Hi Chris! It's been a hot minute!
I completely agree on concert ticket pricing. I'm amazed they sell any tickets at all with those prices. I saw that Robert Plant was coming to the Pageant, checked the prices, and immediately said 'no way'. The 'cheap seats' were at $300 and center row of the balcony at $1300
. I'm afraid the 'classic' rock bands we grew up with have priced themselves right out of the market.
I agree with hitting Wildwood Springs Lodge. We went there 3 or 4 times a year back in the early 2000s. So often that Rusty Young (Poco) and I became friends. We'd get there early and I'd help him schlep in schwag and set up the tables. Rusty and Mary (wife) were into cars (Porshe 911) and at the time we had a 66 TBird convertible they loved. Bob Bell (owner of WSL) would always seat us in the first row or two. I'd photograph many of the concerts and send the pics to Bob and he'd use them for the band page promos. It was loads of fun getting to meet and watch so many of the bands over the years. Last concert we went to out there was the Marshal Tucker Band about 5 years ago. We sat side stage with the the band members and got to talk to them a bit. I've got tons of stories and pics from over the years out there.
Anyway, we've seen several of the local bands you mention and I agree, some of them are really good. Years ago, there was a band called Loose Change. They did Allman Bros. covers and they were great, but they quit playing over a decade ago.
My wife's cousin and a couple guys we went to high school with, had (have) a band called Volcanic Ash. They played deep cuts, the true KSHE classics, and were great! Unfortunately, the keyboardist passed and Laura's cousin (bass) stopped playing. They found some replacements and they are still 'good' but not quite as good as they once were. Still worth checking them out. They play at the wineries and occasionally, the Sky Lounge in Ballwin. You can find them on Facebook.
My son-in-law plays drums in a punk driven cover band called Punky Booster. They're good but their choice in tunes isn't in my sweet spot. But hey, if that genre floats your boat, check them out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTHuCTIXQ9sI've been threatening to go over to Belleville to check out a Jazz and Cigar Bar called the Cigar Inn. I've lost touch with the local jazz bands so I have no opinion of the bands they bring in. Might be a fun evening if the musicians are good and not too avante garde. I've be up to putting together a GAS evening if anyone was interested. Here's a link to their website. Keep in mind, this is a cigar bar, so if you are smoke sensitive, it might not set well with some....and yes, I'd be imbibing.
http://www.cigarinn.net/At some point, I need to do an event out here for the group. It won't be much of a listening experience as it will be 'hey let's catch up' event. My systems have become much simpler and I've given up on the 'chase' and focused on enjoying the music. I still have numerous systems but I put them together with the old gear I've had for years, and they are 'good enough'. Anymore, and especially since my hearing acuity has decreased with age, I just want to enjoy tunes.
