ST LOUIS MAYOR'S MARDIS GRAS BALL AFTER PARTY @CITY HALL ROTUNDA FEB 17,2023

There's some revelers from the St Louis Mayors Ball coming to the after party through the red carpeted corridor .

People at the two story city hall building.

 

St Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones greets the crowd and asks if the crowd can donate to her foundation, St Louis College Kids, the foundation that was raising money from this event.

  People greet the mayor after her speech to the attendees.

 A long view of the attendees near the stairwell of the Rotunda

                             Attendees schmoozing.

Hot 104.1 FM ST Louis radio personality Shorty Da Prince on the mic as Run DMC's dee-jay and STL DJ veteran DJ Charlie Chan was on the 1s and 2s. 

 

MAAT's TAKE.Well, Yours Truly, decided to take the chance and see what the After Party for the Mardis Gras Ball was going to give--and just what I expected...exclusivity--for certain people. 

So, when I got there around 30 minutes after midnite, I saw that there were many people in line waiting to see if they were on the list to get in. Much to my chagrin, there were many who got hooked up to the party because they either knew the producers of the event or someone who knew someone for access. I found out that a good friend of mine, singer Sineta Roker, organized the event and informed her of my having to wait by the VIP check in table for clearance entrance from my Mardis Gras All Access Pass and after getting patted down by security like the guests were at the TSA at the Airport. LOL

But I digress from that.

Overall, it was about 200 or so people who attended, many from the event from Union Station that were more of "the urban skin complexion," if you get my drift. It was more a party than a Mardis Gras party--no frills or bells and whistles, but just a emcee and a dee-jay (Charlie Chan always brings the noise as far as playing the right hip hop and R&B tunes for the right time and occasion). My only gripe was people trying  to sardine themselves to the VIP area that was more of a long hallway by the banisters upstairs. I walked through there a few times to see who I could spot (I saw Hot 104.1 personality Andrew Caldwell up in there by the way). Other than that, it was mostly subdued as people chilled drinking from the open bar areas and heavy appetizers passed on plates by waiters in the cramped area.  But it seemed like no one seemed to mind.

It was good to hear from  Mayor Tishaura Jones (her father former Comptroller Virvus was there and all smiles in his dapper white tux) who greeted everyone for coming and gave a humbling plea for people there to donate to her foundation, the St Louis College Kids (the charitable organization) soon after the ticketed event was over.

As the night progressed into the early morning, people were very frisky on the dance floor as the ladies took off their heels to get their twerk on as Chan played Glorilla and Cardi B's "Tomorrow."

It was goin on 2 in the morning and my dress shoes were BARKING on my feet....that was sign for me to vacate the event and head to my abode.

The after party overall was what it was as far as the event was concerned. It felt more of a separate club  party than the Mardis Gras party and I hope that the organizers next year tie in more of a Mardis Gras theme if they decide again to separate the events at two different venues Union Station and City Hall. 

 

ST LOUIS MAYOR'S MARDIS GRAS GALA@UNION STATION FEB.17, 2023

There's YOURS  TRULY, Ma'at Atkins, in the cut with my socialite friend, Musa Ali taking a pic from the event. We also reunited to bring back our DAPPER  CANCERS brand where we attend events and wear stylish fashions.

A long shot of some of the Union Station midway where the event was held.

One of the entertainers during the VIP dinner segment

of the event was the Funky Butt Brass Band

After the dinner portion, popular band Dirty Muggs had the crowd moving with their range of Top 40 hits.

A long view of some of the VIP crowd getting  their Mardi Gras party on ! 

Here is a video of one of the Mardi Gras spectacles that happened during the event.

Here's another Mardi Gras spectacle, an aerial act.

One of the attendees were STL power couple Rinaa Pheonix and Antoine Larry

                                                                              

A reveler with a star balloon in the crowd.

The Marshmello Man LOL

MAAT's TAKE--Overall, the event was OK. Or shall I say, it was Ok enough, for St Louis. Having been to a St Louis Mayors Mardi Gras Ball in the past, I was expecting a little more razzmatazz as far as the whole Mardi Gras atmosphere: the bells and whistles that comes with a Mardi Gras Party, but it gave what it gave.

It was definitely a great return to normalcy after the Pandemic and partying without masks. So, I will give this reason as far as how things were with the event.

As far as the VIP set up, it was well decorated and spaced where people had the option to sit down and eat or grab a small plate to stand and schmooze. As far as the food, it was palatable. I saw many people who went for the cookies and sweets more than the main dishes which mainly was fried oyster-kabobs and rice. Based on people going to the trash can, the oyster-kabobs were not a hit. 

But the VIP made up for the oyster faux paux by having open bar areas for people to parlay in beer, wine, spirits and cocktails. There were many Mardis Gras costumes that kept the mood of the affair intact by the guests, some had complimentary beads and hats that were given out. Their were also many ladies who wore their furs and minks with long gowns of many colors and regalia that kept me keeping score of fashions. 

As the night continued and the libations were poured and drank, people loosened up and got very frisky with the Mardi Gras scene. It was also a night of reunion for me seeing people who I havent seen since the Pandemic hit from school mates, fitness colleagues, and media personalities. The Megalux 360 Megabooth was also a nice added touch for the revelers to capture the moment.

The St Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones came through midway during the festivities  as the Dirty Muggs were on stage with her mayor's entourage. She was  wearing a red speckled number that was well suited for the Mardis Gras occasion. I was expecting her to greet  the crowd on stage for a Mayors Moment but I must have missed it because from pics I saw on social media she greeted the attendees. 

There were also, however, a few WTF moments that I observed as well. There was this couple who was nice and lit and the man's lady wanted YOURS TRULY to spank her bottom as her man looked. I definitely went cold on that request. LOL. Another instance was when a black guy was arguing all up in the face of a white guy as though he was about to hit him in the face. OMG! I dont know what transpired prior to this potential ruckus, but when I mouthed to the black guy, "Is Everything ok?" He mouthed back, "Yeah." And that was the end of that. Another moment was when a lady literally fell into my arms when she tripped over a ladies' high heels that were left unattended by the staging area where The Dirty Muggs were performing. Good thing I caught her because she would have been diving into a hard floor. 

And lastly, when a lip syncher began lip synching to Tina Turner hits on an adjacent stage. It was darkened and the lip syncher had no fan fare. The entertainer (not sure if the entertainer was a female impersonator or not) was not dazzling at all. When one  does Tina Turner you have to be electrifying, and rolling down the river! LOL. 

As things began to wind down, I was debating on whether to attend the After Party that was going to held at City Hall especially after the After Party feel I got from Dirty Muggs turning it out on stage. So, after some quick debate and looking at the time which was after midnite, I decided to go ahead and see what the After Party was going to give.