While the Saint Louis University community is becoming more aware of the many musical talents of the student body, there are a number of faculty and staff at the university making a name for themselves on the St. Louis music scene as well. Communication professor Richard Burgin has released his own album of original jazz piano music, and Student Life Coordinator of Activities Chris Grabau is set to release his solo project, Magnolia Summer, early next year.
Perhaps best known around the city’s dirt-rock scene is Josh Wiese, administrative secretary in the Modern Language department and former leader of the now-defunct alt-country band Rodeo Soul. Lately Wiese has been performing as a solo acoustic act, opening for the likes of Richard Buckner and hosting the weekly open mic night at Frederick’s Music Lounge on Chippewa.
Judging from his office on the third floor of Ritter Hall, it’s clear that music is a primary part of Wiese’s life. He is surrounded by posters of Johnny Cash and Tom Waits, and an old Mudhoney album plays quietly from his iMac. Though Wiese hasn’t been part of the St. Louis scene for many years, he has worked hard to make his brand of Midwestern country soul heard.
After graduating from SIU-Carbondale, Wiese moved to St. Louis in 1998 and joined Jerkwater Junction as guitarist. He describes their sound as “a bad version of Son Volt” and, after that band’s demise, Wiese went on to form Rodeo Soul in late 1999.
Rodeo Soul played constantly around town, opening for local roots-rockers the Bottle Rockets and national acts like Blue Mountain and Neko Case. They were very much in the vein of alt-country, a tag that dogged many St. Louis bands after the success of Uncle Tupelo and its offspring Wilco and Son Volt.
The band found moderate success around town and caught the interest of Lost Highway, the record label of Ryan Adams, Lucinda Williams and other twangsters. Rodeo Soul was about to be featured in alt-country bi-monthly No Depression when, due to differences in musical direction and touring desires, the band decided to quit.
In the year since Rodeo Soul has hung up its spurs, Wiese has busied himself playing around as a solo act, reworking old Rodeo Soul tunes and trying out new ones at Off Broadway, Frederick’s and other hipster haunts. He remains true to his roots, singing tales of drinking, romance and murder without any scenester posturing or self-importance.
As a working musician in St. Louis and an employee at Frederick’s, Wiese has seen his fair share of local talent.
“Some weeks I think it’s amazing, and some weeks it’s the most abysmal, sub-par crap I’ve ever seen,” he said.
He sees good talent like Javier Mendoza and Nadine go unrecognized but feels that, like other scenes in Omaha, Neb. and Seattle, it is a matter of time before St. Louis gets recognized as a musical hotbed.
Wiese passed on some advice to SLU students: “SLU kids should be more adventuresome and go out and see local music. Find a bar that suits your tastes and see the city’s musicians, because there are lots of good ones,” Wiese said.
Count Wiese among some of the town’s “good ones,” and see him and his new outfit, New Madrid Fault, and Frederick’s on Oct. 23.
