| Visit St. Louis Jazz
From blues beginnings to modern hip hop, hear great music at nightclubs throughout St. Louis
You've heard of the St. Louis Blues...now hear them in person in the clubs and nightspots around the city. Five minutes south of the Gateway Arch, blues clubs rock the red-brick buildings of the Soulard neighborhood. The historic district was built by European immigrants who worked in St. Louis' 19th-century brewery industry. Today, music lovers can park once and wander among the clubs and restaurants for a full evening of authentic entertainment. The St. Louis Blues Society says there are more working blues musicians here than anyplace else in the world, so pull up a chair and find out for yourself why it feels so good to be blue. From downtown, take Broadway and Seventh streets south. The music starts in cozy joints such as BB's, Broadway Oyster Bar and The Beale just past Busch Stadium and continues into Soulard proper with hot spots such as Carson's, McGurk's and Hammerstone's on Russell Boulevard, Geyer Avenue and many other cross streets in-between.
In The Loop , a short drive west of Forest Park and just eight miles from downtown, visitors can walk among music clubs along sidewalks sprinkled with brass stars and biographies honoring St. Louis' most notable citizens. Just outside Blueberry Hill – a club that boasts the best jukebox in the country – a star honors St. Louis resident Chuck Berry, who stops in monthly to wow the crowds with his charismatic brand of rock ‘n' roll. Live performances are held regularly in the club's Duck Room. Ike and Tina Turner, Miles Davis, Scott Joplin, Johnnie Johnson and many other St. Louis music legends also are honored with stars in front of the neighborhood's popular clubs, restaurants and boutiques. Brandt's Red Carpet Lounge and The Delmar offer jazz, Cicero's is the place for rockers and Riddle's ranges from folk to jazz and blues. The Pageant Concert Nightclub has joined The Loop's attractions, hosting a regular schedule of the best touring and St. Louis-bred entertainment found anywhere. Pin-Up Bowl, a retro-style bowling alley, is the newest hot spot in the booming district.
The Laclede's Landing entertainment district – known as “The Landing” to locals – is another music hot spot where clubs and restaurants are housed in restored 19th-century warehouses set along the cobblestone streets of old St. Louis. Immediately north of the Gateway Arch and just to the east of America's Center ® convention complex, The Landing's nightspots party until 3 a.m. on weekends. Try The Big Bang, where dueling piano players keep the audience rolling, or Hannegan's for jazz. The area is accessible via MetroLink light rail or it's just a short walk from downtown hotels. In fall 2007, the new Pinnacle Casino will open at The Landing with a major destination nightclub.
From The Landing, take MetroLink light rail to St. Louis Union Station at 18th and Market streets for even more nighttime entertainment. Variety is the key to the station's nightlife, where shops join restaurants and bars in the heart of downtown. Once the busiest train terminal in the world, Union Station is a National Historic Landmark that blends stately Victorian architecture with modern fun. Late night restaurants and the Schlafly microbrewery attract night owls to former garment warehouses along Washington Avenue and Locust Street.
In the West Port Plaza entertainment district in Maryland Heights, 20 minutes west of downtown, visitors find a sophisticated selection of nightclubs and restaurants that offer music throughout the week. West Port, which resembles a charming Swiss village, is located near the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis where outdoor concert entertainment rocks St. Louis in the late spring, summer and early fall.
See St. Louis' best musicians in action during your next visit. Pick up a copy of St. Louis Sounds magazine at visitor centers or music venues. The “Get Out” section in the Thursday edition of St. Louis Post-Dispatch lists club dates, as does the weekly Riverfront Times . Be sure to visit these recommended nightspots during your personal St. Louis music adventure.
Annual Music Festivals
Music fans can plan a visit to St. Louis during special events throughout the year. The Live on the Levee concert series brings the country's biggest names in music to the Riverfront under the Gateway Arch in July. The annual Big Muddy Blues Festival welcomes the country's top blues performers to the stage along with St. Louis favorites every Labor Day weekend. Live on the Levee and the Big Muddy are free events. The annual U.S. Bank St. Louis Jazz Festival heats up the Clayton neighborhood in June, and the Whitaker Music Festival , another free event, is a summer highlight at the Missouri Botanical Garden on Wednesday nights in June and July. Another free concert series, Blues on the Mississippi , takes place in June and September in Jefferson Barracks Park. For ad-ditional music festival and event information, check the interactive and constantly updated St. Louis Calendar of Events at www.ExploreStLouis.com .
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