That’s right. We only have a week and some change until the gala of all galas goes down! The St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th Annual Salute to Excellence Scholarships and Awards Gala on Saturday, October 17. Is anyone else as excited as I am to see the vibe at an all-new venue? I can feel it in my bones that St. Louis Station Hotel is going to be a moment of pure elegance. That’s either my bones, or my stomach growling as I hit the home stretch of my annual Education Salute diet. Either way, the pangs are only making me more excited. Can y’all believe that I only have one more time to hype y’all up before Education Salute gets here? I hope you have your look all the way together, because the folks stay steppin’ on necks with the opulence when they step up in the building for an Education Salute. It will be no different for 2026. It might be sold out by now, but I would recommend that you hit up stlamerican.com or call 314.533.8000 to see if you can get squozed in. Yes, I said squozed.
Bryson Tiller. I have been following Bryson Tiller’s career since 2015. And yet I was Saturday night year’s old when I finally truly saw what he looked like. Y’all, this man has enough fans to fill up Hollywood Casino Amphitheater – and if he were standing in front of me at Schnucks he would have not had to worry about me getting into fangirl mode on him. I promise he is the first music star that could have been in witness protection. I’m thrilled to report that after the Neo Trapsoul Tour STL stop, I am 82 percent confident that I can recognize him in a lineup. I felt like me and Ty Dolla $ign were the oldest two people up in there, but the show was super cute. Let me say that DJ Austin Millz deserves a raise. And I say that with my full chest – and without knowing, or caring, how much he makes. Especially after he brought the crowd back to life after Majid Jordan had all but flatlined the vibe with their unseasoned K-Ci and Jo Jo vibes. I ain’t gonna lie, the music was actually good. But that step-touch, last place in a Fort Zumwalt South talent show stage presence was not giving. And Ty Dolla $ign set them up to win with his short but sweet show. They couldn’t even get the crowd pumped up when they sang the songs they did with Drake. But Mr. Millz took them from zero to 100 when he gave them a Sexyy Red moment before Bryson popped out. The girls hopped out their seats and got to twerking like the rent was due. This one child jumped over the rail and hit a full split right to the concrete. I don’t know how she survived with her thigh meat intact! Austin Millz got the crowd back right ______ (insert new slang for crunk). When I tell you they went bananas before Bryson showed up in real life. They started hollering when the video started on the screen. Then they went on to sing every single word of every single verse of every single song. He could have put the microphone down, sat at the top of the stage and said, “y’all got it!” Maybe not at the top, because the pyrotechnics might have set him on fire.
Denise and Pops in the firehouse. I made it out of the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater parking lot just in time to catch my girl Denise Thimes and my boy Pops Jackson in concert for the Firehouse Concert Series Sunday afternoon. If the name doesn’t give it away, the venue is the old Firehouse No. 7 in Lafayette Square. When I tell you Madam Diva Denise got it in as only she can. Her rendition of “Here’s to Life” took me all the way out!
So long Levitt 2026. Please note: This little bit got clipped from last week’s print edition, so I’m including it again. Just so you don’t think I messed up – or even worse, that you’re crazy. Is this how the TV networks used to feel back in the day when they had to play reruns? Anyway, okay. Ready. Set. Go. I closed my weekend by bidding farewell to the 2026 Levitt Vibes St. Louis Concert Music Series presented by Delmar Main Street. I’ve been cooked and I’ve been chilled at various points over the course of the spring and summer while attending these shows. They ended on a literal high note with Brian Owens. Listen, those high notes were noting! I might have to refer to him as Brian Benét after hearing his take on “Tennessee Whiskey” Sunday evening. I hope the series returns for 2027!