HOME
Phillip Hamer
September 23 – January 7, 2023
Opening Reception Friday September 23, 4 – 7pm
The Dark Room

*Walk-in gallery visits to The Dark Room are open to the public during any show and concert happening inside The Grandel, including weekly Wednesday Night Jazz Jams and The Dark Room Concert Series. Private gallery visits can be made for all galleries by appointment with COVID-19 mitigation policies in place. To make an appointment, and for questions or concerns, please contact  [email protected] or (314) 549-9990 ext. 105

“When I think of Home, I think of a place where there is Love overflowing…”

This is exactly what my home has always felt like to me. Raised in a unique atmosphere where I grew up with 90% of my neighborhood being my blood relatives – It was a very beautiful experience. One that has molded my life. When I think of home, I think of the love that’s been poured into me by my family. I dedicate this project: HOME to my family: the Whittiers, the Pattersons, and those that I’ve yet to discover in my maternal lineage. The humans that passed down the inheritance of love, the ones who first taught me how to love and be loved. This Project is a full-circle moment, as I will be bringing my family back into a space they once called home, their Church Home. Home is a mixed media project of past and present images paying homage to my loved ones.

In “Cling II: A Carescape’” Amy Reidel uses abstract and figurative imagery to illuminate facial expressions, details and patterns, inspired by the poignant emotions shared between family members, the often-disregarded health issues of women, and objects of lineage and domesticity. In this exhibit, Grandma’s scarves and decorative rugs merge with darling baby and scared caregiver figures in an absurd representation of home and a rapidly declining climate-scape.

Sir Eddie C with KV the Writer + Zado

building his spaceship in St. Louis, MO is hip-hop artist Sir Eddie C. his music, which is self described as “regular people music” runs the gambit of topics, themes, + expressions. the musician intentionally crafts his music to reflect as many facets of the human experience. he uses his experiences to provide not only a look into himself, but also a mirror to the listener. with a penchant for colorful design aesthetics and a musical style reflective of previous hip-hop generations (that he refers to as “deja vu”), he is a clear standout in the St. Louis music scene.
born in Belleville, IL as Eddie Cox, Sir Eddie C gained an appreciation for music early as a child after borrowing a copy of Jay-Z’s “The Black Album” on a burned CD from a friend. his musical influences grew from there as he discovered artists like Pharrell, Lauryn Hill, Gym Class Heroes, Wale, + many more during hip-hop’s “blog era”.

his most impactful single to date has been “lil Black boy”. not only has it been heard by thousands of people, but the music video was also featured on “BET Jams”. that BET video premiere marked the first time Sir Eddie C’s music reached national audiences. beyond the musical impact, fueled by the concept of the song, Sir Eddie C + The Village Path were able to collaborate on a project that raised $16,000 for free mental sessions for Black men in the St. Louis area.

on may 5th, 2022, the artist released his newest ep, “gelato”. from the success of this ep, Sir Eddie C is currently enjoying a musical run that is rarely seen in music today. with his first headlining show “gelato after dark” completely selling out, an unprecedented full capacity event at sophie’s artist lounge + multiple sell out pop-up events, it is only a matter of time before this artist’s spaceship takes off.

Midwest Metal Punks + Jamo Presents:

“The Holiday From Hell” featuring:

Blind Oath

(Tulsa Heavy Metal)

https://blindoath.bandcamp.com

Sarin Reaper

(KC death crust)

https://sarinreaper.bandcamp.com

Extinctionism

(STL death metal)

https://extinctionism.bandcamp.com/album/extinctionism

Bloodspawn

(STL death metal)

https://bloodspawn.bandcamp.com

Plus a heavy metal dance party with DJ Domolition

A title known the world over, Elf The Musical is a must-produce holiday musical that can easily become an annual tradition for any theatre. Based on the cherished 2003 New Line Cinema hit, Elf features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer) and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway), with a book by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).

Synopsis: Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh realities that his father is on the naughty list and his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

I Believe is a NEW contemporary musical telling the story of the birth of Jesus Christ with a modern twist. This production has some great original Broadway Gospel and Christmas tunes. This new original musical, directed by Paul Herbert Pitts will be a production the entire family will enjoy and as well be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.

An Art Gallery presented by FIVE DOLLA CAM only for one night, featuring:
Ryan Gipson
Malik Fabian-Mahmud
Adrián Gómez Villaseñor
Hasan El-Amin
Taylor Marrie
Miss 88
Fatou The Supreme Ruler
Terrence Strong

Shirts sold in collaboration with Cømply

Tacos by Super Darby Bros

Music by Umami 9-11pm

For the past fifteen years, The Hooten Hallers have been crisscrossing the country as inveterate road warriors, bringing their peculiar vision of Americana–a fiery rock and roll fever dream birthed in Missouri’s fertile musical heartland. They’ve put so many miles into the road that they’ve burned through multiple tour vans and left twisted metal and frayed rubber strewn across the road behind them. With their aptly named new album, Back In Business Again, the trio roar back on to the international stage with ten incendiary new original songs drawn from their many travels and inspired by the hardships that all touring musicians have faced throughout a seemingly never-ending pandemic. There’s hope in these new songs, but tinges of madness too, driven by the raw drumming and falsetto howl of Andy Rehm, the infernal growl and swirling guitars of John Randall, and the low rolling baritone and bass saxophones of Kellie Everett. The Hooten Hallers have always been musical colliders, smashing together everything from pre-war jazz to Chicago blues with jaunts around New Orleans and garage rock explorations with hints of punk rock. It’s Morphine meets ZZ Top mixed a dash of George Thorogood and Tom Waits along St. Louis’ Mississippi waterfront. Produced by bassist Dominic Davis (Jack White, Greensky Bluegrass), Back In Business Again takes a match to The Hooten Hallers’ fuse and explodes the renegade power trio to the edge and back again, one vigorous, swinging, perfectly peculiar song at a time. Bubbling beneath the rip-roaring surface of the new album are all-original songs of outsider Americana delight, from tall tales about near-mythological characters, to a eulogy commemorating the demise of 15 years worth of tour vans, to heartfelt blues, thoughtful love songs, and well beyond. Listening to the howls and growls of The Hooten Hallers’ new album, to the burning sax l

Acclaimed singer Jonathan Karrant celebrates the release of his new holiday album on Thursday, December 22nd, 7pm at The Dark Room. The album is a collaboration with The Joe Alterman Trio. Featured on the album are; trumpeter of Jazz at Lincoln Center Kenny Rampton, renowned saxophonist Houston Person and a duet with Grammy winning Jazz Legend Diane Schuur. This incredible team of artists have taken some of the most beloved holiday songs and reimagined them with unique arrangements. Jonathan will be performing songs from the album and sharing some of his favorite Christmas memories. Jonathan doesn’t cover songs, he uncovers them. Come join the celebration of this new album! The evening will leave you filled with the holiday spirit!

Jonathan Karrant’s album, “On and On” hit #4 on the Billboard Jazz charts and his album Live hit #2 on the iTunes Jazz Charts. He has received honors throughout the states including; the New York City Cabaret Jazz Honors, “Best Singer” for the Bravo California Awards and was named one of the top 10 rising jazz vocalists by Downbeat. “A voice, romantic without being cloying, warm but not forced, Jonathan carries songs with an emotional weight that reaches your soul. At the same time he can swing with the kind of jazz suave that was patented by Mel Torme.” Jazz Corner

Like the orbit of the Earth around the Sun, these guys just keep coming back. If one thing has held true for over a decade now, they have continued to grow as musicians and friends sewing roots in the music community all across the country. Andrew Allen, Jamie Brungard, Dom L’Amour, and Sam Niehaus present to you, original music of funk, soul, and jazz with many tasteful and complimentary covers from the Meters. Featuring Matt Handley on keys, this will be a holiday show not to be missed!

Hillary Fitz is a St. Louis based singer-songwriter who puts her heart into what she does. Whether it is singing, writing, or performing – her dedication to her craft shines through in the sounds. Her passion for music is what drives her to do what she does. With a big voice and homegrown guitar and harmonica chops, her style combines a range of influences. From rock to folk to jazz, you never know what genre you’ll get out of her – but you can guarantee that it’ll be delivered with soul and authenticity.

​With a background in biology, art, and yoga – she is fascinated by life and expression. This translates into her music as she uses it as a tool to express her experiences, memories, and stories. Her love for what she does can be felt in her music.