2. LouFest Naysayers scoffed that it couldn't happen - "it" being a multi-day music festival in St. Louis, specifically right in the middle of Forest Park. But after all was said and done, the inaugural LouFest was a rousing success. The two-day event attracted bands such as Built to Spill, She & Him, Titus Andronicus and Broken Social Scene, while sets from up-and-comers Carolina Chocolate Drops, Airborne Toxic Event and a solo set by Belleville native Jeff Tweedy thrilled the thousands of people in attendance. LouFest was so successful, in fact, that tickets for 2011's version are already on sale - and pre-sale passes sold out in about two weeks.
1. Kings of Leon's Pigeon Gate Was there any doubt that this was the top story in St. Louis this year? (Answer: No.) In fact, the incident reverberated around the globe; the U.K. music bible NME even mentioned the incident on its cover. To recap: Three songs into its July 23 show at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, pigeons with digestive-system problems sent the band packing. (Translation: streams of bird poop cascaded from the rafters.) Refunds were issued, shit jokes multiplied, someone started a fake Twitter account for the pigeon, Geddy Lee and Sammy Hagar mocked the band - and in the end, Kings of Leon ended up doing a discount-ticket show on September 25 at the same venue.
