“I Got the St. Louis Blues”
W.C. Handy sang, “I got the St. Louis blues, blues as I can be.” Blues is a St. Louis tradition – a tradition celebrated by the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch with its popular Blues Cruise, which returns to the Mississippi later this month. The Blues Cruise features live entertainment from St. Louis blues favorites, and guests enjoy dancing, a cash bar and stunning views of the downtown St. Louis night sky from the river.
Get to know this season’s Blues Cruise entertainment lineup:
May 31: Billy Peek
With more than 50 years in the music industry, Billy Peek’s musical journey has taken him from the streets of Tower Grove to Australia, Japan and beyond. An accomplished rock guitarist and acclaimed bluesman, Billy was a guitarist with Chuck Berry and lead guitarist for Rod Stewart.
June 21: Jeremiah Johnson Band
Born and raised in St. Louis, Jeremiah Johnson is the voice of Mississippi Blues blending with the struggles of everyday life. The band’s single “Blues Heart Attack” reached #5 on the Billboard Blues Charts following its 2016 release.
July 12: Soulard Blues Band
Founded by Art Dwyer in 1978, the five-member Soulard Blues Band is a fixture in the St. Louis’ blues music scene, past and present. Art has performed with blues greats such as Albert Collins and Little Johnny Taylor.
July 26: Rich McDonough
Rich was just 12 years old when he started playing the guitar. Today, he is long known to blues-lovers throughout St. Louis and rocks the stage at venues across town.
August 9: Skeet Rodgers & the Inner City Blues Band
Performing for nearly four decades, Charles “Skeet” Rodgers & the Inner City Blues Band is well-known and loved in St. Louis and throughout the region. The band is a frequent guest at the National Blues Museum in downtown St. Louis, as well as the Blues Cruise.
Born in St. Louis, Marquise hails from a musical family deeply rooted in the blues. Marquise’s talents have earned him performing rights with some of America’s most notable blues performers such as blues legends B.B. King, Pinetop Perkins and David “Honeyboy” Edwards.
Reservations for the Blues Cruise are required, and tickets can be purchased at www.gatewayarch.com/buytickets. Ages 21+ only.
BLUES COMES TO THE PARK: The Gateway Arch Park Foundation and the National Blues Museum are once again teaming up for the Blues at the Arch free concert series, every Friday evening in August at Gateway Arch National Park. Click here for the entertainment lineup and more details about the event.