Courtesy of Louis Kwok

My Brightest Diamond, Post Performance 2011

Luminary Center for the Arts makes a comeback on the show scene this summer -- well, not at its pending new physical space on Cherokee Street, but with the return of the Post Performance Series, featuring live music and one-day-only art installations at the Old Post Office Plaza (Ninth and Locust streets).

The inaugural show on Saturday, May 25, with Thelonious Kryptonite, DJ Nune, and Mikey Wehling and the Reverbs, is the first concert the Luminary has put on since the final show at its original Kingshighway location in November 2012.

See also:
- The Luminary Is Finally Coming to Cherokee Street (Though Not Where Originally Planned)

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Bryan Sutter

Troubadour Dali is one of sixteen bands participating in Lo-Fi Cherokee this Saturday.

Considering the subject matter, it's unlikely that Bill Streeter will be screaming "Quiet on the set!" this weekend.

The St. Louis director, producer and cinematographer will mix music and mini-movies Saturday, April 13, for a second round of Lo-Fi Cherokee, a celebration of local talent on one of the city's most vibrant streets. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Streeter and his crew will film musicians such as Troubadour Dali, the Hobosexuals and CaveofswordS as they perform in a variety of Cherokee Street locations throughout the day. An after-party with The Blind Eyes, Picture Day and Old Lights follows at 8 p.m. at Foam.

We caught up with Streeter to find out what goes into such an intense day of shooting.

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Via

The Kinks influenced '90s Britpop bands like Blur and Oasis.

That's where the big bands
Used to come and play
My sister went there
On a Saturday
-- "Come Dancing"

Ten local bands hope you'll believe in the power of Ray Davies and come dancing during a benefit concert for KDHX (88.1 FM) Saturday, March 30. Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy: A Tribute to the Kinks begins at 8 p.m. at Off Broadway. Admission is $10, with proceeds going to St. Louis' independent radio station.

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Annie Zaleski

Jon Hardy and the Public, circa 2008.

St. Louis musicians are a pretty generous bunch; it seems like they're always lending their tunes to local productions, sharing how-to tips and staging benefit shows. And so it goes this weekend when three of St. Louis' widely-praised bands come together to honor the memory of one of their own during a concert for the late Tony Perolio.

See also:
-Tony Perolio Fit A Lifetime of Accomplishment into His 30 Years
-The Blind Eyes' new album, With a Bang, Track by Track
- Jon Hardy on his Hard Year and the Public's Return to the Stage

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The Sea and Cake: Just one of the great shows you probably didn't go to this year.

Editor's Note: The end of 2012 is upon us, so we thought we'd put a cap on things by sharing some of our personal favorite shows, albums, events and general shenanigans. Join us as we indulge in some navel-gazing!

Despite what you may presume from the headline, I don't intend for this to be an "Oh man, I was there and you weren't" piece at all. Even with as bitter and cynical as we citizens of St. Louis can be sometimes, it's important to remember that we really are completely blessed when it comes to the music scene, in terms of shows both local and national. The people that run our city's venues genuinely bust their asses, with the goal being less to pack the house every night than it is to offer all parties involved -- fans and bands alike -- a memorable experience. In keeping, smaller acts with less draw are welcomed with open arms by many promoters in St. Louis, and with that abundance comes the impossibility of seeing every interesting concert that may show up on your radar.

So yeah, I get it. You probably missed most of these shows. In some instances that's okay, but at the same time: What were you thinking? Consider this an ode to all those shows that slipped through the cracks, but were certainly no less memorable than any sold-out affair over the past year.

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Ha Ha Tonka - Friday @ Off Broadway

Thanksgiving is upon us! Between the bouts of turkey-feastification, Drunksgiving alcohol consumption and familial re-unification, you may find yourself looking for something to do over the extendo-weekend. Look no further; we have what you need! Below is a list of the ten best Thanksgiving time shows from Wednesday night to Sunday. You'll notice that most of these shows fall on either Wednesday or Saturday, which makes sense: The former is the biggest bar night of the year and the latter is, well, a Saturday. Remember to drive safe this weekend; drunks and cops alike will be out in high numbers, offering potential personal peril of varying varieties. Check out all of our picks below!

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Jon Gitchoff

This weekend was just the warm-up lap for that Tickle-Me Elmo costume.

Last minute, very important update! It's here! Happy day, everyone. And ho buddy do we have just the celebratory update to this here official RFT recommended Halloween show list: A bunch of punks and rock & rollers are going to do cover sets on the second floor of 2720 Cherokee. To wit, from the Facebook event:

SEX PISTOLS - (members of Glass Teeth, Corbeta Corbata and The Saints)
WIRE - (Trauma Harness)
WARSAW - (Shaved Women)
JAY REATARD - (members of Sam's Club)
NEW YORK DOLLS - (Bad Dates / Cherry)
THE STOOGES - (members of Bug Chaser / Warm Jets USA)
RUSTED SHUT - (Catholic Guilt)

It starts right at 8 p.m. and donations will be accepted.

That most excellent of holidays -- the one where we get to dress up in goofy costumes, the one where it's considered par for the course to vandalize your neighbors' houses, the one where strangers give children candy and everyone is cool with it -- HALLOWEEN is nigh! Skeleton decorations blanket the country, candy fills Walgreens by the truckloads and I've already heard "Monster Mash" too many times. (Note: Once is too many.)

This year we thought we'd give you a heads-up about some of the more interesting Halloween-themed shows in town tomorrow. Get a costume and get out there!

See also:
-The 10 Best Costumes of Booty Halloween 9
-25 Creepiest Metal Album Covers
-Slideshow: A Nightmare on Locust Street at Lumen

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The Independents - October 27 @ Plush

That most excellent of holidays -- the one where we get to dress up in goofy costumes, the one where it's considered par for the course to vandalize your neighbors' houses, the one where strangers give children candy and everyone is cool with it -- HALLOWEEN is nigh! Skeleton decorations blanket the country, candy fills Walgreens by the truckloads and I've already heard "Monster Mash" too many times. (Note: Once is too many.)

This year we thought we'd give you a heads-up about some of the more interesting Halloween-themed shows in town. First, you'll find five shows slated to happen this weekend and after that five shows happening on Wednesday, which calendar buffs may recognize as Halloween itself. Get a costume and get to some shows!

See also:
-The 10 Best Costumes of Booty Halloween 9
-25 Creepiest Metal Album Covers
-Video: GWAR Goes Christmas Caroling

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Queenormous, with Dogs of Society
Off Broadway
Aug. 21, 2012

When considering music icons Queen, the Bee Gees and Elton John, most people think of riveting performance combined with over-the-top theatrics and costumes. I know I certainly do. But last night's "Tribute Trifecta" at Off Broadway didn't quite live up to what I was expecting. Some observations from Queenormous' and Dogs of Society's tribute show:

1. After misreading the start time, I saw Dogs of Society perform only "Love Lies Bleeding" and "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)" during its tribute to Elton John, but those songs left me intrigued by the band and offered the most musicality of the evening. Indeed, the door man at Off Broadway told me when I entered, "They're killing it!"

2. I was surprised that lead singer John Gore was the only band member in costume. Instead of wearing a white wig or glittery tuxedo jacket, Gore paired large sunglasses with a poufy red pirate shirt, which flapped as he pounded the organ. This was the first time I'd seen an Elton John tribute band in jeans.

3. Heh. "Pounded the organ."

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Jim Clemenson

Sometimes blues and folk duos get lost in the bustle of rowdy drinkers in neighborhood bars, but this was never the case for Letter to Memphis. The dominating smokey vocals of Devon Cahill quickly caught the attention of every shot-slinger in the place, even though they were only playing cover songs.

Recently, Cahill and Gene Starks (guitarist) made the push to original song writing and booking shows as an opener. The next step, they say, is to tighten up and get into a studio to lay stuff down. "The move to song writing has been an adventure, but its been great," Cahill says.

As Letter to Memphis progresses, it is well worth your time to drop in on one of their sets and give Cahill's projecting voice and Starks' meditative guitar a listen.

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