Jaime Lees

Patti Smith
Contemporary Art Museum
May 5, 2013

It's an emotional thing, seeing Patti Smith. I've seen her perform a bunch of times, and every time I'm shocked by my own intense reaction. I know that I usually get all sentimental and weepy when she starts singing, but this time I was blinking away tears as soon as I saw her face.

See Also:
- Godmother of Punk Patti Smith Talks New Album, Book and Burroughs: "I wanted to come to St. Louis because I just wanted to say hello to William."

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Press Photo

The hype has been palpable leading up to twenty-year-old Chance the Rapper's new mixtape, Acid Rap. Chance gained some recognition from his first tape, 10 Day, and in anticipation of Acid Rap, he proceeded to hop on as many tracks as possible, put out videos and tour extensively, including numerous Midwest stops from his hometown of Chicago to the St. Louis area. But to be real, the hype hasn't been enough.

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Fans of local heavy music, as well as neighbors within a three block range of venues like Fubar and the Firebird, should all be well acquainted with the loudness that is Fister by now. The band has been gaining attention within the metal community, not only locally but nationwide since forming in 2009, playing shows with doom metal giants like Eyehategod and Weedeater and having praises sung from well respected underground metal blogs and podcasts around the world.

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Roy Kasten

Rickie Lee Jones at the Wildey Theatre

Rickie Lee Jones
The Wildey Theatre
November 24, 2012

I've asked this question many times before but ask again: When is an act not an act, a show not a show, a concert not a performance but an expression of what the artist is -- in that moment and in every moment of feeling?

I'm not waiting for an answer. Neither is Rickie Lee Jones.

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Jon Gitchoff

Madonna is considered a living legend, a cultural icon and one of the best performers of her time. She is one of the most influential artists in the history of American music, and last night at the Scottrade Center we found out why: hard work and natural charisma.

If we are to believe any of the personality flaws that we've been fed about her character, she needs and wants to be the center of attention at all times. This quality may be the most distinctive trait of a pop star, and Madonna is inarguably the biggest pop star in the world. The death of Michael Jackson left no doubt as to who holds the crown. Major stadium stars like Bruce Springsteen and Prince might be worthy competition, but Madonna is the queen.

See also:
-Slideshow: Madonna at the Scottrade Center
-'Just Like A Pear': The Madonna Baby Food Recipe
-Crotching Whiskey at the Justin Bieber Concert and Getting Thrown Out: A Review
-Katy Perry and Janelle Monae at the Scottrade Center, 8/20/11: Review, Photos, Setlist

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Jason Stoff

The Avett Brothers in September 2010 at the Pageant.

The Avett Brothers
Fox Theater
September 29, 2012

"It's nice to release a new album and have all the hoop-la, but it's nice to be connecting with a crowd. This is what feels real for us," Seth Avett says. It's a reassuring message for fans after the Avett Brothers' recent success on the new album The Carpenter (it hit number four on the Billboard charts), the band's Gap advertising campaign and the statement that the boys have plans to move away from their jam and bluegrass roots.

See also:
-Review: Avett Brothers with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
-The true fan's Phish review

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Jon Gitchoff

Phish
Chaifetz Arena
Tuesday, August 28

See Also: Slideshow: Phish at Chaifetz Arena

Jam band shows are like the female orgasm: there are multiple climaxes and riding each is a cathartic renewal, which for many translates into a full spiritual experience. For true fans of the jam scene, this is not about drugs (although don't be naive, there are more than enough of those around) or solely about the music scene.

This is a social community gathering for a spiritual experience that just happens to take place in concert venues around the country. These are not your typical fans; they are dedicated fanatics, some of whom border on obsession. They trade concert experiences like war stores, citing locations and years and recalling decades-old set lists with confidence. They thrive on live performance and crave music that forces them to lose their current setting in favor of a new world around them. Phish delivered this experience directly into the ears of fans at the Chaifetz last night.

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Jeremy Cowart

The Indigo Girls | Shadowboxers
The Pageant
July 21, 2012

A good-sized crowd came to the Pageant on Saturday night to dance, sing, sway and canoodle along to the music of the Indigo Girls, but you had to hand it to the Shadowboxers. The five-piece, all-male band hails from Atlanta -- like the headliner -- and in addition to a solid 45-minute set of up-tempo pop-rock, the band backed up Emily Saliers and Amy Ray for the Indigo Girls' 23 songs. So it's forgivable if its opening set - long on harmonies, sticky hooks and peppy stage moves -- was pleasant but banal. Instrumentalists and vocalists Scott Schwartz, Matt Lipkins and Adam Hoffman were melodically in sync throughout, and the blue-eyed soul sheen came off like a less-slick Maroon 5. The band's cover of Marvin Gaye's "Flying High in the Friendly Skies" was proof of the members' soul roots, but the guys would certainly earn their keep during the headlining set.

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Jason Stoff

Beach House
July 11, 2012
The Pageant

Let's start with some Bonnie Tyler: "Once upon a time there was light in my life; now there's only love in the dark." And like a perfect stranger in the night, through smoke and warm silhouettes, Beach House crept into the hearts of St. Louis concertgoers last night at the Pageant. Simultaneously offering light in turn with darkness, the Baltimore band packed the house with a set mostly comprising songs from its latest Sub Pop release, Bloom.

The band took the stage promptly at 9:15 p.m., and the eager crowd erupted in cheers as Victoria Legrand, Alex Scally, and their current live drummer propelled into the gallant stride of "Wild," the second track off of Bloom. Known for creating simple yet effective stage shows, Beach House was able to bring its dreamworld of nostalgia and innocence to the audience. Basking beneath artificial stars, the band performed silhouetted against a backdrop of slatted boxes encasing fans and lights, creating an appropriate visual equivalent to its ethereal pop tunes.

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U stands for underwear.

The team: six 40-year-old men, leaving behind six fairly respectable jobs, five wives and 14.9 children for four days.

The tools: a 32-foot RV, VIP tickets, comfortable shoes and enough beer to take down a small fraternity.

The task: to do and see as much as physically and logistically possible at the Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.

We arrived at 4:00 p.m. Thursday, excited about what Bonnaroo had to offer, but nary a clue of how to navigate the sprawling campus and the seemingly endless entertainment options. Everyone had carefully planned out his own agenda like a college semester, with the obvious difference that nothing on this schedule was to be skipped. As hard as it was to navigate through this baffling experience, it is even more difficult to organize my thoughts, so let's go with the totally non-cliched A to Z list:

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