Beer Cheer

For years you've known the power of Schlafly beer. Remember when you got fired for licking other people's lunches in the break room? What filled your empty belly? Schlafly beer! And how about when you accidentally backed into that huge building and totaled your car on that first (and last) date? What made the embarrassment and heartbreak seem miniscule? Schlafly beer! Finally, can you recall the time you bought that six-pack of nasty beer just because it was on sale, and after downing the whole thing while watching Being Bobby Brown, you almost swore off beer forever (the horror)? What set your terrified taste buds back on track? Do we even have to ask? It was Schlafly beer!

Time and time again, Schlafly has pulled you from the depths of everything horrible you've experienced, so we know you're going on tour with the beer this fall to spread the word. It'll be like touring with the Dead, only with beer and not, um, something else. Anyway, the Schlafly Hop in the City Beer Festival begins this Saturday, September 17, at the Tap Room (2100 Locust Street; 314-241-2337 or www.schlafly.com) and makes stops in Columbia, Missouri, and New Harmony, Indiana, before finishing up in Kansas City on October 15. Tickets for each stop cost $20 to $25, but you get some live music (from noon to 5 p.m. in St. Louis), a tasting glass and unlimited beer samples! It's true! Wow, we're speechless -- Schlafly's (sniff) amazing. -- Alison Sieloff

One If by Land
And by sea, too

The photographs of DoDo Jin Ming reveal the dual personalities humanity attributes to Mother Nature; what we perceive as beautiful, even idyllic, such as the sea or a field of sunflowers, can also convey a sense of supernatural fear. The sunflowers of the pictured Behind My Eyes - Second Movement, Plate VIII (diptych) offer an almost medieval spectacle, their faces covered by sheer black scarves as they face the sun. Here is mystery and magic, obedience and glory beyond our means. Land and Sea, an exhibition of DoDo Jin Ming's luminous photographs, opens with an artist's reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 16, at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (4700 West Pine Mall, Saint Louis University; 314-977-7170). The show remains up through December 18. -- Paul Friswold

Use It Again
Recycled fun is still fun

Confused on the rules of recycling and reuse? You're not the only one. Can you mix green glass with plastics 1 and 2 or 5 and 6? Is compost actually an accident? And what really happens to old tires? Rest easy, oh protector-of-Mother-Earth, the EarthWays Center (3617 Grandel Square) makes reducing and reusing a snap with its fourth annual Home Energy and Recycling Festival Saturday and Sunday (September 17 and 18) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In an effort to conserve the contents of your wallet, this event boasts free parking and free admission, plus lots of free information on everything from solar and wind energy to composting and native landscaping to a Toyota Prius hybrid display. Let the kids explore conservation with the solar-car derby and recycled-paper making. There's even a bake sale -- edibles are made from new materials, of course. For more information call 314-577-0220 or visit www.earthwayshome.org. -- Amy Helms

Show Time

In the grand tradition of Broadway shows overcoming all odds, St. Louis Charity Performances presents the musical comedy One Week Only at the Missouri History Museum (Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue; 314-534-1111; $20-$40). Show tunes both new and classic tell the story of a woman pursuing a frenetic director (impeded love being a classic odd); the other odd the show attempts to surmount is breast cancer, which One Week Only combats by donating proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Opening night is Thursday, September 15, at 8 p.m.; visit www.charityperformances.com for the full schedule. -- Paul Friswold