Friday, July 30
3 of 5 and Big-Step
8 p.m. Friday, July 30. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Avenue. $10. 314-352-5226.
Star Trek cosplaying trio 3 of 5 is beaming aboard the USS Heavy Anchor with Big-Step this Friday for a fantastic night of lo-fi glitchy electropop. 3 of 5's captain, the incomparable Andrew Garces, wields a synth program on his Nintendo 3DS to create bouncy, sad love songs that are catchy as hell. There isn't a better act in the city to follow them than the electrically charged Big-Step. They'll be boldly going where no person has gone before (for at least the past few months): the dance floor. So grab your phasers and your transporters. It's time to get out, vaxxed St. Louis, to seek out new life and new civilizations in the Bevo area. For a modest fee of just ten space bucks, which is coincidentally $10 American, you'll get tons of nerdy songs about love, robots, video games, aliens, space and so much more. And don't forget: Keep watching the skies! (Sorry, I've run out of Star Trek references.)
Set Phasers to Stunning: Both acts have released a handful of songs between each other since the beginning of the year on Bandcamp, so you might hear a few songs that haven't been played live before. We all miss going to shows, and what better way to start seeing live music again than by supporting some weird and fun local acts. I'm sure they'd be overjoyed if you came in costume!—Jack Probst
Syna So on the Air
8 p.m. Friday, July 30. Public Media Commons in Grand Center, 3653 Olive Street. $10. Tickets available via stlpr.org/events.
St. Louis on the Air is a local show on St. Louis Public Radio that tackles local issues, culture, technology and anything related to this great city that guests want to talk about. Maybe you are already a fan of host (and ex-RFT editor in chief) Sarah Fenske. This Friday, St. Louis on the Air takes things out of the studio and after its normal live broadcast hours for an entire evening with the unparalleled Syna So Pro, a.k.a. Syrhea Conaway. Conaway is a unique performer who utilizes loops and pedals in her music. Songs build as she plays each part, spinning them back on themselves over and over. It all builds into beautiful soundscapes. It's something you must see if you haven't yet witnessed it. She'll perform at this show and have a conversation with Fenske about her art and how she composes it.
Chill/Hype: Check out more of Syrhea Conaway's music and videos at synasopro.com. Listening to her music is one thing that surely will persuade you to go, because seeing her set up the loops on each track makes the songs that much better. —Jack Probst
Paddle After Dark
7 p.m. Friday, July 30. Simpson County Park, 1234 Marshall Road. $25 to $50.
It's pretty much your idealistic, starlit summer-camp experience, except with some brewskies and live music. At Paddle After Dark, enjoy the opportunity to row around on Simpson Lake in Valley Park, just after the sun sets. A live band will be rocking out on the shore, and 4 Hands Brewing Co. will provide two beers or nonalcoholic bevs to all ticket holders. You also get two pretzel sticks from Gus' and a make-your-own s'mores packet. Ticket prices vary from $25 to $50 before fees, depending on whether you want to stay shoreside, BYOBoat or rent a canoe or kayak for an hour. Make sure to dress for the weather and bring a lawn chair so you can sit by a bonfire once you're all rowed out. Tickets and more details are available through eventbrite.com.
Get Even Closer to Nature: Proceeds from the event support the Open Space Council, an organization working to conserve land, water and natural resources throughout the St. Louis region, according to its website. With every ticket purchased, the council will plant one tree in a St. Louis County park, and event attendees can purchase additional trees to be planted. —Victor Stefanescu
Saturday, July 31
Golf the Galleries
Daily through September 5. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Boulevard. $5 to $10. 314-533-9900.
Miniature golf with a big twist of creativity is back at the Sheldon in the form of the fourth-annual Golf the Galleries. Tucked inside the gallery space at the Sheldon, each of the nine holes is designed by local artists. Players can putt their way through a series of colorful, bizarre and ludicrous creations, ranging from a giant chess board to an arrangement from Washington University designers featuring "humorous casts of their own heads on pedestals." Other designs include the physics-inspired "P.U.t.t-Perceptions of Uncertain-tees" and an interactive installation titled "Nest," which according to the museum website "invites golfers to help create a nest with yarn and other materials, supplied along with their putters and balls." After they're done sinking shots, players can vote on their favorite golf hole, with the winning artist receiving a $1,000 prize.
Tee Time: The event runs through September 5, with tickets available for purchase on MetroTix at $10 for adults and $7 for children twelve and under. Walk-ins are also welcome, though visitors should check the Sheldon website for availability at thesheldon.org before making the trip.
—Danny Wicentowski
