National Blues Museum

blzhrpmd2 · PostMay 07, 2014#512014-05-07T12:39+00:00

Good point. Last summer my wife and I took a day when our parents were all visiting and did the a driving musical history tour around Memphis with live music on the bus which wrapped up with the Sun Records tour. There were a few groups of European families on for the ride. I am much more of a hardcore blues enthusiast more than country/rock so I wasn't as psyched about Sun Records, but it was awesome to see as a fan of music and history.

Something that this place will have going for it is its surroundings. Sun Records is a cool little building, but shy of grabbing a Dominos Pizza afterwards, there is very little to walk to. The museum in downtown STL should have a wonderful street presence and add energy to an already populated stretch, which should enhance a visitor's experience of not just musical education, but the city. Hopefully the museum will point out places to hear live blues in the area. Eventually I could see them hosting events or packages for visitors with shuttles around a few different neighborhoods to stop at choice clubs in an evening.

Redbrickcity · PostJul 03, 2014#522014-07-03T04:33+00:00

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/07/02/ ... es-museum/
starting construction in September.

Kevin B · PostJul 03, 2014#532014-07-03T16:45+00:00

siu850956106 wrote:I've been to Sun and graceland a few times, and I've been to some of the remaining blues dive bars in the river delta area of mississippi and Arkansas. You'd be amazed at how International of an attraction delta blues history is, primarily among central and western Europeans. With the National Museum for blues being located in St. Louis i think we can expect to see an influx of German, English, and French tourists.

That is entirely true. Go to any popular blues/roots/bluegrass/jazz (basically any traditional American music form) artist's tour page and you're likely to see a fair amount of European (and occasionally Japanese) dates. They're crazy for that stuff! Look at our very own Pokey LaFarge -- incredibly popular overseas.

Actually, the way he talks and sings about this City, he might be the best international ambassador we've got right now.

I mean, just look at this interview in Amsterdam:

Name-dropping STL, bricks (!), river life, soul food, etc... Nary a mention of toasted ravioli, Ted Drewes or the Cardinals, thank god.

roger wyoming II · PostJul 03, 2014#542014-07-03T17:01+00:00

^^ "hopes to start construction in September"

this is getting old. KMOV earlier said definitely in July.... I think Blues Museum and Loop Trolley are in a race for who can delay the most!

Greatest St. Louis · PostJul 03, 2014#552014-07-03T17:04+00:00

Kevin B wrote:
siu850956106 wrote:I've been to Sun and graceland a few times, and I've been to some of the remaining blues dive bars in the river delta area of mississippi and Arkansas. You'd be amazed at how International of an attraction delta blues history is, primarily among central and western Europeans. With the National Museum for blues being located in St. Louis i think we can expect to see an influx of German, English, and French tourists.
That is entirely true. Go to any popular blues/roots/bluegrass/jazz (basically any traditional American music form) artist's tour page and you're likely to see a fair amount of European (and occasionally Japanese) dates. They're crazy for that stuff! Look at our very own Pokey LaFarge -- incredibly popular overseas.

Actually, the way he talks and sings about this City, he might be the best international ambassador we've got right now. I mean, just look at this interview in Amsterdam:

Name-dropping STL, bricks (!), river life, soul food, etc... Nary a mention of toasted ravioli, Ted Drewes or the Cardinals, thank god.

Seriously.

I still cringe whenever I see a friend post the Jon Hamm/Jimmy Kimmel Imo's pizza bit, when Hamm goes "mmmm, it tastes like eleven World Series championships," as if that's like the only (or even main) thing our City has going for it.

arch city · PostJul 03, 2014#562014-07-03T21:56+00:00

Here's an excerpt from a National Blues Museum's "The Bluesletter" I received June 17th. As a donor, I trust the National Blues Museum team as they have followed through on everything they said they would. While I am also ready to get this thing going, I rather it be the best they can make it instead of it being rushed.

MUSEUM DESIGN NEARING COMPLETION
Our globally recognized design firm, Gallagher & Associates, continues its work on the interactive, technology and artifact Blues Museum experience. The delicate balance between technology and artifact, voices from the past and the present provides an exciting glimpse into the Museum's future.

Similarly, fundraising efforts to make the implementation of the design to the team's full vision are also underway. Through the generosity of many - including foundation, corporate, and individual donors - support is being garnered rapidly as we approach the start of construction, now just eight weeks away. Please consider a generous gift to support the National Blues Museum - your generous, tax-deductible contribution will allow an incredible vision to become a reality.

PostAug 03, 2014#572014-08-03T04:40+00:00

St. Louis is about to have a world-class (Blues) music museum. This will not be a cheesy, pieced-together outfit.

Designs by Gallagher and Associates are 95% complete.

From the newsletter, "The final concept will be presented within the next six weeks. This milestone is the point at which they will identify aspects of the design that may need to be changed prior to the completion of the design and development phase."

Lots and lots of cool exhibits and galleries are planned for the downtown museum.

Here are a few samples.

roger wyoming II · PostSep 21, 2014#582014-09-21T21:12+00:00

well, maybe within the next six weeks? someone has to win the Loop Trolley/Blues Museum match up!

blzhrpmd2 · PostNov 11, 2014#592014-11-11T15:46+00:00

"You can't spend what you ain't got; you can't lose some little girl you ain't never had......"

-Muddy Waters

Any update on the forecast?

arch city · PostNov 11, 2014#602014-11-11T18:15+00:00

Supposed to open in time for Labor Day 2015 (Big Muddy Blues Festival) weekend.

arr1274 · PostNov 13, 2014#612014-11-13T06:19+00:00

I was told that financing closed today, so that looks good for Labor Day 2015 opening.

roger wyoming II · PostNov 14, 2014#622014-11-14T17:14+00:00

^ awesome! keep on posting and bring good news!

robertn42 · PostNov 14, 2014#632014-11-14T17:17+00:00

^^Man that's great news. More "destinations" for downtown with Union Station Phase 2. Now to truly start connecting everything...

arch city · PostNov 14, 2014#642014-11-14T18:15+00:00

A discussion on National Blues Radio said Labor Day weekend, but today the St. Louis Business Journal is reporting Memorial Day weekend, which could coincide with St. Louis BluesWeek.

Most of the $14-million funding for the 23,000sf museum is in place and construction is supposed to start next month.

The museum is supposed to be very state-of-the-art.

People will be able to create their own Blues riffs then download them.

Link: Never too late to donate.

roger wyoming II · PostNov 14, 2014#652014-11-14T18:28+00:00

^ yippee-yi-yay! good thing with the construction is no outside work to be jeopardied by inclement weather compare to say IKEA.

tech840 · PostNov 15, 2014#662014-11-15T02:57+00:00

What a great addition to Washington Avenue!

quincunx · PostDec 11, 2014#672014-12-11T19:53+00:00

National Blues Museum Completes Funding
Construction to Begin Immediately

The National Blues Museum in St. Louis announced that it has completed financing and that construction on the state-of-the-art museum and educational facility will begin within two weeks. The Museum’s supporters include Blues icons and GRAMMY Award winners Buddy Guy, Jack White, Robert Cray and Derek Trucks.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/12/prweb12386922.htm

bigmclargehuge · PostDec 11, 2014#682014-12-11T20:18+00:00

roger wyoming II · PostDec 11, 2014#692014-12-11T20:32+00:00

^ I didn't know you knew how to do upbeat gifs!

btw, anyone recall when the streetscaping of lower Washington is set to begin?

PostDec 11, 2014#702014-12-11T21:09+00:00

Here's the Post-Dispatch article which gives a good overview

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/m ... dd08d.html

Looks like 6/7th of the private fundraising thus far has come from Pinnacle. I'm curious if they have any annual visitor projections yet.

Presbyterian · PostDec 13, 2014#712014-12-13T00:39+00:00

roger wyoming II wrote:^ I didn't know you knew how to do upbeat gifs!

btw, anyone recall when the streetscaping of lower Washington is set to begin?

Last I heard was late winter or early spring. That update was a while ago, though.

blzhrpmd2 · PostAug 23, 2015#722015-08-23T14:57+00:00

Are we getting close?

stlhistory · PostAug 23, 2015#732015-08-23T16:07+00:00

Website says early 2016.

downtown2007 · PostAug 23, 2015#742015-08-23T19:46+00:00

I heard spring of 2016. They feel it will be better to open when the weather gets nice instead of in the dead of winter. I say just open it already.

blzhrpmd2 · PostOct 19, 2015#752015-10-19T17:39+00:00

Had a fun afternoon at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company yesterday for the STL Blues Society
s regional competition. Congrats to Eugene Johnson & Company who will represent St. Louis in Memphis for January's International Blues Challenge.

A museum rep was there and latest update is a soft opening in December with a grand opening in April 2016. They are working the kinks out of the technology/ interactive components and apparently have some big names in store to help out with the grand opening. It sounds like they hope to be booking live acts routinely which will be great for downtown.

This should really be a great addition to downtown for years to come.

National Blues Museum

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