Is The St. Joe Music Scene Dead?

Is the St. Joe music scene dead?

Contrary to what people may think initially about a small town’s music scene, small towns can still have a flourishing, ever-growing music scene. Oftentimes, a local music scene is a lifeline in a small town, encouraging people to go out and find the hidden gems present in one’s own backyard.

I am from a small town myself, about an hour east of St. Joseph. The ‘music scene’ around me growing up was the occasional one or two tribute bands who came to my small hometown from larger cities like Springfield and Branson. When I went to college up in Maryville in the fall of 2022, I became acquainted with the St. Joseph music scene nearby. Compared to the one or two tribute bands per year that I was used to seeing, the music scene of St. Joseph was like a music promise land. Any weekend that I wanted to see a local show, I could make the 45-minute drive and catch some awesome local music. Personally, the scene has given me a lot of material here on my blog - but it also allowed for me to stretch my wings into some other avenues. During my time at Northwest Missouri State University, I started my own radio show called “The Grapevine” where I featured local bands and musicians live on air for interviews and played their music. Oftentimes, this was the first time a band had had their music play over the radio waves. I didn’t get paid for it besides class credit - and even when I was not taking the class for a grade, I continued the show purely for the love of local music and the enjoyment it brought me.

But enough about what the local music scene has done for me personally.

The fact that there is still local music in St. Joe shows the strength and cohesiveness of this scene. Musicians of all ages and genres are still going out there and showing the world who they are through their music, art, and, above all, talent. 

A quick Google search will reveal just how many venues there are in St. Joseph that have local music on not only the weekends but any given weeknight. 

I personally have only been to a handful of venues in town, but the ones I have been to have always been a good time and I have never regretted catching a local show.

The Rendezvous off of Francis Street was one of the first venues that I had heard about in town. However, I didn’t make it to one of their shows until recently in February, and, man, I should have been going since I became acquainted with the scene! The Rendezvous has a weekly karaoke night. For local bands, they feature all genres, including metal, rock ‘n’ roll, country, hip-hop, rap, EDM, and emo. 

Mokaska Coffee Company off of Edmond Street is another venue that I have been to. Bands have played both inside the shop itself and on the outdoor patio. Mokaska also has poetry open mics when they are not having local band shows on the weekend.

Some venues in town host both tribute bands and local bands, CafeAcoustic being one of those. For every weekend this month, CafeAcoustic has multiple shows happening that can be found on their social media pages.

Good Times Event Center - formerly known as the Time Out Event Center - also brings nationally-known tribute bands to town. Good Times Event Center is an active, grassroots force in the scene: they had their first Battle of the Bands back in December and recently had a Battle of the Cover Bands. Each night was full of local bands and solo artists from St. Joe or KC.

There are several other venues that I have not been to, and I am certain that I am leaving out a few - but these include Magoon’s Famous Delicatessen, Prestyn’s Wine Bar, First Ward House, River Bluff Brewing, and the Castle Bridge Event Center.

Ultimately, a grassroots effort is probably what keeps local music anywhere alive. A lot of these venues are owned by people who love local music and actively support local music in any way that they can. 

So, no, the St. Joe music scene is not dead. It may be more underground and in the shadows. But the music scene is still here; it is still breathing and can flourish with local support. These venues frequently host local music and pump encouragement into the scene. Yes, venues have closed down or moved, but there are still venues here. There are still bands here. And, most importantly, there is still local music here.

As music fans and as people, we need to support the scene. We need to encourage musicians - whether the band is composed of middle school students starting a band for the first time, or a veteran musician approaching his 80s. There are enough critics in the world; there needs to be more encouragers. Local music is alive. It needs all the support we can give it. So go out to a local show, go see what’s out there, really out there, for local music. You may be surprised at what you find.