Category Archives: Newsletter

Ticket Giveaway for Remembering Judy Garland by Swing St. Louis

Swing St. Louis, in partnership with STL250, presents Remembering Judy Garland this Saturday, October 11th.

FreeConcertSTL.com has been given two pairs of tickets to the 7 p.m. show.

Click here for details.

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, October 6
Nothing on our calendar for this day.

Tuesday, October 7
Nothing on our calendar for this day.

Wednesday, October 8
Nothing on our calendar for this day.

Thursday, October 9
St. Louis Banjo Club at Concordia Turner Hall in South St. Louis

Friday, October 10
Ticket to the Beatles at Party on the Pavement The Heights in Richmond Heights
Soulard Oktoberfest at Historic Soulard Farmers Market

Saturday, October 11
Des Peres Fall Festival at Des Peres Park
Ticket To The Beatles at Webster Groves Art on the Town on Allen Avenue in Webster Groves
Bella & Lily, Fabulous MoTown Revue at Party on the Pavement at The Heights in Richmond Heights
Soulard Oktoberfest at Historic Soulard Farmers Market

Sunday, October 12
The Ralph Butler Band at Florissant Old Town Fall Festival in Florissant
Soulard Oktoberfest at Historic Soulard Farmers Market

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, September 22
Nothing on our calendar for this day.

Tuesday, September 23
Chuck Berry Tribute by the Berry Family at Missouri History Museum

Wednesday, September 24
Spin The Bottle at Ryan Hummert Park in Maplewood
Ralph Butler Duo at Sailboat Cove at Creve Coeur Lake

Thursday, September 25
St. Louis Banjo Club at 6432 Gravois in St. Louis
Bella and Lily at Kirkwood Station Plaza

Friday, September 26
Oktoberfest in St. Charles at Frontier Park in St. Charles
Hispanic Festival September at Soulard Market Park

Saturday, September 27
Oktoberfest in St. Charles at Frontier Park in St. Charles
Hispanic Festival September at Soulard Market Park
Macklind Days at 4615 Macklind Avenue in St. Louis
Wildwood BBQ Bash at 221 Plaza Drive in Wildwood

Sunday, September 28
Oktoberfest in St. Charles at Frontier Park in St. Charles
Hispanic Festival September at Soulard Market Park
Wildwood BBQ Bash at 221 Plaza Drive in Wildwood
Ralph Butler Band, The Presentations, Art In The Park in Francis Park, St. Louis
Gateway Ringers at Second Presbyterian Church in St. Louis
Javier Mendoza at Oak Knoll Park in Clayton
Apple Festival at Pere Marquette Lodge in Grafton

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.

Last week’s featured concerts — Groovethang and Mirage

by Romondo Davis
We braved cool nights this past week to hear two of the St. Louis area’s best dance bands. Thursday evening it was Groovethang, a band we might have missed if they had not been playing in our own community, Creve Coeur; we had already seen them twice this summer.

The crowd on this damp, chilly Thursday night was sparse, but those who braved the cold were rewarded by Groovethang’s two long sets of back-to-back dance hits. The band’s performance was tight and clean overall, but I must say my favorites were their treatment of the Steely Dan songs they did. See our photos here.

Mirage — who we’ve seen at least three times over the previous two seasons — played their only free concert of 2014 Saturday evening. We had two good reasons to make the long drive to Lake St. Louis: we had never attended a free concert at Lake St. Louis’s Windjammer Point, and Mirage drummer, Darren George, personally invited us to come see the show.

Windjammer Point doesn’t feature a grass-covered seating area like most other venues, but the beautiful lake offers a great backdrop and the seating area/parking lot provided ample space for lawn chairs plus a handful of picnic tables. This show was the last in the Lake’s summer concert series and coincided with their 2014 Fall Festival, which probably contributed to the crowd being larger than it might have been due to the cool weather. The festive atmosphere and weather were most likely the reason so many people took the opportunity to dance to the great music of Mirage. See our photos here.

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, September 15
Fabulous MoTown Revue at Frontier Park in St. Charles

Tuesday, September 16
Fanfare at the Missouri History Museum
Bob Kuban Band at Tilles Park in Ladue

Wednesday, September 17
Strange Brew “Women of the Blues” on Main Street in St. Charles

Thursday, September 18
River Rats at Kirkwood Station Plaza

Friday, September 19
Taste of St. Louis at Chesterfield Amphitheater
Maddenfest at Brentwood Park
Lunar Levitation at Tremayne Shelter at Creve Coeur Lake

Saturday, September 20
Taste of St. Louis at Chesterfield Amphitheater
Dogtown Street Musicians Festival at Clayton and Tamm Avenue
Maddenfest in Brentwood Park
Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival at Gore & Lockwood

Sunday, September 14
Taste of St. Louis at Chesterfield Amphitheater
St. Ann Days at St. Ann Park

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.

Last week’s featured concerts — St. Louis Art Fair and Dogs of Society

by Romondo Davis
As the festival season goes into full swing, and the free concert series wind down, we spent our Saturday attending one of each. As the festival season goes into full swing, and the summer concert series winds down, we spent our Saturday attending one of each. Our annual visit to the fabulous annual St. Louis Art Fair in heart of Clayton included a walk by all the artists booths—most offering works out of our decorating budget—but the wide variety of free entertainment was grand. Performers we enjoyed Saturday afternoon included the Hardship Letters, Kevin Bilchik, The Jazz St. Louis All Stars, Joe Mancuso and members of the Clayton High School Busking Club. See our Art Fair photos here.

In the evening we attended the final concert in the Chesterfield Summer Concert Series featuring the Elton John tribute band, Dogs of Society. Photos of Dogs of Society here.

And for an added treat, 16-year-old McKenzie Hull—a junior at Francis Howell High School—was featured as the opening act. Keep your eyes and ears open for this rising star. Photos of McKenzie here.

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, September 8
Nothing on our calendar for this day.

Tuesday, September 9
Symphony on Art Hill at Art Hill in Forest Park
R&B And Tribute to Chaka Khan by Trish Haynes-Keys at the Missouri History Museum

Wednesday, September 10
STL Symphony Chamber Concert at Alton High School Performing Arts Theatre
Griffin & The Gargoyles in Downtown Clayton

Thursday, September 11
Blue Steel USAF Academy Band at Chesterfield Amphitheater
Evergreen at Kirkwood Station Plaza
St. Louis Banjo Club at 6432 Gravois, St. Louis
GrooveThang at Faust Park in Chesterfield

Friday, September 12
Catfish Willie, The Well Hungarians, Illumination at Frontier Park in St. Charles
Fabulous MoTown Revue, Greentree Festival at Kirkwood Park
St. Louis World’s Fare at Art Hill in Forest park
The Buckhannon Brothers at 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters
Bottoms Up Blues Gang at Tower Grove Park

Saturday, September 13
Irie Sun, Trixie Delight, Carrie and The Catapults, Illumination at Frontier Park in St. Charles
Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers, Johnny Appleseed, Ghost Monkeys, School of Rock, Greentree Festival in Kirkwood Park
Mirage at Windjammer Point in Lake St. Louis

Sunday, September 14
GrooveThang, Babaloo, Illumination at Frontier Park in St. Charles
The Thin Dimes, Cree Rider Family Band, Missouri Fiddlers, Falling Fences, Greentree Festival at Kirkwood Park
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at Benton Park in south St. Louis

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.

Last week’s featured concerts — The 2014 Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and Vince Martin at Lafayette Park

by Romondo Davis
We did a free concert double-header last Saturday night beginning in the Central West End and ending at Lafayette Park on the south side.

The 97th Annual Greek Festival ran August 30 through September 1 and featured a wide variety of authentic Greek food, drink and music. We enjoyed our meal under the tent while being entertained by Christos Sarantakis and his band with an entertaining folk dancing by the St. Nicholas Greek Dancers. Opa! See our photos here.

We paid our second visit this season to the beautiful Lafayette Park venue where we enjoyed guitarist and vocalist Vince Martin with a tight band of musicians that included the inimitable Lew Winer. See our photos here.

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, September 1
St. Louis Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

Tuesday, September 2
Ticket To The Beatles at the Missouri History Museum

Wednesday, September 3
Nothing on our calendar for this day.

Thursday, September 4
Eureka Days in Eureka
Gentlemen Bandits at Kirkwood Station Plaza

Friday, September 5
Miss Jubilee, Dawn Weber performing at Art Outside at Schalfly Bottleworks in Mapelwood
St. Louis Art Fair in Clayton
Popeye Picnic in Chester, IL
Sh-Boom at Eureka Days in Eureka
Acoustic Jam at 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters
The Steve Ewing Duo at Laumeier Sculpture Park

Saturday, September 6
Art Outside at Schalfly Bottleworks in Maplewood
St. Louis Art Fair in Clayton
Popeye Picnic in Chester, Illinois
Well Hungarians at Eureka Days at Lions Park in Eureka
Dogs of Society at Chesterfield Amphitheater

Sunday, September 7
Art Outside at Schalfly Bottleworks in Maplewood
St. Louis Art Fair in Clayton
Popeye Picnic in Chester, Illinois
Ragtime Rendezvous at Rosebud Cafe at Scott Joplin House in St. Louis

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.

Last week’s featured concert — Fanfare at Tilles Park

by Romondo Davis
Fanfare, featuring Kittie Moller on lead vocals, entertained the crowd last Tuesday night at Tilles Park in Ladue. The popular dance and cover band played to a sizable audience who had come to enjoy the music—and food from a variety of food trucks—at St. Louis County Park’s Feast in the Park summer series.

We want to thank band leader Vince Golomski for mentioning “Free Concerts St. Louis” several times from the stage, and both Vince and Kittie for taking the time to chat with us during the intermission.

Click here to see our photos of Fanfare’s performance at Tilles Park.

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, August 25
No shows on the schedule for this day — please let us know if you know of any free concerts we missed.

Tuesday, August 26
Big Brother Thunder and The Master Blasters at the Missouri History Museum

Wednesday, August 27
Citygarden Summer Concert Series Citygarden in downtown St. Louis
The Foggy Memory Boys at Ryan Hummert Park in Maplewood
Scott Laytham and Karl Holmes at Sailboat Cove in Creve Coeur Park

Thursday, August 28
Kirkwood Stock at Kirkwood Station Plaza
St. Charles Municipal Band at Frontier Park Bandstand in St. Charles
St. Louis Banjo Club at 6432 Gravois

Friday, August 29
Trophy Mules at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
FatPocket at St. Louis Zoo

Saturday, August 30
Andy Bridgeman at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
Vince Martin at Lafayette Park in south St. Louis

Sunday, August 31
St. Charles Big (Jazz) Band at Frontier Park Bandstand in St. Charles

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.

Last week’s featured concert — The Vondrukes at Kirkwood Station Plaza

We met up with a group of friends at Kirkwood Station Plaza to enjoy the music of the Vondrukes. The weather was perfect and the crowd was a good size for that venue. Thanks to the sponsors who bring this series to a nice venue and stage. The restaurants in the plaza are an excellent place to dine, featuring a wide variety of food and beverage and the best seats in the house. The adjacent railroad tracks with passing trains supply unique background site and sound that reminds concert attendees how the plaza got its name.

Click here see our photos of The Vondrukes concert at Station Plaza.

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, August 18
No shows on the schedule for this day — please let us know if you know of any free concerts we missed.

Tuesday, August 19
Fanfare at Tilles Park in Ladue
Dueling Pianos at Civic Park Bandstand in O’Fallon

Wednesday, August 20
Bottoms Up Blues Band at Citygarden in Downtown
Dawn Weber’s Swinging Blues Review at 100 North Main Street in St. Charles

Thursday, August 21
Emily Wallace at Kirkwood Station Plaza
St. Charles Municipal Band at Frontier Park in St. Charles

Friday, August 22
Anita Rosamond at Plaza 501 in Ferguson
Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
Celebrate Wildwood at 221 Plaza Drive in Wildwood

Saturday, August 23
Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park
The Western Satellites at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
Celebrate Wildwood at 221 Plaza Drive in Wildwood
Route 66 Jazz Orchestra at Kirkwood Park
Funky Butt Brass Band at Dardenne Prairie City Hall
Magazine at Chesterfield Amphitheater
Ground Flow Fusion at Truman Park Gazebo in Hazelwood

Sunday, August 24
Festival of Nations at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis
Miss Jubilee at Lindenwood Park in south St. Louis
Celebrate Wildwood at 221 Plaza Drive in Wildwood
Boeing Employees Concert Band at St. Ferdinand Park in Florissant
Broken Hipsters Oak Knoll Park in Clayton
Cornet Chop Suey at Carondelet Park in south St. Louis

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.

Twilight Tuesday Second Season Announced

The 2014 second season of the Missouri History Museum’s Twilight Tuesday has been announced. These shows begin at 6 p.m. each Tuesday evening beginning August 26 and running through September 30.

August 26: Big Brother Thunder and The Master Blasters
September 2: Ticket To The Beatles
September 9: R&B And Tribute to Chaka Khan by Trish Haynes-Keys
September 16: Fanfare
September 23: Chuck Berry Tribute by the Berry Family
September 30: Kool and the Gang Tribute by Julius Williams

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, August 11
No shows on the schedule for this day — please let us know if you know of any free concerts we missed.

Tuesday, August 12
Off The Shoulder at Wadlow Statue in Alton
Billy Peek at Faust Park in Chesterfield
Big Love at Civic Park Bandstand in O’Fallon, MO

Wednesday, August 13
Children’s Concert Series — Discussion with Percussion at Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park
Acoustik Element at Citygarden in downtown St. Louis
The VCRs in Downtown Clayton

Thursday, August 14
Vondrukes at Kirkwood Station Plaza
St. Louis Banjo Club at Concordia Hall in South St. Louis
Ralph Butler Duo at Faust Park in Chesterfield

Friday, August 15
John Henry at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
Kevin Bilchik at Tremayne Shelter in Creve Coeur Park
Griffin and the Gargoyles at St. Louis Zoo
The New Wave on Central Avenue in Eureka
Irie Sun at 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters
Root Diggers at Citygarden in downtown St. Louis

Saturday, August 16
Lucky Old Sons at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
Trilogy at Boulevard Park in Lake St. Louis
Miss Jubilee in Lafayette Park in St. Louis
Smash Band Superhits at St. Ferdinand Park in Florissant
Palm Trio at Fort Zumwalt Park in O’Fallon

Sunday, August 17
Silver Bullet at Gentry Park in Bridgeton
Steve Ewing Band at Benton Park in south St. Louis
Manchester Community Band at Paul A Schroeder Park in Manchester
Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats at Carondelet Park in St. Louis

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.

Last Week’s Featured Free Concert — Rockin’ Chair

by Romondo Davis

Last Tuesday night at St. Louis County’s Faust Park, the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce presented another great event in their summer concert series. On an unseasonal cool evening, a throng of dedicated fans welcomed Rockin’ Chair to the stage for two hours of classic acoustic rock. Their playlist included songs by Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, Jackson Brown, Eagles, Loggins and Messina and more.

View our Rockin’ Chair photos here.

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, August 4
Compton Heights Concert Band with Those Darn Accordions at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis
Rico at Heman Park in University City

Tuesday, August 5
The Encore Band at Faust Park in Chesterfield
Melissa Neels Band at Civic Park Bandstand in O’Fallon

Wednesday, August 6
Children’s Concert Series at Piper Palm House, Tower Grove Park
Gary Sluhan and the Strangebirds at New Ballwin Park
DJ Nune at Citygarden, 801 Market Street, St. Louis
Power Play at Spanish Lake Park
Gene Dobbs Bradford Blues Experience at Missouri Botanical Garden

Thursday, August 7
Provels at Kirkwood Station Plaza in Kirkwood
St. Charles Municipal Band at Frontier Park in St. Charles
Alone and Dying at Grove Memorial Park in Grafton
Alton Muny Band at Hatheway Hall, Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey

Friday, August 8
The Smooth Roose Unit at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
Coco Soul at St. Louis Zoo
Acoustic Jam at 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters
Western Satellites at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis
Bottoms Up Blues Gang at Brentwood Park
Dogs of Society at Des Peres Park

Saturday, August 9
Jeremiah Johnson Band at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
The Defenders at Wehner Park in Shrewsbury
Samba Bom at Kirkwood Park
Billy Peek at St. Ferdinand Park in Florissant
Spin The Bottle at Chesterfield Amphitheater
Midnights Calling at Truman Park Gazebo in Hazelwood

Sunday, August 10
St. Charles Big (Jazz) Band at Frontier Park in St. Charles
Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats at Shaw Park in Clayton
Abbey Road Warriors at Carondelet Park in St. Louis
Peach Festival at Pere Marquette Lodge in Grafton

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.

Last Week’s Featured Free Concert — Anita Rosamond

by Romondo Davis
When I am deciding which free concerts to attend, I scan our calendar to look for artists or bands I haven’t yet seen. When I find an act with which I am not familiar, I usually check their website to get an idea of the style and the genre they perform. Another resource I use is Facebook, where I check to see who their friends are. In the case of Anita Rosamond, the decision to attend her Friday night concert at the Old Orchard Gazebo was  simple when I saw that her friends include St. Louis music friends of mine like Don Wolf, Joe Mancuso, Vince Martin, Vincent Golomski, John Covelli and many, many more. I was sold.

In her Friday night performance at the Old Orchard Gazebo, Anita Rosamond did not disappoint. She sang sweetly and soulfully, leading her trio through a 90-minute set of jazz and pop standards, and Christmas Music; the theme of the evening was Christmas in July. An additional treat was hearing great vocal solos featuring her reed man, Lew Winer lll and drummer, Bwayne Smotherson.

Click here to see my photos of Anita Rosamond performing at the Old Orchard Gazebo on July 25, 2014.

This Week on the Free Concert Scene

Note: Please check our calendar for the up-to-date listings.

Click the items below for times, locations, and more details.

Monday, July 28
Compton Heights Concert Band with Johnny Baier, 4-String Banjo Player Extraordinaire at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis
FatPocket at Heman Park in University City
Chris Talley Trio at Bellerive Park in St. Louis

Tuesday, July 29
Mark Biehl Group at Fanetti Park in St. Louis
O’Fallon Community Concert and Jazz Bands at Civic Park Bandstand in O’Fallon
Rockin’ Chair at Faust Park in Chesterfield

Wednesday, July 30
Children’s Concert Series — The Tortoise and the Hare at Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park in St. Louis
Farshid Etniko Band at Citygarden in St. Louis
Melissa Neels Band at Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis

Thursday, July 31
St. Charles Municipal Band at Frontier Park Bandstand in St. Charles
Matt Livasy at Grove Memorial Park in Grafton
Alton Muny Band at Riverview Park in Alton
Erin Bode at Kirkwood Station Plaza in Kirkwood
That 80′s Band at Bluebird Park in Ellisville

Friday, August 1
Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats at Laumeier Sculpture Park in Sunset Hills
Jeff Allen Band at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers at Music on Art Hill on Art Hill in Forest Park
Mood Swings at St. Louis Zoo
One More Round at Paul A Schroeder Park in Manchester
Route D at 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters

Saturday, August 2
Diesel Island at Eckert’s Country Store in Belleville
Dawn Weber at Lafayette Park in St. Louis
Butch Wax & The Hollywoods at St. Ferdinand Park in Florissant

Sunday, August 3
Compton Heights Concert Band featuring Those Darn Accordions at Francis Park in St. Louis
St. Louis Big Band at St. Mathias the Apostle Catholic Church in South St. Louis County
Ragtime Rendezvous at Rosebud Cafe in Scott Joplin House in St. Louis
Alton Muny Band at Haskell Park in Alton
Chaz 45 at Gentry Park in Bridgeton
The Occasionals at Benton Park in St. Louis,
Memories of Elvis at Carondelet Park in St. Louis

Be sure to check our website for more events. We hope to see you at a free concert soon.