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4:59 am: 40°F / 32°F » 5-Day Forecast

"A St. Louis Gem."  That's how one veteran night owl described the place I found myself in last night. 

The Way Out Club is not a place you're going to stroll past while working your way through the bars on the Loop or in Soulard.  You've got to work for this one. 

The first thing both Chris Files and I noticed about this place is that it's easy to miss.  We both drove past the location at the corner of South Jefferson and Gravois twice.  (Here's the secret:  The lighted sign says "Palms." The "Way Out" logo is painted next to it but not lit.)

We were there for a Toasted Rav video shoot with legendary concert goer "Beatle Bob." (Look for that on ToastedRav.com next week!) It's a place where Bob fits right in.  The decor has a sort of "60's/modern" feel to it.  B-movies roll on the high-def video screens over the bar, and the most eclectic juke box I've ever had the pleasure of hearing blares until the live act comes on stage.  (The Juke Box was named St. Louis' best by the Riverfront Times last year.) 

I think the thing I liked the most about it was the fact it seems almost impossible to label.  A pair of punk acts, J.J. Pearson and "The Lindbergh Babies" were playing last night, but the club's My Space page
touts genres ranging to surf and even folk music hitting the stage.

The crowd crowd fits the place.  There's a little bit of everything and everyone sitting at the bar when you walk in, and no one's made to feel like an outsider.  (Including a couple of goofy guys lugging around video equipment.) 

The place is owned by a married couple.  Sherri works the bar, and, according to "Beatle Bob" does one of the best independent radio shows in town on the side.  Her  husband  Bob (not Beatle) is known for his poetry slams. We missed him last night thanks to his third root canal on the same tooth.  (Ugh) 

Anyway, if you're looking for out of the way, the "Way Out" may be the way to go!

Tags: Way Out Club Beatle Bob Lindbergh Babies JJ Pearson