St. Louis on the Air

From 1976 to 2007, thousands of bands performed at Mississippi Nights on Laclede’s Landing. AC/DC played their ninth American concert there in 1977. Nirvana performed its only St. Louis concert at the music club in 1991. Local bands such as the Urge, Pale Divine and Uncle Tupelo were there too. We talk with Stacy and Garrett Enloe who have written the new book, “Mississippi Nights: A History of The Music Club in St. Louis.”

At Literary Death Match, writers compete in a competitive, humor-centric reading series. After more than 500 such events across the country (and the world), the event finally makes its way to St. Louis November 10. Creator Adrian Todd Zuniga and author Deborah Jackson-Taffa discuss Literary Death Match’s origins and mission.

One of the most audacious protests in St. Louis history is the inspiration behind a new play chronicling the efforts of the activist group ACTION — which in 1972 sent members to infiltrate the Veiled Prophet ball. That operation, which dramatically unveiled that year’s Veiled Prophet, is among the subjects of the play “Action,” opening November 11. Director Kathryn Bentley and actor Miles Brenton discuss bringing the dramatic true stories of “Action” to life.

Antisemitic rhetoric and violence is on the rise. The Anti-Defamation League tracks antisemitic incidents in the U.S. ranging from graffiti to assault and it have reported that incidents have been on the rise and climbing since 2016. Now they’re at the highest level since the ADL started tracking in the 1970s. Arts and culture senior reporter Jeremy D. Goodwin talks with Helen Turner, director of education at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, to talk about the museum's redesign and reopening to the public as well as the importance of sharing the stories and history of the Holocaust and its connection to St. Louis and its citizens.

Nartana Premachandra’s parents founded Dances of India in St. Louis in 1977. Forty-five years later, the dance company is one of the oldest classical Indian dance groups in the country. Premachandra and Dances of India Co-Director Theckla Mehta discuss this year’s annual performance and the Hindu mythology that inspires their dances.

Death is scary, uncomfortable, and expensive. More families are looking for alternatives to the conventional method of being buried in a casket and looking toward more cost effective and eco-friendly options. Tim Johnson of Foundation Cremation and Gracie Griffin of Bellefontaine Cemetery discuss these alternatives and the conversations they’re having with families as they lay their loved ones to rest.

Arkadin Cinema opened in St. Louis’ Bevo Mill neighborhood in June 2020. Other local theaters were closing during the pandemic — but not Arkadin. The microcinema has grown a cult following with its monthly Drinkolas Cage events. Co-owners Keith Watson and Sarah Baraba talk about their big plans for the future, and we bring you the sounds of last month’s Drinkolas Cage event.

On November 8, voters in Missouri will face Amendment 5, which asks them: “Shall the Missouri National Guard currently under the Missouri Department of Public Safety be its own department, known as the Missouri Department of the National Guard, which shall be required to protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of Missourians?” Its supporters include former Missouri National Guard Adjutant General Steve Danner. One opponent is St. Louis Democratic Representative Peter Merideth, who worries that the amendment is creating a new mission statement for the organization.

In 1989, the groundbreaking musical “Some of my best friends are” hit the St Louis theater scene, becoming the first example of queer culture being openly depicted on a St. Louis stage. More than 30 years later, on October 20, much of the original cast reunited for a one-night reunion performance. The play’s writer and co-creator, Joan Lipkin, reflects on the legacy of the production, and what connections she draws between the play’s world of 1989 and today. We also listen to clips of the musical’s songs “Hoosier Boy” and “There’s a judge in my bedroom,” and we hear from Rodney Wilson, who attended the play as an audience member in 1989 and 2022.

With her new documentary, “Education, Interrupted,” Aisha Sultan encourages audiences to reflect on the ways the coronavirus pandemic radically disrupted learning and children’s development. The film is featured in this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival.