Spend Your Skanksgiving With The Stag All Stars At Saint Louis’ Original Last Waltz Rip-off Show
For the last 19 years, local musicians have performed together on Thanksgiving Eve, playing tunes that The Band had their fingers in, including tunes from Bob Dylan’s catalog. Mark Moynihan of Racketbox had the idea to do this in 2006 (at Magee’s, the first home of Stag Nite), and he and his brother Johnny (better known at The Whiskey Ring’s Johnny Vegas) began the annual tradition. According to Johnny “Vegas” Moynihan, “It seems to be better every year.”
Celebrate the music of The Band and the folks who played at their all-star farewell show, “The Last Walz,” performed initially at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom on November 25, 1976.
The Stag Nite All-Stars The Last Walz show is a rotating roster of around 60 musicians, such as St. Louis greats Cree Rider, The Scandaleros, The Old Capital Square Dance Club, Old Souls Revival, The Sadie Hawkins Day String Band, The Redheaded Strangers, The Maness Brothers, The Funky Butt Horns and other St. Louis musicians of note.
“We’re never exactly sure what the final lineup’s gonna be, we kinda throw a bunch of shit at the wall and see what sticks,” said Moynihan.
Over almost two decades of performances, there have been performances where you would see “The Last Waltz” played through just like the original. Still, this show has become more musically diverse and expanded beyond the movie’s original playlist.
“We started out trying to do just the movie, ya know, like all the songs just playing through, and then we just realized that that was not practical for what we’re doing… everybody wants to do all the other songs they aren’t really a part of the show,” Moynihan continued.
As in recent years, the upcoming show will be at South Broadway Athletic Club (2301 S. 7th Street, St. Louis, MO, United States, Missouri) on Wednesday, November 27, 2024. Doors open at 7 P.M., and the show starts at 8 P.M. sharp for just $20 at the door. It’s expected to be a great crowd, and in previous years, attendance was around 300.
“Great thing about [SBAC] is there’s tables, standing room, and ya know, the smoking section out back and there’s plenty of places for people to hang out there, there’s like different sections for to the Athletic Club where people hang out,” said Moynihan. “Some want to hang out back or people want to be up front dancing. They can do that, or [if] somebody just wants to sit at a table and get drunk, they can do that.”
In addition to the show, vendors will sell their wares. This is a perfect opportunity to start your holiday shopping. Spots are still available, and potential vendors should contact Moynihan for a table.
So, break out those fancy clothes and your best (Robbie Robertson) scarf, and as Moynihan says, “Everybody come down and celebrate with us, and bring your family – or run away from your family. You know, it’s the night before Thanksgiving, all your friends are gonna be in town, and most of them will be there.”
Over the years, the event has become a true St. Louis tradition. Even for those who have moved away, the pre-holiday event has become one where people run into friends they haven’t seen in quite some time. Often, it is the one pre-holiday event attended by those coming home to visit family in the region. Moynihan summed things up with “It’s nice to get a decent crowd of friends and strangers coming together, so yeah, come and check it out!”
Author’s note: South Broadway Athletic Club is a cash-only bar. ATMs are available on-site. Parking is available across Broadway. Security will assist in crossing to SBAC. This show will not have any food available, so plan accordingly.
