ladue | On Saturday, Dec. 7, teenagers will take over the county library—in a good way. With one of the area’s finest independent bookstores, The Novel Neighbor in Webster Groves, the library will celebrate teen readers with its third St. Louis Teen Book Festival. The festival will be held at the library’s new Clark Family Branch, across Lindbergh from Plaza Frontenac. The branch will be closed for the day to accommodate the festival, which will feature book talks, author signings and meet-and-greet opportunities with 17 young adult (YA) authors. The line-up includes a diverse group of fan-favorites and bestselling authors from all genres, as well as some of the hottest debut voices and local authors. This free event is open to all readers. Just a few highlights:
- Aiden Thomas is the keynoter—A New York Times-bestselling author, he returns to the world of The Sunbearer Trials for a heart-stopping finale to his electric Mexican-inspired fantasy series.
- Alexandra Bracken—The critically acclaimed author of Lore presents the second installment in her intriguing contemporary fantasy inspired by Celtic legends.
- Tiffany D. Jackson—Award-winning author of The Weight of Blood, she presents an epic origin story for Marvel’s X-Men superhero Storm.
- Jennifer Lynn Barnes—Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in the author’s thrilling new story collection that takes readers deeper into the world of the bestselling Inheritance Games series.
While attendees may want to bring a sack lunch, food trucks will be on-site from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. And on the evening before the festival, teachers and librarians are invited to attend an Educator’s Happy Hour with the authors Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. at The Novel Neighbor. The full author line-up and festival schedule are available at slcl.org/teen-book-festival.
u. city
One duplex across the street from us has a subtle fall display: pumpkins on the porch. But across the walk, the yard of the other half looks like lots of cargo in FedEx planes headed from the North Pole to Home Depot bailed out two months early. That’s right, larger-than-life X-mas inflatables have been all over the lawn since just after Halloween! I’d have thought the bylaws of most homeowners associations stipulate that Christmas decor can’t go up until right after the Thanksgiving turkey has been consumed. The deflated duo in the foreground of our photo become Santa and one very large tiny reindeer holding cups of hot chocolate—their big puffy arms move together as though making a toast. Closer to the house, at far left on the festive side of the walk looms a penguin so tall that its holiday hat towers over the roof when filled with air from a constantly whirring fan. Stands of candy canes sprout from everywhere, none inflatable, as far as I can tell. Inflatables include a white Christmas tree and several snow people. Although it’s been startling, I should’ve known. The holiday shopping season begins earlier every year. My wife sometimes watches the Hallmark Channel on cable, which has been airing Christmas love stories since early October. That’s all well and good, but if I hear “Jingle Bells” One. More. Time… Really, I’m no Scrooge, but that tired old chestnut needs to stop playing at the mall and in big-box stores. ’Tis not the season.
dogtown
One day could we see as many marijuana dispensaries as Starbucks or McDonald’s around these parts? Probably not. But reportedly, the Mike Talayna’s Juke Box on the eastern end of Dogtown just south of the I-64 (Hwy. 40) interchange, is going to be converted into just another of those places to buy grass, legit. Forgive the cynical tone. The deceptively small place on Hampton had been shuttered since the pandemic, but it seemed to have been idle much longer than that. Inside it was all tricked out like the popular miniature disco it had started out as, with mirrored walls and mirror balls galore. The dinky dance floor and parking lot meant it had to be much smaller inside than the optical illusions created by all of those mirrors inside would have you believe. It will be interesting to see if that decor will be designed into the joint as a dispensary. The lighting might’ve freaked me out back in the day, but anyone seeking legal weed to help with pain or just to mellow out has a better idea of what they’re in for. Other businesses have changed hands for one reason or another to meet the demand for legal marijuana, and here are only two others I’m aware of: A former PNC Bank branch at 105 N. Lindbergh Blvd. (at Ladue Road) in Creve Coeur is now Homestate Dispensary, and Tom’s Bar & Grill at 20 S. Euclid Ave. in the CWE is now home to Good Day Farm Dispensary. It might be a while before these places have a drive-thru feature, or never, but in any case, an adjacent Jack-in-the-Box or Taco Bell would help relieve the munchies.
brentwood
Among your favorite musical groups, whether still performing or long-defunct, you’ll find at least one ‘cover’ band. We’d have to use this entire half-page and maybe more on Elvis impersonators. (Bill Forness, who plays the best Johnny Cash anywhere, from the deep voice to the costumes, prefers to call himself a ‘tribute artist.’) And Jeff Faulkner is the leader of one of the best cover bands in the StL. And it’s not El Monstero, the crack Pink Floyd tribute artists. It’s Mr. Blue Sky, a tribute to Electric Light Orchestra, the symphonic rockers that sold upwards of 50 million records throughout the ’70s and early ’80s. That band, which Faulkner formed five years ago, is playing an all-ages concert at 8 p.m. Nov. 22 at The Pageant. This 10-piece band of seasoned musicians includes a three-piece string section, professionals borrowed from such municipal orchestras as the U. City or Kirkwood symphonies. “We have two keyboard players, which gets us up where we need to be,” says Faulkner. Some groups who may attempt to perform as, say, The Beatles, don’t work long and hard enough to really be very good. “Some cover bands have a couple rehearsals and just throw it out there,” laments Faulkner. “I want us to sound as close as possible to ELO on the album. It has an epic quality. We’ve been playing their catalog for long enough now that it’s gotten tight!” And nuances from the recordings are evident. Otherwise, Faulkner notes, fans who originally appreciated the records through headphones might feel they’ve missed something. Millennials on up aren’t concerned so much with fidelity when streaming music on their cellphones or YouTube. “People actually listened to music back then—and intently,” he points out. Mr. Blue Sky has gained a following as they’ve matured, starting out in smaller rooms like Blueberry Hill’s downstairs venue, The Duck Room, and moving up to Delmar Hall in The Loop. They’ve sold out Chesterfield Amphitheatre during the summer. And played in Wisconsin in February. Faulkner, a Bayless grad living in Brentwood, actually is making enough money as a musician without having to do anything else, like tend bar or deliver packages for Amazon. Mr. Blue Sky is a big part of that, but the man who portrays ELO’s Jeff Lynne on vocals and guitar also plays in Vote For Pedro; what’s more, he’s half of guitar duo Two Pedros, and really glams it up in Velvet Goldmine, which plays Ziggy-Stardust-era Bowie, T. Rex and Mott The Hoople, from back in the early ’70s when Lou Reed was in full makeup, one of many androgynous stars. Mr. Blue Sky is a real labor of love for Faulkner. “ELO did a lot of experimental music, but Jeff Lynne has the knack for writing great pop songs,” Faulkner says. Lynne is no lightweight: He produced albums for Tom Petty and George Harrison, and with those two was one of the five giants in Traveling Wilburys, alongside Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison. So, expect a few surprises at The Pageant, where they’ll go all out on production, with a jaw-dropping light show. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster or at the Pageant box office. For more, visit mrblueskymusic.com.
