OS: 2 OUT ON THE TOWN

There's YOURS TRULY holding up a program sheet of the stageplay Deeper Shade of Blues 

HEY OUTSTAGRS and OUTTOWNERS! Week Two of my return back to the basics with this blog. OK, so I checked out two events last weekend, one was inside and one was outside.


LETS GET TOWN! 

Last Friday, I checked out my former mentee Joel P.E. King's one man stageplay, Deeper Shade of Blues" that was held at the Zack Theatre (owned by the Kranzberg Theatre) on Locust in Midtown St Louis (It was a two-night run). I was glad to return the favor to check out his play after he came to check out my play Snap Honey last month in Marietta, Ga at Good Acting Studio (He is director in residence at the Marietta Theatre in the Square, BTW). 

In the lobby, I felt a sense of a family affair, literally. His family members held it down at the box office making sure my comp ticket was there greeted with a smile. I saw a few familiar faces there who are in the STL theatre circle as well as King's pantheon of those who worked with him or admired him for various reasons.


The play itself was outstanding. And I am not saying that just because I know him. Told through a projected screen of various images from war torn Africa, a snippet of Beyonce's "Girls Rule the World video and snapshots of his family (the highlight of the play)"Deeper" is reminiscent to a historic journey of the black man from pre-slavery days to LGBTIA culture. King resonated with each character he portrayed from an old man telling his story about a love lost during post-slavery times to Miss Gyrl, a fabulous queer performer whos lover leaves him after a show. One of the highlights was  a heartwrenching tribute to his extended family as he sang in memoriam of those who are here and those who have moved into ancestryhood. King also had the men in the audience to stand to plead that he was his brother's keeper.

Afterwards, there was an impromptu award presentation celebrating King;s 25 years in the theater business. Presented by his family members, King, was asked to sit in the audience as he sat through a five minute thank you from various people who he has worked with in the past (Including a voice message from  "Growing Up Hip Hop : Atlanta's Andrea Kelly). He was presented his award humbly and in short said that he was all about the work.


There was a meet and greet with King  at the fourth floor bar space, Urban Ballroom (I saw you Gloveboxx!). I didnt stay long but I was able to congratulate King for a job well done!

The Frizz Festival at Tower Grove Park

Last Saturday, after my stint at the gym and running errands, I decided to drive to Tower Grove Park to check out the Frizz festival, a festival in celebration of black women and their natural selves. Now mind, you, there wasnt actual signs directing where the festival was located, but it was a colorful journey toward it,. People had their family reunions with matching t shirts, blasting their radios in their cars, and doing their own hot fun summer stuff. 

Who was this naturally-loced sista walking to the festival?

After a few minutes of winding road and searching, I found the area where the festival was going on. Their were rooftopped booths with vendors as people walked to the spot. Me, myself? The weather was 100 degree plus and didnt have the energy to find a parking spot (which was difficult due to people already parked in spots that can be used) so I decided to take a few snapshots and jet out to the Maatspear Compound to regroup from my day.

Last Sunday, I was planning to go to see Bone Thugs N Harmony at Ballpark Village but my connect never did get back in contact with me. Now, back in the day, I had no shame just showing up and flashing my media pass for entry, but now that I am more settled and not as eager to "get that event," it wasnt that serious.Plus, I had some Maatology business to square up on.

TIDBIT. This past week, I was getting gas on Lindell Boulevard, a street that is notorious for beggars and homeless people asking for some change. Well, at this instance, there was a beggar on the street in front of the gas station waiting to ask his next handee for some change, well, one sista let him have it. She said, "Hell, no mutha fucka, I aint giving you a mutha fuckin thing. You are always at this spot. Why dont you get yourself a mutha fuckin job."

Whoo! Talk about getting cussed out to the top of cussivity! I think we all have had that moment where we wanted to blast a beggar who keep asking for change, or a cigarette, or food. I usually say, "I am struggling, too."  I can just imagine what they go through trying to make ends meet. But there have been those who con the public with the begging act just to get over. So, in defense of the sista, she may have had a bad day or just was tired of seeing a reminder that we all could be in the worn out shoes that a beggar wears. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS OR EVENT  ON OUT ON THE TOWN, PLEASE EMAIL TO MAAT.ATKINS@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFO! 

FIN.

OS 1: OUT ON THE TOWN

Photos by Maatology

YOURS TRULY up on the rooftop of Clayton on the Park

HEY OUTSTAGRS! I am back from "retirement" from reporting on my travels out and about of my public outgoings. Its been a couple of years since my moving into another direction in my career, focusing on producing my stageplay SNAP HONEY (in Los Angeles and recently Atlanta), winding down my Mista Couture competition (which will end in December) and currently working on the 2020 OBSDN Men of Color Calendar that I hope to publish in the Fall.

This past week, it just hit me of how much I needed to get back into the swing of going out on the town and reporting of what Ive seen. For those who are fans of my blog since July 2005, know that this blog has been through several incarnations from a basic journaling, to a news blog with pics, to entertainment blog with a St Louis slant and then to just using it to promo my projects.

Well, I am going back to the basics.

The blog will be more focused on its roots--journaling my travels and adding pics along the way.

So, lets get to it!

Last Friday, I decided to check out the summer soiree, Clayton on the Park, a hangout on the multistory, swanky, apartment complex's rooftop which takes place the second Friday of each month in the summer. 

So, I put on some "Maatwear" and headed over there about 8pmish. When I walked into the lobby, I spotted a very attractive young lady who noticed me instantly from my OUTTOWN years. Come to find out it was a young lady, STL mover and shaker  Natina Hopson, who I snapped a pic of with a guy years ago with the caption "Who is the Mystery Man she is with?" Well, she said that didnt go too well with her then real boyfriend at the time, but she said the pic was fab. PSHEW. LOL

I went up about twenty floors up to the rooftop and automatically got an out of town vibe with the art decco styled decor of the architecture. The crowd was a bit sparse which is understandable because of the hotness of the weather. 



I saw that they had a mini bar and got a vodka and cran and proceeded into the main area to enjoy the outer atmosphere as the DJ played Top 40 tunes.

Folks mainly chilled and enjoyed the scene as well. They had a adult size chess board and Connect Four for gamers and a nice swimming pool area for those to look at LOL

 They also had food samples from Chef Eric Prophete of Kingside Diner mainly of grilled exotic fruit which was quite good and got the chef's biz card for possible future dining.

An hour in, a few more people came through and spent most of the evening talking with Hopson and her friend until the music stopped signaling that the event was over. It was about 10ish when I realized that the night was still young. So I said goodbye to Hopson and her friend and decided to drive through the city to see what I could get into.

 There is YOURS TRULY flanked next to Elisha Newsome (LEFT) and Natina Hopson.


Well, the answer to that was, nothing much lol. I did drive to Pepper Lounge to see what was popping there and there was a step and repeat set up outside in the corridor section of the club I believe for DJ Arty J;'s bday but it looked as though it wasnt much action going on there so I decided to just go to the Maatspear Compound (my place of residence, that is) and chill out.

On Last Saturday I was planning to go to the Blue Ultra Lounge owned and operated by Cornell Boone on Delmar for the Cancer edition of their special bday celebrations. But after a hard work out at my gym, I was a bit lethargic regards to heading out to check it out especially with this month being my bday month. I did get a chance to check out the scene outside the Chaifetz Arena where the 95.5 Fm staffers were braving the hot sun to give away tickets to Tom Joyner One Last Time concert where Maze and Kem were the performers. Cars were parked down Compton so they could get a early parking spot for the show and few people in their white linen (the official color for a Maze concert). I tried to get access to meet and greet Tom Joyner through a connect but that didnt fall though ( I should have known better than to wait the last minute or at least made eye to contact with my connect. LOL)

And that was my journey last weekend.

Lets see what will be in store this coming weekend!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS OR EVENT  ON OUT ON THE TOWN, PLEASE EMAIL TO MAAT.ATKINS@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFO!
FIN.