Movie Venues

Did you somehow find time between General Chemistry and Writing 1 to watch TV and catch a good preview? Have you been counting down the days until the new “Twilight” movie comes out? (Note: If so, I’m judging you.) Heard that your favorite obscure indie band was coming to The Pageant, but have no idea what that means? Here is your guide to movie and music venues all over St. Louis, most of which you can get to without driving. All you have to do is walk or take St. Louis’ fine public transportation system (free, thanks to your magical U-Pass). And I’ve oftentimes found that a trip on Metro can be just as entertaining as your destination. MetroLink and MetroBus routes and timetables can be found at http://www.metrostlouis.org.

The Tivoli

The Tivoli
When you step into the Tivoli, you step back in time, back to when going to the movies was an event, and the movie theater was just as important as the movie being shown (because, back then, people would line up to see elephants get electrocuted). Built in 1924 and located right on the Delmar Loop, this theater, with three viewing screens, mostly shows foreign and independent films. And every Halloween you can put on (or take off) your costume and trek to the Tivoli, as it has a midnight screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” where you will be sure to find yourself in a situation that’s equal parts entertaining and mentally scarring.

The theater is a nice walk from campus, and with all the restaurants on the Loop, you can get dinner before the movie or dessert after. If you’re walking from campus, just take a right at Blueberry Hill.

The Galleria 6
This theater is conveniently located downstairs by the food court in the St. Louis Galleria, which is right off the Brentwood MetroLink stop. I wasn’t used to paying less than $10 for a movie after 6 p.m., but here, students pay $6 all the time. The theaters are average sized and the seats recline. And, if you’re afraid your movie is going to be sold out, you can just get there early because you are in a mall. My biggest complaint is there is not trivia before the movie starts, but instead, you get advertisements to buy wine and beer at the concession stand. And, coming from a state where selling beer on a Sunday only became legal five years ago (yeah, Puritans!), I figure it’s a pretty fair trade off.

The Esquire

The Esquire
The Esquire is also a short walk from campus and located at the corner of Clayton Road and Big Bend Boulevard, right by the main corporate building for St. Louis Bread Co.—known to the rest of the world as Panera Bread. The Esquire shows new, mainstream films.

Chase Park Plaza Cinemas
This is my favorite movie theater—located in the hip niche of St. Louis known as the Central West End. My friends and I usually go to the movies and then get dessert and coffee at a quirky café after. The five theaters themselves are cozy and adorable, with ornate, hand-painted walls. There is stadium seating and the seats recline. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to watch the manager as he doubles as an organ player before the movie starts. And as you leave the theater, they give you free candy!

To get to the Chase Park Plaza, take the MetroLink to the Central West End stop, taking a right out of the station. Walk about four blocks and take a right on Lindell Boulevard.

The Moolah Theatre & Lounge
The Moolah is an amazingly weird place. It is literally a large living room with couches set up sporadically in front of a movie screen. There are typical movie theater seats too, but the couches are the reason you go to the Moolah. The theater shows mainstream movies during the day. But the best is when you go there at midnight to see offbeat cult films like “The Warriors,” “Labyrinth” and “The Big Lebowski.”

To get to the Moolah, you can walk a little more than a mile from the Central West End MetroLink stop. Just take a left on Lindell Boulevard and you’ll eventually reach the theater. Or, you can take the WUSTL Gold bus from Mallinckrodt Center to the Central West End bus station. Then take the 92 or 93 MetroBus from the station and get off at Vandeventer Avenue.

Music Venues

The Pageant

The Pageant
The Pageant is the closest major venue to campus. It’s conveniently located on the Loop, east of Skinker. They’ve got shows almost every night, including a variety of major national acts. The 1,500-person venue is set up like a much smaller club with a very intimate feel. Most shows are reasonably priced, especially general admission tickets. Check out http://www.thepageant.com/shows.html for upcoming events.

Gargoyle
Wash. U.’s very own on-campus venue, the Gargoyle is located on the bottom floor of Mallinckrodt. The student-run committee books local and national acts, and most shows are free with your Wash. U. ID. This past year, the Gargoyle hosted Wolf Parade, Los Campesinos!, No Age, Ratatat and Cut Copy, to name a few. Be sure to take advantage of this hot spot on campus.

Billiken Club
The Billiken Club is Saint Louis University’s (SLU) equivalent of the Gargoyle. It’s a bit further than other venues, but gives you a chance to put your U-Pass to use. Take the MetroLink to Grand and walk about 10 minutes to SLU’s Busch Student Center. Recent shows include So Many Dynamos, William Fitzsimmons and Junior Boys. Upcoming shows have yet to be posted, but keep checking http://thebillikenclub.wordpress.com.

Pop’s
Many of the larger acts that come through St. Louis end up at Pop’s, one of the largest venues in the St. Louis area. Located at 401 Monsanto Ave. in Sauget, Ill., the trek out to Pop’s is long but worth it. Getting there by public transportation can be a little spotty, so look into hitching a ride or renting a WeCar.