Thursday 05/04
Get to the Punchline
There's a new comedy club in town — and, this being St. Louis, it's also a wine bar and a restaurant and a spot for live music. You can't just have one hustle in this city! This week alone, the multitasking new venue at City Foundry, City Winery (3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158; 314-678-5060), will go from sold-out concerts featuring Marquise Knox and the Bodeans, respectively, to Wines & Punchlines, a "showcase of the funniest comedians in St. Louis." And that's not just marketing hyperbole; the show's headliner is Rafe Williams, who is now not only part of the Rizzuto Show on the Point (105.7 FM) but who was also previously described in these pages (in a 2017 cover story) as being quite possibly "the funniest person in St. Louis." Tell us if we got it right after you catch Williams, JB Buchanan, Chris Oliver and host Jack Wright from 8 to 11 p.m. this Thursday, May 4. Tickets are $10 to $15 with no drink minimums. Details at citywinery.com.
Bandana Days
Eubie Blake might not be quite as famous as his fellow ragtime musician Scott Joplin, but Blake's story is still a fascinating one. Born in Baltimore to freed slaves, Blake went on to have a successful career in vaudeville before writing Shuffle Along, a music revue that became the first Broadway hit written by, directed by and starring African Americans. The show left an indelible mark on American theater and its influence can still be seen in musicals penned today. Blake's story is told in the Black Rep's latest musical Eubie!, which opened at the Edison Theatre (6465 Forsyth Boulevard, 314-935-6543) on Wednesday and runs Wednesday through Sunday until May 21. Showtimes vary by day of the week and tickets start at just $5. Visit theblackrep.org for more details.
Book 'Em
When you attend an event that bills itself as the Midwest's largest charity book fair, you know you're going to see a lot of books. But trust us, you are not prepared for just how many books will be on hand at the Greater St. Louis Book Fair. The event positively jam-packs the Queeny Park Rink (550 Weidman Road, Manchester; 314-615-8472) with tables and tables holding more tomes than the eye can comprehend (all displayed spine-up for easy perusal). There will not only be books but rare books, and also records, CDs, DVDs, comics and ephemera. Most things will cost between $1 and $5, and there's a $15 to $25 cost of admission on Thursday, May 4, but if you come by Friday through Sunday, admission is free. The fun begins at 4 p.m. on Thursday. More details at stlouisbookfair.org.
Friday 05/05
Deal with the Devil
When composer Hector Berlioz first encountered Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, he couldn't put it down. And who could? Heinrich Faust is an intellectual and God's favorite human — wait, isn't he not supposed to have favorites? — who sells his soul to the devil Mephistopheles. Faust's devil servant helps him seduce an innocent young woman and her entire family dies as a result, with the woman killing the illegitimate kid she had with Faust. Berlioz recognized that this was ripe for an opera (drama, devils, black magic!) and composed The Damnation of Faust, which is conductor and St. Louis Symphony Music Director Stéphane Denève's favorite work. The SLSO will perform the show with Denève as conductor at Powell Hall (718 North Grand Boulevard, 314-534-1700, slso.org). The show is Friday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m., but there is also a pre-concert conversation one hour before the performance. Tickets are $15 to $93. For more information, visit slso.org.
Saturday 05/06
Rosé and Grind
If you like pink wine and supporting charity, then you may want to check out Rosé Day in the Central West End. The event is a "walking wine festival" that takes over the neighborhood and promotes nonprofits that are all about empowering women and girls. You pick up your wine passport and map and make your way to more than 10 wine-tasting stations throughout the neighborhood. After you get your passport stamped at each station (and sample the two-ounce rosé pours), you can turn it in to join a raffle for prizes. While you're walking to the tasting stations, you'll be able to listen to live local music and shop pop-up vendors. There will be instagram-worthy stops along the way for photos, and the local businesses will have special discounts. When you buy your ticket, you select which charity you'd like a portion of your ticket price to support. Options include Safe Connections, Habitat St. Louis Women Build, St. Louis Area Diaper Bank, Planned Parenthood, STL Ovarian Cancer Awareness, Diamond Diva's Pathways to Brightness, Prosperity Connection, Pink Ribbon Girls and Missouri Job's Daughters. Additionally, the local shops will be donating a portion of the day's proceeds to a cause. The event will be held Saturday, May 6, from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are required and cost $35. Find out more at rosedaystl.com.
Off to the Races
If you loved last year's United We Brunch, then buckle up because this year we're doing a United We Brunch: Kentucky Derby Watch Party that will combine everything that's good: breakfast in the afternoon, hats and drinks. Join the Riverfront Times and presenting sponsor Woodford Reserve for the event this Saturday, May 6, at Westport Social (910 West Port Plaza Drive, Maryland Heights; 314-548-2876). The event will include signature cocktails from Woodford Reserve and additional partners Old Forester, Finlandia and Korbel. A $60 ticket includes four free drink tickets and unlimited food samples from Westport Social, Honey Bee's, Navin's BBQ, Herbie's, Graffiti Grub, Southern and Pappy's Smokehouse. If that's not enough, you can get a VIP ticket starting at $90 that includes six drink tickets, a swag bag, preferred parking and more. The party starts at 2 p.m. and lasts until 6 p.m. so you can enjoy the excitement of the Kentucky Derby, which will be playing at the brunch. Dress in your finest Derby Day attire because there's also a Best Dressed prize valued at $2,500. Tickets are limited, so grab them now at rftbrunch.com.
Mucha Diversión
Fact: You aren't really living well until you're drinking a margarita out of a fresh pineapple. Therefore it would be wise to head on down to Cherokee Street's Cinco de Mayo Celebration this Saturday, May 6 (yes, we know it's not really Cinco de Mayo if it's on the 6, but let's not quibble) for some booze, some fun and a lot more. Not only can you stuff your face with a selection of traditional Mexican street food like churros and elotes, you can stuff your face while you're shopping, too. They'll have more than 100 vendors packing Cherokee Street with offers of drinks, souvenirs and face painting. There will be two stages, too, hosting music from entertainers including DJ Kaas, Crucial Rootz, Groupo Folklorico Panameno and Tef Poe and the Knuckles. The fun starts at 11 a.m. and admission is free. Visit cincodemayostl.com to get more details and plan your day.
A Hairy Situation
It's amazing what will hold humans' attention these days. Videos of people squishing synthetic slime between their fingers get millions of views on TikTok. There's a whole corner of the internet dedicated to "satisfying" rug cleaning timelapses. But this week, a similarly mundane yet oddly satisfying activity is coming to a Missouri farm near you. Watch the folks at Big River Alpacas (10622 Calico Road, Fletcher, Missouri; 314-606-1190) give their furry friends their yearly haircut at the Alpaca Shearing Demonstration this Saturday, May 6. Trust us, watching cute alpacas lose their fluff is far more titillating than watching a three-minute video of someone running a wet vacuum over a dirty carpet. Don't question why; just enjoy it. The shearing starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Big River Alpacas (located about and hour and 20 minutes south of St. Louis) will also have a few llamas, a couple goats and a pig out for feeding. Food will be available but won't be covered by the $5 admission charge. Follow Big River Alpacas on Facebook for more information.
Have an event you'd like considered for our calendar? Email [email protected].
