St. Louis Music Blog

Friday, November 6
*Son Volt/Peter Bruntnell, The Pageant
*Nelly's Birthday Party -- Pajama Jam, HOME Nightclub
*Tech N9ne/Slaughterhouse/Stevie Stone et al, Pop's
*Breathe Carolina/Cash Cash/more, Fubar
*Buddy Mondlock, Focal Point
*Tenement Ruth, Lemmons
*Poor Historians, Way Out Club
*Eric Moeller And The Strummalongs w/ Scene Of Irony, These Old Ghosts, Firebird
*Elastik Soul/The Luvher Boys, The Gramophone
*Jake's Leg, Cicero's

​Per an email received just now, Jay-Z will be performing next year on March 19, 2010 at the Scottrade Center. Tickets are on sale Saturday, November 14, and prices are TBA. Nice! He's in Champaign, Illinois, next week -- and so anyone who doesn't feel like driving, you don't have to.

British garage-rock queen-bee Holly Golightly is returning to St. Louis for the first time since August 2005 at the Firebird on Tuesday, December 1. Details forthcoming.

Also, John Mayer has announced a show with Michael Franti and Spearhead at the Scottrade Center on Saturday, March 20, 2010. Ticket info also TBA. Mayer's Twitter is the stuff of legend, and his interview style, well, makes me both nervous and in awe. Behold:

What do you think about guys with seventies mustaches?
I don't give a fuck about who wears their face what way. If I could grow a beard, I'd have some nutty things going on on my face.
You can't grow a beard?
It's a pituitary thing. I know you're not that much of a moron.
These are questions my editor wanted me to ask. I'm trying to build my journalistic career here. You're not building a journalistic career. You're making yourself look like a moron and you're not a moron. Who's your editor?

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Touhill Performing Arts Center

*Bryan Adams, Monday, December 7

The Pageant

*Pale Divine, Tuesday, December 29

*Dr. Zhivegas, Thursday, December 31

*Gabriel Iglesias, Sunday, February 28

Fox Theatre

*Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Saturday, February 27

Jazz at the Bistro

*Lou Donaldson Quartet, Wednesday, February 3 - Saturday, February 6

*Freddy Cole, Wednesday, February 17 - Saturday, February 20

St. Patrick's day starts a week early next year in St. Louis: Flogging Molly's annual Green 17 tour is scheduled to hit the Pageant on March 10, 2010. Fan community registrants can buy tickets now, although the show's on sale to everybody on November 14.

On another note, Bryan Adams is scheduled to play an acoustic show on Monday, December 7, at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $49.50 to $69.50, and the show starts at 8 p.m.

Please see this link for much of the weekend's goings-on -- the post and comments sum up most everything going on -- and below for some extras.

Friday, October 30
*Our Lady Peace, The Pageant
*Cornmeal/The Bridge, Duck Room

Sunday, November 1
*Teenage Bottlerocket/Black Cobras, Cicero's
* Forever The Sickest Kids/My Favorite Highway/Sing It Loud/The Rocket Summer/Vita, Pop's
*Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players, Off Broadway

Dave Green

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Uncle Monk
Who: The old-timey bluegrass project of Tommy Ramone
Where: Off Broadway
RIYL: Avett Brothers, Lucero, Ha Ha Tonka
MP3: Uncle Monk, "Round the Bend"

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year -- which means that the ooky-spooky celebrating (and, let's be real, debauchery) begins on Friday night. In light of this, here's a rundown of all the shows going on so far. Did we miss any? Chime in below.

Wikimedia Commons

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October 30
Binge and Purge: Halloween covers set, with bands as The Germs, The Wipers, X
Atomic Cowboy: Halloween Funk Jam featuring Steddy P & DJ-MAHF, Spark1duh, DJ-Who
Black Bear Bakery: May Day Orchestra debuts new folk opera

Electric Six!

The Pageant

*The Unconscious/The Great Crusades, Monday, December 28

*Memories of Elvis, Saturday, January 9

Off Broadway

*Afro Zep, Saturday, November 7

*Frontier Ruckus/Theodore, Sunday, November 15

*The Rural Alberta Advantage/Shaky Hands, Wednesday, December 9

*Funky Butt Brass Band, Friday, December 18

Firebird

*Anders Parker/Jon Hardy and the Public/The Dive Poets, Friday November 20

*Grand Buffet, Thursday, November 26

*Mayday Parade, Sunday, December 13

*Electric Six, Wednesday, December 30

Enough to do this weekend for ya? Goodness...

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D. Rider
Who: The new band founded by Todd Rittmann of post-rock pioneers U.S. Maple. Think brain-bending percussion, diffracted found sounds and sinewy guitars.
Where: Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center
With: The Conformists
RIYL: Cheer-Accident, Bowie's weirdest moments, experimental jazz-rock-skronk hybrids
MP3: D. Rider, "Touchy"

Friday, October 23
*MUTEMATH/As Tall As Lions, The Pageant
*Jon Hardy & the Public/Sleepy Kitty/Murder City Players, Firebird
*Tribute to Warren Zevon, featuring Bob Reuter, Rough Shop, et al, Off Broadway
*D. Rider/The Conformists, Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center
*The Lovin' Spoonful, Argosy Casino/Alton
*The Mighty Diamonds/Yellow Wall Dub Squad, Club La Onda
*Mike Zito, Old Rock House
*Rise And Fall/ Harm's Way/Creatures/Everything Went Black/ Expire, Fubar
*Gumbohead, Broadway Oyster Bar
*Kenny Garrett, Jazz at the Bistro
*From Left to Right, Cabin Inn
*Rum Drum Matt and Two Timin' Shane, Fox Hole at Atomic Cowboy
*Surtsey, Vintage Vinyl
*Dead Zebbra, Way Out Club
*Make Me Break Me/Strych9Hollow, MJ's Mistakes/Trayswyre/From Skies of Fire/Break These Walls, Pop's
*Tight Pants Syndrome/AXO/Royal Pine/Final Veil, Lemmons
*John Maxfield Band/Mungus/Hathead Jones, Cicero's
*Jim McClaren, Schnuck's Culinaria Downtown (4 p.m.)
*Arthur Williams, BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups
*Maude Maggart, Kranzberg Arts Center

Geez, as if last night's bonanza of shows wasn't enough, there's a ton going on tonight, too...

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The Egg
Where: Old Rock House
Who: British indie-electro-funk act whose latest, Forwards, is much closer to UK post-punk and shoegaze. (The track below hints of the Bunnymen and New Order.)
Playing With: The Lotus

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The Fox Theatre

*R. Kelly, Tuesday, December 8

*Lady Gaga, Thursday, January 7

Jazz at the Bistro

*The Bad Plus, Wednesday, January 6 - Saturday, January 10

Firebird

*The Graduate, Wednesday, November 4

*Big D and the Kids Table, Wednesday, December 2

Scottrade Center

*The Point HoHo Show feat. Breaking Benjamin/Papa Roach/Sick Puppies, Sunday, December 13

Friday, October 16
*Mirah/Norfolk & Western, Billiken Club
*Tom Russell, Off Broadway
*The Blakes/The Orbz/Via Dove, Firebird
*Ernie Isley and the Jam Band, Blueberry Hill's Duck Room
*Flow Clinic/Mustardfish/Lord of the Yum-Yum, Lemmmons
*Trey Songz/Mario/Day 26, The Pageant
*This Is Energy/Novella/Opposites Attack/Last Nights Vice/BAMF!, Fubar
*Lonesome Wyatt and Rachel Brooks, The Fox Hole at Atomic Cowboy
*ATB, Lure
*Death Ships, Cicero's
*Rough Shop, Cabin Inn
*Dave Stone, Mangia

Tegan and Sara at the Pageant, April 2, 2010

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Fubar

*Evergreen Terrace, Wednesday, November 4

*Breathe Carolina/Cash Cash, Friday, November 6

*Kate Voegele, Saturday, November 7

*Vampire Moose CD Release, Friday, November 13

*Wednesday 13's Gufire 76/Bullets and Octane, Saturday, November 14

*Days of the New, Saturday, November 28

*I See Stars/We Came as Romans, Thursday, December 17

*Hawthorne Heights/An Arbor/Monty Are I, Saturday, December 19

Family Arena

*John Tesh, Saturday, December 5

*The Charlie Daniels Band, Thursday, December 17

*B.B. King/Buddy Guy, Thursday, February 18

Again, St. Louis, there's no reason not to go out tonight. Don't let a little rain stop ya!

First at the Gargoyle is the always-solid Dr. Dog. I know they've been through St. Louis a ton, and man, they just keep getting better and better. Jeffrey Lewis opens.

Speaking of musicians who love coming to STL: William Elliott Whitmore, another local fave, is bringing his whiskey-grizzled voice to Off Broadway. Hoots and Hellmouth and Jesse Irwin are also on the bill. Here's a funny video of the former on morning TV in Philadelphia.

Tegan and Sara fans know where they'll be on Friday, April 2, 2010. The Pageant, where the Canadian sisters (and their crack band) will be there performing songs from their new album, Sainthood. Tickets are $25 and are on sale at 10 a.m. this Friday. (This is the band's first STL show since May 2008, incidentally.) Here's a YouTube-i-fied clip of its new single, "Hell." If you wonder why it sounds a bit like Death Cab for Cutie, well -- T&S used drummer Jason McGerr and Chris Walla (who also produced the record) as instrumentalists. Awesome! 

Monday, Schmonday: Tonight's a great night for music in St. Louis, if you're feeling adventurous.

First, at Off Broadway is a pretty dynamic quadruple bill featuring the Postmarks, Brookville, Pretty Little Empire and Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps. The latter act hails from Minneapolis and is fantastic; I fully expect the band to be opening for someone at the Duck Room or Pageant within the year. Take a listen to its August Daytrotter session, where its literate lyrics, Smith's evocative croon -- which has hints of old-time jazz and cabaret, a la Fiona Apple or Adele -- and solid songwriting are on full display. Dig Samantha Crain and Elizabeth and the Catapult? You'll dig.
 
Pretty Little Empire, meanwhile, is a newish local band making waves in recent months. thanks to Bon Iver/Fleet Foxes-ish acoustic murmurs, which are perfect for the early autumn chill. The band's debut album, sweet sweet hands, is due October 26, the same day as the band's Firebird release show.

The Postmarks -- although also perfect for this wool-sweater weather -- hails from Miami and specializes in winsome, wall-of-sound indie-pop. And last but not least is Brookville. Fronted by Andy Chase, the NYC act was great opening for Trashcan Sinatras in August and has a fabulous new album, Broken Lights, out now. RIYL: Go-Betweens, Ivy, Prefab Sprout, Talk Talk.

MP3: Brookville, "Great Mistake"

Friday, October 9
*They Might Be Giants/Guggenheim Grotto, The Pageant
*The Bottle Rockets/Otis Gibbs, Duck Room
*Maxwell/Chrisette Michele/Common, Scottrade Center
*Devon Allman's Honeytribe, Cicero's
*Street Dogs, Pop's
*Essince, Vintage Vinyl
*Aaron Kamm and the One Drops, Broadway Oyster Bar
*Atlanta Rhythm Section, Argosy Casino, Alton
*Brave Combo, Oktoberfest
*Robert Glasper, Jazz at the BIstro
*John Henry and The Engine (vinyl release party)/Tom Schraeder/Mike Kendrick & The Blue Eyed Sons/ Matt Nichols, Off Broadway

The Pageant

*David Cook, Tuesday, November 10

*Cavo/Brookroyal/Autovein, Friday, November 27

*Mama's Pride, Saturday, December 5

*The Anvil Experience, Friday, January 29

Scottrade Center

*Star Wars: In Concert, Thursday, December 10

Kranzberg Arts Center

*Maude Maggart, Wednesday, October 21

*Steve Ross, Wednesday, November 4

*Nellie McKay, Wednesday, November 18

*Bill Charlap and Sandy Stewart, Wednesday December 9

Here's a unique show coming to town: Piano chanteuse Nellie McKay is performing for two nights at the Kranzberg Arts Center in November, the 18th and 19th. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door. McKay attempted to achieve crossover success with her 2004 double-disc debut, Get Away from Me, but in recent years she's been content to focus on cabaret and Broadway tunes instead. In fact, her forthcoming album is a tribute to Doris Day, called Normal As Blueberry Pie - A Tribute To Doris Day.

Ah yes, I hear that Brendan Benson -- the Raconteurs member who has quite a fantastic string of power-pop/'70s rock-leaning solo releases under his name, including this year's My Old Familiar Friend -- will be at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room on Friday, November 13. The show goes on sale this Friday; ticket prices TBA.

Dangerbird labelmates Sea Wolf and Darker My Love are in town tonight, albeit at two different venues. The latter -- a dark, psych-pop/shoegaze act from California -- is at the Firebird with Troubadour Dali and Fractured Army, starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8. (To hear a DmL tune, check out this here.) The former is at the Billiken Club with Port O'Brien and Sara Lov, also starting at 9 p.m., a free show. Check out Roy Kasten's Sea Wolf show preview. The LA Weekly recently did an interview with Lov, detailing her musical inspirations and life history, including being kidnapped as a child. 

Friday, October 2
*Darker My Love/Fractured Army/Troubadour Dali, Firebird
*Sea Wolf/Sara Love/Port O'Brien, Billiken Club
*Michael Franti & Spearhead/Trevor Hall, The Pageant
*Presidents of the United States of America, Taste of St. Louis
*Billy Talent/AM Taxi/Poison the Well, Pop's
*Steddy P "Style Like Mind" Tour w/Steddy P, DJ Mahf, Earthworms, Fresh Heir, Dallas, Fox Hole @ Atomic Cowboy
*Three Days Grace (get tix via the Point), The Library
*Rough Shop, Cabin Inn
*Leroy Pierson, BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups (7 p.m.)
*Lionheart/Venia/Thick As Blood, Fubar
*Big Muddy Records Rooftop BBQ, Jefferson Underground
*Michael Brewer, The Focal Point
*Otter Petter/Chariots, Antarctica
*Big Smith, The Gramophone
*Thunderkid, Lemmons
*Jake's Leg, Cicero's
*Dave Stone, Mangia

Anyone heading out to see Kings of Leon at the Scottrade Center should totally show up early to see White Lies. They're from the UK, and are the missing link between Echo & the Bunnymen/The Chameleons/Modern English and Interpol's first two records. So, think melancholy tones, post-punk riffs, ominous, rumbling vox. I caught 'em at SXSW and was really impressed by how great they were live. Check out that corrugated dark-wave riff below!

Scottrade Center

*Kanye West/Lady Gaga, Friday, December 4

Firebird

*Jon Hardy and the Public, Friday, October 23

*Pretty Little Empire CD Release, Monday, October 26

*Lovvers/Turbo Fruits, Saturday, October 31

*Evangelicals, Thursday, November 12

*Bobby Long, Monday, November 16

*Caporetto/Tilts, Wednesday, November 18

*Ezra Furman and the Harpoons, Thursday, November 19

*Headlights/Pomegranates, Saturday, November 21

*We All Have Hooks for Hands/Target Market, Sunday, November 29

mike mabes/myspace.com/therosewoodthieves

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The Dead Trees (who Roy Kasten digs a lot) and the Rosewood Thieves are playing tonight at the Firebird. The latter is new to me, but has released a bunch of things since 2006 -- including a disc of Solomon Burke covers. (The legendary bluesman penned the liner notes for the band's latest, Heartaches By The Pound.) However, the trio isn't your garden-variety neo-blues-revival band: Judging by MySpace, the band incorporates hints of shoegaze-pop, desert-twang and psych-folk. Eminently listenable and bewitching, in fact. Take a listen below.

MP3: The Rosewood Thieves, "Home In Your Heart"

Friday, September 25
*Mystery of Two, Lemmons
*Murphy Lee, HOME Nightclub
*oh my god/The Feed/Tok, Firebird
*Fresh Fest '09, featuring Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, more!, The Pageant
*Down/The Melvins, Pop's
*Bettye LaVette, Sheldon Concert Hall
*John Waite, Argosy Casino, Alton
*This Is Energy, Vintage Vinyl
*Mulgrew Miller, Jazz at the Bistro
*Pernikoff Brothers (CD release), Cicero's

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Blueberry Hill

*Trampled by Turtles/Backyard Tire Fire, Saturday, November 14

*Lez Zeppelin, Tuesday, December 1

The Pageant

*Bo Burnham, Saturday, November 14

*Rob Zombie, Sunday, November 15

Off Broadway

*Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps, Monday, October 12

*Warren Zevon Tribute, Friday, October 23

*The Helium Tapes CD Release, Saturday November 14

*Rosi Golan, Tuesday, December 8

*Gentleman Auction House/Jon Hardy and the Public/Jumbling Towers, Saturday, December 19