Saint Louis Nightlife

My friends and I enjo going out and just having fun being ourselves without having to deal with too many others who are out to put on a show and strut their stuff for a one-night hook up. We go out to enjoy good company and have a great time. When in St. Louis, one of my favorite places to do this is the Big Bang located on The Landing just north of the Arch grounds. The Big Bang is a dueling piano bar that HIGHLY encourages audience participation and really your experience at the Big Bang is what you make it.

This is a bar for all ages and especially for those who want to avoid the trashy bar scene.

Dress Code: Dress smart...wear pants and shoes and as long as you are not in grubby clothes you should be fine.

Just south of the new Busch Stadium, under the interstates and railroad tracks, is a cluster of jazz bars on Broadway in the Soulard section of St. Louis. Janet took me there one Thursday night for an awesome time amidst light crowds (due to the fact that the Cardinals played a day game). We started at the Broadway Oyster Bar, a New Orleans-themed jumble of barely-standing wood with an outdoor bar and a one-man barefoot blues band from Illinois. The ambiance is that of a college fraternity merged with a 19th-century brothel -- which it was! We enjoyed his Jack Johnson-like riffs and rough takes on Clapton tunes before moving on to Beale's. There, we sat outdoors in the heat, drinking cold beer, mesmerized by St. Louis icon Kim Massie and the Solid Senders. Ms. Massie is 300 pounds of blues and soul, and you feel all of it as she belts out Aretha Franklin or Whitney Houston songs. She may not stand up, but you can't stay sitting down during her performance. If you want to rock, watch out for her version of Led Zepplin's "Whole Lotta Love" -- wow!! Or Proud Mary -- Killer! Just make sure you feed te tip jar with your requests.
Massie and the Senders played for 2.5 hours before breaking, giving us a chance to sneak over to BB's Jazz and Soups, where the Grounders were finishing up 8 hours of music making with Hendrix, Croce and BB King. There were only a few stragglers left there at one in the morning, including a Cindi Lauper look-a-like (ironically, Kim Massie has played with Cindi Lauper), but we had a blast sharing a Pilsner Urquell and swaying to the breezy jazz. The lead guitarist really could solo!
The Grounders closed down at 1:30 just in time to return to Beale's for the last hour of Kim Massie. We were tired and wanted to leave, but the band wouldn't let us, playing one funky song afte another, capturing us in a ecstatic net of sound. We finally broke free when 2:30 arrived and the tip jar crested near he rim, walking under another westbound train back to our car. What a night!!

2 more images

The Orpheum is one of the classic performance spaces in the St. Louis area. This privately owned facility was originally constructed as a vaudeville theatre in 1917. It was purchased by Warner Brothers and made into a movie palace in the 1930s, and then because a music venue in the 1960s, taking the name of "the American Theatre" and featuring acts ranging from Eartha Kitt to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2003, it was purchased by a Redevelopment Team (the Roberts Brothers) who restored it to its original name and glory.

1 more image

Tin Can Tavern offers an experience you won't find at many other bars. This comfortable neighborhood bar makes you feel as if you are surrounded by friends in one of your buddy's basements. But what makes this bar truely unique is that they only offer canned beer. This may not sound appealing at first, but their vast seletion ensures that there is something for everyone. From PBR to Grolsch to Michelob. This layed back bar also has a guy on an acustic guitar strumming out classic rock tunes. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, then you should come and kick back at the Tin Can.

Dress Code: Come as you are

I love the concept of a bowling alley in a bar (vs. a bar in a bowling alley). I've been to such places in several cities, and the one in St. Louis' Loop neighborhood is pretty cool.

$50 / hour to bowl on the weekends after 9 pm, but other times rates are more reasonable.

Like many of the cities I have visited, St. Louis has its own nitlife hangout, and it's called The Landing. It is an area where multiple bars and restaurants are located all within walking distance which is convenient allowing you to see multiple bars.

The Live on the Levee concert series returns, as big as ever! I LOVE this series!!! Some of the groups scheduled this 2007 are: The Goo Goo Dolls, Emmy Lou Harris, Bruce Hornsby, Los Lonely Boys, Pete Yorn, Ani DiFranco, and Steel Pulse.

You get to sit outdoors, Under the Arch, overlooking the huge Mississippi and hear two great concerts each night. Then there's a fireworks show right after. The river breezes cool you off on a hot Summer's night and the concerts are fabulous!

Please see the web site for the schedule & what you can and cannot bring onto the grounds. They have many food and drink booths. Be sure to bring padding if you plan to sit on the arch steps, which is where I always sit, UNLESS I AM UP BY THE STAGE DANCING!!!

Dress Code: VERY casual - it is HOT outside, remember...

On the Mississippi riverfront and just to the North of the famed Arch is an area called The Landing. This is a neighborhood of bars, restaurants, attractions, and hotels. One of my favorites is a bar called The Big Bang. It is a piano bar with two pianists who lead the crowd in songs, participation highly encouraged! If you're in the area or need someplace to go after a Cardinals' game then I highly recommend you follow the sounds of the piano and make your way to The Big Bang.

Dress Code: You don't have to dress up but you shouldn't go grubby