Vote for Firecracker this Sunday at SLOUP!

Get your s(l)oup -- and your vote -- on this Sunday at SLOUP. 

$10 gets you a bowl of tasty soup and the ability to vote to support Cherokee Street homies the Firecracker Press in their effort to ... well, shoot.  They can explain it better than I:

The crew at The Firecracker Press are teaming up with Kim Wardenburg (Artist/Printmaker), Carlos Dominguez (owner of Latino Americana), and Ana Rivera (of El Chico Bakery) to make fully printed, edible tacos this year during the SCG printmaker’s conference in March. We’ve been collecting stories from Cherokee Street businesses and residents in order to develop imagery that will be printed on tortillas, cooked, and made to order while you wait. The goal of the project is to build bridges between cultures in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in St. Louis, Cherokee Street. Stop by SLOUP on Sunday, January 30th from 2-4pm at the Contemporary Museum in St. Louis to vote for our proposal and help make this project possible.

Visit Firecracker's blog for more information and to read their proposal.

Cranky Yellow presents the Amazing Acro-Cat Circus at 2720

Cranky Yellow presents the Amazing Acro-Cat Circus! A full PUR-forming circus of highly trained EXTRA-Ordinary house cats! Two nights only!

Benefiting the STL based Tenth Life Cat Rescue! An great local non-profit that fosters and finds homes for special need kitties! Meow!

January 31st and February 1st 2011 at 2720 Cherokee Street!
7 p.m. Show-Tme!
Adults: $12.00
Children: $10.00
(seating is first come first serve, arrive early)

Go here for more information or to order tickets

City Affair February: Graffiti, Art or Vandalism?

Time	Thursday, February 3 · 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Location	Fort Gondo 3151 Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO
More Info	Graffiti is as old as civilization itself, with examples found thousands of years ago in the pyramids of ancient Egypt and the Roman city of Pompeii. In contemporary America, any resident or visitor to a city--or even small towns--will see graffiti covering overpasses, abandoned structures and the sides of buildings. On February 3, City Affair will host a panel discussion that asks the following questions: Is graffiti a valid form of artistic or political expression? Does graffiti contribute to a sense that a neighborhood is blighted? Can graffiti be a positive influence on city life, or is it always detrimental? Who decides what is good graffiti, and what is bad? Can different sides of the graffiti debate come to a consensus on its validity? Please come to City Affair and contribute your opinions and questions. The panel discussion will be followed by a question and answer session from the audience. Doors open at 7:00 PM, discussion begins at 7:30. Panelists include: Peat Wollaeger, internationally renowned stencil artist, famous for his signature "EYE" and colorful characters & videos: www.stenSOUL.com Angelo Olegna, "Mayor of Cherokee Street" Raven Fox, http://www.ravenfox.net/ And additional panelists to be announced.

Mad Libs Mad Love at the Firecracker Press

Time	Saturday, February 12 · 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Location	The Firecracker Press 2838 Cherokee Street St. Louis, MO
More Info	Come get a customized card for your sweetie printed as you watch! We’ve set some handsome type for a love letter you’ll wish you wrote, old-school Mad Libs style. Tell us the name and adjectives you want, and we’ll print you up a steamy card that is sure to impress your lover with your taste in paper goods. The rest is up to you. $10 for custom letterpress card Saturday February 12th from 11-5 2838 Cherokee Street Saint Louis MO 63118 Call (314) 776-7271 or visit www.firecrackerpress.com for more info

El Cheapo Poster Sale at the Firecracker Press

Time	Saturday, February 5 · 11:00am - 5:00pm
Location	The Firecracker Press 2838 Cherokee Street
More Info	Get your hands on some of those sweet letterpress posters you’ve been ogling! There will be a great selection of cheap posters to fancy up your lonely walls. In addition to this one-day poster sale, we have cards, books and plenty of other eye candy ready for your shopping pleasure. Come visit our shop and see the antique printing presses we use to put our distinctive mark on paper. Posters starting as low as $2 $5 entry fee for a special preview starting at 10 am. You get first dibs! Saturday February 5th from 11-5 2838 Cherokee Street Saint Louis MO 63118 Call (314) 776-7271 or visit www.firecrackerpress.com for more info

February-March 2011 letterpress printing class at the Firecracker Press

Create your very own unique letterpress project! Space is limited, so  sign up now!

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LETTERPRESS PRINTING – No.3 is a comprehensive five week course  focusing on the traditional methods of letterpress printing. Students can learn the basics of handsetting metal type, how to make a woodcut or photopolymer plate, mixing ink by hand, and learning the ins and outs of  choosing paper. Our Vandercook printing presses and antique platen presses will be available for use. Each student will create an editioned piece of their design to exchange with all students, so everyone leaves  the class with a small portfolio of fine prints! No prior experience needed. This is a perfect course to design and handprint just about anything!

Fresh out of ideas? No worries. Our instructor can help you get your  creative juices flowing.

DEADLINE – FEB. 18th – space is limited.

Course schedule (5 weeks):
TUESDAY evenings from 6:30pm-9pm
February 22nd – March 22nd

Cost: $195.00
(We provide tools and some ink. You provide paper and any other  materials.)

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Sign up or get more info at www.firecrackerpress.com

upcoming exhibition @ Los Caminos: Head Over Heels: Sharky's First Love

Head Over Heels: Sharky's First Love

Saturday, January 22, 2011
Sat: 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Los Caminos,
2649 Cherokee St
Saint Louis, MO, 63118

http://www.loscaminosart.com/upcoming


Head Over Heels: Sharky’s First Love is an unfixed meditation on tenderness and the gaze of desire, as well as an invitation to alter that gaze through duration.

Amelia Colette Jones and Maggie Ginestra, co-facilitators of Sloup, St. Louis's soup dinner for the arts, are in love with how Sharky loves. You might even say they are head over heels. Amelia used to work with Sharky. Maggie rode a train with him to Chicago, once.

FEATHER, LEATHER, LIPSTICK opens at PHD Gallery Jan. 22nd

Please join us
Saturday, January 22, 2011
7-10PM
for the opening reception of:

"FEATHER, LEATHER, LIPSTICK"
http://phdstl.com/feather_leather_lipstick.html

jeff KAPFER
jerry MILLER
mark FLORIDA

An unlikely synergy of 3 media...

Jeff Kapfer, Jerry Miller, and Mark Florida combine their talents in "Feather, Leather, Lipstick," PHD Gallery's first show of 2011. Jeff Kapfer paints a new flock of flamboyant fowl like peacocks, cockatoos, and woodpeckers. Also on view are the hand formed, leather masks of Jerry Miller whose brightly decorated disguises range in style from Commedia dell'arte to Mardi Gras. The final element in the mix is the backstage drag photography of Mark Florida which captures in glorious black and white, the frenzy and transformation backstage as the "gurls" prepare to perform. "Feather, Leather, Lipstick" not only showcases these three artists, but celebrates fantasy, masquerade, and disguise. The exhibition is on view January 22 through March 5, 2011 with a free opening reception on Saturday, January 22 from 7-10PM. Costumes are encouraged!

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
Noon to 4PM, Thurs. through Sun.
(314) 664-6644
http://www.phdstl.com

The Upper West Cherokee Incident

Time	Saturday, February 5 · 5:00pm - 10:00pm
Location	Upper West Cherokee 3100-3200 Block of Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO
More Info	Celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of Peridot, STL-Style and Lighthouse Design (STyLehouse), and The Archive's One Year Anniversary! Preview delectable edibles by the Cherokee Peach, slated to open Spring 2011. (Ft. Gondo? Snowflake? No one knows what they'll be up to on this festive evening, but you'll have to come to find out) Accomplices in this incident will be DJs Jon Swegle and Eric Damhorst spinning live at STyLehouse. Roast your s'mores at The Archive and toast to the burgeoning of Cherokee Street's most lovable enclave... More info... http://www.stl-style.com/ www.facebook.com/peridotstl www.archivescribe.com www.cherokeepeach.com

Cherokee People at Fort Gondo

Time	Friday, January 14 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location	Fort Gondo 3151 Cherokee St Saint Louis, MO
More Info	Cherokee People Fort Gondo January 14 to Feb 6 Opening reception: Friday January 14, 7 to 10 pm An exhibition of photography showcasing the work of Juan Montaña and Cherokee Photobooth. On display will be street portraits, taken exclusively on Cherokee Street in 2010, as well as a selection of highlights from Cherokee Photobooth’s free picture events. Cherokee People is about the people who walk Cherokee Street. It is a portrait of a people in a time of change. It is inspired by the hope that Cherokee will be as beautiful in the future as it is today. Neighborhood opening: Saturday January 15, 2 to 7 pm

Beggar's Carnivale 3 @ 2720 Cherokee

Time	Saturday, January 22 at 8:00pm - January 23 at 1:00am
Location	2720 Cherokee 2720 Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO
More Info	VanElla Productions and Sammich the Tramp are proud to announce their shiny, brand-spanking-new monthly event.. THE BEGGAR'S CARNIVALE: A 3 PENNY CIRCUS ... Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls of legal age! Step right up to the sexiest, strangest, wildest show on earth! A gypsy carnival, a one-ring circus, a villainous vaudeville, a bawdy bordello, a manic music hall, and an unforgettable night of entertainment await you! Come see... the Acts of Daring! Devilish Dancing! Foot Stomping Music! High Flying! Fire Eating! Amazing Magic! and so much more! This month, the fiery and gorgeous Venus in Flames is featured as well as all new bits, gags and acts from all your favorite Beggars! We will also be featuring the debut of the Gypsy Market, featuring lots of wares from local businesses and artisans, gypsies, fortune tellers and henna artists. 8pm Doors / 9pm Show / 21+ / $15 *Advance will call tickets are available now (w/ no service fees) at http://shop.loyalfamily.com/ http://lolavanella.net/ http://showmeburlesque.com/ http://2720cherokee.com/ http://loyalfamily.com/

Kraddy @ 2720 Cherokee

Time	Friday, January 21 at 8:00pm - January 22 at 1:00am
Location	2720 Cherokee 2720 Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO
More Info	Kraddy (San Francisco, CA) Glitch-Hop / Crunk / Dubstep http://kraddyodaddy.com/ Known as a pioneer of electronic music, Kraddy is one of the most innovative and remarkable artists of his day. He stands as a visionary in his field, a fresh voice that spans genres and artistic style. Hybridizing hip hop, dubstep and dancehall with digital edits and cuts, Kraddy's music is a voice from the future awakening our ears and minds to what ...is yet to come. Originally from NY, Kraddy (born Matthew Kratz) began his musical career in San Francisco releasing his debut album, Truth Has No Path, in 2003. With the release of the single "Faux Show" (a remix of The Old Dirty Bastard's "Shimmy Shimmy Ya",) Kraddy became an underground favorite in the electronic music world. After a handful of vinyl breakbeat releases, Kraddy changed the game once again with his sophomore effort, The Illegal Album. Fueled by fierce beats and searing edits, The Illegal Album was a radical fusion of Kraddy's unique production chops with classic hip hop and dancehall acapellas. It was hailed as a breakthrough and soon after led to his collaboration with the Glitch Mob. 8pm Doors / 9pm Show / 18+ / $10 ($3 minor surcharge) *ADVANCE TIX ARE AVAILABLE NOW (w/ no service fees) at http://shop.loyalfamily.com/ http://2720cherokee.com/ http://loyalfamily.com/

Ernest Trova Art Show + The Definition of Dance @ 2720 Cherokee

Time	Friday, January 14 at 7:00pm - January 15 at 1:00am
Location	2720 Cherokee 2720 Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO
More Info	Ernest Tino Trova (February 19, 1927 – March 8, 2009) was a self-trained American surrealist and pop art painter and sculptor. Best known for his signature image and figure series, The Falling Man, Trova considered his entire output a single "work in progress." Trova used classic American comic character toys in some of his pieces because he admired their surrealism. Many of Trova's sculptures are cast in unusual white bronze. H...e began as a painter, progressing through three-dimensional constructions to his mature medium, sculpture. Trova's gift of forty of his works led to the opening of St. Louis' Laumeier Sculpture Park. Downstairs it's the 3rd installment of The Definition of Dance: House / Soul / Improv The Hot House Sessions will feature DJ Alexis, DJ Alejan, Jingo and Chris on Percussion, Bob Deboo on Upright Bass, Jeff Lash on Vibes and Lew Winer on Sax. And all the way from Japan, we welcome the return of DJ B MONEY! 7pm Doors / 7pm Show / 21+ / $7 cover http://2720cherokee.com/ http://artdimensions.org/ http://loyalfamily.com/

CHEAPY $2'sDAY w/ Yetisburg + MJ Pham + Cor(e)yography

Time	Tuesday, January 11 8:00pm - Wednesday at 1:00am
Location	2720 Cherokee 2720 Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO
More Info	Indie-Rock / Electronic / Dubstep Yetisburg + MJ Pham + Cor(e)yography 8pm Doors / 9pm Show / 18+ / $2 cover ($3 minor surcharge) ... Cheapy Tuesday is leaving St. Louisans with no excuse... going out during the week is made easy with a $2 cover and the cheapiest bar specials in town! $2 wells and PBR pint cans all night long, a dollar off everything else, and a Schlafly PowerHour - local drafts are just $1 from 8-9pm! Yetisburg is comprised of five talented Farmington, Missouri locals who met while attending high school. What started as a sort of joke between Jason and Cody (“You play piano, I play piano; we should start a band…”) has grown into an incarnation of music as uncanny as their name. With a vital and original sound that inhabits a genre all its own; Yetisburg flawlessly fuses the mechanical vibe of synthesizers with the energetic drive of bongos to create infectious, organic music that escapes definition. http://yetisburg.com/ http://myspace.com/mjpham69 http://myspace.com/mccmc http://2720cherokee.com/ http://loyalfamily.com/

Creative Reuse Workshop | Picture Frame to Dry Erase Board at Peridot

ime	Saturday, January 22 · 1:00pm - 3:30pm
Location	Peridot 3155 Cherokee Saint Louis, MO
More Info	Just $35 and all the materials are provided Only 7 spots available! Call or stop by Peridot to sign up today: 314.771.3571 Spend some time with Jenny on Saturday afternoon as she takes you through the process of transforming a salvaged picture frame into a beautiful and unique dry-erase board. Transform your picture frame into a perennial calendar, a place for notes, or a spot to keep track of all your to-do lists and stay organized in 2011! You will explore the exciting process of design and creative repurposing while learning the basics of eco-friendly wood refinishing and upcycling. Don't forget: all the proceeds benefit Perennial and help us reach our goal of opening a community workshop in St. Louis where YOU can continue to discover ways to transform discarded goods into objects of worth.

Tonight: Josephine Collective and The Runaway Sons at Foam

Hurry, hurry!:

Time	Monday, January 10 · 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Foam is at Jefferson and Cherokee Streets.
More Info	Due to the impending snowpocalypse in Nashville, TN we've set up a last minute show at Foam with 2 hard rocking bands from KC. Josephine Collective is signed to Warner/Reprise records. http://www.myspace.com/josephinecollective The Runaway Sons are a post punk band also from KC who shout out irreverent songs called Kathleen Turner Overdrive and Dr. Phil Harmonic. http://www.myspace.com/therunawaysons

The Black Swans at Foam this Sunday

From the Riverfront Times:

The Black Swans

8 p.m. Sunday, January 9. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 South Jefferson Avenue. (at Cherokee)

By Roy Kasten Thursday, Jan 6 2011

Jerry DeCicca is the whispering voice and gloomy vision behind Columbus, Ohio's the Black Swans. And just when you think he needs a rock & roll jolt — lest the slo-core nap become a coma — DeCicca jams his existential folk into an ungrounded socket and lets discord do its worst. If disorientation is the goal, then consider the Black Swans' mission accomplished. On the band's finest release, 2007's Change!, DeCicca distills his bipolar approach into a kind of detwanged Lambchop or an orchestrated Palace Brothers. (The band has worked with Will Oldham.) Brilliant (and sadly late) violin player Noel Sayre has the full run of DeCicca's melodies, carrying him through songs concerned about the precipitous loss of identity — the kind brought about by merciless introspection.