Cheap, good, live music.  Those three magical words, rarely heard together, describe one of the best kept indie and local music secrets in the area - Cruisin' Route 66 Bar and Grill (located on Watson Road, just east of the White Castles *wink*).  Cruisin' Route 66 is a rare breed in that in one room you can cozy up to a biker playing pool, in another hang with the cool kids and listen to St. Louis's best indie bands, and no matter what room you prefer you grab super cheap drinks in it all night long.  As far as le dives are concerned Cruisin' Route 66 has full merit - drinks prices that make a designated driver necessary, a menu that will fill your belly for less than a Lincoln, and a savory, blue-jeaned atmosphere that invites all types - from Roadhouse to Cocktail.

Saying cheap, live music can be subjective.  For instance, paying $150 to see Elton John in Vegas is considered cheap to some (and evidently fun to those same people as well).  When I say that Cruisin' Route 66 has cheap, live music I mean five bucks gets you in the door to see four bands play on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, it gets you into is an open mic night on Wednesdays, and that's the price to indulge in karaoke on Thursdays.

There are two shows in particular coming up this month that beg for you to check this place out yourself:

• Saturday, October 4 @ 8pm (once again, only five bucks):  Mississippi Hippy Killers, The 75's, Sloth & The Lushes, and a fourth band TBA.
  • Mississippi Hippy Killers - punk rock with lady vocals
  • The 75's - Powerpop and punk
  • Sloth & The Lushes - punk rockers
• Friday, October 31 @ 8pm:  Science Hill, Cooperview, The Flight Station, Ccean Rivals, and Andi Toppins.
  • Science Hill - rock/funk
  • Cooperview - rockers
  • The Flight Station - emerging Cincinnati rockers
  • Ocean Rivals - indie folk/experimental
  • Andi Toppins - local alternative rocker gal

Cruisin' Route 66 is a funky little dive open Monday through Friday from 11am to 1:30am and Saturday from 3pm to 1:30am.  They are located at 7985 Watson Rd., but don't tell anyone I told you that.