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Student Life Archives

With a hockey team named after the most melancholy music form, St. Louis consistently ranks as one of the top stops for headliner and indie bands alike. Whether you’re seeking an intimate atmosphere to make a connection or looking to rock out with thousands of fellow devotees, the Gateway city holds your ticket to audial bliss. The following are a few distinctly St. Louis venues. Some are within walking distance from the South 40 while others require a bit more transportation.

The Gargoyle

The Gargoyle may look like a small cafeteria on an average day, but it is also Wash. U.’s very own concert venue and has put on shows over the years featuring such major acts as Motion City Soundtrack, the Killers and Phantom Planet. The Gargoyle is run entirely by Wash. U. students and is open both to students and to the general public. Its 500-person capacity creates an informal atmosphere for the artists and their fans. Frequently, bands will interact with the crowd and sometimes even come into the crowd during sets. Most bands hang around after the show to meet their fans and sign autographs.

The best thing to know about the Gargoyle is that it’s only getting better acts. One of the biggest college bookers in the nation, last year the Gargoyle featured artists such as .And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Ben Kweller, the Bouncing Souls and GZA the Genius. Tickets for all Gargoyle shows are general admission and are $15 or less for the public and either free or $5 for Wash. U. students. Check out the Gargoyle’s Web site at http://thegargoylestl.com as the school year approaches for information on upcoming shows.

The Pageant
6161 Delmar Blvd.

The Pageant is the premiere concert venue in St. Louis and hosts a variety of shows by acts of all sizes and genres. With bar seating, balcony seating and a good sized floor, the Pageant offers accommodations for everyone and has the best sound system of any stage in St. Louis. The concert hall is a mid-sized venue with capacity for around 1500 people, but it is designed to feel even smaller. Concertgoers on the floor have the best vantage point and, depending on the type of show, may be transfixed by the artists performing or by the utter chaos that is angst-ridden high school kids at a hard-core show.

The Pageant has hosted many popular acts in the past including sold out performances by The Strokes, T.I., Wilco, The Fray, David Byrne, Death Cab for Cutie and Bob Dylan among countless other great performers. This year is no exception with Interpol, Deep Purple and The Polyphonic Spree already booked for the end of the summer. The Pageant is conveniently located within walking distance of Wash. U. on the Loop and tickets for shows can vary in price depending on the popularity of the band, with most being $30 or less and some local showcases costing just five bucks.

The Creepy Crawl
3524 Washington Ave.

This is a smaller concert venue but an essential stop for anyone into supporting the local music scene. Located off Grand near the Fabulous Fox theater (a bit of a drive but not too far), the Creepy Crawl has recently moved into new digs but hasn’t lost any of its dirty, rock and roll charm. Specializing in small tours and local bands, the Creepy Crawl offers a lot of bang for the buck as they have shows almost every night with multiple bands on the bill specializing in all rock but ranging mostly from indie through ska into hard-core and metal. It is a small venue but one that is fairly well ventilated and offers good views of a stage and is very accessible to the fan who want to smell the breath of their favorite bassist.

With the words “small” and “locally focused” used to describe it the Creepy Crawl may sound more like the Crappy Crawl but nothing could be further from the truth. In the past they have booked acts such as, At the Drive-in, Dashboard Confessional and the White Stripes and with the closure of Mississippi Nights (a venue sadly gone from the St. Louis scene) they will surely continue their excellent history. Upcoming shows include the Detroit Cobras, The Start and The Tossers as well as literally hundreds of other bands. Tickets are generally cheap ranging from $7 to $12 for several bands and almost every show is all ages.

UMB Bank Pavilion
14141 Riverport Dr.

The biggest and most obvious drawback of the UMB venue is its location. UMB is a 15 to 20 minute drive from campus and a car is a necessity for attendance. The venue itself, though, is worth the drive, especially when you can rent a car from CS40 (contact Cadenza’s own Eric Lee for details). With parking included in the cost of most tickets, you won’t be out of any extra cash for souvenirs. Alleviating your thirst after singing along with the band is a different story. Sodas and other beverages are outrageously expensive. Being the only permanent outdoor venue in St. Louis, UMB has a lot to live up to, and it does. Offering both covered seats and open air lawn seating, it has everything a concertgoer could ask for. There are even giant screens so that everyone can see the stage. UMB tends to draw well-known acts and big tours, but the best shows to attend are the nostalgia tours. With names like Journey, Tom Petty and the Beach Boys, it’s a blast from your parents’ past. Plus, sitting on a blanket with a bunch of friends is the best way to enjoy a show. Tickets are still reasonable for such a large venue and good seats can be had for $15 to $25.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Cadenza. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.