Entries Tagged With: riddle of steel

Shame Club at SXSW

At 12:53pm Mar 15, 2008

Whenever my fellow St. Louisans asked if I liked local favs Shame Club, my standard response was "I like them as dudes, but I just can't hang with their tunes." I'd last seen the band a couple of years ago and wasn't impressed. It wasn't at all bad, I just didn't *get it*. And you know what's a damn shame? That I had to come all the way to Austin to find out that my hometown band is bitchin' after all.

I went to see the band at the Small Stone Records showcase last night and was not at all prepared for the bombastic blast. Each band member is electrifying and the dynamic combination produces everything you could want in a hard rock band: shredding guitar licks, thumping bass grooves, evil drum beats and wailing vocals. Holy shit, I've seen the light.

Andrew Elstner, singer and guitarist for fellow St. Louis band Riddle of Steel was along for the trip as roadie/groupie/merch dude, and it was his band that gave me a revelation about a year ago. Let's call it the Revelation of Steel. I'd also filed his band in the "cool, but not awesome" section in the list of local bands in my head. After not seeing the band for years, I accidentally caught it at a random bar show and they blew me away. Much to my delight, practice does, indeed, make perfect and the Riddle prompted me to go back to bands I'd previously avoided and give them a second listen.

So now the same thing has happened with Shame Club. A band that was previously alright is now super tight. Man, do I feel like a tool. Hey, Shame Club, I'm down with you. And I take back any smack I've ever spoken about any local band ever. Don't disregard your hometown superstars, kids. They might just rock you.

-- Jaime Lees

Shae Moseley adds, "St. Louis' loudest band and riff-rock preservationists Shame Club meant business from the first note of its tinnitus-inducing set on Friday night as part of the Small Stone Records showcase at SXSW. The Detroit label just released the band's new full length Come On." Here are two videos he shot.

Shame Club:


Shame Club, Part Deux:

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Riddle of Steel, Shame Club Playing SXSW

At 05:01pm Jan 12, 2008

The things you learn via MySpace.

First, last week Riddle of Steel let slip that it's playing at SXSW -- which happens to fall during the same week 1985 is released to the non-regional masses (that would be Tuesday, March 11). Once its show is completely confirmed, I'll update.

Second, Small Stone Records signees Shame Club posted its showcase day and time via a bulletin last night. It's one of the coveted evening showcases; the lineup is pretty killer.

Friday 03/14/2008 @ Room 710, Small Stone Records Showcase stage

8 p.m. Shame Club
9 p.m. Roadsaw
10 p.m. Dixie Witch
11 p.m. Puny Human
12 mid Brain Police
1 a.m. Sasquatch

From the murmurings I'm hearing, St. Louis is going to be represented in a major way in Austin this year. I'll have more details once they're confirmed.

-- Annie Zaleski
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