Sharon Little @ Cicero's, St. Louis, MO

Pictures by Duane Clawson, words and video by Scott

This particular day started just after 2am, as I made my way to St. Louis for a friend's wedding. Unbeknownst to me, Duane, my St. Louis contributor, had plans for covering a show that night and he invited me to go. With no intentions on attending any show while I was in St. Louis, how could I resist the chance to cover a show in a city I have never seen a show in?? I couldn't, plain and simple. I jumped at the chance, as Duane and I, have yet been to the modestly-sized venue, which reminded me of Norman, OK's Opolis, at Cicero's and it would be an adventure for both of us.

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Tinariwen @ the Loft, Dallas, TX

I will, at times, complain about the minuscule commute from my apartment to my work or the minor annoyances of first world problems.  But in retrospect, these minute struggles pale in comparison to the hardships that the members of Tinariwen have faced on a daily basis growing up in war torn Africa.  The Tuareg musicians from Mali have not only faced the complexities of Third World separation but also the harsh realities of conflict and loss.  They have overcome these obstacles and ultimately formed a band that produces some of the best music to ever grace the world.  With the release of their fifth studio album, Tassili, they have embarked on a world tour and, luckily, graced the intimate confines of the Loft, set atop the Gilleys complex.

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Ume @ the Firebird, St. Louis, MO

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

It cannot be an easy task playing music in a sports town.  Ume had this unenviable task on this Thursday night in St. Louis.  For those that may have been living in a cave for the past couple of weeks, the St. Louis Cardinals were in the World Series playing a possible elimination game six as Ume was attempting to play some music.  Lauren Larson, Ume’s front woman, did a great job of appealing to St. Louis’s love of baseball and music.  Mrs. Larson was standing next to me as she told her parents that she would hold on as long as she could before she took the stage at The Firebird.  Finally at 11:20pm, Lauren, Eric, and Rachel took the stage to perform for a large Thursday night crowd.  This was Ume’s second appearance in St. Louis in the past three months; see LouFest.  I have had the luxury of seeing Ume at the St. Louis music festival and tonight at the Firebird, but I much prefer the intimacy of the Firebird to the big stage of Loufest.

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