas Creepin' II: Venice & Brooklyn

So, let's say you've explored the tunnels under Tucker and you've still got some Xmas time to kill before the familial needs kick in. What to do? What to do? Well, one option: to keep creepin'.

Let's say, though, that your first target winds up buttoned-down by security. The Venice High School demolition is well underway, but whatever agency is in charge of this effort is leaving nothing to chance. On a quick visit, a security vehicle is parked directly behind the school on Xmas and a Venice police cruiser's not far away. Man! What gives? What's in that joint that's in need of such protection? Or is the threat of arson just to high? In any event, that one's a no-go.

So, let's say you're heading back down Route 3 and what catches your eye is that the entire parking lot for Brooklyn's sin bins is... empty. One car, with a flat tire, but not another vehicle (or human being) around. And the you notice that the Fantasyland complex, burned into non-business a few years back, is wide open and ready for some quick photos. Whatcha gonna do when there's nobody, nowhere in sight? Well, you gotta go in. Then you duck when the local gendarmes show up. And you wash your darned clothes, that's for sure.

A couple minutes, a couple pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51252573@N00/?saved=1.

Christmas Creepin' I: Subterranean Tucker

Tipped off by a blog posting at urbanreviewstl.com and irritated by the sudden loss of the Venice High School as a travel spot - more on that tomorrow - a couple of us headed to the subterranean neighborhood under Tucker Boulevard for Christmas. Now closed to through traffic, the above-ground section of Tucker, near St. Patrick's Center and the Post-Dispatch, offers not a lot to look at: a McDonald's, the City's vermin control facility and the Greyhound bus station. An area not exactly in the tourist manuals.

Under Tucker, though... that's a different story. Also not part of the RCGA guides, we're certain, the tunnels under Tucker offer a bizarre group of odd sights - and, occasionally, sounds.

Directly under the Post-Dispatch, for example, is a Hooverville. If you were to scale a 20-foot wall of dirt, you'd find a homeless encampment of some size. Though, truth be told, there's a wide variety of smaller shanties, mattresses and box houses. So the next time the P-D editorializes about homelessness, remember that they have the community living six floors under the computer used for the piece. How about that?

Down there, former entry points into the P-D building are found lit by quirky, orange lights.

Also there: a huge pile of books, including a nearly a dozen copies of the STL classic "Hoodlum's Priest."

Maybe you'd be surprised to find a noose, hanging about seven-feet above the ground?

Or a wall of graffiti dedicated to the 2006 World Series champion Cardinals?

All along the walking route, easily accessible via Cass, or several, other, less-hospitable point-of-entry (which we took, initially), you'd come across the usual run of debris left by the homeless, along with the accompanying spate of graffiti, frequently found in such places. And you'd understand why the City needed to shut this area down, with generations of different attempts at stabilization running the gamut from complete to half-assed.

What struck us most of all, though, was the notion that if the P-D wanted to do an interesting piece on the homeless crisis or the underground STL that many of find fairly interesting, the staff photographers just need to go into the basement in crack the sliding doors. It's right there.

In the meantime, check stlstreets.com in the near future.

Or punch up some pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51252573@N00/.

Boot Print #2 Online

We get notice today that the second edition of Boot Print is out, with the electronic form now available. Though we cut away a few details here, the essentials are below:

--------

The second issue of Boot Print initiates our study section with vigor by investigating firsthand the role of the independent curator. Dana Turkovic, Jan van Woensel, Elpida Karaba, Cecilia Canziani, Sotirios Bahtsetzis and Abdellah Karroum were invited to discuss their vision, their thoughts, their place, and future in independent curatorial practice.

Boot Print’s regulars and guest contributors explore the intersections of art, including Beate Engle and her exploration of the alternative marketing strategies of Hannah Beck-Mannagetta at FIELD (Berlin); Isil Egrikavuk interviewing Turkish artist-curator-publisher Halil Altindere; Daniel Tucker with a review of three recent publications on art and activism; Georgia Kotretsos with an interview of Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen and Tellervo Kalleinen of the Complaints Choir; Juan William Chàvez on art and music, interviewing Carlos Amorales of Nuevos Ricos, and Milena Muzquiz and Martiniano Lopez-Crozet of Los Super Elegantes; Tim Ridlen testing the limits of cinema in the art world; Wyatt Arden Kahn with a look at the entertainment value of Dash Snow; and last but not least, Juozas Cernius on the deathly implications of Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God.

Boot Print will reach 2000 art professionals in print form via postal mail in the United States and abroad; 3000 via email in its electronic form. Follow the link below to www.bootsart.com to download Boot Print Issue 2. In January it will be available in print at Boots Contemporary Art Space in St. Louis.

Ben Franklin's Holiday Delights

The Ben Franklin store in Webster Groves is ordinarily a sea of tranquility. No matter what sundry you've gone in for - a ball of twine, a stapler, a notepad - you generally notice that the Old Orchard business is usually pretty... sparse. At least in terms of actual commerce. Maybe it's the fact that a sprawling five-and-dime has elements you don't normally see; between the muted, 20-year-old paint job, the quiet Muzak and the quirky layout, you can almost remember going to places like this back in the 1970s or '80s.

Earlier today, the place was strange: there were people there. Customers. Employees. The usual walk-in-select-pay-walk-out vibe was broken. Even after spending time in the store's unusually huge frame section, the trip had extra minutes added on by... what?... a line. A line at the check-out. Wow.

It's Christmas time, it's shopping season.

You might not have known this, or believed this. But it's true. Try Ben Franklin in Webster Groves. You'll see.

Ska-liday Reminder: Dec. 29th

Paul Stark of KDHX's long-running Ska's the Limit was kind enough to send along word of winter's biggest ska party - which happens to be a benefit for the station that broadcasts his show. Yup. It's next week. Looking forward to this.

--------

KDHX Ska's The Limit
Winter Ska-liday Party

Saturday, December 29, 2007
7:00 pm (doors at 6:30)
Off Broadway
3509 Lemp Ave.
St. Louis, Mo 63118

Santa will be skanking at the KDHX Ska's The Limit Winter Ska-liday Party, featuring MU330, Murder City Players, Zeda's Beat Box, The Kickbacks, Secret Cajun Band & surprise guests.

Admission is $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and proceeds will benefit KDHX Community Media.

Just like the 88.1 FM KDHX Ska's The Limit radio show, this benefit spotlights an exciting variety of ska-influenced music.

Murder City Players bring a 10 piece band, now in their 23rd year of performing Jamaican ska and rocksteady-styled music circa 1959-1965.

Combining ska rhythms with hard rock, MU330 are celebrating 18 years as internationally touring, third wave veterans.

The talented teenagers of Zeda's Beat Box met at Dave Simon's Rock School and now combine ancient Hebrew texts with bouncing ska and reggae music.

The Kickbacks, absent from Saint Louis stages for five years, return with their mod and 2-tone influenced sound for this special reunion show.

And, another reunion, just announced, by 1990's college party ska-rock regulars: The Secret Cajun Band.

This benefit party is an all-ages evening (with a $3 surcharge for minors) and families are welcome in the non-smoking environment of Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue in Saint Louis.

Discounted advance tickets available now at www.offbroadwaystl.com.

Q/A with Bill Chott: re. Christmas Improv Jam

Bill Chott is hosting his Christmas Improv Jam at Mad Art Gallery this Sunday night, with all the details available at The Improv Trick's site. We sent Bill five questions yesterday about the event and his continuing teaching efforts.

Q: For people who typically don't attend improv shows in town, what might they expect on Sunday night?
A: People should expect to see St. Louis's best improvisers onstage having a lot of fun. There will be performers from all over who'll be joining us onstage, and audience members will be welcome to step onstage and be a part of the fun. Anything can happen, and usually does. A lot of people realize that improv is neccessarily what they thought it was.

Q: What's the appeal of Mad Art to you, such that you've moved your classes and this event there.
A: I love Mad Art because it's big and my improv events are big. I also love that the crowd there is coming to expect a bit more than just quick laughs. They're looking for substance and improv really hasn't had that kind of breathing room in town since Gaslight Square.

A: I'm sure you want to mention that this has a charitable component, too?
Q: Yes, please bring as many canned goods as possible. This is all to benefit the St. Louis Food Bank, America's Second Harvest. Food Banks this time of year are sapped and this is the time of year when they should be overflowing. You can also donate and buy tickets to the 50/50 Raffle.

Q: You frequently mention St. Louis as a birthplace or early hub of improvisation. Why's that important for you to say?
A:It's important to me because we have a rich heritage of being the place where Del Close came to improvisation. Del went on to create SCTV, was a director on the original Saturday Night Live and he taught most funny people you see on TV today. From Will Ferrell to Tina Fey, and everybody they work with. I think that the more St. Louis recognizes it's own history, we'll have more and more people in town studying and watching improv.

Q: With the work you're doing, the work Ed Reggi's been doing and all of the varied troupes in town, where do you see improv heading in STL over the next three, or five, years?
Let me be clear about this. I couldn't be doing the work I'm doing today if Ed Reggi hadn't been teaching and performing here in St. Louis for the last ten-plus years. There is a strong base here thanks to him and I'm glad to pitch in and do what I can do to see us claim our true mantle as the birthplace of longform. I forsee many more people learning and performing and I see a sustainable improv club and independent comedy scene. St. Louis is the kind of town where independent comedy with a point of view and message can thrive. Moreso than Chicago, LA and New York. It's easier for comedy club chains to take hold there and strangle creativity.

T. Weber Blogs

If you read this blog now, you'll be among the first to do so. You'll also not have to commit a whole lot of time, since there's only one post.

http://tweber79.blogspot.com/

Peanuts, Grandpa's Ghost and (hey!) 52nd City

It's Eric Hall's world. We're just living in it.

From the aforementioned, who is part of a raft of recently-released recordings.

--------

All releases available in St. Louis at Vintage Vinyl and Apop Records.

Available now from Echolocation Recordings:

Peanuts (Jeremy Brantlinger, Eric Hall, Nazeer Sadeeq Holmes)
A_BIM_CS_FS_C_B_P_BTR
$15 (3 CD-R)
Brand new triple-disc collection containing more than three-and-a-half hours of electroacoustic improvisations from Peanuts (Jeremy Brantlinger, Eric Hall, Nazeer Sadeeq Holmes) performed on all manner of percussion, keyboards, electronics, horns, toys, and everyday objects during seven different live recordings from The Lemp Neighborhood Art Center, CBGB, The Schlafly Tap Room, Mad Art, and KDHX; plus a remix by Precious Movements (Jason Hutto) . Contains everything from the tempered coaxings of the quietest sounds and minute sonic gestures, to lop-sided free grooves, to high-density tone-stacking through real-time sampling and layering. The three CDs come packaged in transparent DVD cases with transparent covers and glossy cardstock inserts and features photography from Thomas Crone and Derrick Lau, text from Brett Lars Underwood, and cover illustrations from Jonathan Holmes.

Grandpa's Ghost
The Prairie Drone Refraction (There Is No Time)
$8 (CD-R EP)
At White Flag Projects on April 1st, 2007 Grandpa's Ghost (whose line-up for this event featured Bill Emerson, Jack Petracek, and Eric Hall; plus Ben Hanna contributing live from New York City via telephone) improvised four 15 minute sets to new video works from Chicago-based video-artist James Fotopoulos. Each set was recorded and then replayed during the following sets until, by the end, all four sets occurred in the space simultaneously. This EP represents that final movement, with the four layers combining into one 15 minute piece with wavering textures, distorted reflections, and displaced depths. The package features artwork from James Fotopoulos. Released in partnership with Phosphorus Recordings.

Available now from Phosphorus Recordings:

Grandpa's Ghost
Harry's Passion / Painted Skull And Other Fun Songs
$18 (2 CD-R)
Harry's Passion is the seemingly stripped down album of a songful Ben Hanna, but behind the intimate vocals and engaging guitar picking hide subtle swirls of sonic enhancements and the rattles of peripheral activities. Bill Emerson, Jack Petracek, Christopher Dee, Tobi Parks, Mark Roebke, Eric Hall, and Janice Rieman also contribute. Painted Skull And Other Fun Songs was created entirely by Bill Emerson at home, and is a collection of straight-ahead rock songs and gentle country ballads that frequently makes some surprising, yet very welcome, left turns. One listen and your head will be stuck in these songs. This double-disc package features photographs by Bill Emerson.

Grandpa's Ghost
Bardot / The Void
$18 (2 CD-R)
Bardot is an instrumental soundtrack to traveling empty country highways; all of which was written, performed, and recorded by Bill Emerson. Each of the four long pieces chug atop heavy drum beats and bass lines as waves of shoegazer fuzz inch up the floodwalls, creating what Emerson calls "Hollow Head Hypnotics." The Void is another collection of Ben Hanna's eloquent songs, abstract compositions, and focused ensemble explorations of tones and textures. Here Hanna's pieces are assisted by Christopher Dee, Tobi Parks, and Eric Hall. This double-disc album features photographs by Bill Emerson.

Grandpa's Ghost
Anesthetize The Dissonance Of Your Cranium
$22 (4 CD-R)
This massive quadruple-disc release contains mostly long-form works. The first disc is Monroe Blues; performed by Bill Emerson, Ben Hanna, and Jack Petracek; and based, in part, on Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". The second disc is the single hour-long electronic drone / collage piece Mary Mary, performed by Ben Hanna and Bill Emerson. The third disc is Scene Of The Crime, another hour-long piece, which was performed live by Ben Hanna, Bill Emerson, Jack Petracek, Christopher Dee, Tobi Parks, Eric Hall, and Dave Stone as they improvised while surrounded by numerous James Fotopoulos video projections. The fourth disc, Hush! As I Am Trying To Think!, collects two tracks previously available on compilations, along with two never-before-heard pieces. First is Holly Jolly Christmas, from A Very Bert Dax Christmas Volume Three, performed by Ben Hanna, Bill Emerson, Jack Petracek, Christopher Dee, and Eric Hall. Next is SJ1; performed by Ben Hanna, Bill Emerson, Mark Roebke, and Pat Kennett; from everywhen- don't name it. Following those is Would You Please Hush? As I Am Trying To Think!, which is Bill Emerson 's lengthy tone generator examination. The final track is The Colour Red, a dense and enveloping setting for Ben Hanna's spoken word and clean guitar lines constructed by Eric Hall. This four-disc package features photographs by Ben West.

Garrigan, Parks, Hanna
Improvisations Of The Subterranean Sunset Blues
$15 (CD)
This trio improvisation album showcases Tim Garrigan (of Dazzling Killman, You Fantastic! , and Phut) on acoustic guitar, Tobi Parks on bass, and Ben Hanna on electric guitar. Features text by Brett Lars Underwood and cover painting by Marcia Pandolfi.

Available now from 52nd City:

Various Artists
52nd City: SOUND
$8 (CD)
The St. Louis quarterly magazine 52nd City devotes each issue to a different theme, in this case SOUND. Appropriately, the issue cuts down on the print and instead offers a CD of all exclusive material; such as an interview with Ornette Colman by Josh Weinstein, K. Curtis Lyle with Dave Stone , Eric Hall's The Phil Sessions (featuring a tour of St. Louis' sonic identity and vast artistic talent by way of impromptu public performances from Dave Stone, Fred Friction, Jeremy Brantlinger , Sunyatta Marshall, Brett Underwood, Jeremy Kannapell, Jason Hutto, Derrick Mosley, and Eric Hall), Learn, Artist, Cloister, Julie Dill, Cold War, Robert Goetz, The Mad Art Radio Hour, Heidi Dean, James Weber jr. with Ben Hanna, MC401(k), Aaron Belz, and The Private Sector. Packaged in a mini-book by Firecracker Press .

Capote for Christmas

Ann Haubrich of Literature for the Halibut sends along word that this week's show has a special, seasonal tilt. One of the truly one-of-a-kind shows on KDHX, we're always happy to note their programming twists:

--------

Happy Holidays,

Hope you are swell and that the smell of Christmas cookies permeates your homes.

Wanted to give you a holiday tip:

Tune into KDHX this coming Thursday, December 20 from 7-8 pm and you'll hear Janie and me doing our annual reading of Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" – if you've never heard it, you'll be dancing around the Christmas tree… if you have heard it, catch it again... it's better than that Jimmy Stewart movie at putting one in a proper holiday mood.

KDHX FM 88.1
December 20
7 to 8 o'clock in the evening
Literature for the Halibut
www.kdhx.org

Loop's Streetside: Gone on 12/24

The sad trend continues, as another legendary record store goes under. Passed along by a friend of a friend:

--------

For those of you for whom this was THE source for music (before Vintage Vinyl, of course) I thought you may want to know that Streetside Records in the Loop is closing its doors forever effective Dec. 24th.

Streetside Records on Delmar, the venerable record store that for 30 years was one of the finest locally owned record stores before being bought out by the corporate behemoth, Trans World, is apparently closing its doors for good after Christmas Eve, to be replaced by a couple shitty chain restaurants. Just what the Loop needs, right?

Playback STL (www.playbackstl.com) plans to have a musings and remembrances spot on their site. It should be up by 12/22 if not sooner.

Fishbone's Angelo Moore: City Museum Residency

Let's just say this intriguing note was passed along by the ultimate City Museum insider. We is busting the news:

---

Just wanted to let you know that Angelo Moore will be running around the Museum with his sax on January 4, 5, 6 performing his "Dr. Madd Vibe" and will more than likely be playing the cave organ all weekend.

Xmas at Off Broadway

Wow. I'm just realizing that I haven't been to Off Broadway in, oh, two or three weeks. One of the joys of living near a venue that books music that you like is the ability to simply zip over there on a whim. And this weekend provides such inducement. Whether or not you live five-minutes away is up-to-you.

----------------------

Tomko Bomb Co. Presents:
A Very Merry Christmas Spectacular

Friday, December 21st:
The Bureau
The Hibernauts
Witch's Hat (Columbia, MO)
The Makeshift Gentlemen
& VIDEOLOGY

Saturday, December 22nd:
So Many Dynamos
Gentleman Auction House
Light Pollution (Dekalb, IL)
Laite
& VIDEOLOGY

@ Off Broadway - 3509 Lemp Ave, St. Louis, MO 63118
Doors @ 8:30pm | Show @ 9:00pm | $7 | 18+

Sponsored By: Vintage Vinyl, KDHX 88.1FM, Dividing By Zero, Apples & Cats
Media and TheBungaloo.com.

----

Tomko Bomb Co. presents the 3rd annual installment of A Very Merry Christmas Spectacular this December 21st and 22nd at Off Broadway. Last year's AVMCS was named by Spin Magazine as one of the three things that you MUST do in St. Louis in December and this year's event is poised to be dramatically bigger than its predecessors.

This year's AVMCS has an unbeatable bill comprised of some of the region's hottest bands, all of which have been garnering praise from critics and fans alike throughout the US. The first night features The Bureau, The Hibernauts, and The Makeshift Gentlemen from St. Louis, and Witch's Hat from Columbia, MO. The second night features So Many Dynamos, Gentleman Auction House, and Laite from St. Louis, and Light Pollution from Dekalb, IL.

A new feature to be included in this year's event is VIDEOLOGY from Columbia, MO, who in one form or another has worked with The Flaming Lips, Grandaddy, Elliot Smith, The Polyphonic Spree, Pavement, etc. VIDEOLOGY will be adding a unique visual layer to AVMCS by surrounding Off Broadway with four giant video screens to provide visualizations for all of the bands and to VJ in between the sets.

Vintage Vinyl, KDHX 88.1 FM, Dividing By Zero, Apples & Cats Media will all be providing promotional support and handcrafted, silk-screened posters have been created by John Vogl at The Bungaloo.

Both nights will start promptly at 9:00pm and are 18 and up shows. Tickets can be purchased online at www.offbroadwaystl.com and at the door for $7.

Bluiett

Is back. With CAPS!:

-----------------

WORLD PREMIER
BLUIETT'S IYO (IMPROVISINGYOUTHORCHESTRA)
Last Sunday of the Year
Dec. 30, 2007, 3-5pm
UNION AVENUE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
733 UNION, STL 63108

This program is supported in part by First Civilizations.

Please send this email to all of your family and friends and tell them about us.

Darfur film to play Royale

I don't have a pithy lead for this one. So, here 'tis:

-----------------------------------------

Unconventional documentary follows ordinary citizens as they travel to Africa to meet with rebels, refugees, and humanitarian aid workers.

In December of 2006, three guys from Chicago traveled to the border of Chad and Sudan to get a first-hand look at the effects of the crisis in Darfur. Jim Milak, Jason Mojica, and G. Ryan Faith (an IT professional, a waiter, and a space policy wonk, respectively) had no previous experience as filmmakers. Shooting without a script, the three captured intimate interviews with reporters, activists, and aid workers in the region. They visited Gaga refugee camp, where 13,000 of the nearly 300,000 Darfuris displaced by the conflict live in makeshift quarters. They spent the Muslim holy day of Eid with the rebel leaders of Darfur's Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM), and met with Chadian officials to discuss the destabilizing effect the situation has had on the population of that central African nation..

Nearly one year later, the filmmakers will screen a rough cut of their film, "Christmas in Darfur?," in three U.S. cities, each event taking place in the casual confines of a bar, with local musicians taking on the role of DJ to provide an after-party soundtrack.

"The reason we chose to show the film in such an informal setting, is because the whole project got started over beer," says director, Jason Mojica. "The three of us were sitting on our barstools, wondering why nothing had been done about the crisis in Darfur which seemed to have such clear-cut good-guys and bad-guys. This led us to wonder if perhaps the situation was more complicated than it was being reported in the media. Then, after a few more drinks, Jim said, almost as a dare,'let's go.'"

The group raised funds for the three-week excursion via small donations on their website, http://www.christmasindarfur.org/ and kept their supporters up to date on their progress on its accompanying blog http://christmasindarfur.blogspot.com/

Proceeds from the December screenings will go toward the film's post-production costs. The filmmakers will be on had after each screening for a Q&A with the audience.

Christmas in Darfur? – U.S. Screenings – December 2007

Chicago
Monday, December 17 at 8pm
The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, Chicago, IL
Admission $5 (advance tickets available via Ticketweb.com)
DJs: Whitney Johnson (Notes and Scratches) and
Betty Barnes (Saturday Looks Good to Me)

Washington, DC
Thursday, December 20 at 8pm
Bourbon, 2321 18th Street NW, Washington, DC
Admission: $5
DJs: Laura Burhenn (Georgie James) and Winston Yu (every other band in DC)

St. Louis
Sunday, December 23 at 5pm
The Royale, 3132 Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO
Admission: free, but donations accepted
DJs: Mark Early (Macro Meltdown) and Jerome Gaynor (STL Punk)

Aviation Club Reunion!

Just plucked this off of a Myspace notice. Very, very, very exciting. The Aviation Club was one of the first groups I started seeing in clubs about, oh, two decades ago. That the show's tied into Jet Lag's online efforts only makes this one more of a can't-miss for this blogger. Yes, indeed:

-------------------------

The Aviation Club (featuring Jon Ferber, of the Orbits, and Mike Burgett) will re-unite and play at Off Broadway on Friday, January 4, 2008.

The Aviation Club will perform songs that haven't been heard for 20 years.

Other guests will be announced.

The evening will celebrate the first anniversary of the archival web site www.JetLagMag.net.

The site celebrates the earliest days of the St. Louis punk and wave scene with scans of each issue of that seminal fanzine, Jet Lag Magazine.

Proceeds from the event will help to A Thousand Books send books to Peace Corps teachers.

John the Mailman
founder/former publisher
Jet Lag Magazine
314-255-9035

Observable in December (Redux)

Last week, Aaron Belz hosted another Observable event at the Bottleworks, but that wintry mix kept the attendance down to a reported baker's dozen. Bummer!

There's a chance to get your poetic cultural fix this week, though. As in, real soon. Like, Thursday. Tomorrow. See ya.

--------------

Join Observable Readings and StudioSTL at 8 pm on Thursday, December 13th, for a unique literary experience. Student writers from the StudioSTL anthology and poets from the Vivaldi symphony performances will read from their original works. Come help us support these young artists and future literary superstars.

http://observable.org

http://studiostl.org

Art Weekend #2: RRCS, Saturday-Sunday

Yup, you can buy 52nd City's at this event! Gotta say, that's one of many, many inducements to head to Mad Art this weekend for the Rock N Roll Craft Show. Details below, compliments of Megan McGlynn:

-------------------------------------

It's that time of year again.... this weekend is the 4th annual Rock N Roll Craft Show, and it will be bigger and better than ever!

This year's show rocks 100 crafters, 12 bands, food, drinks, and family-friendly demos.

Crafts include fused glass dishes and jewelery, hand crafted wood furniture, sterling silver jewelry, knitted scarves and hats, hand-sewn baby clothes, silk screened t-shirts, rings, necklaces, hand-crafted paper books and note cards, fine art, ceramics, ornaments, wrapping paper, lambskin leather purses, decoupaged vintage suitcases, hand-blown glass, vinyl record bowls, magnets (MEG'S MAGZ!), candles made in recycled wine bottles (MEG'S WAX!), coasters (MEG'S FLATS!), fine art, inexpensive gifts for your day care providers, cozy things for Grandma, sparkly things for crazy Aunt Peg, shiny things for Buster, etc., etc., etc., you name it... we have it all. Seriously, this year's crafts are so cool, you will find something for everyone on your shopping list! To see all participating vendors, go to http://www.rocknrollcraftshow.com/artists.php

Bands play every hour, and include Gentlemen Auction House, the Ottomen, A Bit Shifty, WonderGround, etc. For band lineup, go to http://www.rocknrollcraftshow.com/bands.php

Attendance prizes are also given each hour, and were generously donated by LUSH, Subterranean Books, the Royale, V Vegaz, Knitorious, Dick Blick Art, Donnaland Vintage, Ziezo, among others.

Demos and workshops are free and family-friendly, and include knitting, glass bead making, t-shirt printing, etc; schedules can be found at www.rocknrollcraftshow.com.

For general info, go to www.rocknrollcraftshow.com. Remember, the entry fee is $2 per person and that gains you access to hundreds of thousands of handcrafted original usable art, 14 bands, the chance to win free stuff, and the opportunity to participate in crafting yourself!

Please come join us this weekend from noon-9 Saturday and noon-6 Sunday at the Mad Art Gallery in Soulard (2727 S 12th St).

Thanks!

Art Weekend #1: IAM, Tonight-Sunday

Just got a note from Eric Woods, reminding one-and-all of the Independent Art Market, kicking off Downtown tonight.

See you there on Sunday and, perhaps, tonight.

--------------------

THE INDEPENDENT ART MARKET HOLIDAY SALE IS HERE!

Great holiday gifts from local artists are YOURS this weekend!

This winter's Art Market event will take place at the corner of 10th and Locust in lovely Downtown St. Louis! There will be 20 artists selling their creations in a boutique style atmosphere.

Art, gifts, fun, music, holiday spirit and so much more!!!

Friday, December 7th 6p - 12a (opening reception!)
Saturday, December 8th 12p - 10p
Sunday, December 9th 12p - 6p

Happy Holidays! We hope to see you this weekend!!

The Independent Art Market

Who cover band = Who-band

Who-band is live and active, with some members that folks of a certain generation will remember: Mark Cook (Corporate Humour, EJ Quit), Casey Carmody (Corporate Humour) and Mike Eisenbeis (The Nukes) among them. The other two gentlemen involved, Bill Entenman and Alan Schmidt, I'm sure are fine players, as well, though I don't happen to know their pedigree. The first three? Well, let's just say that The Who was a sure influence on their earliest projects.

They'll be playing the Way Out Club on December 12 @ 10 p.m. This I've gotta see. In the meantime, I'll content myself with their myspace page.

Highway 40 Site Launched

Amanda Doyle and I are still fielding submissions for The Wire, our old, locally-focused talk show, which means some good, interesting, local ideas can't be entertained. Doesn't mean that press releases can't be shared in other forms. One Joe Passanise e-mailed us about an effort to pause/stop the Highway 40 shutdown, with a website offered for info.

We pass along the word below:

--------------------

You probably believe that that stopping the closure of Highway 40 is a dead issue. MODOT has successfully marketed the need to close Highway 40 to government and business leaders. Unfortunately, when I talk to people about the complete closure of Highway 40 for two consecutive years, they are surprised. Why is this?

They are surprised because it really defies common sense. In all of the construction history that regular Highway 40 motorists have experienced, an
interstate highway has never been completely closed longer than a few hours and only during the late evening/early morning hours. So when you tell people that Highway 40 is going to be completely closed for two years, it just doesn’t register.

However, unless there is an 11th Hour emergency action, after January 1, 2008, these same regular users of Highway 40 will experience “culture shock” with the closure of Highway 40. I say culture shock because that is exactly what it will be.

Motorists looking for north-south roadways to get to alternate east-west roadways will be shocked to see that all these roadways are stacked with traffic.
These roadways are filled to capacity NOW even with Highway 40 open. The culture shock will then extend into their lifestyle because they will spend more time traveling to and from work and less time in their personal/family environments. Cost of travel will add to the shock because their funds will have to be shifted from other personal needs to pay for the additional cost of travel when Highway 40 is closed.

So, this is my 11th hour effort to stop the closure of Highway 40 to prevent culture shock for about 160,000 motorists – including my wife - who currently travel Highway 40 on a daily weekday basis.

Check out my website: stophighway40closure.com
Joseph Passanise

Our Man in Iraq

South City's own, Adam Allington, one of the jewels of the KWMU reporting staff, is logging time in Iraq. Yes, that Iraq.

His reports can be heard online, here:

http://kwmu.org/news/iraq/stories.php

Was just alerted to some photos, as well. They're here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21486668@N03/

What Superhero Would You Be?

Okeydokey, this is gonna be another cut + paste, below, but the release is worded so elegantly, I can't really improve upon it. It regards an art show next weekend (the 15th) that includes some of our favorite people, including our recent Kick Ass recipient, Lindsay Scott and multi-media goddess Kelsey LaPoint. I love the premise - what superhero would you be? (Personally, I would want to be Jana of the Wonder Twins) & sounds like a rock & roll good time:

Inner Mission Productions and LoveORama Records present

May These Changes Make Us Light: Winter Show Collaborative
Contemporary Art Museum
Saturday, Dec. 15
Two shows — 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $10 tickets, Doors open at 6:15

Featuring: Gravity Plays Favorites, Acro Yoga Fireflies, FIRE DOG, Celia's Yuletide Express, Amazonia Belly Dancing Troupe, VJ Evil Che, Kill Fashion and more …

Some come out from beneath the gnarled roots of the oak tree. Others live under the Arch, where they perform wizardry unknowingly. They roam the city among everyday people. Sometimes they switch masks and morph, seeking ways to present gifts and survive the dangers of the city.

But, the planet is trembling from the loss of one of these St. Louis superheroes, the Great Story Hunter. A gigantic ARCH transmitter broadcasts a message to the galaxy's edge, where peaceful yogis receive the message. The people have forgotten how to lay their own stories to rest. And so the discontent builds, blocking people's hearts.

About 30 St. Louis artists will expose their alter egos and super POWERS at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., Dec. 15 at the Contemporary Art Museum.

"May These Changes Make Us Light – Winter Show Collaborative" is a multimedia performance that uses dance, music and sculpture to amuse the adventure within us. Narrating the story through live video-mixing, VJ Evil Che, Mike Pagano, will project onto a 10-foot-tall, inflatable plastic dome — and lead the audience through a tale that blends the real and fantastical.

"The show builds on the understanding that daily life is performance – we script each choice and motion," said Lyndsey Scott, St. Louis artist. "The joy of the process blurs the veil between what appears to be and what is."

MYTHICAL CHARACTERS PLAYED BY:

The Fireflies — St. Louis' only acrobatic yoga troupe. The
crowd-pleasing pairs stretch the limits of aerial poses. They are featured in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's article "Feels Like Flying" on Sept. 24.

Gravity Plays Favorites — a sassy, captivating acrobatic duo that performs powerful aerial routines using only a standing pole. Performing in TV programs and theatrical venues, the well-seasoned dancers travel nationally about twice a week.

Amazonia Belly Dancing – an electrifying group that performs the ancient dance of the body's life force — the belly, while also incorporating innovative tools from modern dance and fire spinning.

MUSIC:

FIRE DOG — This local power trio serves up a playful attack of soul and surf, fresh and electric. The FIRE DOG anthem, "2004," is the show's theme, which can be heard at www.seefiredogroll.com. The group toured the Western United States last fall, playing over 30 shows in two months.

Celia's Yuletide Express — This is cheerful group of about 20
vocalists and sleighbell-ists, accompanied by a live rock-swing band. They spread "glad tidings of great joy" to all people, appearing at charity events and holiday parties in the bleak mid-winter.

A St. Louis quartet specializing in African and Middle Eastern
drumming will provide the percussion and ambient sound.

ADDED SURPRISES:
Accomplished local artists Kelsey LaPoint, Lyndsey Scott, Sara
Paulsen, Emi Hemeyer, Jerome Gaynor, Lezlie Silverstein and Holly Gallaher set the stage and fashioned the costumes in playful ways that make believing easy.

We are a mesh of figures impossibly and perfectly formed –– exalting and exuding light as one. The wild formations stretch the hearts and minds of all those who experience it. Please contact Rebecca Rivas at 314-537-9861 or rebeccasrivas@gmail.com for more information.

Out: Bert Dax's Sixth "A Very Bert Dax Christmas"

The sixth annual "A Very Bert Dax Christmas" is out, and, unlike last year, none of the tracks predict my demise. Nice. It does, as always, dole out local bands tweaking Christmas songs, or, almost as effectively, writing their own.

Here's the lineup:

1. Stella Mora, "Icicle Boy"; 2. The 75s, "Cliche Christmas Song"; 3. The Help, "All I Want for Christmas is a Billion Dollar No-Bid Contract"'; 4. Rum Drum Ramblers, "Santa Claus"; 5. Wooden Kites, "A Christmas Song for Jenny"; 6. Chico Maciunas, "Don't Buy Me Anything"; 7. Maid*Rite, "Christmas with the Devil"; 8. The Museum Mutters, "South City Girls (Like Christmas on TV)"; 9. Tape Deck Sonata, "Hockey Drinking Game on Christmas Eve"; 10. Steve Nagy, "Enoughy"; 11. 7 Shot Screamers, "Don't Be a Bitch for Christmas"; 12. Team Tomato, "Sledge Ride"; 13. Strawfoot, "Fairytale of New York."

Another Public Radio Raid on St. Louis

Okay, thecommonspace scooped us on the still-buzzy Tom Weber e-mail announcing his departure to Minnesota Public Radio. But in our blog rounds tonight, we found this alarming notice at Highway 61 - all while looking for some info on the project, Fake Radio (on the Internet):

--------------------------

Where I've Been and Where I'm Going
December 1, 2007 at 9:04 pm | In Gabe Bullard, Podcasts, meta | 2 Comments

I'm sure that many a loyal reader sees a null Highway 61 RSS and thinks, "Where's Gabe?"

Well, I'm over here: www.fakeradioontheinternet.com.

Hop over and enjoy some podcasts. We're also listed in iTunes.

I'll keep posting here, but only until 2007 ends. After that, I'll be moving to Louisville to start a new job as a Public Radio reporter.

--------------------------

Public radio stations: stop stealing our talented young people!

Music Links A'plenty

Got hit by an absurd (in a good way) amount of links to music on the web this weekend. I mean, wow.

Here's a rundown.

Didn't know about the locally-written music blog Music Sucks, but Joe Williams of the co-op site was kind enough to send a top-10 local show list, which lead me to the wider site. It's here:

http://www.musicsucks.net/2007/12/01/best-shows-of-2007/

Bill Streeter was at the Fishbone show, along with a pair of additional cameramen. The results of all that shooting are available here:

http://www.podtech.net/home/4651/fishbone-part-1

Local songwriter Geoff Kessell (ol' schoolers will remember him as the co-owner of the wonderful Whiz Bam!, as well) has entered the web world, with some tracks on his Myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/geoffkessellsounds

Joe Thebeau of Finns Motel noted that a few videos from his old band, The Finns, along with one track by my fave band from back in the day, The Treeweasels, all were produced/directed by Scott Roever. The first two below are the Finns cuts, the third is by the 'Weasels.

"She Wears Black": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4CEpnSHWz4
"Perspective": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjVM8AHQ5dU
"Cornerstone": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwDGMCFkLz0

And while it's not music, per se, former STL bandleader TV guy Patrick Clark sends along a bit of web improv, which sees PC in cameo form:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LcMAxu0zsc

Some Li'l Bits (inc. a 666 reference)

We got a plug on the Mayor's poll this week, over at MayorSlay.com:

"Downtown St. Louis – which employs almost a hundred thousand daily workers, entertains and feeds tens of thousands of daily shoppers and diners, and sleeps thousands of nightly loft dwellers, does not currently support a full-service bookstore. And the daily newspaper, which recently dropped the intelligent Prince Valiant comic strip, struggles. The rise of the Internet may be blamed for some of this: We read things on our computers or handhelds, instead of at the library. We also wait for the movie, rather than buy and read the book. And TV neatly clips our news into 20-second nuggets – and never leaves its programs in the bushes.

"There are some life signs. Great independent bookstores, like Left Bank Books in the CWE, offer wonderful book signings and readings. There are still busy branches of the public library in many of our neighborhoods. 52nd City Magazine shows off the talent of local artists. St. Louis Magazine, a revitalized publication, has spawned a competitor called Alive."

Sweet.

----------------

Also, we now have 666 photos in our flickr group:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/52ndcity/

For some reason, that seems notable. Maybe the number. There's something about it.