Whether it’s jazz, blues, pop or just about any other genre, nightspots and venues featuring live music abound in greater St. Louis. In particular, the city has long been a hub for blues music, drawing such musicians as W. C. Handy who penned “St. Louis Blues” in 1914 while sitting on the Mississippi riverfront.
An important new addition to the city’s music scene will be the National Blues Museum, which is set to open in February in the downtown MX entertainment district within walking distance of the America’s Center Convention Complex.
With interactive exhibits and performance areas, the museum will celebrate the pivotal role of blues in American music as well as the artists who created and continue to advance the art form. Along with viewing artifacts and films featuring such bluesmen as B.B. King, Ray Charles and Buddy Guy, visitors will be able to try their hand at various instruments and even record their own music.
The entire museum, which will include a 150-seat performance venue and a total of 27,000 square feet of event space, will be available for receptions and private concerts.
Just south of the downtown central business district, St. Louis’ “Blues Triangle” offers a cluster of clubs, including BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups and The Beale on Broadway, which feature nightly live performances. In St. Charles, a popular nightspot in the Ameristar Casino is Bottle Neck Blues Bar, which hosts both national and local bands.
St. Louis is host to two annual blues festivals, St. Louis Bluesweek Festival held during the last weekend in May and Big Muddy Blues Festival held on Labor Day weekend.
Located a short drive from downtown, The Loop neighborhood is filled with music clubs and sidewalks sprinkled with brass stars and biographies honoring local citizens of note. A star devoted to rock-and-roll icon Chuck Berry sits outside Blueberry Hill, a club where the legendary performer regularly plays in the Duck Room.
Featuring headliners and rising stars, Jazz at the Bistro is a year-round concert series located in the recently expanded and redesigned Ferring Jazz Bistro, which is part of the Harold & Dorothy Steward Jazz Center in downtown St. Louis. The contemporary venue features table seating for up to 200 guests and offers food and beverage service during the performances. Guests can also dine at the adjacent Nancy’s Bistro before performances or while watching them live on a large video screen.
