POLITICS: Home Sweet Home

St. Louis is now the nation's most dangerous city. Read all about it, here.

STEVE ROCK: Laughter Lou

Me with Lou Whitney, Duck Room dressing room, 10/12/06




(Photo by Toby Weiss)


Last Thursday’s show at the Duck Room was the first time in our 30 years of friendship that Lou Whitney and I found us on the same rock show bill. Lou was playing bass for a great new “young” band from Springfield, Mo. called the Rugs. Over the years I’ve seen Lou play live literally hundreds of times, mostly with the three bands he’s partnered with Donnie Thompson: the Morells, the Skeletons, and the Symptoms. Whenever anyone asks me who my favorite bass player is, I’m always quick to reply, “Lou Whitney!”

Of course Lou was great with the Rugs the other night. He’s still going strong at age 63, still kicking total rock ass. I’ve been fortunate to have Lou as sort of my own personal rock professor all these years. Just from watching him play so many, many times, I’ve learned more about what to play and more importantly what not to play as a rock bass player from Lou than I have from anyone else. Each and every show I’ve ever seen Lou play, no matter who he was on the bandstand with, I’ve walked away from it with some new piece of rock knowledge I could then plug into my own various musical situations. And then there’s the countless offstage pearls of wisdom Lou offers as well, like, “When in doubt play what Dee Dee Ramone would have played...” or, “You can never go wrong naming your band after a car...”

I’ve also learned a hell of a lot from the man about life both inside and outside of this rock racket. Years before that “WWJD” saying crept up on us, I had a little private saying I would say to myself whenever I hit a particular musical or music career related brick wall, and that saying was “What would Lou do?” And whenever I stopped long enough to ask myself that question, the answer and path to take always became perfectly clear. Without lifting a finger and by just being himself, Lou’s been the best mentor one could ever ask for in this game, and more important, a really great and loyal friend. May he forever keep on keepin’ on...

STEVE ROCK: Finn's Motel At Duck Room Thursday Night

One last reminder here of our show Thursday night (10/12) at The Duck Room with The Hard Lessons from Detroit, and The Rugs from Springfield, MO.

School nighters please be aware that this is an early show---
WE PLAY FIRST AT 8PM!!!

Hope you can make it down, it promises to be a great evening of total rock. I had the pleasure of seeing the Hard Lessons twice in Cleveland last spring, and their Motor City high energy take on modern garage rock & pop is pretty kick ass. And all you local Skeletons/Morells fans should be aware by now that the Rugs live line up features Lou Whitney, Joe Terry, and yes, on the drums, Donnie Thompson!

Our Escape Velocity cd will be on sale at the show, and you can always get it rapidly online as well from Scat Records, here.

They grow up so fast...

Here I am with newlyweds Heather Oppitz and James Weber. I had the honor of being a groomsman in their wedding last night. I’ve often joked with James through the years that he’s “The son I never had...,” so I couldn’t be any happier for him and how he’s definitely hit the jackpot with Heather. Best of luck kids, and thanks again for asking me to be a part of the beautiful ceremony & celebrations on such an autumnally perfect evening...