Mmm, Vince Vaughn in chaps, anyone? While technically not getting all gaucho on us after his mug-apalooza in this summer's Wedding Crashers and wrapping up The Break Up with Jennifer Aniston, the Midwest-born-and-raised tall drink of water is bringing Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show to a corral near us (OK, it's at the Pageant -- 6161 Delmar Boulevard -- at 8 p.m.).
This 30-cities-in-30-days tour sees Vaughn playing host to Los Angeles-based stand-up-and-comers Bret Ernst, Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo and Sebastian Maniscalco, not to mention a few sketches and surprises at every stop.
Calling prior to taking the stage in Ventura, California, Vaughn boasts of dragging country star Dwight Yoakam onstage the night before in Bakersfield, California, to perform his hit "Streets of Bakersfield" and riff on his character from the 1996 Southern-gothic flick Sling Blade. Vaughn also says the next night's show in Vegas is sold out, and he concurs that yes, it will be so money, baby.
"We've been doing the shows, traveling on a bus at night, getting up and trying to write sketches for whatever special guests decide to show up," Vaughn says. "Sometimes we're still writing right before we go on, so that's always a challenge, but for me that's also the fun of it, too."
True, St. Louis will get Comedy Central Live tours from time to time, as well as more than our fair share of Blue-Collar couple-nighters, but as Vaughn snorts, "Well, that ain't no Wild West Comedy Show!
"You have to go to New York or LA to see these kinds of shows," he continues. "Why not take the show to the heartland and do some live stuff for everybody and give people the chance to see something they normally wouldn't get to see?"
VVWWCS is 21-and-older only, but never fear, underage cowpokes: A tour documentary will be released on DVD in 2006. For those of age, tickets are $36 (at www.ticketmaster .com); call the Pageant at 314-726-6161 or visit www.wildwestpictureshowproductions.com for more information. -- Julie Seabaugh
Double Life
Human-Interest Story
FRI 9/30
How can anyone hope to possibly cram all of human experience into one movie? The answer, of course, is that you can't. That's why The Human Story, a presentation of the Free Form Film Festival, involves two sets of images being projected simultaneously onto inflatable globes with live musical accompaniment. Through video mixing and self-described "spastic rhythms," The Human Story seeks to replicate the overwhelming, non-linear, full-on sensory overload that is life. The only difference between this and real life is that you can close your eyes during the show when it becomes too much. Oh, and The Human Story comes with a cash bar. The pageantry of life begins at 8 p.m. at the Mad Art Gallery (2727 South 12th Street; 314-771-8230 or www.madartgallery.com) and is followed by more than an hour of short films. Admission is $7. -- Paul Friswold
Rave New World
FRI 9/30
It's not the '90s anymore: A rave is now a hipster/urbanite-professional bash in an increasingly populous, downtown warehouse district -- virtually the opposite of the rave's last-decade counterpart, though this modern version still has a DJ. Specifically, the Food & Wine Rave 2005 is a swank cocktail party going down at 6 p.m. inside and out at Mosaic (1101 Lucas Avenue), and the event features well-known chefs demonstrating their techniques for all to see, local celebrities (including Marshall Faulk), music, and plenty of wine and tapas. Tickets are $20, or $30 for the VIP treatment, which comes with access to said celebrities as well as select ice wines, ports and desserts. Visit www.mosaictapas.com or call 314-367-8954 for tickets; half of the proceeds from the Rave benefit the Marshall Faulk Foundation Katrina Relief Fund. -- Mark Dischinger
Loop of Fame
Seriously, could the Loop be any more fantastic? It's the home of Night & Day Global Industries -- which already makes this stretch of Delmar Boulevard way cool -- but the U. City/St. Louis district is also the site of the free Loop in Motion Arts Festival, happening this year on Friday and Saturday (September 30 and October 1). While checking out the Art Walk on Friday (from 6 to 9 p.m.), you will grace the sidewalks that Mr. Night and Ms. Day walk on every single day! On Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. (after the 11 a.m. parade), be awed by performers on the many stages, including the Thai dancers (pictured). Then, when you eat at one of the Loop's establishments, remember that the real Night & Day have probably dined there -- just last week! For more about the fest, call 314-727-8000 or check out www.visittheloop.com (and stay tuned here for more about Night & Day's day-to-day). -- Alison Sieloff
