It’s 90 degrees out, but Kyle Kostecki’s standing on the concrete at South Grand Boulevard and Arsenal Street barefoot, his worn leather flip flops strewn to the side. Kostecki grabs a lot of attention; he’s wearing nothing but torn jean shorts, cheetah-print boxers that stick out the sides of his shorts, and a sports shoulder pad he fashioned into some kind of metal band armor. Oh, he’s also rocking a keytar at full volume.
This busy intersection during Monday evening rush hour is Kostecki’s stage. He bangs his head, bites his lip, and convulses to his music as if he’s playing for a rock concert crowd and not to an audience of drivers who either ignore him or whip out their phones for a photo. Some honk as they pass by, to which Kostecki trills a few notes in their direction.
You may know him as poopyknife, or Mannequin, (his wrestling name). He's been busking on St. Louis streets for the past couple months. A video captured by St. Louis Public Radio journalist Brian Munoz a few weeks ago showed Kostecki shredding on South Grand and spread quickly through St. Louis web circles.
We caught up with Kostecki on his most recent shred sesh in south city. He answered our questions in between licks on his keytar.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
You describe yourself as a Midwest mutant, an “EEArTHLING” and a “fartist” on your Instagram page. Tell me, how do you manage to juggle it all?
Well, being an earthling is easy, ‘cause like, we’re on Earth. And I don’t really have an explanation for Midwest mutant other than we’re in the Midwest and Midwest mutant sounds cool. For fartist, people are always like, “Oh, I’m an artist.” That sounds too pretentious. I know damn well I’m an artist, but I can’t bring myself to say “Oh, I’m an artist,” so I say I’m a fartist to make fun of it.
So no art out of farts?
Maybe someday.
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People are calling you an “STL Easter egg.” What are your thoughts on that?
I don’t really know what’s inside me, because I’ve never seen it. Maybe there’s candy? Maybe some spare change? But until I’m proven wrong, that title can stand.
Does your head ever hurt from head banging so hard?
No, no, no. I’m blessed with a good sturdy neck.
I like your get up. What are your style aspirations?
A whole lot of things. Most recently I watched a documentary about an ’80s band called Twisted Sister and I sat there and cried. Man, those guys were cool. Another visual inspiration is the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
I saw that movie when I was in third grade. When you’re young, your brain’s like a sponge and you can’t help but be influenced by things, especially something that’s completely bizarre to you. My parents are very straight-laced Republican kind-of-guys. So when I saw Rocky Horror Picture Show I was like, ‘Whoa, that guy’s cool!’”
Also, GWAR. Because they got pointy shoulders and stuff.
Are those kitchen knives? (RFT pointed to the augmented shoulder pad secured to Kostecki’s torso with what looked like a leather belt. Knives stuck through it and a jaw guard from a football helmet laced over its top.)
Yeah, I think so. I got them from Goodwill and I found the football piece on the streets of New Orleans this past Halloween. I build stuff out of scrap I find on the street. You know when you’re driving and see shrapnel everywhere from what looks like someone’s bumper exploded? I have another piece of armor that’s made out of old car parts and has knives sticking out of it.
Do you ever get haters on the street?
Actually, it’s quite rare. The most notable instance of hate came at the recent Pagan Festival. I thought I’d fit right in there. But the Pagan [burps] Police came up to me wearing some like official staff shirt with a pentagram on it and they were like, “Hey man, you gotta go.”
I know I wasn’t doing anything wrong. If I was doing something that was overwhelmingly met with hatred and negativity, I’d call it a day and do something else. The whole idea is to boost the morale of myself and the city.
What would you like to say to any haters out there?
Get over it.
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