Best All-Ages Venue

The Pageant

Sep 24, 2003 at 4:00 am
Built in 2000, the Pageant has quickly filled a gap in the St. Louis music ecosystem, becoming the venue of choice for national bands not big enough for an arena or shed tour. The White Stripes, the Foo Fighters and others have all played here recently on their stop through the STL. The real beauty of the Pageant, though, is that, like Kix cereal, it's kid-tested, mother-approved. Featuring a generally friendly security staff, its own well-lighted parking lot, firm alcohol and crowd-control policies and exits that are never more than 75 feet away, the Pageant is a welcome compromise: safe enough for parents to feel comfortable, yet booked well enough to seem cool in the eyes of the younger set.