John Mayer

Attention New Bands: Chill Out, For These Are the Best of Times

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

The Top Ten Douchiest Guitar Players of All Time

By Nate Jackson Hey, we can all appreciate a quality guitar god. Anyone who considers themselves a fan of music knows the joy of watching their favorite axe man/woman go on a tear and destroy the crowd with their fast-fingered prowess, signature style and lush mane of flowing hair. It's the textboo ... More >>

Candles As Band Merch: An In-depth, Intensive Look with GG Allin, Mumford and Sons

By Michael Alan Goldberg Perhaps you have seen that in addition to the T-shirts, hoodies, posters, and brass boat necklaces (?) found in their online merch section, Sigur Ros has introduced their "Vardeldur candle" for the princely sum of $23.50. The site describes its scent thusly: The smoky, sl ... More >>

No, Playing Guitar While Singing 'Renegade' Isn't Karaoke

Karaoke can be a dangerous endeavor. What can you sing that won't make friends shun you? How can you go balls-out during your next performance? Each week in "Ask a Karaoke Host," RFT Music writer and professional karaoke host Allison Babka answers your burning questions about maximizing your melodio ... More >>

Gift Guide for Musicians we Love (and Love to Hate)

Last week, I received a surprising call from the North Pole. Apparently Santa Claus has become a fan of my column and wanted some musical selections to play in his sleigh on the big night. "Anything but 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus', I was told. "Mrs. Claus always looks askance at him when they ... More >>

Country Music for People who Hate Country

Cardinal fans and Cub fans. Democrats and Republicans. Those who keep up with the Kardashians and those who should be allowed to vote. Country music fans and country music haters. While no end is in sight to the strife between the first three aforementioned warring factions, there may be hope for t ... More >>

Why John Mayer's 'Daughters' is the Worst Song Ever

I have three daughters. I love and adore my three daughters. If it were possible, I would move heaven and Earth for my three daughters. I hate the song "Daughters" by John Mayer. Every year, I take my oldest two children to a father-daughter dance where there are three things I can count on with ab ... More >>

Bluefish

5 p.m. Sunday, September 2. Cicero's, 6691 Delmar Boulevard, University City.

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From August 27 to September 2

Did everyone survive LouFest? Surrounding this post is our extensive coverage; be sure to read up. Rain be damned, the whole thing seemed to go off without a hitch. More big outdoors shows populate this week's post, for those of you that didn't get enough over the weekend. Tonight Verizon Wireless ... More >>

The End of SXSW 2012: Too Much Portland to Count and a Little St. Louis

Friday, March 16, 2012 2:15 p.m. By mid-afternoon the South Congress strip had become a not-quite-debauched Mardi Gras parade of young and old, hip and unhip, crunchy and coiffed, and dogs, lots of dogs, all taking in the food trucks, boutiques, vintage apparel encampments and day parties, lots of ... More >>

Alert: SXSW Coverage Ahead

"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." -- Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive You don't have to spend much time at South By Southwest to know that all of the above building ... More >>

Taylor Swift Is Destroying America

What was that about short skirts? ​Taylor Swift is that skinny girl who's always whining about how fat she is. She claims to be the nerd that you're likely to overlook. And she'll tell you she's the sweetheart who gets taken advantage of by Big, Bad Men ("Don't you think nineteen's too young/ To b ... More >>

Brett Dennen Is Coming To The Pageant

wikimedia commons​The unlikeliest ladies' man in contemporary music comes to the Pageant on October 15th. Brett Dennen, who is fresh of the release of his fourth album, Loverboy, has found success by sounding like a straight-faced soft pop star without looking or acting like one. Though he ha ... More >>

What It's Like To Audition (Unsuccessfully) For American Idol

One of these people might have moved past the first round. Maybe. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.​Ed: The American Idol Season 11 auditions attracted more than 10,000 hopefuls to the Scottrade Center yesterday. Recent Mizzou grad Mallory Gnaegy was one them, and she has agreed to let us publish her ac ... More >>

Mile 277 Tap & Grill Serves Up Bikes, Bands and Brews

Robin UtzThe honey-bourbon chicken from Mile 277.​Its bike-and-entertainment theme precedes Mile 277 Tap & Grill (10701 Watson Road, Sunset Hills; 314-645-3277) -- you begin to become aware of it even before you enter the parking lot. Motorcycles are everywhere; their owners, friends and famil ... More >>

Interview Outtakes: Chris Shiflett on His Guitar Heroes, Being a Dad and the Status of Foo Fighters

Jack Butler​ Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants -- the rootsier side project of the Foo Fighters guitarist -- will be at the Old Rock House tonight. The show's at 8 p.m. and tickets are $8. We chatted with Shiflett in this week's paper. Read on below for some outtakes in which he discusses h ... More >>

Martin Sexton

8 p.m. Saturday, May 22. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Homespun: Fundamental Elements, This Moment EP

In this week's paper, Christian Schaeffer reviews Fundamental Elements' new EP, This Moment. He had this to say:The oh-so-smooth, endlessly breathy pop of Maroon 5 mixes with modern R&B flourishes on Fundamental Elements' new six-song EP, This Moment. The band stuffs its tightly constructed song ... More >>

Homespun: Fundamental Elements

This Moment EP
(self-released)

"I don't even know what napalm means," "Chubby, Married Cougar who needs hugs" and Fifteen Other Nuggets from John Mayer's March 20 St. Louis Concert

The RFT was denied reviewer tickets and a photo pass for John Mayer's show at the Scottrade Center last night. Why? No clue -- depending on the artist performing, sometimes these things just happen; you can't get too worked up over it. So instead, because Mayer's Twitter account is legendary, I peru ... More >>

St. Louis Weekend Concert Highlights: Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21

It's been a long week. Here are the highlights of shows going on this weekend -- please chime in with your own below. Friday, March 19 *Jay-Z/Young Jeezy/Trey Songz, Scottrade Center *David Gray, Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center *STS9, The Pageant *Michael McDermott (early), Off Broadway * ... More >>

John Mayer

8 p.m. Saturday, March 20. Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Avenue.

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of January 18

Euclid Records 1. Spoon - Transference 2. Eels - End Times 3. Vampire Weekend - Contra 4. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast 5. Tom Waits - Glitter & Doom Live 6. Josh Ritter - Hello Starling 7. John Mayer - Battle Studies* 8. Nirvana - Live At Reading 9. Ring ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of January 11 to 17

Although Vampire Weekend dominated both stores this week, I would just like to note that Dr. Dre's The Chronic was a top seller at Vintage Vinyl last week. Proof that it's always Dre Day. Euclid Records 1. Vampire Weekend - Contra 2. Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind 3. Tom Waits - Glitter & Doom L ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of December 14 - December 20

Euclid Records 1. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures 2. Tom Waits - Glitter And Doom Live 3. Neil Young - Dreaming Man Live '92 4. Bob Dylan - Christmas In The Heart 5. Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP 6. Norah Jones - The Fall 7. Vince ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of December 7-13

Vintage Vinyl 1. THEM CROOKED VULTURES---Them Crooked Vultures 2. CLIPSE---Til The Casket Drops 3. MELANIE FIONA---The Bridge 4. GUCCI MANE---State Vs. Radric Davis 5. BLAKROC---Blakroc 6. JOHN MAYER---Battle Studies* 7. VARIOUS ARTISTS---Daptone Gold 8. TOM WAITS---Glitter & Doom Live 9. PASSION PI ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of November 30-December 6

Late reporting from record stores this week, sorry! As always, as the asterisk means someone is coming to town. Euclid Records 1. Blackroc- Blackroc 2. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures 3. David Rawlings Machine - A Friend Of A Friend 4. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Live Anthology 5. ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of November 16-22

Vintage Vinyl 1. ALL TIME LOW---Nothing Personal 2. BOYS LIKE GIRLS---Love Drunk 3. JOSH GOLDEN---Josh Golden 4. 50 CENT---Before I Self-Destruct 5. THEM CROOKED VULTURES---Them Crooked Vultures 6. JOHN MAYER---Battle Studies* 7. RAKIM---Seventh Seal 8. NORAH JONES---The Fall 9. BOYS LIKE GIRLS---Bo ... More >>

Holly Golightly, John Mayer Announce St. Louis Shows

British garage-rock queen-bee Holly Golightly is returning to St. Louis for the first time since August 2005 at the Firebird on Tuesday, December 1. Details forthcoming. Also, John Mayer has announced a show with Michael Franti and Spearhead at the Scottrade Center on Saturday, March 20, 2010. Ticke ... More >>

Guster

8 p.m. Friday, July 31. Live on the Levee, Gateway Arch and Jefferson Expansion Memorial.

Ear Burns: Our critics spew some haterade about 2008's bummer songs, albums and events

St. Louis (Holiday) Weekend Concert Calendar, July 3 to 6

SonyBMG Launches Platinum MusicPass Album Download Cards

The Hibernauts CD release show for Periodic Fable: Outtakes from the Feature

Buddy Guy

8 p.m. Wednesday, December 27. Harrah's VooDoo Café and Lounge (777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights).

Ray LaMontagne

8 p.m. Thursday, December 7. The Pageant (6161 Delmar Boulevard).

The River Runs Dry

Local Motion: Jonathan Cour

Local Motion: Full Day Affair

Saturday, February 18, at 9 p.m. at Cicero’s (6691 Delmar Boulevard, University City)

Something in the Way You Squeak

Unreal cuddles up to singing mice, sends some postcards home and praises the Grant Writer of the Year. Plus, a local blogger sidesteps Mr. Porn Man.

John Legend, Common and De La Soul

Wednesday, August 3; the Pageant (6161 Delmar Boulevard)

Bull Run and the Everlasting Gobstopper

If Jay Farrar's titles don't have to make sense, then neither do ours

Gavin DeGraw

Wednesday, January 5, the Pageant

Wheat

Wednesday, February 11; the Gargoyle

Maroon 5

Wednesday, November 12; the Gargoyle at Washington University

Triple Play

Local college station KCLC-FM proves that adult album alternative radio doesn't have to suck

Made With Love

Rosanne Cash is the friend who will say, or sing, what you can't

The Big BM

Week of October 9, 2002

John Mayer with Guster

Saturday, August 3; Fox Theatre

The Anarchists' Cookbook

They make bread, not bombs, at the Black Bear Bakery