Madonna and Tina aren’t the only ones skipping St. Louis this summer - my favorite pop band, Duran Duran, also has declined to make a stop here on the U.S. leg of their current tour.

I’ve seen them at the Fox Theatre (2005) the former Riverport Amphitheatre (1993) and they’ve played the Checkerdome (1984) the Kiel Auditorium (1989) and even Mississippi Nights (1997).

These days, most of the venues on that list are gone and the Fox doesn’t have the right sound system; I’ve seen The Power Station there too and both times the audio was poor, despite 20 years between concerts. Riverport (I refuse to call it by whatever entity currently has the naming rights) wasn’t much better, small stage, poor sound system and of course, summer St. Louis storms are always a possibility.

What the city needs is a revived Kiel Auditorium or at best, to update the sound system at the Fox.

Follow the money folks. Touring acts rarely see the outside of their hotel rooms. One city is just like the next. The St. Louis sociological, cultural, political points above are interesting but irrelevant to artists. Profit maximization looks at an entire concert tour over time. There are scheduling and travel models that show optimum routes and dates based on availability of venues. If a visit to St. Louis were more profitbale to Madonna, she would be here.

STL sux,always did,always will.”Where’d you go to high school?” How lame can it get there? Whatta ya Hoosiers got for brains anyway?

DR could not have stated it better. I spent 7 years growing up in KC but have lived in STL for 13 years now. I still don’t call it home due to the peoples attitudes and working class approach to all things. STL continues to have a chip on its shoulder about all other towns and continues to slip further behind socially. It does, however, continue to rank in the top 35 for population statistics because no one takes a chance and moves away. However, STL has a lot to offer. But when someone attempts something bold, it is often met with negativity and dismissal. Except for SLU. The campus and Chaifetz Areana are bold and moving forward. This could be the next great venue. On a side note, other cities do not get caught up competing with neighbors. (KC and Chicago never ask about STL, they simply move forward to make their cities better.) STL must get out of the habit or it will always lose.

STL has an inferior complex about itself. I have lived in Chicago for 12 years, left STL at 22 and do not miss it. Why is the perverbial high school question still used as a qualifier to deem you “worthy” of speaking to? Does anyone go to college in STL? Also, when bands like Steve Miller and Sammy Hagar as example are sellouts and worshiped like God’s when other artisits are half sold out? I like the 2 bands mentioned, but STL and the hoosier KSHE 95 effect still reigns supreme.

STL needs to stop looking and comparing itself to other cities. Chicago could give a rat’s a$$ about STL and is quite honestly, mentioned on the news when the annual dangerous cities list comes out. The people of STL are born and bred hoosiers who have not traveled beyond the Ozarks. There is a big progressive world beyond the lame arch and useless grounds around it. STL can do a lot of studies and that’s it, nada nothing beyond that. Waht happend to the Bottle District, the New Landing, the Revived Riverfront, the Ball Park vilage…not a damn thing. The hole next to Busch should be used for pregame tailgaters to urinate in it, after all, it is the next great STL eyesore. KC is moving up and growing faster than STL in population and will sooner rather than later, pass STL in population metro. They keep their fortune 500 businesess, unlike STL that let’s Ralston run right out of town.

STL, lame, hoosiers, and to many municipalities raping each other. To much local govt and the cities 1% earnings tax…fuggedaboutit, glad I’m gone.

Point of Information - Clear Channel has not been affiliated with concert promotion for more than 2 years. It is often confused with Live Nation and they are very different entities.

The What High School Did you goto is simple….people want to know where you grew up? For instance….if someone went to school at Parkway North,Central,South, etc. you know you grew up in West Co. If you went to school at U City High…you know you grew up in University City.

Its not a big of a deal as all of you make it out to be?

Chicago is the same way….most people know if you grew up on the South Side of Chicago you were not as well to do as growing up on the North side….

And yes, Saint Louis is a top 20 market. We are #18

STL BLOWS–

do you need a hug or a woman?

you must care for st. louis because you would not have ventured back to http://www.stltoday.com

dont forget st. louis metro population 3 million, chicago metro population 9 million….of course there is no comparison.

a few points from an outsider - southern Il.
a. Madonna would sell out in minutes. if the locals didnt buy the tickets up the rest of the nation would be happy to gobble them up. ( i’m not a fan, but i do know that she’s one heck of a draw and a “sure thing” to fill the seats. i dont know that tina would be the draw, but didnt she play the hockey rink a few years ago? where are the boss, pearl jam, the who, bon jovi, my morning jacket, etc….
b. i know ALOT of people who don’t go summer shows @ “Riverport”. the venue has way too many flaws. i’ve set in traffic for 3 or 4 hours at many shows. security is a joke. plus many more reasons that are often discussed in the pop off forums. i’ve not been to rivorport in years, and it will take a top 5 band to get me back. (metrolink would solve a big problem, shame its already underfunded)
c. i think the pagiant and fox are perfect places to see a show. really looking forward to seeing what the billikens arena has to offer.
the family arena is too far off the beaten path to have the midmarket acts they carry.
pops isnt too high on my list either. if its a sellout you cant move and/or cant see the stage. mississippi nights left a huge void for touring acts. the night often pulled in acts that could have been playing at much bigger venues.