St. Joseph, Missouri
by Julie Summa

It's always been a frontier around here. Literally, climb a hill in St. Joseph, Missouri and look across the river; there's Kansas. The first train from the East arrived here February 14, 1859. We were the westernmost point accessible by rail until after the Civil War. By 1900, however, St. Joseph was receiving more than 100 passenger trains a day.

What began as part of Indian Territory has seen the birth of the Pony Express, the death of Jesse James, a junior college turned into a full-blown university. Restaurants, bars and cafés that offer live music include Manchester's, the Rendezvous, the Bone, etc. and now we're host to another frontier, this one in live music - everything from folk, jazz, and rock to crooner and alternative.

The Café Acoustic

The birth pangs of a new era in live music in Saint Joseph struck in 1998 when Lisa Hancock and Beth Downey opened Café Acoustic as a hobby in the gallery of a local photography shop. Downey reminisced:

"We didn't have a clue who would play besides us, but people came and we're happy to have an open mic venue for acoustic musicians. After our first year, we had so much interest we decided to move to the adjoining space, which previously housed a beauty shop. Trust us, it was anything but beautiful! With the help of many good friends and family, we managed to create a unique environment, which up to that time hadn't been available in St. Joseph. Even though we didn't serve alcohol, people supported us and we made contacts with many nationally touring acoustic musicians as well as local artists."

A collection of 7-10 tables, seating three or more patrons each, was assembled with a scattering of benches and barstools that seem to focus as one on the quiet corner stage. As the crowd arrives and the musicians set up, that quiet corner begins to breathe a life of its own, the overhead stage lights warming its bones and glinting from a set of red lacquer bongo drums, the guitars on the walls and the John Lennon Gold record.

Café co-owner Lisa Hancock, dubbed "Duchess" by young local guitarist Jacob Sanger who plays occasionally for the open mic performance nights, is very pleased that her place has become the hangout for a number of professional musicians as well as music lovers.

"It's our vision and people jumped on it. It's the people who come that give the café its vibe; we get them from all musical and socio-economic backgrounds and nationalities," she said. "When you come here, you're home."

Although the original Café Acoustic managed to pay its bills, it only stayed open for three years the first time. "Unfortunately for various reasons, we had to close after the third year," Hancock said. "It was a very sad time for us and our loyal customers."

In January of 2004 the café reopened and patrons can now enjoy music Wednesday through Saturday from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. The café serves beer, wine, coffee, soft drinks, and peanuts in the shell and provides wi-fi service to customers who travel with laptop computers. There is never a cover charge, unless a featured performer takes the stage, and open mic is offered every night; the only thing you need is your instrument - and actually not even that, since they have a house piano and a host of house guitars. The stage is equipped with an excellent sound system.

In the last year the Café Acoustic has become the "go-to" place for musical combos from Missouri Western State University, as here they can find appreciative audiences to try out their sets.

"This place reminds me of Left Bank Paris, especially a row of clubs across from Notre Dame," said classical guitarist and composer Anthony Glise, a St. Joseph native who splits his time between teaching in the guitar program at Missouri Western with jazz/rock guitarist Jason Riley and at his home in France.

"When I'm in France I get homesick for this place and when I'm here I'm homesick for there. I accidentally stumbled into this place on a friend's recommendation, because to me- it's not music unless it's live music, and I thought to myself, 'Oh yeah, this is it!'"

When Glise sought venues for events related to his St. Joseph International Guitar Festival he immediately thought of the café. "I knew that the Left Bank cafés in Paris supported arts activities, so I figured that these folks would as well," he said.

Along with featured musicians and open mic nights, patrons can hear the Missouri Western Jazz Ensemble, the University Rock Ensemble, monthly guitar master classes and the St. Joseph International Guitar Festival jam sessions.

"This is real stuff with professional people doing this- and it's free!" said Mike Fuson, lead guitarist with a band called M82. He and wife, Celena, were on hand at the final master class of the fall 2006 semester. "You don't find this everywhere. A friend from California came out for a visit and said he didn't realize that there were people capable of this level of music in the Midwest."

"The master classes have opened a lot of eyes and created a lot of learning opportunities for students," Fuson said. "The class is the direct result of Anthony's effort; they have open mic nights here, but a master class is a guitar lesson held in front of the public. You can even get up and play if you aren't a student. The fun thing is Anthony can give you the history of the music and why it's played a certain way. You can go into any music class and your average teacher won't know that much about the piece."

Fuson points to the stage as Glise addresses the next student.
"What're ya gonna play?" the maestro asks with a wicked grin.
The student chooses "Greensleeves."
"Ah Greensleeves by Mr. Anonymous," says Glise. "Though it was claimed to have been written by Henry VIII and because he had a tendency to lop people's heads off, no one really argued."

Fuson chuckles, "See what I mean?"

The unique atmosphere is what keeps Glise coming back to the Acoustic Café; though he does take in acts at other venues from time to time, it's different here.

"People come here to play," Glise said. "Even national touring musicians will come here when they're performing in nearby cities- to hide and to play. There are also several professionals who live here, and you'll find they come in to enjoy themselves with no pressure. Musicians sometimes don't play much in their hometown. Abe Lincoln said, 'People are as happy as they decide to be.' We're doing things here that people would be scared to do in New York. We're making magic here."

It's obvious that Hancock and Downey are very comfortable with Glise and his students. You often see them laughing and joking with one another. It's also obvious that Glise and company are regulars.

"The man is so accomplished and he's from here," Hancock says. "He's done more for this town artistically and given back so much. Jesse James isn't necessarily a positive figure, but Anthony Glise is!"

Downey views the Café Acoustic as more than just a business venture. "A lot of magical things happen here," she said. "I don't feel like an owner, but more like a curator. That this is something I have to take care of because it's that special. It's all about the music.

Hancock and Downey don't pay most of the musicians who take their stage in the usual sense. They do record them, however, and patrons can purchase the fruits of their labor in Best of CDs that the pair assembles from the recordings they make of each show.

"For me, these are one of the jewels of the café," Downey said. "It's all original music recorded live. After a year's time you come across delightful things when you review the recordings, and that's what excites me. To create a library in this region of the most wonderful songs and songwriters-that is my vision. So many musical alliances and partnerships are formed here. It's a real exchange of ideas. Everyone checks their egos at the door."

"It's an everybody-who-loves-music bar," Downey said, "and we aren't really a bar; we're a venue that serves the drinks to pay the bills so we can all enjoy…" she waves her arms expansively, as if she would embrace the café and all its inhabitants.

Other Venues and Musical Styles

If you're more the non-acoustic sort, St. Joseph has plenty of sites in addition to Café Acoustic: The Last Call (rock), Mirrors (rock), Chloe & Bernard's (crooner and light jazz), The Rear View (rock/country), Cagney's (country/rock), The Ground Round (open mic and oldies), The King Hill Tavern (rock/country), the Hi-Ho (rock/steel band), Manchester's (alternative), and The Felix Street Pub (folk/rock/alternative).

"St. Joseph is definitely a musical work in progress, but it's making progress," said musician Marcus Words, front man for The Leading Average. "It's a GOOD scene!" Marcus, a St. Joseph local who has mastered fifteen different instruments, calls the musical flavor of St. Joseph "eclectic". His group is set to begin their first tour of Europe in the near future. "Until then," he says. "It's the same old St. Joe."

Like many midwestern towns, after coming back from an economic slump in the 90s, St. Joseph's social scene welcomes new clubs monthly and very few stick to a specific genre of music. It's all about what groups are booked, and local patrons know where to go to find their favorite style.

The city also boasts Missouri Western State University- founded in 1965 and now 5,000 students strong plus a full-time symphony, two resident theater organizations, a community chorus, and a Performing Arts Association which books national entertainers and numerous expositions and festivals. It's going to be interesting to see how things unfold in the future.

You might come see for yourself!
Julie Summa

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About the Author

Free-lance writer and columnist Julie Summa broke into journalism with her work for the New York Times Regional Newsgroup. In her rare spare time she blogs at www.undercovermother.com about life as a nontraditional college student while continuing her studies at St Joseph's Missouri Western State University majoring in English/Journalism/Communications and Theatre. Julie freelances in public relations for several campus departments and is always on the lookout for her next project. She can be reached for contract proposals at j.a.summa@gmail.com.

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About the Photographer

Sarah Johnson-Negozio works as a free-lance fine arts photographer for various American publications. Her specialty is avant-garde photo documentation of musicians for web, in-print promotion and CD design, including post-shoot graphic manipulation. Sarah can be reached for contract proposals through sarahzios_photos@yahoo.com