Night & Day

wednesday
may 19
The Jazz at the Bistro concert series, which has carried us through the long winter months with the best jazz performances to be found in the city, comes to a close this week with the return of the Original Monty Alexander Trio with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, performing through the weekend at the listening room in Grand Center. If you miss this one, you'll be kicking yourself all summer long. (see Concerts)

thursday
may 20
The "Other City" in Missouri submits (what those folks consider) that town's finest bands for our approval. The KC Showcase: Best of Kansas City features the Creature Comforts, Moaning Lisa, Shuddering and Exit 159 in a show at Mississippi Nights. Let's just see what they have to offer. (see Concerts)

friday
may 21
Her poetry has entranced the world for the last three decades, and she's coming to St. Louis. Nikki Giovanni gives a reading from her latest book, Blues: For All Changes, and will let us know exactly what is on her mind during her appearance at Afrocentric Books & Cafe. (see Literary Events)

OK, pick the "jam" you prefer. No, it's not a choice between your granny's strawberry jam or your Uncle Jack's blueberry preserves -- your options this evening include the Volunteer Jam, featuring the Charlie Daniels Band, Hank Williams Jr., Molly Hatchet and the Marshall Tucker Band, at Riverport; and the '70s Soul Jam, offering the Stylistics, the Dramatics, the Chi-Lites, Cuba Gooding and the Main Ingredient and the Delfonics with Major Harris, at the Fox Theatre. (see Concerts)

For those of you who think you're ready to play with the big boys, the St. Louis Swarm, St. Louis' new International Basketball League team, hosts a three-day Free-Agent Tryout Camp. It's an open call for athletes who would like to be evaluated for the July IBL draft (play begins in November). (see Sports)

In the wake of its renovation and formal reopening last year, the World's Fair Pavilion in Forest Park has become the place to throw a party. Taking the lead in the spring party season, the St. Louis Art Museum, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the Arts & Education Council team up to host Celebrate the Arts, a fundraising party for the organizations featuring drinking and dancing, under the historic canopy tonight. (see Special Events)

saturday
may 22
It's the definitive street festival of the year, a gathering of art, theater and music in the heart of the Washington Avenue Loft District. Art & Soul St. Louis '99 offers a concert stage, a theater stage and samples of downtown's various foods, as well as open art studios and architectural/historical tours, from Delmar to St. Charles Street between 13th & 16th streets. (see Special Events, Concerts and Performing Arts)

We filed this event under "X," but don't expect to see any FBI agents. Instead, local Gen X athletes are invited to bring their own skateboards, in-line skates and BMX bikes out to the University City Loop and ride the 100-foot Xtreme Street Course set up for the ESPN X Games Xperience, with demonstrations of aggressive in-line skating, bicycle stunt riding and skateboarding by professional X-athletes. (see Special Events)

The voice of the Midwest, John (formerly Cougar) Mellencamp, and the voice of Belleville, Son Volt, perform their country/ rock/pop/whatever (it's getting harder and harder to pigeonhole new music, isn't it?) under the stars at Riverport Amphitheatre. (see Concerts)

sunday
may 23
This seems to be the weekend for groups to band together for one giant festival of concerts. Today's offering is Pointfest 11, featuring local and national acts including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hole, Silverchair, 2 Skinnee J's, Mesh, Thisway, LIT and Imperial Teen, this afternoon at Riverport. (see Concerts)

Washington University's Jazz Edge Orchestra performs a Tribute to Oliver Nelson, with performances featuring his son, flutist Oliver Nelson Jr., and drummer Ed Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy used to play with the senior Nelson but is probably most famous for his 25-year stint with Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show orchestra. The performance takes place this afternoon at the Edison Theatre, on the Washington University campus. (see Concerts)

monday
may 24
The Senior PGA Tour's Boone Valley Classic, which donates all proceeds to local charities, returns to the Boone Valley Golf Club in Augusta, Mo. Festivities include a celebrity challenge and 54-hole tournament in three competition rounds over five days. Boone Valley champion Larry Nelson defends his title against 77 other Senior PGA Tour professionals, all golfing for their share of a $1.4 million purse. (see Sports)

tuesday
may 25
I think by now we've all accepted the fact that having a four-run lead is not enough to put a mark in the "win" column, but let's see what happens when the Cardinals take on the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. (see Sports)

Let's hear it for the boy! If you've been holding out for a hero, check out the first national tour of the new Broadway musical Footloose, making a stop at the Fox Theatre for eight performances through May 30. It's the same old story -- boy meets preacher's daughter, boy loses preacher's daughter, boy dances through the town ... yadda, yadda, yadda ... town gets dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century. (see Performing Arts)

wednesday
may 26
The St. Louis Black Repertory Company brings the last performance of an outstanding season to the stage with Julianne Boyd's conception Eubie, which includes the music of the play's subject, Eubie Blake, and runs through June 20 at the Grandel Theatre. (see Performing Arts)