VIA TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS PR
Andy Frasco & the U.N. will perform at the Lot on Tuesday, October 13.
In pandemic times, it’s challenging to find things to do that don’t put yourself or those around you in danger. And while we’re inclined to suggest that the safest event is no event, we also know that sounds a lot like abstinence-only sex-ed, and you guys are probably gonna fuck anyway. So consider these recommendations your condoms: not foolproof, but safer than other options. We only recommend events that take precautions, but ultimately you’re in charge of your own health, so proceed with care. We also list live-streamed events, which are the safest of all, though admittedly not the same. Live-streamed events are the masturbation of events in this way, because — you know what, we’re gonna go ahead and abandon this metaphor before we get in over our heads.
The Union Station Halloween Experience
Various times by reservation, October 9 through 31. Union Station, 1920 Market Street. $20. 314-421-6655
Not sure what to do with your kids this Halloween? You are not alone. Nobody knows quite how to celebrate this fun holiday now that COVID-19 means that we can no longer encourage our wee ones to accept candy from strangers. (Man, what a weird tradition, if you think about it.) But St. Louis’ Union Station is coming to the rescue. The Union Station Halloween Experience will see the whole building overhauled to offer spooky treats around every corner and fun for the whole family. They’ll have haunted trains and the St. Louis Wheel will be turned into the “Wicked Wheel.” And in addition to the “Scary Sea Creatures” exhibit at the St. Louis Aquarium, there will also be a maze, hosted tours and Halloween-themed food available if your little ghoul gets hangry. Costumes are encouraged, and kids under two get free admission.
Masks On: Halloween events should make for an easy sell when it comes to masks — they are, after all, baked into the holiday itself. But regardless of whether your particular costume calls for it, everyone nine years old and up will be required to wear a mask as part of Union Station’s COVID-19 precautions. Additionally, the space will operate at reduced capacity in order to provide for social distancing, and all attendees will have their temperatures checked upon arrival. For more information on the event and the steps being taken to prevent COVID-19 transmission, visit stlouisunionstation.com/halloween-faq.
Rooftop Weekends at City Museum
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through November 1. The City Museum, 750 North Sixteenth Street. $22 to $28. 314-231-2489.
The coronavirus pandemic has, sadly, taken a toll on St. Louis’ beloved City Museum. According to a note on its website, more than 70 percent of its attendance comes from tourists during a typical summer season — but, to state the obvious, nothing in 2020 can be reasonably described as "typical," including tourism to our city. In keeping, the art-installation-turned-playground is only open on weekends at this time, citing financial reasons. But there is good news: Each weekend from now through November 1 the City Museum’s rooftop is open for business as well, offering mischief and fall fun for the whole family (not to mention stunning views of St. Louis from its rooftop ferris wheel). Tickets to the rooftop cost just $22, and include either access to the museum or to its Pinball Hall, where all the games are set to free play. Or, for only $6 more, you get all three! There are few in town that can be expected to bring the Halloween merriment as creatively as the minds behind the City Museum — in other words, as its website also states, “Expect lots o’ pumpkins and skeletons and other socially distanced mischief.”
Safety First? Let’s be real: Safety has never been a particularly paramount concern at the City Museum — just ask any adult who has ever smoked a child full-force in the face in its infamous dodgeball pit (sorry again about that, kid). It’s, frankly, one of the things we love most about the place. But safety in an age of coronavirus is a different animal altogether, and it's something the City Museum is taking as seriously as can be. That means mandatory masks, social-
distancing, reduced capacities, and the closing of areas that do not allow for those restrictions. For more on the safety measure set in place, visit citymuseum.org/covid-19-update.
Andy Frasco & the U.N.
7 p.m. Tuesday, October 13. The Lot, 714 Cerre Street. $144 to $164 per four-person pod. No phone.
Honestly, we here at RFT can barely remember what it is like to recommend to our readers that they attend a concert performed by a touring act. It’s been so long — way back in the Before Times, when our president was just downplaying the existence of a virus instead of downplaying his own infected body’s symptoms. But thanks to the new pop-up outdoor venue the Lot, located just south of Busch Stadium at the corner of Seventh and Cerre, we’re excited to type some words that we thought we wouldn’t write until sometime next year: There is a national, touring band coming to town from somewhere else in the country this week, and you should consider going to check it out. Hot damn! In this case, it's LA's Andy Frasco & the U.N., coming to town to deliver their unique brand of "Party Blues with a touch of Barefoot Boogie" to a crowd of eager St. Louis fans. Frasco and Co. will be performing in support of their latest, April's Keep on Keepin' on, a delightful offering blending elements of high-energy blues-rock, soul and pop. Man, what a normal, COVID-free two sentences that was! That was fun; let’s do more of it in the near future.
Nothing Gold Can Stay: And now back to our depressingly usual pandemic programming: The Lot’s coronavirus precautions will include masks, temperature checks and social distancing. Tickets are purchased by the pod, a nine-foot-by-nine-foot square that can hold up to four people. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets, and capacity will be capped at 248 people. For more information, visit jamopresents.com/the-lot.
