Emily Grise at August Open-Mic

Emily Grise was one of 8 readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at our August reading.

Other readers were Sarah Griesedieck, Jim McGowin, Tom Simmons, Aaron Williams, Terrie Jacks, Michael Sullivan, and Chris Parr.

The next •chance operations• reading at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End, will be Monday, September 24, with featured readers Kelli Allen, Jazzy Danziger, and Matthew Freeman.

Doors at 7:30 p.m.; admission $3.00.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Musical guest to be announced.

Terrie Jacks at August Open-Mic

Terrie Jacks was one of 8 readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at our August reading.

Other readers were Sarah Griesedieck, Jim McGowin, Tom Simmons, Aaron Williams, Emily Grise, Michael Sullivan, and Chris Parr.

The next •chance operations• reading at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End, will be Monday, September 24, with featured readers Kelli Allen, Jazzy Danziger, and Matthew Freeman.

Doors at 7:30 p.m.; admission $3.00.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Musical guest to be announced.

Aaron Williams at August Open-Mic

Aaron Williams was one of 8 readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at our August reading.

Other readers were Sarah Griesedieck, Jim McGowin, Tom Simmons, Terrie Jacks, Emily Grise, Michael Sullivan, and Chris Parr.

The next •chance operations• reading at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End, will be Monday, September 24, with featured readers Kelli Allen, Jazzy Danziger, and Matthew Freeman.

Doors at 7:30 p.m.; admission $3.00.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Musical guest to be announced.

Tom Simmons at August Open-Mic

Tom Simmons was one of 8 readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at our August reading.

Other readers were Sarah Griesedieck, Jim McGowin, Aaron Williams, Terrie Jacks, Emily Grise, Michael Sullivan, and Chris Parr.

The next •chance operations• reading at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End, will be Monday, September 24, with featured readers Kelli Allen, Jazzy Danziger, and Matthew Freeman.

Doors at 7:30 p.m.; admission $3.00.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Musical guest to be announced.

Jim McGowin at August Open-Mic

Jim McGowin was one of 8 readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at our August reading.

Other readers were Sarah Griesedieck, Tom Simmons, Aaron Williams, Terrie Jacks, Emily Grise, Michael Sullivan, and Chris Parr.

The next •chance operations• reading at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End, will be Monday, September 24, with featured readers Kelli Allen, Jazzy Danziger, and Matthew Freeman.

Doors at 7:30 p.m.; admission $3.00.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Musical guest to be announced.

Sarah Griesedieck at August Open-Mic

Sarah Griesedieck was one of 8 readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at our August reading.

Other readers were Jim McGowin, Tom Simmons, Aaron Williams, Terrie Jacks, Emily Grise, Michael Sullivan, and Chris Parr.

The next •chance operations• reading at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End, will be Monday, September 24, with featured readers Kelli Allen, Jazzy Danziger, and Matthew Freeman.

Doors at 7:30 p.m.; admission $3.00.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Musical guest to be announced.

Peter Noire Musical Guest at Monday, August 27, Open-Mic

Peter Noire will be the musical guest at the •chance operations• FREE open-mic at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End.

Free admission; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Tom Simmons at July Open-Mic

Tom Simmons was one of six readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at the July reading. Other readers were Jennifer Goldring, Will Kyle, Grady Manus, C.J. Smith, and Amy Genova.

The next •chance operations• reading will be an evening long open-mic on Monday, August 27, at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End.

Free admission; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Amy Genova at July Open-Mic

Amy Genova was one of six readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at the July reading. Other readers were Jennifer Goldring, Grady Manus, C.J. Smith, and Tom Simmons.

The next •chance operations• reading will be an evening long open-mic on Monday, August 27, at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End.

Free admission; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

C.J. Smith at July Open-Mic

C.J. Smith was one of six readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at the July reading. Other readers were Jennifer Goldring, Grady Manus, Amy Genova, and Tom Simmons.

The next •chance operations• reading will be an evening long open-mic on Monday, August 27, at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End.

Free admission; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Grady Manus at July Open-Mic

Grady Manus was one of six readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at the July reading. Other readers were Jennifer Goldring, Will Kyle, C.J. Smith, Amy Genova, and Tom Simmons.

The next •chance operations• reading will be an evening long open-mic on Monday, August 27, at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End.

Free admission; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Six Haiku

great blue heron stands
motionless shadow watching
... nearby wild plums bloom


death shroud of white mist
borne on whisper-soft cat paws --
river valley morn


frost covers the earth
a lady draped in fine lace
beautiful and cold


night grieves loss of light
stars tentatively console
... unmoved, nighthawks dance


skeletal trees weep
world wrapped in cold bleak winter
.. my heart walks alone


redtail hawk sits, blinks
mouse scuttles, gathering seeds
... somewhere a heart breaks

-- Grady Manus

Will Kyle at July Open-Mic

Will Kyle was one of six readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at the July reading. Other readers were Jennifer Goldring, Grady Manus, C.J. Smith, Amy Genova, and Tom Simmons.

The next •chance operations• reading will be an evening long open-mic on Monday, August 27, at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End.

Free admission; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Jennifer Goldring at July Open-Mic

Jennifer Goldring was one of six readers to step up to the •chance operations• open-mic at the July reading. Other readers were Will Kyle, Grady Manus, C.J. Smith, Amy Genova, and Tom Simmons.

The next •chance operations• reading will be an evening long open-mic on Monday, August 27, at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End.

Free admission; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Joe Thebeau Musical Guest at Duff's on Monday, July 23

Our musical guest will be Joe Thebeau of Finn's Motel.

This •chance operations• reading will be an evening long open-mic on Monday, July 23, at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid, in the Central West End.

Free admission; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Thomas Crone says of Joe Thebeau:

A longtime musician in the local rock scene, Thebeau came into prominence with the Finns (aka Finn Brothers) in the late '80s, the band reigniting the Saint Louis power pop flame. From there, he played through a variety of shorter-term gigs, like Sexicolor and A-OK, all the while writing songs that would eventually form the spine of Finn's Motel's debut album on Scat Records, Escape Velocity.

Thebeau's lyrics are far from the usual and you get as much talk about science as you do about love lost. Intriguing lyrics aside, the key to the Finn's Motel sound is the pulling-in of many influences; sure power-pop's still there, but he's equally adept at writing a moody ballad, or a transitional instrumental, linking one stellar track to the next.