It’s sad to admit, but when I first heard news that the Billiken Club was back this semester, my immediate reaction was to say, “when did it ever leave?”
Now I understand that I cannot speak for everyone, but from my experiences on campus I only knew that the Billiken Club put up cool looking posters and was somehow connected with Salsarita’s.
Menomena, the indie band out of Portland, took the stage at the Billiken Club back in 2007.
Thankfully, I had the chance to sit down with Grant Nikseresht, general manager of KSLU and the main man responsible for the Billiken Club, to learn a bit more about what I have missed out on these past couple of years.
Nikseresht explained that the Billiken Club had to take a short hiatus in 2012 after budget cuts. Last semester they started ramping up again with some open mic nights at the venue, which is tucked away where the tables of Salsarita’s typically stand. Finally they got the green light financially from the Student Government Association Association (SGA) to resume this fall.
On the stage first will be No Age, a noise rock duo out of L.A. Trauma Harness and Ghost Ice will round out the set list and guarantee the first night back will be huge. It all happens Sept. 16 with doors opening at 8:00pm and the concert at 9:00pm.
Even though that might be a tough act to follow, on the next night electronic artist Lapalux and Parisian will play. These two nights are huge for the Billiken Club’s comeback, but I learned they’ve had big names come through in the past. Ra Ra Riot, Bon Iver and Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin are all alumni who played here when they were still considered underground bands. Since then, they have won Grammies, made appearances in Rolling Stone and sold countless albums.
“The point [of the Billiken Club] is to see a band before they’re big,” explained Nikseresht.
Now, while I am not guaranteeing these guys are going to have explosive careers, I do think they are worth seeing. Tickets are free with a SLU ID and $5 for non-students.
I think Nikseresht put it best when he said, “[You] don’t have to sit online all day looking for the latest bands, because we’ve already done that work for you. Basically we’re a nonprofit venue run by college kids who are music nerds.”
The Billiken Club hopes to do at least one show a month. For all the latest news about upcoming events, follow their Facebook and Twitter (@TheBillikenClub).
