In a couple of days, I will be able to say I told you so. After promising that a time will be had by folks with their good clothes on for The St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala Saturday at St. Louis Union Station Hotel, it will happen on October 17. Now I already told y’all that I’m expecting for honorees Tamiko Armstead and Dr. Paula Knight to bring the heat on the style tip. Now that the full list has been revealed, I’m also checking for what Carmen Meeks, Dr. Samantha March – and hopefully her little sister Amanda – and Dr. Cierra Wourman are going to bringing to Salute as far as their style. Y’all better visit www.stlamerican.com or call 314.533.8000 to get your tickets!
Photo by Lawrence Bryant/St. Louis American
Churchin’ with Chance The Rapper. I hate when shows fall on a Wednesday, because by the time I’m able to get around to talking about it we have all moved on. But it wouldn’t be right for me to shout Chance out for filling The Pageant to capacity for his ‘Coloring Book’ 10th Anniversary Tour. I left that show knowing two things for sure. The first is that Chance loves him some Jesus – and I am not the least bit mad about it. He gave a great show that included as many praise breaks as CeCe Winans and ‘nem at Chaifetz a few nights later. The show was quite cute. Which brings me to the second thing I know for sure. That La Reezy is something else! I never thought I would live to see a Gen Z rapper do the Pee Wee Herman dance and shake his tailfeather like Tina Turner, but here we are.
Rod Wave’s preppy brigade. Speaking of Gen Z rappers, Rod Wave had thousands of teens and twenty-somethings pulling up in Enterprise Center Monday night looking like they were all interviewing for the same restaurant maître D position. I had no idea that his fans dressed up like that! I will say that the girls got creative with how they managed to still be half nekkid while keeping with the theme. Shout out to the young lady who wore a swimsuit on top of a freshly pressed church usher blouse! But y’all came to hear about Rod Wave! He shole (yes, shole) took his time getting to the stage. I must say that once he did, I was beyond satisfied. I even liked that little Fridayy. And was I tripping, or was that St. Louis’ own Bradd Young who came out and sang with him towards the end of the show? I could barely hear the name because of all the screams and singing along with Rod. enjoyed myself – especially watching the young people sing along to songs about their feelings. When I went to a rap show at their age, the chorus didn’t have a drop of encouragement or emotional transparency. I’m too shame to type the actual lyrics of the hooks I was singing. But if you are curious, feel free to google 8Ball & MJG’s “You Don’t Want Drama.”
Another top-tier Animal House reunion. Morgan Casey and her squad did not disappoint with their second installment of their Animal House Reunion at Live By Loews on Sunday. When I was being fast up in the OG Animal House, I had to involve an accomplice who shall never be named. The instructions involved meeting me at the bottom of the hill at Lake In The Wood Apartments with specific instruction to turn their headlights off. We did an over the phone dry run that always ended with, “Don’t stop the car. Just have the back door open and move slow enough for me to hop in without hurting myself.” Forty years later I was able to kick it with some of the same folks I saw in the club back then without the fear of my big granny pulling up in her 1980 Buick Electra Station Wagon wearing a moo moo and hair rollers. She would have shamed me to death and then made me pick out a switch and put me to actual death if I had ever been caught. Thanks to Morgan and ‘nem, I could kick it 1980s style without the anxiety of constantly looking over my shoulder– like I had to do in the 1980s. The folks came out looking like they walked up out of a scene from “Krush Groove.” Chan was killing it on the tables. And that wicker chair photo moment had me wishing I had gone with my first mind and made a quick weave with stacks and a shag. And did I mention I was home before “60 Minutes” came on? I can’t wait for part three