Welcome one and all to 2004, the newest year on the block. With each passing year comes the opportunity for change and decisions that affect our lives. Of course, that really happens every day, but most people prefer a special occasion, like the coming of a new year to make the effort to change. Speaking of change, how about a resolution to go see a band you’re almost positive you won’t like. Probably your instincts are correct, but you never know . . .
The Friday night show to see is, hands down, the Phonocaptors at Viele’s Planet. The power trio features former-St.-Louisan-and-now-firmly-planted-Springfieldian Keith Voegele on bass and vocals. The band receives rave reviews everywhere in St. Louis and everyone who sees them here rants about them, so make this a solution to your resolution (see above) and check them out. Your measly cover charge will also get you in to see The Electric, another Gateway City band out to make noise in their very own sweet and loud way and Abe Lincoln Continental, a capital city favorite, named after our favorite son and a car, I think. Please remember this as you grumble about the 3 or 4 bucks to get in: the money is split between bands, usually three of them, then further split among band members, usually three, four, or five of those. Nobody is getting rich here, in fact they are probably losing money just to come and entertain you. How do you like that?
If you just can’t take original rock music, you might as well go off the cliff the other way and get tubular with the Brat Pack at Marly’s Pub on Friday. Unabashedly all-’80s, this crew even has names like Guido Menudo, Jesse Van Halen, and Dawna Madonna and gets dressed up to play the parts. It’s more than just the music. It’s all out in the open — everybody knows there is no serious soul-searching included in the admission price. Well, it is an ’80s cover band, what did you expect?
On Saturday evening, among the many diverse and exciting events taking place in the area, down south in Ramsey, Ill., at the Tex Williams Dance Hall, Dan Duda, guitarist in the Prairie Land Band, leads the group through some old time swing music in honor of the singer of “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)” and other Western swing classics. Williams lived in Ramsey before he moved to California and made his mark in the music industry.
Here’s one more thing on this end-of-the-year business. How about a great big “thank you” to club owners who book bands, bands who play clubs, musicians who practice, and listeners who make it all worthwhile, both monetarily and otherwise. Let’s all give each other a big group hug. There, wasn’t that nice.
This article appears in Dec 25-31, 2003.
