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| Photo: Glenn Hall |
Bill Streeter originally began his Lo-Fi STL video series as a way to document bands in the city—and in City Museum specifically. The idea was simple: find an interesting spot (not a hard task in City Museum), do a one-shot runthrough of a song, and post the results. No editing, no trickery, just documentation.
Turns out there’s a lot of room in that idea. On April 12, Streeter and a crew of photographers are shooting Lo-Fi Cherokee, a one-day event in which they somehow propose to shoot 16 different bands in 16 separate venues along the street, as a crowd of interested observers looks on. It’s a crazy idea—but this is his third year doing it, so he must be doing something right.
Each year Streeter has invited a host of new bands to participate, and found all new venues along the relatively short street. In 2013 Streeter opened up his own video-production storefront, Hydraulic Pictures, on Cherokee, and this year’s bands include Cherokee locals Née and Bruiser Queen, alongside some of STL’s strongest bands, including Popular Mechanics, Middle Class Fashion, Ellen The Felon, Syna So Pro, and more.
The big news, of course, is that this year’s Lo-Fi Cherokee will include a performance by Streeter’s friend Pokey LaFarge, who will be freshly back in town from a tour of New Zealand.
This year will also feature a couple of bands from down the road, including Columbia, MO ragers The Hooten Hallers and Springfield, MO’s The Yowl. And that’s where things get particularly interesting, because it turns out, upon investigation, that The Yowl is really fuggin’ cool—as in, you should check them out immediately. They’ll be playing Don’s Muffler Shop (of all places) at 12pm, so if you’re planning on joining in the Lo-Fi action, get there early, because this is a band you’re going to want to clap your ears on sooner rather than later. Check out their “
Lips of the Apocalypse” video if you need proof, and remember, you heard it here first.
Streeter and crew welcome a crowd to witness the madness. These are some of the best bands in the city—and region, and country—attempting to pull off a day that some would say is impossible. Should you be there to see what happens? Probably. I would if I were you. Keep your eyes peeled here and on Lo-Fi St. Louis'
Facebook Page for the remaining bands to be announced! It's worth!
-Evan Sult
This story includes a correction from the original print version, Yowl was originally scheduled for 11am and has been corrected to 12pm in this version
Here is the schedule, as it stands. As always, it may be subject to change on Saturday. Additionally, while there is no charge to watch, admission to all of the shoots is not guaranteed.
1 Ellen the Felon - Pianos for the People (Jackson Piano) 3138 Cherokee 10:00 AM
2 SHEILA SHAHPARI - Tenth Life 3200 Cherokee 10:30 AM
3 Middle Class Fashion - Velvet Elvis 3214 Cherokee 11:00 AM
4 Bruiser Queen - Livery 3211 Cherokee 11:30 AM
5 The Yowl - Don's Muffler Shop 2923 Cherokee 12:00 PM
6 Neé - Whisk 2201 Cherokee 12:30 PM
7 Javier Mendoza - Melt 2712 Cherokee 1:30 PM
8 Hooten Hallers - Bank 3420 Iowa 2:00 PM
9 POPULAR MECHANICS - Craft Art Bar 2732 Cherokee 2:30 PM
10 Kentucky Knife Fight - Whiskey Ring 2651 Cherokee 3:00 PM
11 Cree Rider - Strange Overtones 2626 Cherokee 3:30 PM
12 Ryan Spearman - Smalls 2619 1/2 Cherokee 4:00 PM
13 Syna So Pro - Scarlet Garnet 2619 Cherokee 4:30 PM
14 Al Holliday & The East Side Rhythm Band - Saxquest 2116 Cherokee 5:00 PM
15 The Feed - The Heirloom Room 2114 Cherokee 5:30 PM
16 Pokey LaFarge - TBD 6:00pm
