Email Author Bob Mcmahon

2010 Stories by Bob Mcmahon

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  FEATURED STORY

  Review: El Monstero at the Pageant, Friday, December 17

  published Dec 18, 2010

  It takes cojones to play a set that, save for one song, draws entirely from Pink Floyd's The Wall -- when Roger Waters himself played the entire album in your town less than two months ago. But the m... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Review: Cake at the Pageant, Wednesday, December 15

  published Dec 16, 2010

  In the opening song of Cake's performance last night, singer John McCrea stated, "We are building a religion." Judging by the response from the claustrophobically packed crowd at the Pageant, the band... More >>

• The Gentleman Callers' second album, A Tangled Mess, Finally Sees a Release

  published Nov 29, 2010

  When local garage-rock group the Gentleman Callers broke up three years ago, it left the world with unfinished business. The quartet was almost done recording its second album when it dissolved. "Some... More >>

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  Murphy Lee promotes a healthy-cooking show, while Steve Ewing finds success with a hot-dog cart

  published November 25, 2010

  Hot Dog! Steve Ewing is a familiar face in the local music scene. He first made a name for himself as the frontman for the popular... More >>

• Show Review: Electric Six, The Constellations and The Breaks at The Firebird, October 31

  published Nov 01, 2010

  The current Electric Six show is consistent, bordering on predictable. Long time fans know that the group's set is going to include a handful of songs that never leave the set, but it'll otherwise foc... More >>

• Five Unexpected Places That Electric Six's Music Has Appeared in 2010

  published Oct 29, 2010

  Despite releasing seven albums and amassing a cult of fans through relentless touring -- its appearance at the Firebird this Sunday is their third St. Louis show in twelve months -- Electric Six is st... More >>

• Concert review: Los Campesinos! thrill enthusiastic fans with a passionate performance at the Firebird, Tuesday, October 26

  published Oct 27, 2010

  Los Campesinos! delivered an impressive show last night at The Firebird, but the real stars of the evening might have been the group's fans. The devoted 150 or so patrons in the audience not only da... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Show Review + Photos + Setlist: of Montreal Delights With an Extravagant Performance at the Pageant, Friday, October 21

  published Oct 22, 2010

  (For a review of opener Janelle Monae at the Pageant, go here.)Some bands are content to let their music speak for itself in concert, while others like to go all-out in making their show a production.... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Steve Ewing's Latest Post-Urge Endeavor: Steve's Hometown Hot Dogs!

  published Oct 07, 2010

  Steve Ewing is a familiar face in the local music scene. He first made a name for himself as the frontman for the popular rock/funk/ska/reggae/you name it act the Urge, a post he held from the '80s un... More >>

• Concert Review: Alice in Chains, Deftones and Mastodon Bring Their A-game to Scottrade Center on the BlackDiamondSkye Tour

  published Oct 02, 2010

  Fans got a great value last night at the Scottrade Center as three different acts put their spin on the hard rock/metal genre to give the crowd a good head-banging time. Named after a word from each... More >>

• Review: Johnnie's Jam, Featuring Dona Oxford and Conan O'Brien's musicians, at the Sheldon, Sunday, September 19

  published Sep 20, 2010

  Last night at the Sheldon, musicians gathered to pay tribute to the late Johnnie Johnson and his many accomplishments. KSDK's Art Holliday served as the night's master of ceremonies. (The concert serv... More >>

• An Under Cover Weekend Night Three: Theodore + The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra, Fractured Army, Makeshift Gentlemen, The Dive Poets, Via Dove

  published Sep 18, 2010

  This year's Under Cover Weekend ended with a strong turnout at the Firebird last night. The crowd awaiting the opening super-group featuring Theodore and The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra a... More >>

• An Under Cover Weekend Night Two: Samuriot, Tenement Ruth, Beth Bombara and Cassie Morgan, The Orbz and The Hibernauts

  published Sep 12, 2010

  Night two of An Under Cover Weekend featured a little something for everyone, a nice reminder of another one of the event's benefits: the ability to bring disparate crowds together. Most of this dive... More >>

• An Under Cover Weekend, Night One: Blind Eyes and Troubadour Dali

  published Sep 11, 2010

  As the Blind Eyes is an-all male trio, there was some question as to who was going to play the all-important role of Stevie Nicks in its Fleetwood Mac cover set. The solution to this quandary was as s... More >>

• Review: Gogol Bordello Wows Rabid Fans and Ignites the Pageant, Friday, August 6

  published Aug 07, 2010

  No matter how good their studio output might be, some bands just have to be experienced live to be fully understood. Gogol Bordello is one such band. The self-proclaimed gypsy-punks bring a raw energy... More >>

• Concert Review: Ozomatli wows The Duck Room with a sweaty, festive performance -- no strings attached, Friday, May 14

  published May 15, 2010

  Whatever disappointment St. Louis Ozomatli fans felt when the group's concert with the St. Louis Symphony became a regular show was erased by last night's dynamic performance. Yes, it would have been ... More >>

• The St. Louis Record Collectors Show continues to thrive after 30-plus years

  published April 28, 2010

  It's no secret that the music industry is in dire straits right now. Illegal downloading has contributed to a massive slump in album sales, and... More >>

• Show Review: The Whigs Treat loyal fans at The Gargoyle To a Polished, Lively performance, Thursday, April 22

  published Apr 23, 2010

  The Whigs delivered a powerful blast of pure rock & roll last night at The Gargoyle, thrilling its hardcore fans in the front row and generally impressing the rest of the 80 or so concertgoers. The At... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Review + Setlist: OK Go Wows the Old Rock House with (Hand)bells, Whistles and an Engaging Set, Sunday, April 18

  published Apr 19, 2010

  When I interviewed OK Go frontman Damian Kulash, he said that he thinks rock & roll is not the just beats, chords, melodies and lyrics of a song, but also the inaudible actions that accompany the tune... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Interview: OK Go Vocalist Damian Kulash On The Band's New Label, New Direction and Yes, Its Videos

  published Apr 15, 2010

  It's not even half-over yet, but 2010 has already been a monumental year for OK Go. In January, the quartet released Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, its first album of original material since 2005's Oh... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  How To Get Your Band to Open for Chuck Berry, with Randy Shore of the Zonkeys

  published Mar 26, 2010

  It's not every day you get to open for a legend in St. Louis. It's only every month. In roughly that time-frame, Chuck Berry plays a show here and a band gets to say that they once shared the stage ... More >>

• Review: Pretty & Nice, Title Tracks, Jumbling Towers and Loza at the Firebird, Saturday, February 20

  published Feb 21, 2010

  Hey, St. Louis, the next time the local band you came to see tells you to stick around for the following acts, take heed. You wouldn't want another poor display like last night, when most of you left ... More >>