52nd City

The Return of E.R.

During their time of peak popularity, Enormous Richard drew not upon a throng of fans, per se, but on a hardcore population of eccentric fans who'd never think of missing a local gig. When road-tripping, it wasn't uncommon for the group to pack up a variety of cars, forming an ad-hoc convoy of band members, fans and assorted hangers-on, for trips to Louisville or Chicago. When the group inevitably ended their run together, there were a few St. Louisans who suddenly found themselves with an extra night of the month to contend with, rather unexpectedly. (And, perhaps, an extra, headache-free, weekend morning, too.)

Those of us who were counted in that number have had a couple chances to catch the band over the last two years, first at the cramped, sweaty CBGBs, then at the cramped, less sweaty Jacobsmeyer's, a linchpin corner bar in Granity City. ER, still uncategorizable as ever, makes it a trifecta of reunion shows on September 17, returning to the friendly haunt of Jacobsmeyer's, for their third annual reunion gig.

On the band's website, writer/poet/bassist Joe Esser has penned some extensive notes on this momentous event, even tipping that the band plans on hitting a Schlafly beer festival earlier in the day, which will surely have some impact on the night's set. Though the group was long-known for being able to quaff a pint, or three, during a set, the combination of a day on the Schlafly lot and that haul to the Planet Granite might test our heros and their ability to remember such gems as "Little Hiawatha," "Charu's Got a New 'Do" and "River of Sadness."

Stranger songs have seldom been sung with such conviction and such pluck. It'll be a delight to hear them again.