To find out what's on, look for the free weekly Riverfront Times at restaurants, bars, and venues around town, buy the Thursday edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for its entertainment section, or check the constantly updated St. Louis Calendar of Events online at www.explorestlouis.com.
The Performing Arts
Grand Center (MetroLink: Grand) is the premier performing arts district, with the 1920s-era Powell Symphony Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd. (tel. 314/534-1700), home of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (www.slso.org), founded in 1880 and America's second-oldest symphony orchestra. The Fabulous Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd. (tel. 314/534-1111; www.fabulousfox.com), is a lavish, 1929 Byzantine venue for musicals, dance, and concerts. The Grandel Theater, 3610 Grandel Sq. (tel. 314/534-3810; www.stlouisblackrep.org), is the home of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company, which stages contemporary works by African-American playwrights. The Muny, in Forest Park (tel. 314/361-1900; www.muny.org), which opened in 1916 and is the nation's oldest and largest outdoor musical theater, features Broadway musicals in summer.
The Club & Casino Scene
St. Louis's nightlife is concentrated around Laclede's Landing, The Loop, and in Soulard on the south edge of downtown. Good bets for live music virtually every night of the week include BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, near Busch Stadium at 700 S. Broadway (tel. 314/436-5222; www.bbsjazzbluessoups.com), and the Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway (tel. 314/621-8811; www.broadwayoysterbar.com), home to live blues, R&B and Cajun/Creole cuisine. The Big Bang, featuring dueling piano players who lead the audience in high-energy singalongs, is a popular hangout in Laclede's Landing at 807 N. 2nd St. (tel. 314/241-2264; www.thebigbangbar.com), while in Soulard, the 1860 Hard Shell Cafe & Bar, 1860 S. 9th St. (tel. 314/231-1860), offers blues, R&B, rock, and more nightly. In The Loop, 1,500-seat The Pageant, 6161 Delmar (tel. 314/726-6161; www.thepageant.com), and Blueberry Hill, 6504 Delmar (tel. 314/727-0880; www.blueberryhill.com), bring in the hottest national acts. Among the several places to gamble, most convenient is the President Casino, docked at Laclede's Landing (tel. 800/772-3647 or 314/622-1111; www.presidentcasino.com).
