TCB > September 2005

Antonio French is blogging daily again on The St. Louis Argus site. He also has a blog for A D French & Associates, his political action firm.

The Argus site is running a help wanted ad for people to "sell ads for a new political tabloid," presumably a new incarnation of Pub Def whose website is currently under construction.

Posted by Brian Marston on Fri., Sep 30, 2005 at 11:04 AM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | The Media

Further confirming my belief that nothing good happens at the Des Peres "Ciné," we now have the distinction of being home to the first person convicted in the U.S.—one Curtis Salisbury of St. Charles—for illegally camcording a theatrical release.

You can read the gory details here, but it's at least some comfort to note the dude was trying to do it high-class: "Salisbury admitted connecting the camcorder equipment directly to the projector sound board while recording films in the theater. He also used a mini-disc recorder to capture the film sound he would later synchronize with the video, using his computer to enhance its quality."

Why anyone would waste that kind of effort on "Bewitched," though, is beyond me...

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Wed., Sep 28, 2005 at 10:55 AM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | STL in the News

Well, this whole pregnancy thing is really catching on: we're delighted to congratulate Amy and Luis Pizano, owners of the awesome Pets in the City in Soulard, where you can find just about every healthy thing your pet needs and wants. Amy tells us she's due on New Year's Eve, "just in time to have a margarita!"

Cheers.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Mon., Sep 26, 2005 at 2:52 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | People

There are lots of fun videos on St. Louisan Kenny Kinds' Blue Fortune site. It's worth a visit for the Carl Lewis video alone. I've watched it three times already, and it just keeps getting funnier and more ridiculous.

Posted by Brian Marston on Tue., Sep 20, 2005 at 8:01 PM
Link & Discuss (2 comments) | Fun Links

The newly engaged Stephen Schenkenberg is moving from St. Louis to Madison, WI, where he'll set up shop as a freelance writer and editor. Cue Troy McClure: You might remember his byline from such publications as PlaybackSTL (he's the book editor), St. Louis Magazine and (of course) The Commonspace.

Posted by Brian Marston on Tue., Sep 20, 2005 at 12:50 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | People

'K, so you all know we are big fans here of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (peppy young musicians are just one facet of the appeal), and thanks to ubiquitous marketing, we *all* know it's "different with David Robertson," and if you're on the younger end of the SLSO demographic, you now get a chance to experience the difference on the cheap.

This Thursday marks the return of the popular Soundcheck gimmick, wherein folks aged 16-25 get tickets to the performance for a mere ten bucks, plus the opportunity to stick around after the show and hob-nob with musician types. This week, Robertson conducts a program of Bach, Mozart, Vivier and John Adams.

Note to rising Romeos & Juliets: any cultural-type outing = always-impressive date night

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Mon., Sep 19, 2005 at 3:24 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | Other

The Old North Saint Louis neighborhood ("An Urban Village on the edge of Downtown") has a beautiful new website. It was designed and programmed by the dynamic duo of Nate and Kathy Sprehe.

Posted by Brian Marston on Sat., Sep 17, 2005 at 7:00 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | Other

There are some preliminary renderings of the Bottle District on the website of St. Louis-based Clayco Construction's Forum Studio. Daniel Libeskind (yes, that Daniel Libeskind) is working with the Forum Studio on the design.

In a Post-Dispatch article, Charlene Prost says the Bottle District's three condo towers "would bring a distinctive new look to the city skyline." As a counterpoint, James Howard Kunstler has called Libeskind's proposal for the World Trade Center site "the set for a German expressionist horror movie."

Personally, I hope there are some unique, local, owner-operated businesses to go with the tourist trap entertainment megaplexes planned for the Bottle District.

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Sep 15, 2005 at 11:23 AM
Link & Discuss (3 comments) | Business District

The Royale has a stylish new website, befitting a stylish establishment.

Posted by Brian Marston on Mon., Sep 12, 2005 at 11:22 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | Business District

Sue Beckwith has set up a blog at stlhelps.org to provide information about efforts in St. Louis to help survivors of Hurricane Katrina. You can email news to the site's editors at info@stlhelps.org.

On Saturday, October 15, The Commonspace, Digitronical and Detour Production will host "Breaking for Broken Lives," a breakdancing showcase to raise money for the relief effort. Stay tuned for details.

Mississippi Nights (914 N. 1st Street on the Landing) is running a Hurricane Katrina Music Drive (thanks to Stephanie at Maplehood Rekkids for the tip):

Help us give the gift of music!

For the next 2 weeks, Mississippi Nights will be collecting all of your old CD's and CD Players and donating them to the St. Louis area evacuees of Hurricane Katrina. Until the end of our show on Saturday September 17, stop by our box office and drop them all off. Anyone who brings in 10 CD's in good, working order will receive a coupon good for a free ticket (up to $20) to any of our shows for the rest of 2005. All donations will be distributed to area shelters to be given to the evacuees. Hopefully in this trying time, the gift of music can bring a little bit of happiness to our fellow citizens!!

The staff of Mississippi Nights

What to Bring:
Complete CD's
CD Players or Radios
Headphones
Batteries for players

Office Hours
Mon- Friday 11 am to 5pm, Saturday 3pm- end of show, Sunday- Closed

For more information call (314)421.3853

Clowder House is taking in evacuee kitties. By state law, they are required to keep the cats segregated for ten days, so they need more cages. If you have an extra cage they can borrow that's large enough to hold a litter box, contact them at 3134 Wyoming Street, 314-776-PURR or clowderhouse@juno.com.

State representative Connie "LaJoyce" Johnson (61st district) gave a good rundown of what's being done by the State of Missouri and government-related agencies in her monthly email newsletter.

Apparently, Governor Blunt told local officials that the Welcome Center at Lambert Airport won't be needed as a screening and transitional station for former Gulf Coast residents. The hangar may be repurposed as a drop-in social services center for evacuees.

Posted by Brian Marston on Mon., Sep 12, 2005 at 10:21 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | Other

Check the previous version of Top Gossip Deb Peterson, all bright colors and highlighted hair, against a newer shot of a dark-haired Deb in what looks like a fur coat?

Makes her a little more conspicuous among "the hot dog munchers, the Little League screamers and the multiple-piercings crowd."

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Fri., Sep 9, 2005 at 11:39 AM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | The Media

Because it's a maestro/ette on the way for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra's Dale Fisher and, more importantly, his wife Emily Fisher! (Emily also spends her days toiling for the arts, at Young Audiences of St. Louis).

We hope they're breaking the news gently to the current baby in the house, one feisty canine known as "the Minnie Pooper."

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Fri., Sep 9, 2005 at 11:08 AM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | People

The premier issue of The Gateway Gardener is out on the street. Their website (www.gatewaygardener.com) isn't up yet.

The Gateway Gardener promises to be "your guide to enjoyable gardening and easy-care landscapes" in the St. Louis region. I picked up a copy of the free, bi-monthly magazine at Sally's Floral & Garden Design on Cherokee. You can subscribe to have it delivered to your house for $15 for six issues.

Based in Glendale, the magazine is printed on color newsprint by Tribune Publishing in Columbia, MO. Robert Weaver is the editor; his sister-in-law, Joyce Bruno, is the publisher.

Posted by Brian Marston on Wed., Sep 7, 2005 at 10:11 AM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | The Media

Number of "recall Tom Bauer" signs I saw in Clifton Heights today: 16

Number of pro-Tom Bauer signs I saw: 0

Posted by Brian Marston on Sat., Sep 3, 2005 at 4:47 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | People

City Museum was one of ten locations inducted this year into the Project for Public Spaces' list of the world's best public spaces. (Thanks to Stephen Schenkenberg for the tip.)

At the other end of the spectrum, Keiner Plaza has earned a spot in the PPS Hall of Shame. It was submitted by local gadfly Teresita Cochran.

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Sep 1, 2005 at 3:21 PM
Link & Discuss (2 comments) | STL in the News

Stardust begat the Indigo Room begat Club Isis begat The Formula.

Apparently, bar dancing is part of the plan to attract a "sophisticated, upscale" crowd to the corner of Washington and Tucker. That's my kind of classy!

In other Washington Avenue club news, Lotus now occupies the former LO space at 501 North 15th, a fact that has been driven into my inbox by five more-or-less identical messages from Easy Productions and B&W Presents in the last week. Lotus seems to be taking great pains to identify itself with LO, as evidenced by the prominent "LO" in its logo and a curiously punctuated line in all of the email messages I received that reads "Lotus ( I.E... THE FORMER LO ) ????".

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., Sep 1, 2005 at 2:38 PM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | Business District