St. Louis Concert Venue To Go Smoke-Free 6 Months Early!

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Pageant To Go Smoke-Free
By Michele Munz
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
06/15/2010

The era when sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll went hand in hand are long gone. Not even cigarettes are allowed these days.

The Pageant announced Monday that it will be smoke-free as of July 1. The venue in the Delmar Loop is consistently ranked as one of the top concert clubs nationally and holds up to 2,300 people.

Joe Edwards, owner of the Pageant, said musicians, patrons and employees were demanding the change. About 80 percent of the bands he books request smoke-free shows, he said, "and that's a far cry from a decade ago. It shows how much the country's attitudes about smoking are changing."

With public smoking banned in 31 states, most rock bands request smoke-free shows when they arrive in states like Missouri with no such law, local venue owners said. In fact, St. Louis area concert venues have been quietly enacting their own smoking bans over the last few years.

Off Broadway in south St. Louis has been smoke-free for nearly three years, and Fubar in midtown St. Louis went smoke-free nearly two years ago. Smoking is permitted in designated outside areas at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. At Scottrade Center, smoking is allowed in its bar and outside two of the entrances.

"Most bands on tour come from cities where smoking has already been banned in bars," said Fubar owner Robert Fancher. "When they come here, even being smokers, most are glad that we don't allow it in the venue."

A smoking ban in public places in St. Louis and St. Louis County takes effect Jan. 2. Casino floors, some hotel rooms, private clubs (mainly veterans and fraternal organizations) and tobacco stores are exempt. In the city, small bars — less than 2,000 square feet where food sales are "incidental" to alcohol consumption — have five years to comply with the ban; they are exempted in the county.

Edwards said with new stage curtains and sound equipment ready to install, he didn't want to wait for the city ban.

The Pageant had nearly 300 responses to its announcement on Facebook. While most praised the decision, many were not happy.

One commenter wrote: "What happened to the good old days when you could catch a live show in a smoky bar. … Next thing you know the drink special will be a fruit smoothie."

Matthew Grueninger, 25, of Waterloo, wrote, "With this step forward I, for one, will certainly be attending more concerts and shows." He's looking forward to the Pink Floyd tribute show in December, he said.

Sunyatta Marshall, the lead singer of the recently disbanded local rock band Helium Tapes, said bands want smoke-free concerts for the same reasons as patrons and employees. They don't want to leave with stinky clothes, a burning throat and itchy eyes.

The venues that have gone smoke-free have a side bar, courtyard or lounge for their smoking patrons to light up. Owners of the Old Rock House and Firebird in St. Louis said they would go smoke-free, too, if they had similar areas for smokers to go.

At Firebird, 95 percent of the bands already request smoke-free shows, said co-owner Mike Cracchiolo. "Even in this scene, even in this culture, fewer people smoke."