The term “impresario” gets thrown around a lot, but it’s hard to think of a better way to describe Muhammad “Mvstermind” Austin. His music is a highlight in St. Louis, but he’s also a professional hype man for the city and its artists, those both emerging and established.
“When you see St. Louis and enjoy St. Louis, know that behind the scenes it’s filled with heart and hustle and spirit,” Austin says.
A lot of that comes from him. As the first director of musical experience for St. Louis CITY SC, he made sure the vibes were right as the MLS team took the pitch at CITYPARK. In his role as the creator of Mvstercamp, a six-day artist boot camp, he supplies newer talents with tools and infrastructure. He offers no shortage of suggestions for navigating the city’s music scene—and discovering more about the region along the way.
Fests and Block Parties
The pandemic and other forces may have rearranged the landscape, but festival culture is back—and on an upswing. Austin says it’s a great way to dip into a ton of what’s out there.
Music at the Intersection, produced by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation in Grand Center, has been steadily increasing its reach and impact. The 2024 lineup featured such names as Big Boi, Black Pumas, Chaka Khan, and Esperanza Spalding, alongside homegrown talent such as Tef Poe, Marquise Knox, and the Red & Black Brass Band.
At the same time, “Evolution Festival is emerging, bringing out a nice range of artists,” he adds. The 2024 lineup brought both national and local acts to the heart of Forest Park, including Beck, Billy Idol, The Killers, Tom Morello, Son Volt, and more.
For blues fans, there’s the Big Muddy Blues Festival at Laclede’s Landing, as well as the National Blues Museum, which regularly hosts engaging exhibits and events.
“WerQfest is highlighting the Black, queer, trans, nonbinary community,” Austin says. “They put together some amazing events.” While its main festival is in July at The Big Top, the organization runs events all year.
“I’m super excited about Festival of Nations,” Austin says of the two-day festival in late August in Tower Grove Park that features food, culture, and music from around the world. He was one of its headlining artists in 2023. “For me, it shows what St. Louis truly looks like—it’s diverse, man.”
Austin also digs the Noticed Arts Expo at the Angad Arts Hotel. Keep an eye out for Art, Mimosas & Pancakes, another festival with great music. “You really get a chance to see music and arts fused inside of one place,” he says. “It’s one of the best ways to digest the St. Louis music scene.” And the City Social block party activates downtown.
Music can even be found at visual arts venues, such as the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, which do “a really good job of intertwining music with their programming,” Austin says. For example, the Pulitzer hosted a free show with Tonina during a First Friday event, and the blockbuster 2023 SLAM exhibition The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century garnered praise and interest from music lovers around the world.
Spaces of All Sizes
When it comes to traditional music venues, Austin looks to the Delmar Loop. Among the restaurants and shops are three great venues, in sizes small, medium, and large. All three are owned by Joe Edwards, another local impresario. Blueberry Hill’s 340-person-capacity Duck Room is an intimate space, while Delmar Hall holds up to 800 people, and The Pageant seats about 2,000.
At Sophie’s Artist Lounge in Midtown, visitors can “catch a wide, crazy spectrum of DJs and artists,” he says. “It’s one of the premier spots in St. Louis. It’s a nice place to chill and vibe.”
At The Dark Room, Alonzo Townsend and Townsendx3 Agency provide another driving force for St. Louis music.
“You can watch historic legends hit the stage,” Austin says, “and newcomers who are being vetted into being St. Louis’ next rising stars.”
The Ultimate Tour Guide
Austin suggests viewing all of the venues and events across the region as an opportunity to let music be the ultimate tour guide. “Show up at every one of these places; get accustomed to St. Louis’ different neighborhoods,” he says. “Take a nice little field trip; get a feel of who St. Louis really is. There’s carved-out space for you to be a part of that community, to breathe life into it. You will understand the city that much more—that, in itself, is the ultimate cheat code.”
St. Louis has an incredibly rich musical pedigree, and the legacies of the blues and jazz inform almost everything that’s happening now, Austin adds; the narrative and spirit of the past are always shaping the present and future.
“The best way to understand St. Louis is through the arts,” he says. “New discoveries are here to happen. The truest mission is to be a part of that journey, to be a field for these artists and musicians who are telling the story of a place that needs to be understood. It’s really empowering the audience to be the ones to have the ability to help everybody’s stories be heard,” Austin says. “Are you a part of it?”
