RIP Fr. Martin Hagan S.J. 1919-2008

Father Martin Hagan passed away earlier today after complications from a fall. He was a great man who was involved in so many different ways around Saint Louis University High School. He knew all the students at the High School and was a cracker jack shot with a rifle. He always took the effort to step to the students and understand what was going on with us. He lived the mission to the fullest. He will be missed.

AMDG

Kentucky Derby Party @ The Royale

This is the official invite to the Royale 3rd Annual Kentucky Derby Party, celebrating three years in business for the Royale. This will be on Saturday May 3rd at the Royale with the doors opening that day at 2pm with the music at 3:30.

Print out this ticket and show up dressed to impress. That means proper Derby wear. What is that? We suggest hats for the ladies and ties for the gents. Take the effort to make yourself proper and presentable for the party. Come on your own, find a date or bring your family to pick your horse for this historic race.

Jessica Butler and Jesse Irwin will be doing a duo performance at 3:30
the ponies run at 5:04
and the Rum Drum Ramblers will be performing after run

Come sample the new BBQ menu, mint juleps and the music.

Take care,

The Smith Family

Red Bones is back in business

Red Bones Den, the legendary tavern on the northside of the park on the northside has reopened on 4/1 after a hiatus since last summer.

Red Bone has owned this joint since before I was born in 1972. He is originally from Arkansas and opened up the tavern at the tender age of 26, and by the time he got it open he had only the change in his pocket. From what he says, he had to run out to the store to get change for his customers on the first day of business. I would have loved to been at that party.

Red Bone has a country house he shares with his lady Diane. She is a dignified and wonderful woman. The man is also very smooth and has the classic old school tavernkeeper vibe, but with far more charmed and relaxed hustle. And you know the man is both a little bit country and a little bit city when he gets his Lexus stuck in the mud out in his country compound. It sank as it sat over the winter and now has to be dug out. He loves his country compound over in Illinois. He has an interesting nickname for his "headquarters" out there and loves it when others refer to his old-fashioned nickname for the HQ. The man owns damn near half the county he is in out in the country.

The place is perfect for the late afternoon sip. That is the best time of day for a drink. It settles one's soul after a day of travail. The amateurs do not drink at that time of the day, and there is a calm at the corner tavern where the people can really connect without distraction. So the next time you are thirsty and rolling through the north side, consider making a pit stop at Red Bones. It is at Vandeventer and Kossuth, just on the north side of Fairgrounds.

There is much love and respect coming from the owner of the tavern on the southside of the park on the southside to the owner of the tavern on the northside of the park on the northside. I hope to someday still be at this game here at the Royale 35 years after starting up the Royale.

Check a fine review here. I heisted the image above from skip to tha lou. I had another pic, but I can't get it off the camera.

The execution of facial hair

That is what my grandmother thinks that should be done to all facial hair.

Execution. She is very insistent.

So I decided after a week of not shaving to just go with it. I always had mad respect for the Indiana Jones look. And in years past I had paid tribute to that look. But sometimes you just have to go full cycle.

This is what has been called a "back alley Dublin thug" by Galen G...

Someone give this guy a slapjack!







... or the "union organizing dockworker" according Andy C.

Someone else mentioned Pap Finn, but I don't think I am quite that country.

Needless to say, Grandma has not been happy about my appearance during this Lenten season.

I started the facial hair advance around the beginning of Lent. Giving up shaving was a breeze. My father would always give up canned beer for Lent. O the sacrifice we Catholics make!

The beard has been fun. But also rather itchy.

I was invited to a moustache party that was held last weekend. I figured that would be a good time to shave off the beard. So I set forth the execution in stages.




First I went for the "crazed relief pitcher" look.

So after that I just went with the traditional moustache.

This one below says "third district patrol" to me.



Or maybe, as John B said: "Carny."

Or as I like to remember this 'stache picture to the right, the "pondering carny."










Now here is the carcass of the executed moustache:

Royale Smoking and updates

All you gotta do is step outside like these courteous and all american urchin newsboys
(picture from 1910 Saint Louis)

I Smoking
II A Anonymous
III One Ring Zero
IV Pokey LaFarge
V Hats off to Marti Frumhoff

I Smoking
As of April 1 the Royale will be smoke free indoors. So we still will have smoking here at the Royale, it is just a matter of stepping outside. So to the overwhelming number of people who wanted the indoor to be smoke free- you got it. Please come and enjoy the Royale.

And to the smokers, I found out that most of you wanted smoke free inside. But to those who wanted to keep it smoking- you are still very much welcome, and I know most will still continue to come and enjoy the Royale. And if you just can't come in and step out for a drag, it personally saddens me. But you are still welcome to come down and I really hope you do. Perhaps taking up snuff or chew if you need to remain indoors? I mentioned that to my mother and she rolled her eyes at the suggestion. I thought it would give the Royale a turn of the century feel.

Anyway- April 1, no foolin', we will be smoke free.

II A Anonymous

This is last minute, but they are showing A Anonymous at the Contemporary Art Museum tonight around 6pm. I strongly suggest that you go. It is an amazing movie in the league of "Best of Show" or "Waiting for Guffman". There will be an afterparty at the Royale with the Tartowski drink- a tart, a bit nutty and a bit of stimulant.

Check more here: http://www.myspace.com/anonymousmovie

III One Ring Zero at the Art Museum
This Friday from 7 to 8:30-sh or so:

One Ring Zero

"One Ring Zero's ethno-pop could have been played in the background of a Balkan-embassy party in the 1930s, but that's not all there is to the band: The songs on its ambitious As Smart As We Are–which features lyrics by literary figures including Paul Auster, Rick Moody and Margaret Atwood–touch on They Might Be Giants whimsy, Residents-style unease, Tom Waits clank and Marianne Faithful melancholy." -Time Out New York

Check out this list on instruments they play: stuff!First of the simple one.

IV Pokey Lafarge is coming back! He will be at the Off Broadway on Friday night. Should be much much fun.

V The Royale is hosting a Hats off to Marti Frumhoff Party

It will be on Sunday March 30 from 3-7pm. Proceeds will go to the Marti Frumhoff Memorial Garden.

There's three categories:
Most Outrageous Hat
Hard Hat
Movie theme Hat

All entries must be worn during the judging.

First prize is 100.00Second prize is 75.00.
Third place prize is 50.00

Judge # 1: Betsy Krausnick; Head Crafts Artisan for The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
Judge # 2: John Inchiostro of Stages.
Judge # 3: Garth Dunbar. He designs at Arrowrock Theatre, teaches at Webster Conservatory, and has designed shows at The Rep

Here's the plans for the site that the city is working on with us (we are to provide all planting, benches, long term maintenance, memorial plaque, sculptures and more.)
http://www.fundraisers4marti.blogspot.com/
Our official fundraising site:
http://www.martifrumhoffmemorial.org/

Saint Patrick's Day @ the Royale

Sick of the green afro wig? Not down with food coloring in your
beer? Did you pass on the face paint?

Do you pine for the true sense of Irish tradition on Saint Patrick's
Day?

The Royale would like to welcome you to a more traditional Saint
Patrick's Day. The weather is a perfect representation of Irish
climate. And in this weather pushes the indoor pub culture that we
have been so lucky to have thrive here in the new world as well. And
here at the Royale we are a true public house in the long tradition of
Irish American pubs. For this festive day we have placed up a
beautiful museum display of Irish history.

Come where the community meets for some traditional Irish fare and
some Irish prose.

Special drinks:
Guinness Floats with your choice of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream
Wexford Irish Cream Ale
Schalfly Irish Stout

On the menu for lunch:
Bangers and Mash(limited supply)
or
Corn Beef Reuben Sandwiches

On the menu for dinner:
Bangers and Mash(limited supply)
Corn Beef Reuben Sandwiches
Guiness Stew with Herb Dumplings
Salmon and Cheese Puff Pastries

And the Irish poetry/literature:
4:00 – Andy Malkus, Aaron Belz, Steven Schroeder
6:00 – Robert Lowes, Joe Sulier, Brock, and Mathieu Paul
7:00 – Matt Freeman, Bridget Coffey, Hal Bush

Slain go foil

Steven Fitzpatrick Smith
Proprietor
The Royale Food & Spirits
3132 South Kingshighway
STL, MO 63139
314-772-3600

www.theroyale.com
www.stlstreets.com

Hotty Toddy's in the House!

School called off? Work let you out? Out sledding and now cold and tired? Bored of sitting in your house scared of the outside?

Well put on your boots and make the trek to the Royale. Our crackerjack staff here at the Royale got to work. Byron took the #30 bi-state bus from Rock Hill, Tilnise hoofed it from the Botanical Garden and the other Steve braved a broken car defroster to get here from Affton. We have that kind of hardcore staff.

So we like to celebrate this fact at the Royale. We are open as your winter refuge offering lunch, late lunch, warm drinks and more. Remember, we have free wireless if you do need to stay in touch w/ your work.

We have a special today- Hotty Toddys. Special tea toddys. We have a signature today of whiskey, hot black tea and a touch of real maple syrup. We will also be offering rum toddys, Tuaca toddys with variations including cinnamon, vanilla and much more. Feel free to bring in your own spices to fill out your choice.

Miss Morgan Davis is here spinning a special snow day record spin, so come down to have the best snow day ever.

update:

Well it looks like people are canceling plans tonight at other venues. One of my favorite crews- Drinking Liberally- was going to watch the Primary election returns tonight at the Tap Room, but I just got an email that they cancelled. I was planning on going to that this evening, so instead I will watch them here at the Royale. I would like to invite anyone who was planning on watching these historic election returns to come to the Royale. Come have hotty-toddys, watch the wheels of democracy work and listen to a good record spin!

And if you are really stuck at home and can't get here, I have a few important links for you to look at while sitting on your bottom at home. The next time you come in I would like to discuss with you.

Here they are:

This really freaks me out:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/jan-june08/mukasey_02-11.html

This really freaks me out too:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/showdown/

and this is just wrong:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qYR_HyjLZUs

But this ain't no thang:
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=63110

Poetry tonight and music review

Oooops. It is tonight. The poetry is on March 4 at Mangia. Tonight. My bad.

I went down to South Grand and no luck, but I was planning on going to CBGBs to see some music. I did see a southside Stein creation, Catholic Guilt, and Noman from Detroit. I watched much of the show out in the freezing fresh clean oxygen of the outdoors. You can stand outside and look at the band thought the window like they are in a fish tank, instead of looking at peoples backs inside the hazy warm interior. You can hear just fine from the front.

Catholic Guilt was actually fairly interesting. Open jam noise by definition, something I usually don't go for, but it wasn't as noise as the stuff that I don't get and the jam was not hippy at all- more metal/punk. It sounded like an open clash of rock guitar/drums, but with some degree of cohesion. A little cohesion goes a long way.

The headline band, Noman was fun. Punkish youthful Detroit rock and roll with that alluring old motor city edge. Noman even had a healthy streak of soul and a dose of anthem pop in the core of the punchy rock and roll exterior. Gotta love that.

Poetry

So I got an email from a friend giving me a heads up about a poem. He told me all about the poem for there was a personal connection. The poem was about me. Although I didn't get to hear the actual poem, this poem got me thinking back to when I first discovered poetry.

My first introduction to public poetry was back in the winter of 89 over at a bar in Benton Park. My friend Jim and I had a car and were properly credentialed so we went to Benton Park to get a drink and see some poetry at this mysterious bar. I remember getting carded and walking into the place. It was surreal. It was new and had a reputation. And it delivered. It was visually amazing. And then we bought two drinks and listened to this guy scream up on the stage. I am pretty sure it was Paul Stewart. He would slowly walk through the house swaying back and forth like Frankenstein. He would shout "PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES!!!!" over and over. And it was all done in a sing song manner. The poet seemed so distressed and slightly deranged. But it was fun/funny. He was shouting about peanut butter sandwiches, which is my favorite food. I liked it, but I didn't go back to that bar in Benton Park or any poetry night for a few years, instead opting to test my credentials at Kennedy's to slam dance to the Nukes, the Urge and Sinister Dane. That was more my thing.

Now my full introduction of public poetry was a few years later in the early 90s. I used to work at Mangia Italiano. That was a trip. It was a few owners ago. I worked for Doc and the fantastic Micci. It was a trip on the raw and homey South Grand in those days. Micci usually walked around with her bird, Claudia, on her shoulder. Claudia was cool too. She would hide the bird in a cabinet every time the health inspector would come by. I worked poetry night, so that meant I sold a lot of ice teas with no dinners and everyone was allowed to go up and say whatever they wanted to. That was something else.

Bob and Sherri hosted most of the poetry nights. This was before they opened the Way Out Club. It was quite fun having them host those evenings with that crowd. Bob would get up every once in a while and riff. He pretty much does it on KDHX now with his always pleasing Barroom Bob segments between Collateral Damage and Topic A. I don't know if it would fit in to everyone's interpretation of poetry, but I would say that a lot of things that are said on poetry nights would not be defined as poetry by many. I have a pretty loose interpretation of poetry after being subjected to a weekly dose of poetry over a few years. I had gone up to say a few things, oh, maybe two or three times at those readings. I think I have only done it once since. I don't particularly care for public speaking and my spoken content is very mediocre and pretty boring, but Bob would coax me to do it so I always felt better about it. I would speak usually at the end of the night when no one was paying any more attention or way early when no one was there.

I have some interesting stories about the poetry nights at Mangia. I will save those for later.

But what about this personal poem?

So apparently there was a poem about me at the Get Born poetry readings over at Duff's. Oh, I feel special. The poem was written and performed by a former busser that worked here at the Royale. We had hosted the Get Born readings once. I can only imagine what was said. Seriously. I don't know if it was recorded or published. I am honored that I have been the subject of public poetry. I am actually amazed someone would spend time writing a poem and then reciting the poem in public. Maybe they will do a series. That would be sad. And a little creepy.

It is poetry after all.

P.S.

Apparently Get Born is having a reading tonight, March 3, over at Mangia Italiano, 3145 South Grand.