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Niche Venues: Lucas School House in Soulard
By Kevin C. Johnson Soulard's late 19th century Lucas School House was once a one room school but now houses the latest in high tech audio equipment as a concert and event center. Patrons can watch live performances upstairs in what was formerly the gymnasium or see the show on a large screen in the lounge downstairs. If you haven't made your way yet to Lucas School House, St. Louis' most talked about new concert venue, what are you waiting for? Since opening in June, Lucas School House has quietly emerged as the go-to place for intimate concerts. The bi-level venue, with a lounge on the main floor and a concert room upstairs, boasts a classic grandeur but is surprisingly comfortable, laid-back and hip. Built in 1898, it was once a school; the concert room used to be the gym. Dan and Mia Jameson bought the falling-apart structure and some adjacent property in 2004 and rehabbed it. Tim Reynolds, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and Oteil and the Peacemakers are among the acts who have performed there; Cowboy Mouth's Paul Sanchez recorded a live album on-site. An alternative movie night and a private members' club are in the works. "St. Louis needed something nice and intimate that people could really enjoy," says Jan Christian Andersen, director of marketing and sales. "But we didn't expect it to happen as quickly as it has." Location: 1220 Allen Avenue in Soulard Capacity: 250 in the concert room; 450 concert room and lounge Concerts, and then some: "We started out doing a lot of jam bands and bluegrass, but now we're really branching out. We're also doing stage performances like burlesque shows. … We don't want to get pigeonholed," Andersen says. Who's coming: "We've had so many different types of people in here, all demographics, from hippies to hipsters, twentysomethings to fiftysomethings. It's a great mix of people," Andersen says. Most likely to compete with: "St. Louis is big enough so there's room for everyone. As far as room size, Finale is the one room we compete with. (The Pageant) is such a big place, we can't compete with it, and we don't even try. We don't compete with Mississippi Nights; they book a different kind of talent. We fill a different niche." Getting off the ground: "When we first started, we were chasing people down, trying to get people to return phone calls. Nobody knew who we were or what we were. … Luckily, we got promoters in, and they bought into what we were doing. Now we can't beat them away. Everyone wants to come and play here." Upcoming events: A Halloween party featuring Javier Mendoza, Oct. 28; St. Louis Magazine's annual Halloween party, Oct. 31; Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis Party, Nov. 2; the Kennedys' CD release party, Nov. 11; Zilla, featuring Michael Travis of String Cheese Incident, Nov. 15-16 What's next: Plans call for an adjacent church to be a second venue with a capacity of 500-600. More info: 314-621-6565 or lucasevents.com |
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