I traveled to St. Louis last week for a short business trip with two of my co-workers. I didn’t have to drive this time and it was a laid back work environment so all in all it was a good experience. During my first travels to St. Louis I spent 6 weeks there by myself not knowing a single person. It was a hard time for me that 6 weeks, being away from home for such a long time was not something I was used to. I stayed at the same hotel for that six weeks and I became fast friends with one of the employees there. Susan introduced me to the sites and sounds of her hometown. She is a Blues fanatic and has traveled the country to see some of her favorites. She is an amazing person and she is someone that I am certain will be a life long friend.
As soon as I found out I was going to St. Louis I emailed her and told her when I would be arriving. She emailed me back within the hour with a plan for a night out on the town. She picked me up at my hotel my second night in town and took me to Beale on Broadway. She had taken me there one other night in January, everything covered in snow and looking so different. This time it was a muggy summer night and the band played on a stage outside right next to the railroad tracks. It’s a great place and somehow makes me feel like I am so far away from home. The music is indescribable and the people are some of the nicest I have met. On this particular night I had the pleasure of meeting John Nemeth who has been playing blues since he was twelve years old. We got to the club early and of course Susan knows everyone and there were lots of introductions to be made. John Nemeth plays around the country and is constantly on tour. And he is a self proclaimed starving musician and doing what he loves almost every night in a different state. It was inspiring to listen to him speak about the love of his life – The Blues. I was able to get some short video footage throughout the night on my digital camera. I will try to share it here. It was a night that I will not forget. The music was wonderful and I have met so many wonderfully gifted people.
Susan and I have already started making plans for trips in late summer and fall. I am most excited that Susan is planning a road trip involving Madi. She insists that I introduce Madi to the Blues and she knows just the place to take her. I am letting her plan the whole thing, she will be driving and I think it will be a trip that Madi will never forget.
Click on the link below to watch the video!
