Yesterday, we sketched out some of the scenes taking place at The Shanti, a club that’s going away with Saturday’s pair of shows from Pik’n Lik’n and The Schwag, who will hold down day and night shifts, respectively. But to better get a sense of the club’s general mood ’n’ feel, we asked some of the room’s regular musical guests for their perspectives.
As it turned out, quite a few shot us a quick note back, including all of the following good folks…
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David Udell: “Well, the place went way back to when it was Allen Avenue. Every great Soulard act has played there. The thing that was great was they carried the old-school Soulard vibe: the Oyster Bar is so far removed from it now; Richard at 1860s died; Mike & Minn’s is gone, The Grizzly Bear is totally different. Molly’s new owners don’t even know Molly was Zeno’s dog. (He ran the original Soulard Culture Squad.) Clementine’s was sold and is turning into a very unneeded sports bar. That only leaves The Shanti. Oh well. These places, people and bands have been family since Molly’s beer garden was The Downstreet Cafe in the ’70s. We all know and love each other. Ask around about Johnny Rio, David Classe, Bob Burkhardt, Ollie Matheus, Zeno, Nancy Theodoro and so many more. (Ollie’s pics and Classe’s art are still on the wall.) There are fewer and fewer Soulard characters left. I’ve always wanted to do a Soulard Hall of Fame Facebook page, but it would be a big responsibility. This is all just off the top of my head, but I could go on for hours! Oh, and let’s not forget The Soulard Ladies Auxilliary that used to meet there. They could never understand what I found so funny about them calling themselves the SLA! Man, you got me started… “
Paul Alpert: “In the most real sense, The Shanti epitomized realness, people enjoying themselves, without pretense. I was there for the music; alcohol is not my bag…Sometimes I wonder what is a place: the walls and windows, decor, the people, yes to all of it. It would be impossible to recall all the nights, all the shows, though I am left with a general sense of smiles, of notes shared. For The Shanti was a laid-back place where you could let your hair down, and throw down the jams.”
Sean Alan Canan: “I have performed there several times over the years with The Schwag and The Hatrick. There will likely never be another place in St. Louis that blasts Grateful Dead bootlegs at full volume on the in-house speakers at happy hour on a Friday! Or another place that has top-tier local musicians who are compensated well, even without a cover a the door! The Shanti was truly a one-of-a-kind establishment. I am so excited to be a part of closing night, and will surely put every ounce of my heart into doing the honor of adding musical color at the venue’s swan song. Long live The Shanti!”
Robert “Ferd” Frank: “Liquid Gold was the only band I ever played in at The Shanti, and loved playing there Saturday afternoons, because it was always full of canines and characters, two of my favorite things in life.”
John Higgins: “Teresa Parker, Piglet, and everyone that works at The Shanti have provided a really welcoming place for musicians, and people who love music. I’ve had the joy of playing with Liquid Gold at The Shanti on Saturdays for the last five years, and have made countless friends that I otherwise would not have made, and have been more than fortunate to share a lot of fun and wonderful musical moments with my bandmates and folks who came to see us. Really memorable times that won’t be forgotten.”
Jesse Irwin, Dock Ellis Band: “The audiences were always the best. People only came to The Shanti when they were: ready to have a good time, already drunk, or both. There were always lots of tips and dancers.”
Justin Paul Brown, Dock Ellis Band “DEB played there several times, and we also used to do the Chippewa Chapel there, too. We saw magical things happen there, like levitating hippies, and we even had an unbreakable tip jar that would bounce off the floor when knocked off the stool, even though it was glass.”
Kaleb Kirby: “The Shanti was the first place I ever played, so I suppose you could say my career started there. I played there with my mom [Margaret Bianchetta], and her guitar player [Mary-Dee Brown] in a Antonio Jobim cover band called Jobim Dreams when I was eight or nine years old. The Shanti is a foundation in the Soulard neighborhood that I grew up in. I played with Teresa’s (who owned the place) kids when I was young, and hung out there a lot once I got old enough to appreciate it. It’s definitely hard to believe it’s closing. The Shanti is a place that seems to consistently elude the restrictive and over-cautious regulations that’ve been made into the bottom-line standard for most venues and bars. It’s one of the only places genuinely that has a broken-in, homey feeling to it. Places these days seem to strive so hard to give the illusion of comfort and uniqueness. The Shanti can’t be anything other than that, it’s a genuine jewel, and I’m sad to see it leave. Plus it’s the only place I can think of where I can bring my dog to the bar. My mom plays a gig there on Sundays, and the locals call it church. That’s how the community thinks of this place, they all know about it and they know when to go. The bands are posted everyday on the chalkboard sign out in front, and on more than one occasion that’s the only advertisement I needed to check out those shows. I’ve learned a lot, and have gotten a lot out of that place.”
Jeremy Segel-Moss, Bottoms Up Blues Gang and Bootigrabbers Delight: “The Shanti, and Teresa Parker, are at the heart of what it is to care about St. Louis music. Teresa gave us some of our first shows, and supported us on every level for over 13 years. Not just us, but hundreds of musicians in every genre were able to perform, perfect, and work their craft in a venue full of music lovers. In a city full of music and music venues, The Shanti stands out as an example of unwavering support for people like me and those who love what we do.”
Jimmy Tebeau, The Schwag: “What makes The Shanti a special place is the vibe. I have played music at many venues over the years, and The Shanti was always a cool place to perform a show. Even though there was not any stage or PA system at the Shanti, it always had soul and a kind audience. I remember playing a number of Mardi Gras shows there in the beer garden with The Schwag, where we would start at 2 p.m., after the parade, and play five sets until 10 p.m. to a packed house the entire day. I have also played many solo acoustic shows inside the bar where the entire room would be singing along with me. I recently booked myself there on my birthday, because that is the place I wanted to celebrate with friends while playing music. Several years ago I played a full blown show with the band Vitamen A. Shanti owner Teresa Parker knows how to create an environment in a small space where people could feel comfortable to hang out and enjoy music and friends.”
