St. Louis: Find your thrill in one of the Midwest’s great music towns

Good morning, Seekers!

Hope you’re enjoying (or recently enjoyed) a relaxing spring break—with some great music along for the ride.

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Can’t believe we’re already on our 12th edition, and this week’s city is one of the coolest we’ve featured so far…

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

St. Louis shares the Mississippi River with New Orleans and Memphis. It’s not always mentioned in the same breath when it comes to great American music towns, but it has a similar legacy as a cultural hotbed.

Miles Davis was born across the river. Uncle Tupelo rose out of the local scene, defining alt-country on their way up. Scott Joplin composed “The Entertainer” here (in a house you can still visit today), and a full century later, Nelly put the Gateway Arch on MTV with “Country Grammar.”

It’s a colorful past, to say the least, and today, St. Louis’s scene still has incredible range, with venues that have real character, whether they’ve been open for decades or days.

And the spirit of the St. Louis seems to make unlikely things happen. Chuck Berry didn’t need to hold a monthly residency in an intimate club, but he wanted to. The city’s dedicated saxophone store didn’t need to open a museum in its upstairs space, but it wanted to.

And likewise, you might not need to drop everything and head towards the Gateway City…but give us a couple of pages, and we think you’ll want to.

Blueberry Hill

“I don’t come here for the music,” Chuck Berry once said about Blueberry Hill. “I come here for the wings.”

You’ll find that quote on the menu at this 54-year-old restaurant and bar, credited with helping revitalize the Delmar Loop. It fits, because Blueberry Hill draws people in from all angles.

Its Seeburg jukebox was once named the best in the world by the BBC. Owner Joe Edwards has filled nearly 100 display cases with vintage memorabilia, from Pez dispensers and Howdy Doody dolls to one of the world’s largest collections of Berry artifacts. Co-owner Linda Edwards has turned the storefront display window into more than 200 themed installations, even inspiring a coffee table book.

And Berry didn’t need to come for the music — he was the music. From 1996 to 2014, the man who defined rock guitar held a monthly residency in Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room, a 340-capacity space downstairs.

Today, the room hosts touring acts like Teenage Bottlerocket and Angel Du$t, along with regular hangs like weekly trivia and a darts league. It’s an easy dinner-and-show stop, and if you want to order like Chuck, go with the mild wings and a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

The Pageant

The Pageant isn’t just a St. Louis standout. It’s regularly recognized as one of the top midsized venues in the country, and in retrospect arrived on the scene at the perfect time.

Opening in 2000, it provided a springboard for The White Stripes, The Strokes, Arcade Fire and other acts who revived and redefined rock in the 21st century. This room fits up to 2300, but with a tight, two-tiered floor plan, you won’t be further than 70 feet from the stage.

Stephen Wilson Jr., Jesse Welles and others are packing the place out these days, and in 2016, the Pageant opened a sister venue next door — Delmar Hall, which fits up to 750.

Saxquest

“Saxquest.” An eight-letter word that invites intrigue, and yet tells you exactly what you’re getting. Looking for your next great sax or clarinet? Your search is over.

For more than 25 years, co-owners Mark and Elke Overton have provided hard-to-find gear, repair work, and expertise to serious players, all from their spot on Cherokee Antique Row, a stretch known for its offbeat shops and deep local character.

Upstairs, the Saxquest Saxophone Museum holds a deep collection of rare and historically significant horns, including examples built by Adolphe Sax himself. There are also curios like the short-lived F mezzo saxophones, a failed attempt to redefine the standard sax lineup that was quickly abandoned. It also features multiple Selmer Mark VIs, the gold standard of modern sax design.

And if you bring your own mouthpiece, you’re welcome to try many of these museum pieces out yourself.

Vintage Vinyl

Even before it housed one of the city’s longest-running record stores, the Vintage Vinyl site was drawing in future rock stars. It used to be the home of the Varsity Theatre, where a local news station interviewed a then-unknown Michael Stipe, all dressed up for a 1976 screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Around that same time, Webster University alums Lou Prince and Tom “Papa” Ray started selling records at the Soulard Farmers Market. They moved into the old theater building in 1988, and over the years they’ve hosted countless big in-stores (Mumford & Sons, Cage the Elephant) and listening events that double as dance parties, like the one they threw for Harry Styles earlier this month.

Stores like these don’t last without passionate ownership. Ray has said he hasn’t had a “real job” since they opened. As he put it in a PBS interview, “My own retirement plan is to drop dead on the floor of this store while talking to somebody about music.”

Jazz St. Louis

With more than 250 performances annually, Jazz St. Louis isn’t just the city’s jazz hub, it’s a national destination. It began in 1995 as “Jazz at the Bistro,” before taking on its current name as its role expanded beyond the stage and into the community.

The community took notice. An $8 million capital campaign transformed the space into the Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz, complete with educational programs, rehearsal studios, and a sound system considered among the best in the city.

Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr., and Al Jarreau are just a few of the greats who’ve taken the stage here, drawn to the room’s stellar sound, attentive crowd, and cozy, cocktail-slinging setting.

More St. Louis spots

Broadway Oyster Bar
Late-night spot for blues, roots, and reggae shows.

The Sheldon
Seated listening room with top-tier acoustics for jazz, folk, and songwriter sets.

Chuck Berry House
The rock architect called it home during his ‘50s heyday.

Off Broadway
South City staple since 1987, known for alt-country and Americana acts.

The Focal Point
Intimate Maplewood venue focused on folk and acoustic performances.

Chuck Berry statue
Quick stop marking Berry’s connection to the neighborhood’s music scene. Across the street from Blueberry Hill.

Scott Joplin House State Historic Site
Preserved home of ragtime pioneer.

The Fabulous Fox Theatre
Historic Grand Center venue hosting major touring shows.

Explore St. Louis
City’s official tourism resource for planning your visit.