This post is written by guest blogger, Steven Amrhein, Intern at Old Town Cape.
I'll admit that I like to go out downtown every now and then. My nights usually begin pretty early though because I don't stay up too late. One thing that I've discovered in my senior year of college is that the bars downtown have a lot more to offer than just bottomless pitcher nights - they have music, and a lot of it!
The first band I ever heard perform downtown was Old School Hype, the house cover band for The Library. They play every Thursday night at 8 and normally take breaks during their show to chat with the audience. One night while listening to them play, I decided to strike up a conversation with their guitar player, Caleb, since I too am a guitarist. He told me that the band is pretty busy, playing over 250 shows since they formed in 2010, and have booked an additional 145 show this year! Caleb started playing the guitar when he was just 8 years old, and after a few years of improvement, he got together with his brother, Alex, and decided to start a band. Chris, the drummer, joined the band after meeting Alex through the Southeast Missouri State University music program, while Skyler, the bassist, joined after being introduced by a friend.
My biggest question was why they played so many shows in bars rather than branching out to venues, wineries, etc. Caleb explained that they play downtown so much because they enjoy the atmosphere and they feel right at home. However, the band is willing to contribute their service to local charitable causes by playing benefit shows when asked. "The best thing about playing locally is the decent following that we have. A few die hard fans come to every show and cheer us on," explained Caleb. During one show, Old School Hype rocked so hard that they threw a breaker in the middle of a song and the building's power went out! Their fan base is so great, though, that they kept the show going even when disaster struck.
The last thing Caleb left with me before I headed home for the night, besides to follow them on Facebook for upcoming shows, was a great story about the band's favorite memory of a show downtown. "One night while playing at The Library when 'Gone Girl' was being filmed, a few people from the movie came in while we were playing 'Feel Like Making Love' by Bad Company. Actress Lola Kirke, daughter of Bad Company's drummer, Simon Kirke, was amongst the crowd and danced away. After she returned home from shooting the movie, she sent us autographed pictures of the band and her as well as autographs from her father," said Caleb.
As I was walking down Main Street just about to wrap up my night, I heard hard rock music coming out of Rude Dog. I'm a huge fan of 90s rock and that grunge feel, so I figured I'd pop my head in and listen for a minute with a couple of friends. The band on stage was Seems Legit, one that I had never heard of. I only intended to stay for a few minutes, but the mix of rock, country, and blues kept my interest and I ended up staying until last call.
The band then began tearing down the stage and putting away their instruments, but I had the opportunity to have a quick chat with lead singer, Jason. Beyond my belief, he told me that Seems Legit had only played about 10 shows. I was shocked because their sound was so professional for being a newbie. "We take pride in good, tight sound and try to learn something new at every show," Jason explained.
I thanked Jason for his time and let the band finish packing up their equipment and began heading home. It was the first night since I turned 21 that I had stayed out until closing time, and I couldn't be happier. I met two great bands, made some new friends, and learned from aspiring musicians that one day will be headlining in St. Louis. Sign up for the What's Up Downtown weekly update to find out where Old School Hype and Seems Legit will play downtown next!