downtown
Living in Tents, shot in the StL, is a vivid documentary of the homeless experience. It is not easy to watch. Paul Crane’s compelling footage follows five homeless men and women as they struggle to survive in harsh conditions, as well as the volunteers whose lives change as they become deeply involved. In January 2010, Crane discovered a tent city along the Mississippi. Curious what daily life was like for the people living there, he decided to spend a few weeks volunteering and getting to know the group. Eventually allowed to shoot video of his experience, he soon realized if he wanted to capture the reality of their collective and individual existence, he’d need to live there full time … so he moved in. Living in Tents is essential, especially for anyone with pat answers to such a complex issue. Yes, despite our uneasiness, we can ignore the panhandlers on interstate ramps. Certainly, some are grifters. But what of those we may never see—the truly desperate, among them veterans, the physically disabled, the mentally ill? Visit tentcityfilm.com.
the metro
Single-stream recycling always seemed to me like it was never gonna work. I mean, the truck comes to pick up all of the stuff that we shouldn’t throw in the trash, especially aluminum. Well, paper and cardboard are important, too, and what about glass? And it’s all mixed together? Who decides what goes where—robots? Nope, ‘recyclers’… people wearing gloves with enough protection for juggling broken glass. When I lived in Glendale, it used to be that you had to separate your recycling into different bins. I was never sure about paper, especially corrugated cardboard like pizza boxes. I mean, melted cheese plus a pepperoni slice, maybe? So we always trashed those. Upon relocating to U. City, I entered the world of single stream. One and done. Well, if it’s not time to panic yet, seems there’s at least cause for worry. We’ve had rumblings in the metro that Kirkwood, which operates its own sanitation department, would end single-stream curbside recycling this fall because it’s just too expensive. That’s calmed down, for now. But it’s given me cause to wonder about my attitude toward the stuff we get rid of. I mean, somebody comes and just takes it away. Not my problem. Well, the prices China will pay per ton for our nation’s waste paper have dropped precipitously, which may have caused a ripple effect in recycling all the way to the Great Midwest. Used to be ‘not our problem,’ but all of a sudden, every municipality is scrambling to find cheaper alternatives. So, I took another look at what we can, and can’t, recycle. Pizza boxes are fine, except for the gooey, foodie part. (Maybe we should eat that.) Some stuff that just seemed to be common sense isn’t. Shredded paper? Trash. Really. (Maybe it’s good for the fireplace this winter.) Empty aerosol cans? Recycle. Really. Empty prescription bottles? Recycle … they’re No. 5 plastic, and Nos. 1-7 are OK. Paper milk cartons are OK, but wax paper isn’t. But isn’t that waxy stuff on the carton, well, wax? Geez—why can’t we just let people on the other side of the globe keep worrying about this? Meanwhile, visiting recyclingsimplified.com helped me. A lot.
u. city
‘En plein air’ stirs up images of springtime in Paris, beret-topped painters at easels along La Rive Gauche, rendering a sun-drenched scene with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Numbskulls might see The Three Stooges dragging out the kitchen table and a bowl of fruit, knocking each other over, Mssr. Moe trying to poke Mssr. Larry in the eye with his brush while Mssr. Curly pulls Moe’s smock over his head. OK. Try to unsee that … most of us won’t be in France, silly. Yes, we are imagining life outside, but more like the still life of Monet’s Water Lilies. Visualize the historic homes, parks and lush gardens of U. City, with action limited to the mysterious, creative movements of brush first touching paint, then canvas or paper. U City in Bloom hosts its third annual Plein Air Art Festival this Sunday (Sept. 23) in the area bounded by Delmar, Hanley, Olive, and Pennsylvania near U. City High School (7401 Balson Ave.). Following 8 a.m. registration at the high school, artists who love to paint out-ofdoors—‘en plein air’—will create artworks in real time. Anyone interested in the process is invited to watch the artists at work. By 3 p.m., they will take their completed paintings to the Heman Park Community Center, 975 Pennsylvania Ave., for judging. A reception for the artists, with food and drink from several select U. City restaurants, and a chance to purchase works will begin at the center at 5 p.m. Also on display will be six vividly painted benches to be placed later in the fall at bus stops on Olive Boulevard. Tickets for the reception are $20 and may be purchased at ucityinbloom.org or at the door.
midtown
Is chamber music inflexible? Must the musicians perform slavishly every note as written, so Ravel et al. don’t roll over in their graves? Drop the mic! Retakes, revisions and remixes are the order of the evening at The Sheldon next Tuesday (Sept. 25) during Adapt, the season opener for Chamber Project St. Louis. Enjoy the chamber music of Piazzolla, Ravel, Sibelius and Bunch featuring flute, violin, viola, cello and harp. Players finesse the music of Sibelius’ early years; Ravel is ‘remixed’ with harp, creating an altogether new sound; and works by contemporary composer Kenji Bunch transcend cultural barriers, taking inspiration from such diverse influences as Americana. Performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Visit chamberprojectstl.org/season11.
u. city: notable neighbors
Jeff Gerhardt was a frustrated architect. Erin Gerhardt, M.D., was up to her elbows in the stressful life of the ER. So, why not go way outside your comfort zones to open a bicycle shop that serves barista-style coffee at the corner of Jackson and Pershing avenues, ‘where restaurants go to die?’ PerJax, the last eatery that attempted to conquer 7401 Jackson Ave., lasted less than two months. It was in the building right next to the Gerhardt family home on Pershing, so the Gerhardts went all in. They aren’t your typical U. City couple. Nor is Cursed Bikes & Coffee your typical retail establishment. (Although I’d wager you’ve never seen the word ‘typical’ in the same sentence as ‘U. City.’) Jeff worked five years as a mechanic at Big Shark Bicycle Co. Friends and neighbors had suggested he do his own thing, and “the final straw was when some random person mentioned it,” he says. But he warned Erin that, if they got rolling, she’d hardly ever see him. As Jeff says, “The only way to ensure quality is to put in the hours.” His doctor/wife gave him the go-ahead. After all, he wasn’t enjoying architecture—his sedentary existence was “killing me slowly,” he says. Erin’s diagnosis? Long hours sitting and drawing wasn’t good for him, mentally or physically. He was 50 pounds overweight and plagued by carpal tunnel syndrome. In May, Cursed Bikes & Coffee celebrated its first anniversary. Today, Jeff and Erin are both darn good baristas (Jeff’s cappuccino is proof), having learned from some of the best in the business, Kaldi’s alumni. “Kaldi’s has really raised the bar,” Jeff says. Having burned through some no-shows and a thief, Jeff now has a team he’s proud of and can count on, including Haley and Bryanna who have been there since the get-go. First Crack roasts most of the green beans the Gerhardts procure from wholesalers. Meanwhile, Erin has settled into an 8-to-5 gig at a Concentra urgent care location in the city. At first wolfing down a few bites of lunch and returning ASAP, she’s almost gotten used to taking a full hour. When not at school, the kids—Mia, 15, Miles, 10, and Eleanor, 7—often pop in from next door. Mia already is adept at the espresso machine. Jeff is almost back to his fighting weight and spends most of his time in the back of the shop tightening this or replacing that. Two of the lightweight steel frames he designed and built are displayed in windows facing the patio his shop shares with Taco Buddha … where he eats regularly. And he must ride, at least once a week: Starting on Father’s Day, a leisurely ride has rolled out from the shop every Sunday morning at 8 a.m. “It’s the only time I know I’ll get out!” he says. (LimeBike—cursed? Nope. Jeff firmly believes that the more people who get up and at ’em on two wheels, the merrier.) Visit the shop on Facebook.
