Y’all already know what time it is. Book your hair appointment. Get your makeup and mani/pedi slots locked in. Do a dry run with your dress while you still have time for a second option. Test those shoes to calculate how long you can go before your heel time expires. I really wish Chick-fil-A had waited to launch that waffle sandwich until November. Because at this point, one bite will mean the difference between me being the belle of the Salute ball and looking like a bedazzled busted can of biscuits. Jesus, be the calorie-reducer, metabolism booster and exercise motivator that only you can! I’m trusting and believing for these next 38 days. The St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala is going down Saturday, October 17 at St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Visit www.stlamerican.com or call 314.533.8000 for more information.
Spray-painted flowers for Paint Louis. Y’all, I had never been to Paint Louis at my big grown age until last weekend and I am downright ashamed of myself. John Harrington and ‘nem are giving St. Louis something to be proud of with their graffiti festival that has had folks checking for us from around the globe for nearly three decades. To steal from my boy LB, Paint St. Louis should have been called Melt St. Louis for 2026. And while I felt like a Hershey’s kiss that was left on the dashboard by the time I was done, I’m telling you I left there in awe. I had so many faves, but I think Cbabi’s homage Fannie Lou Hamer has it. Vince Ballentine’s tribute to Lebron was up there too.
Ain’t no party like a Something Blue party. Larry Blue and the crew had me at the DMC and DJ Charlie Chan performance when Something Blue announced their adidas party. But when I arrived at the Angad Arts Hotel Saturday night, I got my whole entire life from mingling with the movers and shakers before DMC got started. Come to the front Mocha Latte, Jami Ballentine, Becky Blue and DT. I’m ‘bout sick of y’all not aging. If I didn’t know better, I would swear some doctor visits were involved. And in case anyone was wondering, yes, that was my black and yellow Lambo parked outside. Who am I kidding? Y’all already know this bosom would be honking that horn like Rasputia in “Norbit.” But back to the party. DMC and Chan tore it up as the girls grooved in the Ivy Park Collection that they pulled from the back of their closets. DMC took it all the way back when he mentioned Fresh Fest back in ‘84. I’m trying to remember if that was the show where Kurtis Blow got roasted like a Schnucks rotisserie chicken by the audience for wearing dirty tennis shoes on stage. Either way, I will never forget the most St. Louis diss ever spit happened during Blow’s portion of the show – which may or may not have been Fresh Fest. Ole boy said, “I’m fresher than him, and I work at McDonnell-Douglas.” Okay for real, back to the adidas party. I saw some of my faves up in the place to be. And DMC reminded me why I will partake in an old-school hip hop set every chance I get.
A night of emo rap and rock. I went to Isaiah Rashad’s “Lil Sunny’s Awful Road Trip” show at the Pageant Sunday night knowing I was in for a treat from him. What I didn’t expect is to be so delightfully intrigued by his opening act Alemeda. Girl, what did that little boy put you through? The way she was singing about how despicable he was had me shook – and out was out in these streets during the Alanis Morrisette era. “You Oughta Know” sounds like a gospel song compared to her tracks. She hates his face. She hates his guts. She hates him so bad that she’s gonna bleach her eyebrows. Help! What’s even wilder was that I was doing my best heavy metal neck for most of her show. She made me want to get a boyfriend just so I could break up with him, listen to those songs again and relate to the music. Alemeda is an emo girl. Isaiah Rashad is a hip hop emo boy – and I was checking for every minute of the whole thing. He should teach a class for the other rappers that just stand around and rap to tracks with vocals on them.
Visions in white, eggshell and pale oak. Morgan Casey and company gave us another one for the books with her Labor Day eve all-white party at Live By Loews. I was thrilled with the vibe and the turnout. And not to make it all about me (again), but I left there patting myself on the back because for the first time EVER I was able to tell twins Mark and Marlon Whitfield apart! They were stunned. The folks were out there giving looks on top of looks. Sarita Moody and Anthony “Redd” Williams had me so gagged that I forgave them for being on the far cream end of the white spectrum.