chesterfield valley |A cappella music has been a thing since before there were instruments, unless pounding on nearby objects actually predates singing. Still, a cappella imitates drums through hand claps, deep bass vocalizations and other wizardry of the vocal cords. Some popular examples of a cappella songs include “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” Bobby McFerrin’s No. 1 hit in 1988 and Joni Mitchell’s jazzy cover of “Twisted.” The latter ditty opens with “My analyst told me that I was right out of my head…” and was written and originally performed by Annie Ross in the early 1950s. When the male a cappella combo Straight No Chaser swings into the Factory in the Valley on July 29, they won’t dial the wayback machine that far. For the most part, they’ll rewind only back to the 1990s with their twist on hits like “Stay (I Missed You)” by Lisa Loeb, “Everybody” by Backstreet Boys, “Linger” from the Cranberries, and “Maria Maria” by Santana. Straight No Chaser has nine vocalists and brings audiences back to a time unafraid of bright neons, loud prints, boy bands and signature hair—at least one dude may have his slicked back with pomade like a doo-wopper. If some among their fierce fanbase have any say in it, perhaps they’ll bop to their own spin on classic oldies available on their records, like the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back” or hits by Ray Charles and Bill Withers. One of their earliest and finest recordings is “Till There Was You” from The Music Man, later covered by the Beatles. If it sounds like this writer is himself a fanboy, well… who wouldn’t dig the sound of unadulterated voices coming together to make extraordinary music that moves people in a fundamental sense, and with a sense of humor? For more, bop on over to sncmusic.com.
the metro
You may never have heard of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), but it was targeted for elimination. Its 2025 budget request from Congress was roughly $280 million. Pending grants were canceled, leaving museums, libraries and other institutions nationwide in a financial lurch. Unfortunately, as we learned at press time, the wholesale IMLS cuts include about $1.5 million to institutions throughout the metro, including the Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden and Missouri History Museum. That money included $130,000 earmarked for the Kaplan-Feldman Holocaust Museum in Creve Coeur. But there’s some good news here: Soon after the museum’s call for help, an anonymous donor stepped up and provided the funds needed to complete its ongoing effort to digitize the recorded interviews of metro residents who are Holocaust survivors or served as Allied troops who liberated the concentration camps. Many of their memories could have been lost to history. “Whoever listens to a witness, becomes a witness,” said late Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, his quote in raised lettering along a curved wall of the museum, where visitors can hear recordings of survivors. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning author died in 2016 at age 87. Wiesel, who was at Buchenwald when the camp was liberated in 1945, was a teenager when the Nazis arrested him. This year is also the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation, and museum officials say the timing of the funding cuts could not have been worse. It remains to be seen how the botanical garden, history museum and zoo will approach their shortfalls. One thing we can count on, of course, is the overwhelming generosity of St. Louisans.
manchester
An aptly named band, the Wee Heavies will perform at the 2025 Scottish Games at Schroeder Park in Manchester on May 17. They’ll play traditional Scottish folk tunes with several other performers following a morning of rather large men competing in Scottish heavy athletics, including the renowned caber toss—which is like the javelin throw’s second cousin. These aren’t contests for the comparatively muscle-free athlete, like a diver or pole vaulter. When trying to win with the caber—competitors lift and hurl a tapered wooden pole that’s up to 20 feet long and around
150 pounds—it doesn’t hurt to be musclebound. The goal isn’t distance, but precision. Tossers flip the caber end over end so that it lands perpendicular to the starting line. (Facebook must have read my mind, because a few nights ago it randomly treated me to a video showing the Ardblair Stones Challenge, in which strongmen lift concrete balls atop whisky barrels, each sphere heavier than the last, from 40 to 335 pounds.) Although we could not determine whether the stones challenge will be featured, Scottish and Celtic music will fill the air all day, winding up with Ally the Piper, who goes ‘off script’ here and there, as she mixes some heavy metal in with traditional bagpipe music. Of course, there’ll be drumming and dances, dogs herding sheep and vendors of merchandise, food and drink. If you’re a fan of men in kilts and knee socks, visit stlouis-scottishgames.com.
notable neighbors
des peres
First-generation Greek-American Greg Simos comes quite honestly by his leadership role with the year’s biggest fundraiser for Assumption Greek Orthodox Church. He’s been part of the St. Louis County Greek Festival his whole life, probably first as a very young diner in a highchair, later as a busser of tables, then as a volunteer with various duties. Now 46, he’s been in charge of Το όλο θέμα—the whole thing—for nine years or so. And why not? Opa! “It’s in the blood of the Greek to throw a party!” he exclaims. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a Memorial Day off. You have to train for that week.” But working elbow to elbow with other church volunteers is a labor of love. “We put on a good show,” he says. Then, after a three-day weekend of traditional music, folk dancing, rich food and scrumptious desserts, he’s dead tired. But he’s usually smiling. “It helps to have a short memory, too,” he notes. The event helps pay off a $1 million mortgage for a beautiful church campus built in the early 1980s, yes, but it’s much more than that, and certainly not just a big party to kick off the summer. Simos is fully invested in the church. Assumption is the heart of his family’s community. “We do this to help spread our culture throughout the St. Louis area.” An enthusiastic, gregarious sort, Simos is also president of the parish council. “I’m a glutton for punishment,” he admits with a laugh. From May 24 to May 26, there’ll be just about any Greek dish your heart (or your sweet tooth) could desire, from spanakopita, shish kebab, souvlaki, gyros and dolmades to baklava—and plenty of that. Many of us may have been exposed to modern Greek culture mostly through My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the 2002 rom-com with a cast of characters Simos recognizes from real life. “It’s a documentary,” he says with emphasis, but only half-jokingly. Although he spends much of the year preparing for Memorial Day weekend, Simos does have a day job off the church grounds. The Affton High School grad is an educator and coach at Jefferson College, but nobody gets out of breath unless they’re really doing it wrong. He teaches Graphic Design and Digital Media to high-school kids for college credit, and is amazed by how fleet their fingers are, as are many adults flabbergasted by young folks who dash off texts using just two speedy thumbs. They get this skill, or hone it, by having used a game controller just a few years out of the womb. Although not truly a gamer himself, Simos coaches kids to compete in video games such as Super Smash Bros. and Rocket League. But back to the Greek fest: If you’ve never experienced this lively, delicious annual celebration, visit stlgreekfest.com to learn more, and to get your bearings just Google 1755 Des Peres Road. But advance orders are recommended, because, by cautious estimate, volunteers expect to feed 10,000 people or more! Curbside service is available, and long lines are just part of the vibe. Cash or check not accepted. Use a credit card—a payment concept invented by the Greeks, according to the website. Although further research suggests earlier merchants in ancient Mesopotamia used clay tablets to that end.