We're taking the high road and avoiding any "naughty" or "nice" wordplay here, but feel free to use it liberally if you attend this event.
It's not all that unusual this time of year to see a big fat guy walk by wearing a red suit. But rarely do you see just a big fat red suit walk by -- so take advantage of Jimmy Kuehnle's appearance today. The performance artist (and St. Louis native) is currently wrapping up his Inflatable Suit Performance Tour, and he visits the Gateway Arch (707 North First Street; www.jimmykuehnle.com) today at noon (unless the weather's bad; then he'll visit on Saturday, December 19), and yes, "inflatable suit" means pretty much what you think it does. Free. Read the rest of Paul Friswold's preview here.
Anheuser-Busch Holiday Lights Tour (Friday)
For the first time ever this year, you can enjoy a free, guided tour of Anheuser-Busch's holiday lights. Meet at the Anheuser-Busch Tour Center (1127 Pestalozzi Street; 314-577-2626 or www.budweisertours.com) between 6 and 9 p.m. on tonight (Friday). Free. Read the rest of Nicole Beckert's preview here.
Vom Fass Wine Tasting (Friday)
Only the second Vom Fass retail location in the country (the other being the Madison, Wiconsin location) holds its soft-opening Friday and its grand opening on Saturday. The store is one "where the time-honored European traditions in crafting gourmet culinary condiments, fruit vinegars , exquisite oils, selected wines, exotic liqueurs and fine and rare spirits, all sold straight from the cask, are revered." The wine tasting is free and runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Vom Fass is located at 7314 Manchester Road in Maplewood. For questions call 314-932-5262.
Asma Kazmi exhibition at Webster's Cecille R. Hunt Gallery (Ends Friday)
On a recent visit to New Delhi, India, artist Asma Kazmi looked very closely at the city's disabled population not out of rudeness or curiosity, but wonder and admiration. Without having access to advanced prosthetics or wheelchairs, these people rely on their ingenuity to overcome their physical differences, crafting their own replacement limbs from whatever's at hand and building remarkable hand-cranked scooters from discarded bicycle parts. Kazmi interviewed these builders on camera about their creations, but only shows them from the neck up, allowing the focus to remain fixed on the person and not the disability. Kazmi's work is on display at Webster University's Cecille R. Hunt Gallery (8342 Big Bend Boulevard; 314-968-7957 or www.websterhuntgallery.blogspot.com). Kazmi's work remains up through Friday, December 18, and the gallery is open Monday through Saturday. Read the rest of Paul Friswold's preview here and read Jessican Baran's review here.
Funky Butt Brass Band at Off Broadway (Friday)
St. Louis and New Orleans may be separated by 700 miles, but the cities have plenty in common: French ancestry, lapsed Catholics and competitive overeaters. Of course, both towns have long fostered jazz and blues music scenes, and every now and then a band comes along to fuse the two traditions. Like the Funky Butt Brass Band, whose lineup features members of Gumbohead, the Feed and Musica Slesa. the FBBB play at 9 p.m. Friday night for $8 at Off Broadway (3509 Lemp Avenue). Read the rest of Christian Schaeffer's preview here.
