St. Louis act the Northwoods

Joshua Grigaitis’ family’s home near Grant’s Farm had the type of basement where friends and family members could regularly hang out and have a good time.

It was almost like a neighborhood bar.

Then, his father, Terry Grigaitis, had an idea. They checked out a building in the Hill neighborhood and thought it would make a better space for friends than the basement.

“We moved in, put on a fresh coat of paint and brought in decorations from our own basement,” Joshua Grigaitis says.

“Opening was a way to keep serving that purpose of bringing people together and getting out of the residential,” Grigaitis says. “It was something we were doing anyway, so we decided to make it a business.”

Pop’s Blue Moon, which opened May 19, 1999, at 5249 Pattison Avenue, will celebrate its 10th anniversary from noon to midnight Saturday with a free outdoors event featuring music from local acoustic act the Northwoods, several DJ spins, gelato provided by Gioia’s Deli and refreshments.

Pop’s Blue Moon is part neighborhood bar, part live concert space, albeit an especially small one, Grigaitis says. It holds about 50 people.

Music is offered about five nights a week, a mix of folk, blues, jazz, reggae and rock.

“We try to keep it diverse,” Grigaitis says. “We try to answer the call for musicians who need a place to play.”

About a half-dozen national touring acts are featured each month.

“For a little place, we definitely pull in a diverse mix to try to keep them interested and give them something they have never heard before,” Grigaitis says.

One of the best things about running Pop’s Blue Moon is the way the venue has been “a launching pad” for small acts, he says.

Pop’s Blue Moon was formerly known as Papa Prost’s Tavern and Pop’s on the Hill. Those were family businesses, too.

“We didn’t change it a whole lot from what they were doing,” Grigaitis says. “We added the Blue Moon because that made a lot of sense. We wanted people to know it was a new thing but we were trying to keep old tradition going.”

Grigaitis has parlayed his experience with Pop’s Blue Moon to form Loyal Family, which was responsible for the recent Loyal Earth Music & Arts Festival at the Old Rock House.

By the way, don’t confuse Pop’s Blue Moon with Pop’s, the even longer-running venue in Sauget.

“We got their phone number listed right on the side of our phone,” Grigaitis says. “We get plenty of phone calls when they have a busy weekend going.”

But this weekend, it’s Pop’s Blue Moon that should be extra busy with its anniversary.

Get more information at popsbluemoon.com or loyalfamily.com, or by calling 314-776-4200.