Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, and all our Christmas shopping, decorating, and preparing is underway, we can concentrate our energies on the finer things in life, like heading to the tavern and checking out a band.
If you’re in a holiday hurry and need a quick dose of food and music, give Dempsey’s and Joe Frew a shot. An amazing vocalist and song connoisseur, Frew sings his songs every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., while bar flies snack on the free food buffet and wash it down with a libation of choice. The former Bedrocks bar is now back in the live music fray, with bands every weekend and entertainment six days a week.
The Underground City Tavern bookends the week nicely, with a Texan on one side and Oklahomans on the other. Jon Dee Graham, a singer songwriter from Austin, the live music capital of the world, promotes his new CD, Hooray for the Moon, on Thursday. Jason Boland and the Stragglers, a rough-and-ready country group from the Red Dirt area of Stillwater, Okla., rides in on Wednesday. Both artists have received accolades by the boatloads from fans and critics of what can be called Texas songwriter style, following the paths of Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, and Robert Earl Keen.
Douger’s Patriot Bar welcomes patrons with a Grand Opening celebration on Friday. Ada Lou and Charhm take the early evening entertainment shift from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and give way to the Screaming Vatos at 9 p.m., who take it on home to 1 a.m. The festivities continue Saturday with the ever popular Debbie Ross Band on the stage. The bar is located in the Howard Johnson’s that once was the Brass Rail at the Sky Harbor Inn on J. David Jones Parkway on the way to Capital Airport. The places stay the same; only the names change.
Jimmy Buffet fans rejoice — Parrotheads of Lincolnland are having their annual Christmas in the Caribbean party on Saturday at Casey’s Pub in the Knights of Columbus Hall on West Iles. The event is part benefit for local charities and Toys-for-Tots and part party with the St. Louis-based band The Phins recreating the total Buffet experience.
Speaking of benefits, Ed McCann’s Rockhouse is hosting a fundraiser for cancer victim Kevin Milby on Sunday from noon until 10 p.m. at HUDS (that’s Hangout, Unwind, and Dance Saloon, for those of you out of the loop). Mr. Natural and Out of Hand will also perform. Look for a bunch of Harleys outside, plenty of cold beer inside, and Milby’s biker buddies everywhere.
If you haven’t completed all your Yuletide tasks, never fear, there is always
tomorrow willing and waiting to accept your procrastination with open and loving
arms, while today awaits to fulfill your pub crawl desires.
This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2003.
