"We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." T. S. Eliot
I was able to work a Riverfront Times event that I never have before: Showcase STL. It takes place in the Grove, with lots of different bars and venues hosting different acts all over the place.
Well if there's one thing I learned about showcases it's that they need a lot of banners hung.
Up high banners, down low banners, all around banners.
Ben & Jerry's was on the spot with free ice cream and social justices.
A group that I know personally was playing so I was pretty much honor bound to go see them.
We headed over to Forest Park for our annual dose of Shakespeare in the park.
Wikipedia: "Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as they attempt to swear off the company of women for three years in order to focus on study and fasting. Their subsequent infatuation with the Princess of France and her ladies makes them forsworn. In an untraditional ending for a comedy, the play closes with the death of the Princess's father, and all weddings are delayed for a year. The play draws on themes of masculine love and desire, reckoning and rationalisation, and reality versus fantasy."
One of my favorite parts is the illustrated storyboard that explains what the heck is going on.
Well the Blues won the cup, buddy. Only one thing left to do buddy. Have a parade buddy!
Word had gotten out about this whole "first Blues Stanley Cup win ever situation. There were more than a few people out here and I could barely see a damn thing.
Someone taped a mixing bowl on top of a pile of Bud Select cans. Brewed for the Lou!!!
This homemade cup was built from broken hockey sticks.
After the parade everyone marched to the arch for a rally.
Brett Hull was there and very drunk. They wouldn't let us past the game because we had so much booze in tow. Well excuse me, I thought this was America.
We had some tacos to seal the victorious deal.
Later that night Lydia and I had tickets to see The Room, fabled by some to be the worst movie in the world. I had never seen it before which was exciting enough, but this showing was extra special because it had an introduction by the writer, director, producer, and star of the film, Tommy Wiseau.
I didn't know anything about Tommy but it turned out that he dressed a whole lot like Michael Jackson for some reason. He was an A1 weirdo. I think he may have had like 4 belts on at the same time and wore sunglasses indoors at nighttime even in a dark theater. No way could he see his own feet with those things on.
Tommy has like a Cajun sort of accent going on. He spent most of the time rambling incoherently and insulting the audience. Which was actually a pretty good warm up for The Room.
I haven't seen Rockey Horror Picture Show either but I think it must be something like the same experience. The audience yells at the screen a lot when certain dialogue takes places.
My favorite part was people threw plastic spoons into the air at particular moments. Who doesn't love flying plasticware?
We went to watch game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals at our friend Emma's place. The Blues ended up beating the pants off the Boston Bruins 4-1 to win the Stanley Cup. I'm not the sportiest guy in the world but it was an exciting time. I did catch a preseason game this year, so I feel like that covers me from being a fairweather douchebag. We drove from Emma's place in Brentwood to downtown to experience some of the magic.
The game was in Boston but there were watch parties all over the place, and so there were still a ton of people downtown.
Mr. Gary, king of hospitality and host of Them Yo People, was in attendance.
Traffic was so congested that people were hanging out of their car windows and sunroofs. "Gloria" was blaring out of many of them. That song... that song will haunt my nightmares for a long time. I gave so many people high fives that my hand still hurt in the morning.
I wore my ratty, Goodwill Outlet Blues sweater to work the next morning to rub salt into the wounds of some dignitaries visiting from Boston.
Many trashes were talked. Many Bluesy donuts were served.
