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Americans of a certain age will recognize those words as the opening line of the theme song from Mr. Ed, a 60s TV show about a talking horse. St. Louis, however, has different horses coming to town. This is the huge four-tower tent of a show called Cavalia, a horses-n-acrobats spectacle opening in a month and a half. I can't imagine why they put up the tent so early unless they have nothing else to do with it and want to attract attention. The theme doesn't appeal to me. When I was a kid about the only horses around were under policemen and the whole package was scary. As for acrobats, I've got as little physical grace as one could have without a diagnosable disorder, so I don't really get it.Note the billboard in the right background of the bottom picture. The lottery jackpot is up to $325 million this weekend. Maybe that's my ticket to freedom. 
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After Samba Bom, the Brazilian group seen here the last two days, the next performers at The Sheldon were Sol Salseros, a pan-Caribbean Latin band playing salsa, merengue, cumbia, cha cha and samba. So, okay, they threw in some Brazilian.I like Latin music but I don't know that much about it, being the kind of guy who listens to the Metropolitan Opera channel on satellite radio while driving around. However, I once got to hear Tito Puente and his band play at the Blue Note in NYC. Talk about hot. Here's an example. 
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The lead photo in Monday's post was from First Night, The Lou's no-booze public New Year's Eve party. They say that's family friendly. Hmm. Do you hate your family if you have a glass of champagne at midnight? Well, the point is that nobody gets rowdy, which is fine.Saturday night's temperature was shockingly warm for December 31 (climatologists take note) and the area was absolutely packed. We went to performances that were not too crowded or venues where we knew you could move around. The upstairs ballroom at the marvelous Sheldon Concert Hall was the headquarters for Latin music. This shot is from the performance by Samba Bom, playing Brazilian music that gets you out of your chair. After the show, the dancer above gave a group lesson. We'll get to that soon.
Peasants with pitchforks? Cardinal fans chasing Albert Pujols out of town? The 99% approaching the Republican National Convention?No, it's Juggling Jeff and his pal Josh Routh of Circus Kaput (love that name) doing their fire juggling act in the street during First Night on Saturday. They really should call it Last Night since it happens on New Year's Eve and ends after midnight fireworks. The theaters, churches and other public spaces around Grand and Lindell Boulevards provide entertainment of every kind, with outdoor performers sprinkled in between. Come back in June to see Jeff and Josh in the pre-show at our Shakespeare In The Park festival.And so we're off on another twelve month spin. I've got lots of new material to start the year. Yesterday the polar bears had their annual water skiing outing in the frigid Mississippi. While hanging around the river, I found some interesting new graffiti on the flood wall. I've got a series from a Christmas Eve afternoon walkabout in The Grove, the funky neighborhood where my daughter lives. So Happy New Year. Ha! Ha! 
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Last Friday's First Night celebration had an oceanic theme. The reason for this escapes me since we're in the middle of the continent. In any event, there were these large, white, glowing jellyfish-like things floating up and down Grand Boulevard. It was an ingenious touch. This one looks like it wants a ticket to see Spamalot next week at the over-the-top opulent Fox Theatre, a 4,500 seat monster of a venue.
The theme was carried on by a large, elaborate sand sculpture of Neptune (I guess). His expression looks sad, like his best friend, Sponge Bob, just left and took a job at Sea World.
We're going riverboating today on Downtown St. Louis 365.
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More of the delightful entertainment from First Night. The was a group of - what should we call them? - black light clowns, cowboys or jugglers. Yippie-ki-oh-i-aye! How would this pair of boots have gone down on the Chisholm Trail?
This was a tough picture to make, stretching the limits of a good camera: ISO 3200, f5, 1/13 sec., hand held. Good enough.
TOMORROW: Thursday Arch Series.
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Within the last few weeks, one of our CDP colleagues had a post that asked the question: what is the thing in your life that you most regret? At first nothing came to mind. I'm not obsessed by guilt and second guessing. You know, like the Little Sparrow singing Non, je ne regrette rien. But then I remembered something. Late one evening after dinner in Madrid, my wife and I crossed the Plaza Mayor heading for the Metro. As we left by the north gate, we passed a bar or club with doors flung open and the most intense, passionate flamenco music pouring out. Should we go in, order a drink, watch the show, soak it up? Well...I don't know if they'd want us and it's all locals and it's crowded and it's getting late and for heaven's sake they all speak Spanish and... So we didn't go in. I regret that. The place was so obviously hot - and genuine. What an idjit. What an experience I missed.I like a lot of Hispanic music forms such as tango, salsa, meringue and flamenco. They have a combination of passion and sophistication hard to match in the north. One of the First Night performances was by Los Flamencos, a local group who practice the pure form of the art. All red and black, swirls and stomps over a strong but supple guitar. It was hot. Glad we stayed.
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Like a number of other American cities, St. Louis has a First Night celebration, an all ages, alcohol-free New Year's Eve party with entertainment up and down the Grand Center arts and entertainment district. Mrs. C and I went early and caught some really good acts. Got some good shots, too, which should last me awhile. Except today is the annual New Year's Day water skiing in the Mississippi event, which is a photographer's don't miss. Anyway, this group of very young local acrobats who call themselves the St. Louis Arches played in the auditorium of the old grandiose Scottish Rite Masonic temple. Pretty cool all around.And Happy New Year to all from STL. 
