1. Ask a Mexican

Special Long-Questions Edition

Dealing with in-laws-to-be and underachievers.

Published: November 28, 2007

Dear Mexican: With a scant four weeks before I cram my mochila with a few clothes for me and a horde of presents (read: bribes) for my future cuñadas, sobrinas, y mi mera suegra,...

2. Cafe

Goblet Up!

Webster Groves gets a wine bar. Will Ian drink to that?

By Ian Froeb

Published: November 28, 2007

The servers at the new Webster Groves wine bar and café Robust wear T-shirts the color of milk chocolate, some of which are printed with the restaurant's name, others with equally...

3. Critics' Picks

The Cult

7 p.m. Thursday, November 29. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

By Shae Moseley

Published: November 28, 2007

One has to wonder how different the career trajectory of the Cult might have looked had frontman Ian Astbury accepted Oliver Stone's offer to play Jim Morrison in the 1991 motion picture...

4. Critics' Picks

John Fogerty

8 p.m. Friday, November 30. Scottrade Center, South 14th Street and Clark Avenue.

By Tom Finkel

Published: November 28, 2007

Just as Sandy Koufax pitched his way to baseball immortality in half a dozen transcendent seasons with the Dodgers, John Fogerty's five meteoric years with Creedence Clearwater Revival...

5. Critics' Picks

Big D and the Kids Table

7 p.m. Friday, November 30. 2 Cents Plain, 1114 Olive Street.

By Christian Schaeffer

Published: November 28, 2007

Third-wave ska bands have the benefit of hindsight. They can cherry-pick the best bits from the Jamaican innovators, the British two-tone revivalists and the American ska-punk hybrid...

6. Critics' Picks

Electric Six

7 p.m. Monday, December 3. Creepy Crawl, 3524 Washington Boulevard

By Ryan Wasoba

Published: November 28, 2007

The baggage of Electric Six lies with its love of novelty, as the band's name immediately conjures up memories of a viral video of viking kitties performing "Gay Bar" or Jack White's...

7. Critics' Picks

The Knitters

8 p.m. Monday, December 3. The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Boulevard, University City.

By Roy Kasten

Published: November 28, 2007

When a cover band such as the Knitters gets a tribute album like Poor Little Knitter on the Road, you know post-modernity has truly run amok. Punk and Americana superstars John Doe,...

8. Critics' Picks

The Misfits/Humanoids/Holy Python

8 p.m. Tuesday, December 4. Roberts Orpheum Theater, 416 North Ninth Street.

By Jaime Lees

Published: November 28, 2007

In the 30 years since Jerry Only joined the Misfits, he's become a particular favorite of the band's fans — even if saying Only is your favorite Misfit is akin to saying Ringo...

9. Critics' Picks

Strange Boys

8 p.m. Tuesday, December 4. The Cavern at Fort Gondo.

By Jason Toon

Published: November 28, 2007

Somewhere between the buttons and the sunny afternoon, you'll find Austin's Strange Boys. Mining an overlooked vein of '60s inspiration, the band forges the same pop/R&B alloy...

10. Drink of the Week

Yogi DeTox Tea

Schnucks
60 Hampton Village Plaza
314-353-5060

By Kristie McClanahan

Published: November 28, 2007

In the weeks between the gastro glut of Thanksgiving and the financial glut of Christmas, we're pausing for a bit of detox. In two weeks, we'll attend our first holiday party of the...

11. DVDish

Touch of Evel

By Robert Wilonsky and Jordan Harper

Published: November 28, 2007

Hot Rod (Paramount) Andy Samberg, best known for stuffing his dick in a box on Saturday Night Live, is Rod Kimble, a wannabe stuntman with very little "man" in him. He lives with...

12. Feature

Broken Lives on Waterford Crystal Drive

When it comes to cyber-malice, the Internet has its own version of vigilante justice.

By Keegan Hamilton

Published: November 28, 2007

The voice-mail inbox for Lori Drew's cell phone is full. Of course, that's the least of her problems. If the name doesn't ring a bell, you likely only read her story as it was initially...

13. Film

No Future? Not Exactly

Joe Strummer transcends punk, and the music lives on.

By Jim Ridley

Published: November 28, 2007

Punk died, the Silver Jews sang, the first time a kid shouted "Punk's not dead!" The words are never uttered in Julien Temple's Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten, and maybe that's...

14. Game On

Plumb Tuckered Out?

A breathtaking journey through space revives Super Mario.

By Chris Ward

Published: November 28, 2007

There's no surer sign that a franchise is in trouble than when it blasts into outer space. So you were right to be nervous when Nintendo announced its plans to follow up the subpar...

15. Homespun

Left Arm

Dissatisoul

By Christian Schaeffer

Published: November 28, 2007

The garage-rock combo Left Arm started as a two-piece, morphed briefly into a quartet and has now settled in as a nervy, primal trio. It's an ideal state for the Edwardsville, Illinois,...

16. Music

Steel of the Century

Riddle of Steel has its back against the record machine.

By Annie Zaleski

Published: November 28, 2007

Near the beginning of a recent Riddle of Steel show at the Bluebird, guitarist/vocalist Andrew Elstner's amp went on the fritz. As he crouched down onstage to fix it, bassist Jimmy...

17. Music

Us Against the World

Victoria mines an unlikely chemistry.

By Annie Zaleski

Published: November 28, 2007

Solely on the basis of appearances, Victoria is one of the unlikeliest trios in the city. Spark plug drummer Steve Andrews sports tattoos up and down his arms, while lanky bassist...

18. Music

Shocked and Awe

Singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked keeps the faith.

By Roy Kasten

Published: November 28, 2007

Michelle Shocked is no Bob Dylan, and this isn't 1979, but the parallels are clear. Fifteen years ago, the Texas-born activist, songwriter and stylistic vagabond attended the West...

19. News Real

Helter-Smelter

Lawsuits fly as Crystal City residents try to stop construction of a pig iron production plant.

By Chad Garrison

Published: November 28, 2007

After waging a three-month battle with local officials over plans to build an iron-ore smelter in Crystal City, residents of the Jefferson County municipality hope a flurry of last-minute...

20. Rotations

Serj Tankian

Elect the Dead

By Michael Gallucci

Published: November 28, 2007

System of a Down is one of the trickiest bands making music these days for one reason: It's not shy about letting its freak flag fly. Artier and politically sharper than any of its...