All Entries in the "Arts & Music" Category
Pat Liston performing in Ferguson this Friday
Back in 1975, a local rock band called Mama’s Pride soared to national fame, leaving St. Louis behind to tour with big-name acts like the Allman Brothers, Bob Seger and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Guitarist Pat Liston had founded the band with his brother Danny and four other members in the early 70s, and together they ended [...]
Tickets go on sale for the Touhill’s fall season
Seven years ago this fall, the Touhill Performing Arts Center opened its doors amid a wee bit of controversy. “Not in North County!” the theater crowd gasped back then. But today, even the NoCo naysayers have come to love this world-class opera house, which once again is rolling out a jam-packed schedule featuring a little [...]
Florissant recording artist signed by EMI
Life is good for Willie “P-Dub” Moore. After years of steadily building his music career, the Florissant resident and his Kingdom Music label recently signed an exclusive licensing agreement with EMI Gospel, which will market and distribute his music around the world! Growing up in Berkeley, Moore was once a “gangsta” rapper known as Pretty [...]
Northern Arts Council offers Art Journaling workshop
Looking for a creative way to express yourself or a fun method for dealing with life’s challenges? Why not try art journaling? This Saturday, July 10, the Northern Arts Council (NAC) is welcoming art therapist Kelley Brown for an afternoon workshop on how to make an art journal. A graduate of the SIUE Art Therapy [...]
Overland hosting Market Center Festival on July 10
If you haven’t patronized the Overland Farmers Market yet, you might want to pay a visit on July 10. That’s when most of downtown Overland is coming together to host the family-friendly Market Center Festival – all day long in the 2500 block of Woodson. The event kicks off with the farmers market at 8am, [...]
The Music of NoCo: Brian Owens
Though he lives right here in Ferguson, Brian Owens is quickly building a name for himself on the national music scene. Known for his soulful take on jazz classics, the 2008 UMSL Music graduate has appeared on Good Morning America, The Wayne Brady Show and BET’s Jazz Discovery, and this fall, he’s launching a 15-city [...]
Post-Dispatch cartoonist featured in Mercantile Library exhibit
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Perhaps that’s why Tom Engelhardt enjoyed such a successful career. An editorial cartoonist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 35 years, he, like many others in his profession, often played an influential role in shaping the narrative of important local and national issues. Engelhardt worked at [...]
NAC, Cork & Hill Brewing sponsoring May 2nd Art Show
Expanding beyond its usual gallery space in downtown Ferguson, the Northern Arts Council is teaming with Cork Wine Bar and Hill Brewing Co. to host the NAC “Off-Site” exhibit, opening this Sunday, May 2. The gala reception will feature live music, great food and drink, live art demonstrations and an eclectic selection of work from [...]
Second City returns to the Touhill
The list of stars to come out of Chicago’s famed Second City improv troupe reads like a who’s who of comedy: John Belushi, Bill Murray, Steve Carrell, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Stephen Colbert and dozens more. In fact, Second City has produced so many gems over the past 50 years that when its touring company [...]
Ferguson launches Plaza at 501 with Friday concert
In 2005, when members of Ferguson’s downtown business district took my humble advice and adopted the name Ferguson Citywalk, the idea was to promote walkability and a greater sense of vibrancy along Florissant Road. Rather than just serving as a drive-by locale on a busy thoroughfare, Citywalk, it was hoped, could become a prime destination [...]
It’s Time for the Muggles to Dance!
Wizards, witches, costumes and live music…COUNT ME IN!! On Wednesday, April 14, St. Louis County Library is hosting not one, not two, but three Harry Potter tribute bands in a free live concert for all ages! The lineup includes the Whomping Willows, Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills, and Draco and the Malfoys, with all [...]
The Music of NoCo: the Mad Titans
If there’s one secret about North County that I wish more people knew, it’s that this area is absolutely brimming with artists and musicians. Far from being a “cultural wasteland,” as a city hipster friend once called it, NoCo is actually a goldmine of characters and creative types, most of whom live here because it’s [...]
NAC Gallery seeks art from local women…by Saturday
Right after Christmas in 2004, I got an intriguing phone call. A local investor had just purchased one of the old Universal Match buildings in Ferguson, and if I could help fill it with artists’ studios, he told me I could “have” the building for free. The catch was that I would need to start [...]
The Music of NoCo: Ann Fink
Our first brave guinea pig in the Music of NoCo is Ann Fink, a talented decorative painter and all-around Renaissance woman who serves on Ferguson’s Volunteer Flower Department and lives in a charming 1860s home that she and her husband, Gary, lovingly restored. These days, Ann is listening to an old classic that brings back [...]
Local music legend featured in March 6 film & concert
Bring up the subject of music in Ferguson and it’s only a matter of time before somebody mentions Michael McDonald. The famous singer/songwriter, who played in both Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers, grew up in Ferguson, of course. But the local musicians who collaborated with him back then and who went on to achieve [...]
The Art of the Book opens at Gallery 210
More than 500 years worth of diaries, journals, sketchbooks and letters are on display at UMSL’s Gallery 210 right now, showcasing the creativity and intimate thought processes of artists from all over the world. “The Art of the Book: Journals Then and Now” is an international traveling exhibit that just opened last week, and it [...]
The Music of NoCo: introducing a new column
As I was looking at my website data recently, I was blown away to learn that NOCO is now getting nearly 350,000 hits every month. It’s an awesome number, for sure, and I’m so grateful to everyone who’s reading. But at the same time, I’m also thinking, “Who the hell are all these people?” Of [...]
North County High Schools Shine in Student Theater
The shrill buzz of a chop saw cuts through an already raucous atmosphere at McCluer High School. It’s 3:45pm and school is out for the day, but the hallways still teem with busy students. In one classroom, dancers meticulously practice their steps. In another, actors run through their lines. And in the warren of workspaces [...]
Calling all NoCo residents to help support Haiti
It’s hard to feel useful in the face of the unspeakable tragedy in Haiti, but several North County residents have stepped forward to do what they can. On Saturday, January 30, the Savoy in Ferguson will be hosting NoCo for Haiti, a benefit concert featuring music from at least five popular local performers, including Javier [...]
NoCo students featured at Big Band Festival
If you’re looking for a way to warm up a cold Tuesday, head to UMSL for some red hot jazz. On January 12, the Des Lee Big Band Jazz Festival will host a free concert at the Touhill’s Lee Theater, featuring some of the most talented student musicians in the area, including several from North [...]
Locations in Florissant,
Chesterfield & West Port
Sept 4 "R" Pizza Farm Grilled Pizza Demo 10am, Buy a Bag For the Hungry Day 8am - 12pm, to benefit Operation Food Search, a St. Louis food bank that distributes food to poor & hungry. While you're shopping, buy an extra bag for this worthy cause. Live Music - Dixie Rhythm Kings 9-11am. ALSO 45+ vendors!
Saturdays 8am-2pm in the 2500 block of Woodson Road