Stag Nite offers weekly camaraderie in debauchery

Vegas: That's one of the bands that played the early times that I formed some of my closest friendships with — everyone in that band are really good friends of mine still to this day. Irene probably told you about the brawl that happened outside, right? There was probably about 75 people in the bar, and they all just cleared into the street in typical brawl fashion, and I had to pull one of the band members off of our brand-new doorman who just started — nobody had realized that he worked there.

Vegas: The Monads were my go-to band. Whenever I was in a bind I could call them up a couple hours in advance and say so-and-so cancelled; get down here. And they would get down there. It was when they were a three-piece — before they had Matt on the fiddle — and they would play unplugged, and Jason, the singer, would just sing into an empty mic stand. People seemed to really like that. [Laughs]

Megan Gilliland

Johnny Vegas gives shaving tips to Fred Friction.

Location Info

Map

El Lenador

3124 Cherokee St.
Saint Louis, MO 63118

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: St. Louis - South City

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Details

Stag Nite Ninth Anniversary Party
With the Rowdy Cum Lowdies, Magic City, Caveofswords and Jesse Irwin.
9 p.m. Wednesday, May 2. El Lenador, 3124 Cherokee Street.
$5. 314-771-2222.

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More About

• Johnny Vegas
• Whiskey Richard
• Ellen Herget
• Theater
• Off-Broadway

Patrick Eagan (The Monads): I think that was one of the ways that we really started getting noticed, which was really cool. I remember the very last show at Magee's before it moved to Off Broadway. We had a big going-out party where everybody got dressed up in suits and wore black arm bands, and it was sort of a passing of the torch onto another club, because we knew Magee's was gonna be torn down.

Steve Pohlman (owner, Off Broadway): I remember when we started doing it at Off Broadway. Johnny said, "I've got an idea! Let's do shows every Wednesday night with one-dollar Stag and a cheap cover. We'll sell a lot of beer and not make any money. It'll be great!" And I said, "You're right. That is a great idea!" And I refuse to testify about anything else associated with Stag Nite on the grounds that it may incriminate me.

Ellen Herget (The Skeskes): I think a lot of people will step up and tell wild Stag Nite stories, and those stories are all killer — but I think it is also important to note that Stag Nite is beloved because it is a consistently friendly atmosphere. Everyone I know goes to Stag Nite weekly, no matter what bands are playing, because it's about the gathering of folks from the neighborhood — whatever your concept of "the neighborhood" may be — in the middle of a long week. St. Louis is a working-class town; the music scene is a working-class scene. And rather than tell a specific story about the countless times we all stood around catching up and listening to tunes, I want to point out that Johnny's weekly shindigs offer everyone a break from their weekly grind. And Stag. Delicious, cold, golden Stag.