Calendar of Events in St. Louis

Friday, May 24
• 
  Drive-By Truckers
  The Pageant

  w/ Old 97's - For a band that's been hard at it for more than fifteen years, one would think Athens, Georgia's Drive-By Truckers would start phoning it in or churn out some sort of reenvisioned half-baked version of its former self. Not this band. After holing up in the studio throughout 2009, DBT crafted a canon of swampy, Southern-fried sizzlers and emerged with two damn sturdy albums:... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Mika Taanila: Tomorrow's New Dream
  Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

  The work of Finnish film director and visual artist Mika Taanila asks more questions than it answers. Through a skeptic's lens, Taanila explores our modern age of ever-evolving, innovative technology, always equally concerned with what's been lost to progress as with what's been gained. A major recurring theme in Taanila's work is the widening gap between the modern and natural worlds, and... Read more about this event >>

• 
  An Iliad
  Kranzberg Arts Center

  Homer's Iliad is one of the cornerstone works of Western civilization, which means generally everyone knows what it's about ("the story with the big wooden horse"), but nobody reads it anymore. Which is unfortunate, but understandable; it's a work that was meant to be heard, not read. Upstream Theater gives you the chance to experience this bit of our shared culture when it presents Lisa... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Mrs. Mannerly
  Center of Creative Arts (COCA)

  As inhabitants of a civilized society, we should -- nay, must -- uphold certain standards of living. For example, let's all make a commitment to return our shopping carts to the corral, hmmm-kay? And how about we all stand firm and properly wait our turn in line, rather than attempt to skip ahead? And would it kill anyone to try and walk around and be generally pleasant, at least once in a... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Talking Heads
  Gaslight Theater

  It's too bad Alan Bennett isn't a beloved household name here, as he in his native UK. Truthfully, it's hard to imagine his brand of gentle humor and quiet, unforced drama ever appealing to a broad American audience; yet he has his admirers stateside -- a loyal bunch we are, too. The Yorkshire writer, comic and playwright traffics in wry subtleties and extends an unfailing, humane compassion... Read more about this event >>

• More Friday Events >>

Saturday, May 25
• 
  Pork Shop
  Schlafly Tap Room

  It happens all the time; Here you are at a great garage sale, when suddenly hunger strikes. If you have the audacious confidence, you might ask for a glass of water but that does little to calm the temper tantrum inside your stomach. Lucky for you, the Schlafly Tap Room's Pork Shop can meet the demands of both belly and bargain-hunting. Seriously, folks, this is brilliance; about fifty... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Fifth Annual Crawfish Boil
  Off Broadway

  w/ The Monads, Fattback, The Deadstring Brothers - As it turns out, you can go home again. Two of this town’s most raucous rock-and-roots bands resurrect in the name of Memorial Day, music, and mudbugs. The Monads and Fattback will both reconstitute themselves for the Fifth Annual Crawfish Boil (and beyond, if rumors prove true). The bands have shared stages before; anyone who claims to... Read more about this event >>

• 
  The Schwag (Final Show)
  2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center

  Jimmy Tebeau, the dread-locked frontman of St. Louis' long-running Grateful Dead cover band, the Schwag, will be reporting to the Yankton Federal Penitentiary in South Dakota on May 28. Calendar experts will note that this show takes place a mere three days prior, marking a farewell (for now, the band says) to the 21-year-old veteran group. Tebeau and his trusty band of fellow deadheads have... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Lost Egypt
  Saint Louis Science Center

  Perhaps because mummies are endlessly fascinating, all other aspects of ancient Egyptian culture -- which is rich and vast -- are often overlooked. The Saint Louis Science Center's new exhibit, Lost Egypt, features artifacts that make Egypt's past seem not so distant. Objects that were used in everyday life play a prominent role in the exhibition, offering the opportunity to see how Egyptians... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Spring to Dance
  Blanche M Touhill Performing Arts Center

  Dance aficionados are already well aware that St. Louis is both home to and host of a year-round cycle of dance performances. But if your schedule is tight, or you just want to cram that year's worth of entertainment into one weekend, mark your calendar now for the Spring to Dance Festival, which returns Thursday through Saturday (May 23 to 25). The brainchild of Dance St. Louis artistic... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Talking Heads
  Gaslight Theater

  It's too bad Alan Bennett isn't a beloved household name here, as he in his native UK. Truthfully, it's hard to imagine his brand of gentle humor and quiet, unforced drama ever appealing to a broad American audience; yet he has his admirers stateside -- a loyal bunch we are, too. The Yorkshire writer, comic and playwright traffics in wry subtleties and extends an unfailing, humane compassion... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Shlemiel the First
  Jewish Community Center-Wool Studio Theatre

  Isaac Bashevis Singer's Chelm stories are rife with laughter and insight on the nature of humanity. Chelm is populated by foolish people; nonetheless, these fools often stumble on the truth -- sometimes tuchus first, but it doesn't always matter how you get there, it's where you end up. In Robert Brustein's musical adaptation of these stories, Shlemiel the First, the shlemiel in question is... Read more about this event >>

• More Saturday Events >>

Sunday, May 26
• 
  Rockabration III
  Off Broadway

  w/ The Ottomen, Aquitaine, Picture Day, Andy Hyland, Suzie Cue, The Defeated County - From "Homespun: The Ottomen:" It's been a few years since singer and guitarist David Stevenson released a record with his bizarro rock outfit, the Ottomen. However, the band hasn't matured at all in that time: The trio is still obsessed with scary monsters, weirdo nightmares and the occasional heartbreak.... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Gridiron Glory: the Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
  Missouri History Museum

  St. Louis is such a diehard baseball bastion, sometimes we natives have to remind ourselves of a basic reality: Football is the number one sport in North America. Some may rue that truth and some may cheer it; where you stand on that point says a lot about what you look for in a sporting contest. But in contrast to the endless spring, summer and fall of a long baseball season, football offers... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Rock of Ages
  The Fox Theatre

  Witness the '80s hair metal-inspired jukebox musical, packed with hits from start to finish including "Paradise City," "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "More Than Words," "Any Way You Want It" and many, many more. Smoother than a Monster Ballads comp and more upbeat than Jock Jams, Rock of Ages has something for everyone -- whether they want to know what love is, or they... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Ann Coddington Rast: flock
  Craft Alliance Grand Center

  Inspired by the synchronous movements of large flights of birds, as well as by the language of symbol and meaning we ascribe to birds, Ann Coddington Rast brings a flock indoors for our enjoyment. flock, her new installation at the Craft Alliance in Grand Center (501 North Grand Boulevard; 314-534-7528 or www.craftalliance.org), comprises a flight of 1,100 slipcast ceramic birds dangling from... Read more about this event >>

• 
  The Magic School Bus Kicks up a Storm
  Magic House St Louis Children's Museum

  Had Doc Brown used his time-traveling DeLorean to explore the Triassic period, the solar system or the ocean floor, maybe he'd have found a companion in Ms. Frizzle, the ambitious science teacher behind the wheel of children's book series, The Magic School Bus. Learn from his mistake and follow Ms. Frizzle's science class to the Magic House (516 South Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood; 314-822-8900 or... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Talking Heads
  Gaslight Theater

  It's too bad Alan Bennett isn't a beloved household name here, as he in his native UK. Truthfully, it's hard to imagine his brand of gentle humor and quiet, unforced drama ever appealing to a broad American audience; yet he has his admirers stateside -- a loyal bunch we are, too. The Yorkshire writer, comic and playwright traffics in wry subtleties and extends an unfailing, humane compassion... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Shlemiel the First
  Jewish Community Center-Wool Studio Theatre

  Isaac Bashevis Singer's Chelm stories are rife with laughter and insight on the nature of humanity. Chelm is populated by foolish people; nonetheless, these fools often stumble on the truth -- sometimes tuchus first, but it doesn't always matter how you get there, it's where you end up. In Robert Brustein's musical adaptation of these stories, Shlemiel the First, the shlemiel in question is... Read more about this event >>

• More Sunday Events >>

Monday, May 27
• 
  Gypsy Caravan
  University of Missouri-St. Louis

  The Gypsy Caravan may be St. Louis' most reliable tradition. Every year since 1973, the Saint Louis Symphony Volunteer Association has staged the Gypsy Caravan as a fundraiser for the symphony; how many other summer traditions (excepting baseball -- which missed 1994, by the way) can you think of? As always, the caravan returns this year with dozens of antique dealers from states near and far... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Pretty & Nice
  The Firebird

  w/ Aquitaine, Media Ghost, Fiona Wild and the Midnight Lights - For all its merits, the power-pop genre can be stiflingly conservative. Songs often have the same feel, and regularly follow the A-B-A-B-C-B structure. That’s what makes Pretty & Nice so refreshing. The quartet has the pep and volume to check off the power category, and the infectious hooks to qualify as pop, but the band's... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Air Racers
  Saint Louis Science Center-OMNIMAX

  Featuring high-tech planes flying at 500 miles per hour (twice the speed of your typical NASCAR race!), the Unlimited Gold Championship Air Racing finals in Reno, Nevada's, Valley Of Speed is the fastest race on Earth. Actor Paul Walker knows a thing or two about high stakes/high speed racing, having starred in four of the five Fast and Furious films, and he lends that expertise to the... Read more about this event >>

• 
  St. Louis County Greek Fest
  Assumption Greek Orthodox Church

  Of all the great pleasures in life -- running through fields of blooming flowers, hitting an over-the-fence home run, curling up in a comfy chair with a good book -- we can think of none better than attending a lively, delicious, belly-filling food festival. Maybe it's because a food fest doesn't happen every weekend, making it a special can't-miss experience, or maybe it's because no one... Read more about this event >>

• More Monday Events >>

Tuesday, May 28
• 
  John Rocco
  St. Louis County Library Headquarters

  Long, flowing locks have been a source of male pride and alleged power throughout history, from the Biblical story of Samson the Great to the devil-locked tresses of one Glenn Danzig. In kids' storybook Super Hair-O and the Barber of Doom, Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator John Rocco introduces another well-coiffed character to the fold in Rocco, a young boy who believes his... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Breakmouth Annie
  Lemmons

  w/ Ink and Sweat, The Haddonfields - From "New Breakmouth Annie Record On The Horizon From Throwing Things Records:" The clock is counting down to midnight on a Friday night at Lemmon's. After some knob-fiddling and shot/water retrieval from the bar, the band begins its set, as some more friends and fans run back in after finishing their cigarettes outside. The next 25 or so minutes become a... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Jordan Eagles: Blood/Spirit
  Saint Louis University-Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (MOCRA)

  Jordan Eagles is both artist and art conservator, because his art would decay naturally if left untreated. Eagles paints with animal blood, which immediately conjures images of Slayer album covers and slasher movies; but Eagles is much more influenced by colorfield and process painting than he is by grisly shock value. Using proprietary methods of his own device, he creates works of blood,... Read more about this event >>

• 
  100 Years of Oz
  St. Louis Public Library, Central Branch

  It's been more than 100 years (113, to be exact) since L. Frank Baum's children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published. That it still inspires new art (yes, even 2013's insipid prequel film Oz, the Great and Powerful counts) is a testament to how Baum's work connects with dreamers of all ages and generations. In the case of Jane Albright, a collector and historian of Wizard of Oz... Read more about this event >>

• More Tuesday Events >>

Wednesday, May 29
• 
  Anamanaguchi
  The Demo

  w/ Chrome Sparks, Dream Fox - '80s babies will find the chiptunes of Anamanaguchi all too familiar (and even moreso if they're fans of Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game, for which they provided the soundtrack). Using modded Nintendo hardware as their main backing track, the four-piece band supplements joyous 8-bit sounds with standard instrumentation. All the songs are written with a... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Mantegna to Man Ray: Six Explorations in Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
  Saint Louis Art Museum

  As work on the new wing of the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park (314-721-0072 or www.slam.org) nears completion, art that's long been in storage reemerges for public viewing. The first sighting of these archived works is Mantegna to Man Ray: Six Explorations in Prints, Drawings and Photographs, which debuts in the two new galleries of the Main Building. Mantegna to Man Ray is a... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Anything Goes
  The Fox Theatre

  Anything Goes is a good old-fashioned musical that involves love at first sight, ocean liner stowaways, an engagement that's more about business than love, below-decks strip poker and a lovable rogue who has assumed another passenger's identity -- and that passenger happens to be Public Enemy No. 1. Yes, James Cameron strip-mined it to make a plot for Titanic, but he forgot to bring the songs... Read more about this event >>

• 
  The Pirates of Penzance
  Loretto-Hilton Center

  Frederic is stuck in a job he hates, just like so many other idealistic people in their twenties. There's hope for him yet though -- when he turns 21, he'll be released from his current job and able to pursue his dreams. The big day arrives and he leaves to find his destiny. In short order he meets a great girl and plans to settle down with her, but she's the last of many daughters, all of... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Shlemiel the First
  Jewish Community Center-Wool Studio Theatre

  Isaac Bashevis Singer's Chelm stories are rife with laughter and insight on the nature of humanity. Chelm is populated by foolish people; nonetheless, these fools often stumble on the truth -- sometimes tuchus first, but it doesn't always matter how you get there, it's where you end up. In Robert Brustein's musical adaptation of these stories, Shlemiel the First, the shlemiel in question is... Read more about this event >>

• More Wednesday Events >>

Thursday, May 30
• 
  Circus Flora: A Trip to the Moon
  Circus Flora Big Top

  From the outside, the red-and-white tent on the Powell Hall parking lot looks like -- well, a tent. It's attractive enough, as tents go. But inside that tent, that's where the magic is. The very air is different. It reeks of sawdust and daring. Has another year passed already? Apparently so, because Circus Flora -- which only blooms in June -- is back, eager as ever to beguile, delight and... Read more about this event >>

• 
  TwelfthNight
  Forest Park

  Secret love, laughter and much music will ring out in Forest Park this summer, when Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Twelfth Night. A comedy about Viola, who starts as a castaway young woman, then disguises herself as the male Cesario in order to search for her twin brother, Sebastian, and ends up working for the Duke Orsino. Orsino believes he's in love with the countess Olivia, and... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Anything Goes
  The Fox Theatre

  Anything Goes is a good old-fashioned musical that involves love at first sight, ocean liner stowaways, an engagement that's more about business than love, below-decks strip poker and a lovable rogue who has assumed another passenger's identity -- and that passenger happens to be Public Enemy No. 1. Yes, James Cameron strip-mined it to make a plot for Titanic, but he forgot to bring the songs... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Shlemiel the First
  Jewish Community Center-Wool Studio Theatre

  Isaac Bashevis Singer's Chelm stories are rife with laughter and insight on the nature of humanity. Chelm is populated by foolish people; nonetheless, these fools often stumble on the truth -- sometimes tuchus first, but it doesn't always matter how you get there, it's where you end up. In Robert Brustein's musical adaptation of these stories, Shlemiel the First, the shlemiel in question is... Read more about this event >>

• More Thursday Events >>