While St. Louis might be fly-over country for some, passing through Missouri is a must for many acts coming to and from SXSW in Austin, Texas. And where else are they going to go? Kansas City? Sure, heavy hitters like Elvis Costello and Marshall Crenshaw are coming to town, but what about the underdogs? Bouncy rap duo OCD: Moosh & Twist hit Fubar on Tuesday and somber indie rockers Forrister play the Demo on Wednesday. Fans of rock 'n roll have to make a hard choice between the King Khan & BBQ Show and the Red Elvises on Saturday night, but that's not a bad problem to have. Staying in? Not an option.
MONDAY, MARCH 9
Elvis Costello w/ Larkin Poe Monday, March 9 The Pageant 8 p.m. | $65-$75 By Allison Babka Haven't bought tickets to Elvis Costello's show yet? Sorry, but you're definitely a man out of time, as the bloke himself might sing. A sold-out concert from Costello shouldn't come as a surprise, though, considering that his legions of St. Louis die-hards crowd venues year after year for a glimpse of the "Pump It Up" singer. And Monday's show promises to be one for the books, as Costello kicked off his "Detour" tour just a few days ago and is bringing a solo acoustic gig to the Gateway City. Treasure this one, St. Louis. If you miss Costello this time, you'll get another chance in July when he and the Imposters open for Steely Dan at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. No, we are not making this up.
TUESDAY, MARCH 10
OCD: Moosh & Twist w/ Ground Up, Nate Vibez, Walshy, Sean Young Tuesday, March 10 Fubar 7 p.m. | $15-$17 By Joseph Hess Legend has it DeQuincy "Moosh" Coleman McRae and Oliver "Twist" Feighan started off in junior high, recording songs after hours in the school's basement. It's been less than 5 years since the pair's first mixtape Up Before The World and, in that short time, Moosh & Twist have amassed millions of views on YouTube -- not to mention tens of thousands of followers through Facebook. At 21 years old, they're still just out of high school but already hit hard with a seasoned take on the poppy club sound. Last year's Living Out Loud quickly shot to the top five on iTunes' hip-hop charts and for good reason -- every piece fits together with tight production and the all-important catchy hook.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
Forrister w/ Bike Path, Inferni, Down Swinging Wednesday, March 11 The Demo 7 p.m. | $8 By Joseph Hess Forrister twists the indie rock idiom by taking a sparse approach. Sweet melodies ebb and flow under airy percussion while vocalist Julien Baker's soft, deliberate howls drive the songs through somber storytelling. The band knows precisely when to fall back and take its time building ambient layers, but the pay off does eventually come -- and never too soon. The Memphis quartet comes off shoegaze-y but never too noisy, a credit to its careful restraint and attention to details. Fans of early emo, post-rock and alternative take notice -- Forrister squeezes the blood from every genre.
THURSDAY, MARCH 12
Rusted Root Thursday, March 12 Old Rock House 8 p.m. | $20-$25 By Michael Alan Goldberg From the RFT Music archives: It's been two lengthy, sob-filled years since Phish swam into the Great Beyond, and no single jam band has since emerged to fill their large, stinky Birkenstocks. Certainly not Rusted Root, the Pittsburgh sextet once favored to succeed the Grateful Dead following Jerry Garcia's death. Of course, the 'Root have never seemed interested in taking on that role, because they've never liked being called a "jam band" -- even if their mystical, meandering blues-folk-rock, which is pushed onward by West Asian, African and South American rhythms, surely fits that tag. In recent years, they haven't seemed all that interested in being a band, either, having cut back on touring and recording while members (particularly frontman Michael Glabicki and singers Liz Berlin and Jenn Wertz) pursued solo careers. But they're back on the road this summer, so noodle-dancing stoners can both rejoice and lament what might have been.
Follow through for the best concerts in St. Louis this weekend.
