2. The west half of the Loop is in University City and the east is in St. Louis. Everything on the University City side closes at 1 a.m., so if you’re not ready to go home from Cicero’s or Blueberry Hill you can go a couple blocks west to The Pin-Up Bowl or Eclipse Restaurant at the Moonrise Hotel.

3. Cicero’s doesn’t card at the door, so if you’re planning a big get together and don’t want to leave underage friends out, that’s the place to go.

4. Bear Bucks can be used at Blueberry Hill, not just for food but also for drinks.

5. Don’t forget about midnight showings of old classics at the Tivoli Theatre.

6. Forget Schnucks, you can buy tubs of hummus, baba ganoush and tabouleh at Al-Tarboush Deli.

Mariam Shahsavarani, Matt Mitgang, Josh Goldman | Student Life

Bluberry Hill, a restaurant and music club on the Delmar Loop is now accepting Bear Bucks. Bobo Noodle House and Kayak’s coffe are also accepting them as part of a pilot program for off-campus businesses.

The restaurant and music club located on the Delmar Loop began to accept Bear Bucks shortly before Thanksgiving. Bobo Noodlehouse and Kayak’s Coffee, both located near the north-east corner of campus, have accepted Bear Bucks all semester.

Coordinators of the Bear Bucks program have been seeking relationships with restaurants and businesses around campus based on input from a University-wide Student Union survey issued early this fall.

One semester into the program’s launch, many students are spending their Bear Bucks on food purchases.

Bear Bucks were previously named Campus Card Points. They are non-transferable cash points used in place of cash to purchase goods and services both on and off campus, similar to a debit card. One Bear Buck is equivalent to one dollar.

“Washington University talked about the Bear [Bucks] program, and I was immediately interested in it, because we have such a wonderful relationship with the students at Washington University,” Blueberry Hill owner Joe Edwards said.

According to Edwards, the program has been successful thus far.

“The very next day after the announcement went out, we had quite a few students come and they were appreciative that we were doing it, which was very gratifying,” Edwards said.

He estimates that upward of 500 Washington University students frequent the restaurant each week.

Students cannot buy alcohol with Bear Bucks because it violates a policy of the program.

Bear Bucks may be used at most on-campus dining locations and vending machines, the campus bookstore, Bear Necessities, on-campus laundry machines, Edison Theatre, Wash-U-Wash, Wydown Water, Student Union and Congress of the South 40 events and on-campus printing stations.

According to Rachel Reinagel, manager of Campus Card services, Bear Bucks is a convenient alternative to cash and saves students and faculty from the constant worry of carrying cash.

“Unlike meal points, Bear Bucks can be used at various locations on and off campus and are not limited to food purchases. In addition, purchases made at on-campus dining locations do not include sales tax; therefore save the customer seven to nine percent per transaction,” she said. “Students can use their Bear Bucks once their meal plans have been exhausted. Meal points also expire at the end of each semester while Bear Bucks never expire.”

Reinagel said the program may expand further.

“We are currently in the pilot phase of the off-campus Bear Bucks program and students are excited for the program’s expansion,” she added. “It is important that we include off-campus businesses that students want and will utilize.”

Student Union carried out a survey early in the semester to determine where students wanted Bear Bucks to be accepted. Popular student requests included Target, FroYo on the Loop and Pi Pizzeria.

Sometimes simpler is better. With dart boards, pinball machines and a jukebox inside, Blueberry Hill has a low-key vibe that’s perfect for students.

Patrons are friendly, laid back and always open for conversation. Blueberry Hill’s prices are reasonable, service is quick, and high-heeled sorority girls are kept to a minimum.

Founded in 1972 by Loop legend Joe Edwards, the bar is filled with old-school knick-knacks and memorabilia, including vintage lunch boxes and toy figures—all of which make for great conversation starters. The bar is also famous for its beer selection of over 60 bottled beers and 18 draught taps.

Lily Schorr | Student Life

Located on the Delmar Loop, Blueberry Hill is a clear pick for “best bar.”

Though the drinks are on the weaker side and the food is on par with the typical bar fare, the distinct, the hometown feel of Blueberry Hill sets it apart as our favorite. Plus, its convenient location on the Loop makes it easy to bar hop or head back home—or better yet, to Jimmy John’s.

The Duck Room, where his concerts are held, is located in the basement of Blueberry Hill. The small, brick-walled venue with open rafters and uncovered pipes creates a surreal atmosphere in which you are never more than 30 feet away from the stage. It’s like Chuck himself invited you to one of his jam sessions, just to hang out.

There are no flashy costumes or effects for the concert. The performance consists of just a few guys wearing baseball hats, sweatshirts and Guy Harvey polo shirts and playing backup to Chuck Berry and his Gilligan Island-style Skipper hat. It actually makes for quite a beautiful sight.

Unlike most modern rock stars’ concerts, while listening to Berry, you never once wonder how much voice-altering software it took to turn his voice into what’s on the record. Berry and his band know how to play, and every song is as good as you remember it to be.

Even if you’re not a huge fan, you’ve definitely heard some of Berry’s songs, which include “Johnny B. Goode,” “Rock and Roll Music,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “No Particular Place to Go” and the always crowd-pleasing “My Ding-a-Ling.”

While you’re in St. Louis, you should really try to make it to one of his shows. But be warned that they sell out every month. Tickets are available on Blueberry Hill’s Web site, http://www.blueberryhill.com, and normally go on sale about a month beforehand.

His next concert is Nov. 18, which means it’s the perfect time to try to get tickets. If they are already sold out, however, there’s always his December concert to look forward to. Tickets are very reasonably priced at $30, and the shows normally start at 9 p.m.

While Chuck won’t be jumping around on stage like the Jonas Brothers, his concerts are well worth checking out. He was one of the first musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and even at 83, that boy can “play the guitar just like a-ringing a bell.”

Other Happenings

MEET AUTHOR RON CURRIE, JR.
7-9 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21, at City Museum, 701 N. 15th St.
Ron Currie, Jr., award-winning author of “God is Dead” and “Everything Matters!”, will be meeting fans and signing books at the event, sponsored by several local bookstores.

TWILIGHT HAYRIDE PUB CRAWL
7 p.m.-12:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 22, at Molly’s in Soulard, 816 Geyer Ave.
From 7 p.m. on, Hayride will be taking people throughout Soulard and dropping them off at participating restaurants and pubs. The event includes a costume contest at 9 p.m., and special food and drink prices at the restaurants. Tickets cost $10 each.

TOM’S “STYLE YOUR SOLE” PARTY
1-5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24 at Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd.
Come support Tom’s Shoes, a company that donates a pair of shoes to children in need for every pair it sells. You can buy a pair of shoes and have them decorated by local artists. Entrance fee to the Garden still applies.

ROCKTOBER FEST
2-10 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24, at Laclede’s Landing.
A Bavarian-themed day of live music, German food and activities, including costume contests, out on the Landing. Proceeds go towards Play It Forward St. Louis, an organization dedicated to funding local music education.

WASH. U. HAPPY DAY AT J. BUCK’S IN CLAYTON
Noon-? a.m., Oct. 24 at J. Buck’s, 101 S. Hanley Rd. Bring Wash. U. ID for appetizer and drink specials all day.

The bands are mostly on the small-but-mighty indie side. The aspect of discovery is one of the most fun parts about the festival. Notable performers include mashup kings The Hood Internet, Atlas Sound (a Deerhunter side project), Brothers Lazaroff, Midwest Avengers, recent W.I.L.D. performer Nite Owl, Illphonics, Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship and Ellee Ven.

The shows kick off on Wednesday and continue Thursday through Saturday. All 10 stages are at places on the Loop, including Cicero’s, Blueberry Hill, Vintage Vinyl, Racanelli’s Cucina, Chipotle and the 560 Music Building. Each of the venues hosts several sets each night starting around 7 p.m. Check out the full schedule at http://2009.playstlfest.com/.

In addition to the shows, the festival also features a series of advice panels for making it in the music business. Topics include basic business sense for musicians, how to get exposure, social networking and the questionable necessity of booking agents. Panels start Saturday afternoon at Cicero’s.

Wash. U. students can pick up three-day wristbands for $5 (about 5 cents per performance) at the Edison Box Office. That’s a $10 savings on the normal price of a wristband, plus all the swag that comes with it: Wristband holders get a free Chipotle burrito, a free drink or shirt, and preferred admission to panel discussions.

Head out to the Loop this weekend to find yourself a new favorite indie band!