52nd City: Clubs & Nightlife

Chippewa Chapel: Hiatus After Tonight

From the organizers, a long note about the short-term history of STL's critically-acclaimed opne mic.

Eulogy for Radio Cherokee

On July 23, 2006, Radio Cherokee hosted one final show before permanently closing its doors.
The show coincided with my boyfriend's brother Sean's 19th birthday, and before leaving for Radio Cherokee, I surveyed my room for a last-minute birthday present and wound up stuffing my copy of Alabama Wildman by Thurston Moore in my purse. (Short of a narrative in which Thurston moves to New York, develops a crush on a girl with a Bratmobile patch and has alternate run-ins with Richard Hell and Lydia Lunch, the book is just Dadaistic tripe, Lawrence Ferlinghetti with a hangover from after-hours Hell, and I could bear to part with it.) Later, during the show, we posed as Myspace groupies and had members of So Many Dynamos (who were either on the bill or just in the crowd) autograph the book's title page.
I spent the majority of the night sitting in the courtyard behind Radio Cherokee, drinking, chain smoking and tottering to the bathroom and back. Everyone crowded in the courtyard, waiting for Bunnygrunt's set, was seemingly drunk beyond drunk and floating somewhere in that realm of free-associative genius that comes right before blacking out, where every conversation sounds like a Vast Aire freestyle.
Whispered word went around that Bunnygrunt was about to play, and the courtyard emptied as everyone spilled into the venue, vying for a spot near the stage. I don't remember a lot about the actual performance ('cause it's been two years and I was more than a little woozy at the time, okay?), but at the end of the show, Radio Cherokee's staff distributed the old-timey radios that decorated the venue to people in the audience. My boyfriend got one; it's sitting on a shelf in our kitchen.
Leaving the venue, we spotted Beatle Bob and chased him down an alley shouting 120 decibel demands that he give us all his cocaine. Wild summer, wow!

rBar: Out

From one of the partners, Corey Lawson:

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To our friends and customers - On August 10, 2008 rBar will be closing for business. We will be shut down for a couple weeks of renovations and reopen a new concept in late August! Some of the familiar faces will be sticking around while others are moving on to see what life has in store for them next (we'll cheers to that!). Over the next month we will be celebrating each week/weekend with different food/drink specials with the final blowout, the White Hot Party #2, on August 9 (more info to come). We hope you can stop in for one more round or two!

Thanks to all those for supporting us and rBar.

Pale Divine Reunion?

So suggesteth the World Wide Web.

If true: December 29, 2008.

Update: Annie Zaleski of the RFT confirms this most intriguing news.

Debuting: The Trade

Noticed Jason "Homey" Smith at the Royale the other day. I asked him about his new bar, The Trade, in which he's a co-owner. Apparently, the word's gotten out, a touch. A local industry veteran, Smith pointed to the RFT, where Annie Zaleski had written up a blip about the room, which you can read here.

I asked Homey a few questions about the space. While it wasn't the longest interview, it might give you an inducement to drop in, esp. if you're tooling around Midtown, as I was last night, my first visit to the new spot.

52nd: What was appealing about the room?
Smith: It just had a good, underground vibe. It reminded me of the downstairs of the Hi-Pointe, just smaller.

52nd: Definitely, people know about the Complex, so that's an interesting place to start another bar.
Smith: Yeah, it was one of the first things we thought about. It's a gay bar, but it's not just a gay bar. And everyone knows where it's at.

52nd: I imagine you'll do a lot of business after 1:30.
Smith: We do, but we want to try to have a happy hour. There're a lot of businesses right around there and we going to try the happy hour for them. But we'll probably have the later crowd. We'll cater to industry people, off work at 1:30. We'll have a late-night industry happy hour.

52nd: What's the story behind the name?
Smith: We went through a bunch of names. It's for everybody. Bartenders or electricians. We're trying to include everyone.

52nd: What's on the drinks menu?
Smith: It's kind of a drinker's bar. We don't have any drafts. We don't have a menu, but we can pretty much make any drink you want. No specials menu, or anything like that.

52nd: How will you bounce off of the Clubhouse?
Smith: I know Brandon the owner and he's going a different direction than what we're doing. It's more of a SLU crowd. But we'll work together. Howard, who owns the Complex, owns that building, too. So we're all good.

A Bar Trilogy

Recently, I read a piece from the New York Times, detailing the emotional and physical stresses that are being visited on bloggers. Two have died! Others have found themselves battling wrist and arm pain and/or nervous anxiety.

Point being: I recently meant to punch up some thoughts on the West End Grill and Pub (354 N. Boyle, www.westendgandp.com), which is directly appended to the Gaslight Theatre. I didn't punch up those thoughts, though, then saw the Post run a blip on the space, founded and run by a handful of industry vets, including the Gaslight's prime mover, William Roth. The appearance of this note gave me, if not wrist pain, a brief shot of anxiety.

After all, the Gaslight's become one of my favorite destinations, thanks to the initial season of the St. Louis Actors Studio; seeing an anonymous lobby suddenly turned into a very nice bar-and-grill is rather a sight to see. If you happen to find yourself in that corner of the West End, you may wish to stop in yourself, with a seriously veteran staff sure to take care of you.

========

Sandrina's was long known as a port-of-call for those seeking one last round before the homestead. It's still that, though under new ownership. What remains is just a touch of the original, rather intense wallpaper, along with the 3 a.m. license, which was tried out for the first time last night. Seems that people knew about the additional 90-minutes, since the late-rush crowd was in full-effect, with the room dotted by the workers of every 1:30-closing bar in a three-mile radius.

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Twice in a week I've found myself at Sauget's ever-open destination, Pop's, the direct result of working late nights and the equally direct recognition that it's hard to downshift from activity to sleep at some point after midnight. Or 3, or 4, as the case may be.

Last night, I gave an offering of $70 to the Karma Gods, the monies somehow escaping my pocket between: the door and the bar, or the door and the stage, or the door and the restroom. When you're tired, bookkeeping gets sloppy and the environment of Pop's just breeds a certain world-weariness. Even if the drink don't getcha, the nerves somehow jangle in that Eastside spot.

The music's part of the sensory overload. Last night's cover band was grinding out a mix of Alice in Chains, Guns n' Roses and Tool. The dancefloor was roiling. The bouncers were busy. The pool tables were full. The place had life. And, as it turned out, it also had $70 scattered on the well-trod floorboards.

I hope whomever picked it up - or boosted me, youneverknow - had fun with the dough. Me, I was ready to go as soon as the car turned into the lot.

New Venue Alert?

Has anyone heard of a new live-music venue, located in a converted warehouse, just east of Kingshighway on Beck and owned by a fellow with the initials J.B.?

If so, please tell more!

I bait the hook and await...

The Darkside on Myspace

According to the club's Myspace page, the Darkside ran from 1957-1966, one of the linchpins in the old Gaslight Square. Owner Gayle Tibe's daughter, Kellee O'Brien, has fashioned a look back at the club here, with a few video links and photos, along with a heaping helping of nostalgia. Some pretty hipped-in friends, I might add.

Kellee and I have never met, but have frequently e-mailed, discussing a scene that departed 40 years ago, which is now represented in a digital tribute. It's quite a world, no?

When do we get time travel? I know where I wanna go.

At the Bluebird

Cold weather is cold, internet suffers. No blogs, no excuse. I apologize for lack of inactivity. (AT&T of STL, thanks for taking a week to fix my internet.)

The music scene in St. Louis is great if you like jazz, I've discovered. Not so great if you like local bands, it seems. Blueberry Hill seems to bring in a variety of musical acts, but I don't like the color blue and hills make it are hard to get my bicycle up...

There used to be a lot of hole-in-the-ground places to see local bands (consisting of those dern punks!!!) that practice in garages and annoy the neighbors. There’s a few here and there. (Don't get me wrong, ya'know, I guess I'm just too picky about my venues.) My taste in music is varied; my iTunes library will suffice as enough evidence. I have a lot (too much) of punk, indie and metal music, the type of music I will always love. The type of music that was the staple of those now-extinct music venues.

Recently, I was notified of the existence of an indie/pop/r&b band which has a Webster graduate in it. That graduate is in charge of booking for a fairly new music venue called The Bluebird. (I still don't like the color blue, but birds are a-okay.) The bands that play are sometimes famous, sometimes local. I can't wait to see a show there. I want to see Gentleman Auction House, the band consisting of a few former Webster students and an alumni, but I have a birthday party to attend that day. I’ll catch a live show later.

I've listened to all that I can on the Internet, and I can say that I will be supporting them in any way I can. My first contribution is to provide a sample mp3:
http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/media/music/gentlemanauctionhouse/1-the_book_of_matches.mp3

My next contribution is to probably buy their CD, wherever I can find it, whenever I can find it.

And here's the tl;dr version. (Translation: Too long; Didn't read.)

Check out the The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street, for concerts of alternative music. 18+ venue and attached to Beffa's Restaurant.

Check out Gentleman Auction House if you want to support a band of local kids (young adults?).

At the Bluebird

Cold weather is cold, internet suffers. No blogs, no excuse. I apologize for lack of inactivity. (AT&T of STL, thanks for taking a week to fix my internet.)

The music scene in St. Louis is great if you like jazz, I've discovered. Not so great if you like local bands, it seems. Blueberry Hill seems to bring in a variety of musical acts, but I don't like the color blue and hills make it are hard to get my bicycle up...

There used to be a lot of hole-in-the-ground places to see local bands (consisting of those dern punks!!!) that practice in garages and annoy the neighbors. There’s a few here and there. (Don't get me wrong, ya'know, I guess I'm just too picky about my venues.) My taste in music is varied; my iTunes library will suffice as enough evidence. I have a lot (too much) of punk, indie and metal music, the type of music I will always love. The type of music that was the staple of those now-extinct music venues.

Recently, I was notified of the existence of an indie/pop/r&b band which has a Webster graduate in it. That graduate is in charge of booking for a fairly new music venue called The Bluebird. (I still don't like the color blue, but birds are a-okay.) The bands that play are sometimes famous, sometimes local. I can't wait to see a show there. I want to see Gentleman Auction House, the band consisting of a few former Webster students and an alumni, but I have a birthday party to attend that day. I’ll catch a live show later.

I've listened to all that I can on the Internet, and I can say that I will be supporting them in any way I can. My first contribution is to provide a sample mp3:
http://www.tellallyourfriendspr.com/media/music/gentlemanauctionhouse/1-the_book_of_matches.mp3

My next contribution is to probably buy their CD, wherever I can find it, whenever I can find it.

And here's the tl;dr version. (Translation: Too long; Didn't read.)

Check out the The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street, for concerts of alternative music. 18+ venue and attached to Beffa's Restaurant.

Check out Gentleman Auction House if you want to support a band of local kids (young adults?).

Bill Boll @ Way Out

Bill Boll, possibly the funniest guest speaker I've ever had at Webster and a star of YouTube, is playing the Way Out Club this Thursday night. If you've never thought that My Bloody Valentine could work in an acoustic, solo format, Boll's wanting to change your mind. He's also delightfully randy, despite playing a show at a family-friendly time, for all the parents/rockers out there:

--------

Hi everybody!

I'm performing my patented "controlled frenzy" acoustic set this Thursday night at the Way Out Club, and I'd love to see you there. It'll be an early show--perfect for all you 9-to-5'ers--so get there around 9 PM to enjoy all the fun.

I'll be playing both my "classic" originals and some new ones, as well as covers ranging from the Dresden Dolls to Matt's Dad's Basement.

Therefore, in conclusion, "Be there AND be square!"

Your best friend 4ever,
Bill Boll

Angelo Moore @ City Museum this Weekend

Thanks to the good folks at the City Museum, Bill Streeter (of Lofistl.com) and I were able to meet with Angelo Moore of Fishbone, who's at the City Museum this weekend under the guise of Dr. Madd Vibe. At the CM, he's playing the newly refurbished pipe organ, along with playing some sax and spitting some poetry. Last night was his first night of a three-day/night residency and Bill and I asked him a few questions, which brought... some answers. As Bill mentioned, they weren't always the answers to the questions, per se, but they were entertaining.

And, hey, who doesn't want to hang out with Angelo Moore on a Friday night? Even for a few minutes, it was cool to catch up with a performer who's probably deserving of the legendary label, resplendent in his bowler and vigorously working down a green-and-yellow lollipop.

52nd City: I'm thinking a lot of people do what Bill did earlier - and what I was going to do, too - which is telling about shows that they saw you at back in the day. Is it fun to hear those stories.
Moore: A lot of people think of us here at Mississippi Nights. Is that still there?

52nd City: There tore it down last year for a casino.
Moore: WHAT? They tore it down for a casino? A casino? Wow. There's a lot of shit like that going on in LA right now. Tearing shit down and building new buildings.

52nd City: What makes the shows exciting these days, as opposed to the old days? Do the crowds feel different today?
Moore: Do they feel different?

52nd City: Well, are 18 and 20-year-olds today as crazy as they were when I was 18 or 20?
Moore: I think they're less crazy and shit. Depends on where you are. It's hard for me to tell because I'm on-stage and coming from a whole different perspective. Yo, check it out. We play to a lot of different crowds. And some of them are pretty hyped. There ends up being some crowd-surfing every night, so... Shit! Yah!

52nd City: I saw this (City Museum) Fishbone show. What was special about from your angle?
Moore: Just the whole interior, man. The whole interior. It does a lot for creativity. There's an underwater scene. We're Fishbone and there's this whole underwater scene. That sting ray, that manta ray over there!

52nd City: How'd this gig come around, was it Gi Cassilly?
Moore: Givonna, yeah.

52nd City: I have a feeling it's not something she had to talk you into, that it was something you really wanted to do.
Moore: Aw, yeah, dude.

52nd City: This is maybe trivial, but I've wanted to ask you this: I heard that John Cusack in "Say Anything" was playing Fishbone on that stereo, and they overlaid the Peter Gabriel track, instead, into the movie.
Moore: The Peter Gabriel song?

52nd City: Yeah, the famous scene where he's holding the stereo.
Moore: Well, I don't know. I know that there's a Fishbone track in there, "Skankin' to the Beat." But I don't know that story. I haven't seen that movie in a long time.

52nd City: I don't mean to make everything generational, but it's gotta be interesting to have people coming out with the kids, who were seeing you way back when.
Moore: That's a trip, yeah. That shit's pretty crazy. I've got a 10-year-old daughter.

52nd City: What does she like about Fishbone?
Moore: Oh, she likes it.

52nd City: I'm going to try to get this up tomorrow. What should people expect when they come in tomorrow and Sunday?
Moore: In here?

52nd City: Well, with you.
Moore: Well, man, they're going to see this guy. He'll be wearing a saxophone and talking to them as Dr. Madd Vibe. And he ain't going to give a shit if they're listening or not! HA-HAH! Ah-ha-ha-ha. That's how you gotta do it and that's how it's going to come out. It's going to be really good. That's when I'm working off of and that's what I'm trying to remember.

Pic at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51252573@N00/2169226491/.

Who cover band = Who-band

Who-band is live and active, with some members that folks of a certain generation will remember: Mark Cook (Corporate Humour, EJ Quit), Casey Carmody (Corporate Humour) and Mike Eisenbeis (The Nukes) among them. The other two gentlemen involved, Bill Entenman and Alan Schmidt, I'm sure are fine players, as well, though I don't happen to know their pedigree. The first three? Well, let's just say that The Who was a sure influence on their earliest projects.

They'll be playing the Way Out Club on December 12 @ 10 p.m. This I've gotta see. In the meantime, I'll content myself with their myspace page.

Dining out for Life: Three Stops

Hit three stops in The Grove on Tuesday night, part of Dining out for Life's fall edition.

The Atomic Cowboy was the first and I've never enjoyed the Cowboy more. Thought the place had been reserved for nearly two weeks - the 100% donation to Dining was surely the cause of that - Superstar Server David slotted us with a two-top near the door, no mean feat. It was obvious the fully-staffed room was cranking, with a capacity crowd, but even so, the order came up quickly and the new veg addition to the menu, a veggie burger, was a total winner, much better than the usual warmed-up-Morningstar-on-a-bun that passes for one through the rest of town. The mood was upbeat, the place was humming, the club had a big-time, big-town feel that you don't normally see on a Tuesday night in November. Excellent stuff.

From there, it was a quick stop at Novak's, which I wasn't "feeling," as the kids say. Maybe it's because I'm hearing that the club's traditional, lesbian fanbase isn't enjoying the incursion of the new crowd that's come with the move to The Grove. True? False? I'd like to know. Anyway, it was a full room and there was nothing wrong, per se, just quite grab the vibe of the place.

Lastly, a trip to the new Newstead Tower Public House, found at Newstead and Manchester. Four thoughts here. One: what will the place be finally known as? The Public House? The Newstead? The Newstead Tower? Too many words! Let's figure this out. Two: Eventually the walk between, say, Talmadge and Newstead won't scare anytime, but some shrinking flowers will still worry about the walk today, as lots of empty storefronts and a few interesting, other pedestrians will flip out the non-urban types. I predict a few two-block drives for the next li'l while. Three: This is a cool room! Neat bar design, with a segmented mirror behind the bar and an overall "classic" pub feel. It's a loud room; lots of hard surfaces. Didn't try the food, but plenty of folks in the room were dining, in addition to drinking. Nice space, overall; very "usable" space, if you will. Four: soccer on the TV! Wanna be a European pub. Play soccer. Leave it on. Some of us will find more often because of that.

The Cult

My last three concerts have been: Fishbone, Fragile Porcelain Mice and The Cult. Is this 1997? I dunno, 1987? I'm happy, in any event.

Attending The Cult's show at the Pageant last night was funny on a few levels, not the least of which was ID-ing the desperate aging rocker factor on both the stage and in the audience. I was fairly impressed on both counts, including (on-stage) Ian Astbury's possum tail/belt accoutrement and Billy Duffy's of-the-moment-rock-guy-hair. Nice.

The group - Astbury, Duffy and assorted hired guns, including what appeared to be their accountant on second guitar - played most of the songs I essentially wanted to hear ("Fire Woman," "Edie [Ciao Baby]," "Wild Flower," "Nirvana," "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Love Removal Machine" among them), missing only "Rain" and "Sun King," from my personal "must" list. So, yeah, the show worked for me, though a free ticket also helped, since $36 for a group in this stage of career ain't necessarily a nice price.

The most amusing moment for me, though, may've been at show's end, when the group partook in the time-honored ritual of tossing tokens into the crowd. Drumsticks. Guitar picks. And two tambourines, the last of which arc-ed three feet to my right, bounced off head and then into the hands of someone three feet the other direction. Maybe the Hefeweizen had something to do with it, but my hands never left my sides as tambourine clanged it's merry way into someone's collection, with my noggin as a temporary side trip.

If the group's not quite what they used to be, then as an audience member, I have to confess that my old-goalie quickness has clearly degraded, as well.

Damn. Like I needed the reminder.

Martin Atkins @ Webster U./Upstairs Lounge

It's safe to say that in some circles, Martin Atkins qualifies as a "legendary" drummer, having banged the pots and pans for Public Image Limited, Ministry, Pigface and others. He'll be in town for a special engagement next week and we let Mark Early tell the tale from there:

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Martin Atkins of PiL w/ Adam of Tone Rodent 12/4/07 STL!!!!

Body: Tone Rodent singer/guitarist and St. Louis based artist Adam Watkins is featured as a contributor in the new book, Tour: Smart by Martin Atkins (PiL, NIN, Pigface, Killing Joke, The Damage Manual, Invisible Records Owner and Founder).

Martin will be in Town on Tuesday the 4th of December giving a Free Seminar on the book at the Cecille R. Hunt Gallery, in the Visual Arts Studios of Webster University at 6 pm.

Martin will then be DJing a special Afterparty at the Upstairs Lounge with Adam, Matty and Marko of Tone Rodent joining the sonic fray. +21 and Free!

The Upstairs Lounge is located at 3131 S. Grand, STL, MO 63116.

Cabin Inn Details

We noted a couple days back that the Cabin Inn the City would be reopening soon, under the auspices of Atomic Cowboy founder Peter Venezia. The former Kick Ass Award winner chimed in today with some e-mailed thoughts on what's to come, starting this Friday night, when the City Museum hits 10 years of age:

"I am going to operate it as a bar for a few months, then we may put a kitchen
in, have the Cabin Bistro. My brother-in-law, Jim Fiala of the Crossing, LILUMA and Acero. is going to be my partner. My spin on it is going to be: give it a needed facelift (my kinda mod style), have cheap drinks, funky decor, nice people and killer music. Something Downtown is lacking. The hours are going to be: Fri/Sat 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m."

Rock @ CBGB

Found an old-fashioned and hand-lettered flyer for rock shows coming up at CBGB, all of free and all of them (ahem) limited to 21-up's. The gigs are booked by Bert Dax, which is a label, not a man, though a label run by a man.

The rundown:

Tonight: Nerve Parade (STL) and Call it Radar (desc. as "Miami angle rock..."???)

October 22: Stuporhero (Seattle), the Museum Mutters (STL, featuring frequent 52nd contributor James Weber Jr.) and Learn, Artist (STL, as heard on the 52nd City Sound CD)

November 3: Bunnygrunt, Rats and People, Quief Quota (all STL and all celebrating Eric Hall's 39th birthday)

See ya there, at least once, if not twice, though unlikely all three times.

A Gem of a Show: Friday @ APop

Picked this up compliments of the Cavern on Myspace. Wish I didn't have a prior engagement on Friday, as this sounds like a keeper. Remember to buy a zine or record album at Apop, they have them for sale:

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This Friday, September 7th, the group PINK REASON will be playing a show at APOP Records, 2831 Cherokee St., on the corner of Oregon.

If you've ever wondered what Joy Division would have sounded like during the shoegaze era, this is your chance.

Also playing are Little Claw, and St. Louis' own Raglani. Don't miss this event!

The show starts at 9pm, and a donation of $5 to support the touring bands is appreciated.

http://www.myspace.com/secondculture
http://www.myspace.com/littleclaw
http://www.myspace.com/raglani
http://www.myspace.com/apop records

New Club, Old Name

Just a note from my favrorite band that I somehow never see/hear, The Ded Bugs. Appears from their monthly e-mail that they'll be playing a new room, 2 Cents Plain, in about a week's time. As old-timers would recall, this Olive sandwich shop was a fixture for Downtown's lunch crowd for many a year, after relocating to D'town from Gaslight Square. That's some serious history.

Now, this, a new page for that book:

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GRAND OPENING!

Friday, September 14
@ 2 Cents Plain
(1114 Olive Street - St. Louis MO, 314-436-1070)
Ded Bugs
w/Sex Robots
10pm
21+

Mississippi Nights

Knocked down.

Who's got pics of the demo?

Vital Voice Launches AE Product

Here's some info for an event at the Atomic Cowboy, offered up by our pal Rocky McCalla:

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Who: Vital VOICE
What: Arts & Entertainment Launch Party
Where: Atomic Cowboy (4140 Manchester )
Why: To find out what’s what in the coming Arts & Entertainment Season!
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Cost: Free (includes complimentary snacks and copy of the guide!)
Web: www.thevitalvoice.com

The Vital Voice announces its
Arts & Entertainment Guide Launch Party

( St. Louis , Missouri ) August, 2007 Join the Vital Voice and hundreds of St. Louis Arts and Entertainment agencies on Friday, August. 24, 2007 at the Atomic Cowboy (4140 Manchester ) from 6-9 p.m. as we celebrate our annual Arts and Entertainment Guide Launch!

Get complimentary snacks, dance to the sounds of DJ Mark and be the first to get your free Arts and Entertainment Guide! The Guide previews everything you'll want to experience in the St. Louis arts community for the coming season, from theater to art, dance to live music and more. So stop by, pick up your copy and start planning—it's going to be an exciting season!

About the Vital VOICE – Vital VOICE is the bi-weekly regional newspaper providing an independent, progressive VOICE throughout St. Louis and Missouri , as well as Southern Illinois .

The Gramophone?

So it's late, a bit too late to do much digging, but the ol' Myspace page has yielded a new friend for 52nd City: the Gramophone.

Sounds like a new club, it does:

The Gramophone will be a gathering place for people who live music. If you are a jazz enthusiast, a blues lover, a renegade of funk or just a live music junkie, you can find your groove at the Gramophone. And whether you prefer to enjoy live acts from our full-service bar, in a private seating area or at a stage-front table, the Gramophone will be a comfortable place to take in great live music or just relax with friends.

Tentatively scheduled to open in February 2008, the Gramophone will be open five nights a week and will feature live music of rotating genres (including--but not limited to -- jazz, blues, hip hop, rock, bluegrass, funk and pop), along with some of the finest DJs from St. Louis and beyond. Our full bar will serve beers on tap, wine, classic cocktails and a menu of specialty cocktails. The Gramophone will also be available for private parties and special events.

We look forward to joining St. Louis' vibrant music scene. More information, including a calendar of events, will be coming soon! Please check back for updates, and in the meantime, you can email us at info@thegramophonelive.com.

Off Broadway: No to Nic

It must be press release night at the Crone household's e-mail inbox, as I'm suddenly flooded by positive vibes. We alluded to this in a post a few days back, but the message may've been lost in the blizzard of other words.

Below, a note from Kit Kellison of Off Broadway, who notes that the venerable South City club is giving Mr. Cigarette the boot, sending him to the outdoor patio in a few weeks.

On a personal note, I'm thankful for the move -- OB's a particularly bad smoke den when the crowd is thick -- and I'd love to see other clubs follow the lead of Off Broadway, the Atomic Cowboy, Lucas School House and Pop's Blue Moon. And to even my friends who enjoy the puffing: keep that s--t out of my face and lungs, please! Take it outside, at the very least!

Anyway, here's the profanity-free note from Off B.:

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Off Broadway concert venue goes non-smoking on September 1.

St. Louis, Missouri, July 30, 2007 - Steve Pohlman and Kit Kellison are preparing their concert venue, Off Broadway, to go non-smoking on September first.

The decision was made to protect the health of their artists, patrons and employees. An outdoor smoking area will be provided.

According to the Department of Health statistics for 2000, 73% of St. Louis Metro area population is non-smoking. The owners are confident that their business will benefit from the decision to provide a more comfortable environment.

Q'n'A w/ Steve Pohlman of Off Broadway

It's possible that the BBQ we're having at Off Broadway's Chippewa Chapel this Thursday may've been mentioned here, but... no, it has been. Definitely has been. So, just one more time, for good measure: Off Broadway, this Thursday evening, a day hence, 8-ish for BBQ (grilled by Jesse Irwin) and music from Darek Russell. Chip Chap follows, from 9 p.m.-til close.

Caught up with Steve Pohlman at last night's The Schwag concert - yes, it's true - but I'd already e-mailed him some questions about the club, which is facing some stiff competition from other, new, local rooms.

Here's how the e-conversation went, with the new no-smoking policy the biggest news, for sure:

How has the changing landscape of new clubs affectedyour booking?

Too soon to tell really. I think adding venues is a great thing...we need more places for good bands to play in order to keep St. Louis on the radar. Morep eople enjoying live original music is great for everyone involved.

How has booking changed, generally, since you opened?

We have gone from basically three nights of music a week to six, and have begun doing early shows on occasion, resulting in as many as eight shows a week instead of three. Johnny Vegas books Wednesday night Stag Nite, I coordinate the rest. Burt brings in a lot of younger patrons on Saturday afternoons.

You know have two, basically-set nights, with the Chapel and the Schwag. And, for that matter, Stag Night. How's that system going?

Generally very well. Consistency makes it easier for people to come out... whether it's being open every night except Sunday or having the Chapel every Thursday. Stag Nite is a little different... we can bring almost any band in under that umbrella. We have rearranged all of these in order to accommodate good acts who have limited appearance schedules.

There have been so many little-to-large changes at the club since opening. Any more on the immediate horizon?

We will finally go non-smoking September 1st. Currently I have the equivalent of a two pack a day breathing habit that I look forward to kicking. Lucas and Atomic Cowboy are non-smoking, recently Pop's Blue Moon went non-smoking. We are going to have a nice sheltered area outside for people to grab a smoke that we hope will give us the best of both worlds. At that point we’ll be able to display local fine art which we’re looking forward to doing in order to support local artists, bring in a more eclectic crowd and enhance the culture of the venue. We also will continue to make cosmetic improvements to make the club more comfortable as finances allow.

What shows really stand out to you over the past couple months? And which are the ones you're really looking forward to in the next few?

There have been so many good ones... I guess Bobby Bare Jr. with Centromatic was one of my favorites, as was the recent Hibernauts/Gentleman Auction House show as well as the Hold Steady. We had a great time with the Pokey LaFarge - Monads - Johnny O and the Jerks - Vultures show. And of course the Mandonnas and the Stag Nite Live at Leeds show. Upcoming? Looking forward to this Wednesday night's "Concert for Stagladesh" where bands will cover George Harrison songs and on August 28th, Ben Kweller should be good.

No Smoking @ Pop's Blue Moon

Quick one tonight: just returned from Pop's Blue Moon, a club which has gone to a no smoking policy after 8 p.m. There's a small, side courtyard that can accomodate those wanting to puff and the front area is open on the rare nights when no band is playing.

Apparently, the reaction so far has been mixed, with some cusomters lauding the move and others proclaiming that they won't be back.

Our vote: a round of hearty cheers for Pop's Blue Moon!

Bluebird Takes Focus

For the past couple weeks, the "what's the Bluebird?" conversation has been a fun one. But it's time to move on to another discussion starter, as we now know that: the venue will be located at Beffa's, long the city's most obscure, yet connected restaurant; it's being booked by a member of The Beureau; and it's not going to be a full-time venue, specializing in select dates, instead.

Located pretty much unto itself near the AG Edwards complex, the room is starting to break some PR info to the press and blogerati.

With apologies to Matt "Skewgee" Hurst, here's the latest:

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St. Louis’ newest concert venue, “The Bluebird,” is devoted to showcasing the best local, regional and national acts. Located at 2706 Olive (just outside of downtown), the 300-capacity venue boasts a professional sound system and free off-street parking. The club differentiates itself from other local nightspots by providing a clean, upscale, rock & roll atmosphere. The Bluebird will have its official grand opening on July 14th.

Contact Mike Cracchiolo for booking at bluebirdstl@gmail.com

There will be a free ticketed open house on July 12th at 8 p.m. with drinks, hors d’oeurves and music from DJ Commiekay and DJ DeadAsDisco. Tickets will be available at area events over the next week or they can be downloaded from: http://www.bluebirdstl.com. Only a limited number of tickets will be available.

Calendar:
7/12/07 - Open House with DJ Commiekay and DJ DeadAsDisco
7/14/07 - Stella Mora, The Feed and Ghost in Light
7/21/07 - Midwest Avengers, Royal Illette and Robb Steele
7/28/07 - Berlin Whale, The Undoing of David Wright , Bunnygrunt, Bears and more
7/29/07 - The Ladybug Transistor, Bound Stems, Jumbling Towers and Say Panther

Visit www.bluebirdstl.com or www.myspace.com/bluebirdstl for more details & updated schedule.

Welcome... the Bluebird

While playing about on that fabulous website Myspace, I noticed a new friend to the 52nd City page, The Bluebird. I hadn't heard of this new venue's upcoming debut, but it appears to be set for July 14, starring Stella Mora, the Feed and Ghost in Light. While we note some basic info from Myspace below, find more for yourself at: www.myspace.com/bluebirdstl.

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About me: The Bluebird is St. Louis's newest venue and events space, designed to support and showcase the best and brightest regional and local band (national touring acts are welcome, too). We've got quality sound, tons of free parking, friendly staff, and a clean, laidback atmosphere for you and 300 of your friends, located just north of Hwy 40 and Jefferson at 2700 Olive.

To book your day or nighttime event, contact Mike at bluebirdstl@gmail.com.

Who I'd like to meet: You. In fact, we probably already have met, in some crappy club with bad sound and bad bands, rude bartenders and nowhere to park.

Far Out at the Way Out

I'm a big fan of bellydancing, and even took lessons for a while; it was sad, sad, sad. I resigned myself as a bystander, which was easy, since one of the country's biggest bellydancing festivals is held up in Park City, Utah (it's sponsored by Kismet School of Dance, where I took lessons). I could never quite get into what they call the Egyptian Cabaret style - that is, the spangles 'n' bullet-bra school, the style you see in a lot of restaurants as early dinner-show. My sister worked at a Middle Eastern restaurant for a spell, and maybe I just saw too much of it when I'd go down there for falafel. My speed's more Fat Chance Bellydance, aka the San Francisco tribal school. Or accidentally weird bellydance, like the chick I saw dance at the Park City Festival one year: "Dondi, Bellydancer of the Universe." She was a little fat in the can, and had a whole skirt made out of fake sunflowers, which she wore with three-inch heels (those shoes may be the reason she didn't move her feet at all when she danced). When I moved to St. Louis, I was a little bummed out that Middle Eastern dance didn't seem to have quite the same foothold here, though it's grown a lot in the past six years; only recently did I learn about Final Veil, a collaboration between DJ Leon Lamont and bellydancer Cora Camille. Though they may have a lot of bellydancers in Utah, I can guarantee there's no one bellydancing to turntables in rock clubs, so on the record I will now say that St. Louis has trumped SLC as bellydance capital, at least in my mind. I'll be filling in for Ann Haubrich and Jane Ibur tonight on Literature for the Halibut, but I may muster the energy to go down to the Way Out tonight to see Final Veil collaborate with Tory Z. Starbuck, who I imagine will come equipped with Middle Eastern flutes and bizouki.

June 14 (Tonight!)
Final Veil & Tory Z. Starbuck
Way Out Club
2525 S. Jefferson
Doors @ 9PM

Great Show @ Cicero's on June 12

PLAYBACK:stl presents @ Cicero's
Tuesday, June 12:

.e (dottie) (9:00-9:35)
Bodisartha (Kansas City) (9:40-10:20)
dozemarypool (10:40-11:20)
The High Violets (Portland) (11:40-12:20)

New AMP

I'll be honest here: I went to AMP in many different states of mind, with no small amount of people and I seldom had a bad time. If push came to shove, it was my... gulp, favorite bar in St. Louis, though please don't tell anyone this. Have only been to the new AMP, still at Manchester and Boyle - just on a different corner - and I've yet to make a reaonsable determination, despite the obvious "having problems with change" first impression.

Longtime FO52C (Friend of 52nd City) Rocky McCalla notes that the ol' Alternative Music Pub is celebrating its official debut in the very near future. Here's the missive:

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From Gritty to Pretty!

The new and improved AMP is going to be the hottest place to hang this summer.

Head down to AMP at 4200 Manchester in “The Grove” on Friday, June 1, 2007 from 5:00 PM to 3:00 AM to celebrate their GRAND OPENING at the new location! There will be fabulous flavored rum concoctions served up by Bacardi and scrumptious treats to nosh on. Don’t do rum? AMP still has a full bar and just added New Belgium draft beers: Fat Tire, Sunshine Wheat and Skinny Dip. DJ Blublood (of Velvet, Rue 13 and Creepy Crawl fame) will spin 80s favorites and then some. There will also be free give a ways!

Everyone’s favorite bar, AMP, moves across the street and gets an upgrade! Still in “The Grove”, AMP is a bright star in the Restoration St. Louis Project. The new space is bigger, brighter and better. AMP now has two bars, a game room, an expanded menu, and a secluded outdoor patio. With its modern design, hip paintings by local artists, its spankin’ new drink menu, and did we mention the private patio-- you’ll love it even more than the old space. Don’t worry--not everything has changed. AMP still plays the best alternative and underground music in Saint Louis, offers the finest drinks in the city and has the friendliest bartenders around.

Dead bars: Jam City

Dead bars: Jam City
Originally uploaded by AkitaSan.

The Helenic Cowboy?

Attention late-night readers: 400 Washington University sorority and fraternity members are about to descend on the Atomic Cowboy, for a night of revelry in The Grove. Wow.

Okay, so watching that might not be your bag - and, really, it should be; the people watching of that ilk is quite amazing, as I found out at a Mad Art party a couple years back - but tomorrow, Friday, there's a hip-hop spin, featuring live breakdancing and graf. Two of the four hip-hop pillars, if not mistaken.

(And as not to toss out another post, the move of AMP down the street is actively underway. Looked in the windows of both the old and new sites and both were half-full/half-empty, with no owners in sight. I assume they were at dinner or trapped under a box. At any rate, looked like a weekend soft opening was a distinct, dark-horse possibility.)