Pokey LaFarge: Midwest at Heart

It is not difficult to find musicians who are searching for success. Many singers and songwriters look to sign a deal with a major music label, have a hit song (or many hit songs), and of course make a lot of money along the way. Some musicians, though are searching for something more. Pokey LaFarge is definitely a musician who seems to be searching for more existential.

Many things about Pokey LaFarge and his bandmates are both old and antique, yet at the same time unique and authentic. Their music can be fast paced and energetic but also it can be soft, soothing, and comfortable. The first time you hear them, the most glaring juxtaposition about Pokey LaFarge is that if you time warped them back about 80 years, no one would think that their music would be strange. And yet here they are, rocking the stage with handle-bar mustaches, suspenders, fedora hats, and old-timey spirit.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone County, Pokey stated that he doesn’t like his music to be labeled. Unfortunately, we live in a world of labels so if you had to stick one on Pokey’s music then I believe American Roots is a pretty good one. What stood out to me in the interview was something beyond categorization, though. Pokey is looking for success yet I am hopeful that he is looking for more in the sense of relevance. I think he is on the right track.

Pokey also spoke to the St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Kevin Johnson about the new album.  You can check out KJ’s interview here. http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/kevin-johnson/the-rundown-on-pokey-lafarge-s-new-album-in-his/article_4f8cb30d-1fc5-5ded-b6cf-56fc6922fce3.html It’s worth a read as Pokey explains each song on his new album, Something In The Water. You get a rare glimpse of Pokey living in the modern era, recording the beginnings of a song on his phone at 4 a.m.

Pokey LaFarge has been playing music all of his life. Wearing vintage clothes and singing songs from an old soul’s heart, Pokey has been all around the world entertaining crowds from street corners to Late Night with David Letterman. After meeting up with three musicians from the St. Louis area oddly enough in Asheville, North Carolina, Pokey began playing, touring, and recording with his new bandmates, The South City Three. For anyone not familiar with the St. Louis area, South City is a term that encompasses the (you guessed it) Southern portions of the city.

The South City Three has expanded and so therefore the name doesn’t accurately reflect the number of members in Pokey’s band, yet that hasn’t stopped musicians before. Ben Folds never had five members but he was Ben Folds Five for many years before going solo. While the newest members bring the options of trumpet, trombone, clarinet, and saxophone to every song, the core of Ryan Koenig, Adam Hoskins, and Joey Glynn (the original South City Three) along with Pokey’s ebullient presence at the mic bring a very lively and entertaining show.

When the band made the video for their song So Long, Honeybee, Goodbye, they searched for vintage locations in the St. Louis area. Places that fit their style of music; relics from a foregone era yet timeless. They filmed at the historic Kirkwood Train Station, Eads Bridge, and a sad-looking boarded-up Palladium Building. But the best thing about this video is that the band played their instruments under the Bald Cypress trees that no longer exist on the Arch grounds. So if you ever want to reminisce what it was like on the Arch grounds pre-2015, then watch the video. Pokey’s first single off of their newest album with the previously mentioned name, Something in the Water seems to have been filmed in a South St. Louis back alley. In another part of the video, Pokey is trying to read the Sunday Post-Dispatch while his loony girlfriend paints her toenails in a giraffe mask.

Another testament for the building relevance of Pokey LaFarge upon America and beyond is not only that they opened for Jack White, but they are scheduled at few music festivals this summer, the largest being Bonnaroo. In addition, they are touring Australia, France, Belgium, the UK, Canada, and the Netherlands. Yet with a busy tour schedule, they are making extra time for us locals back home. April 24th, 25th, and 26th, Pokey LaFarge will be playing three shows at Off Broadway which is located in...South St. Louis. No excuses for not attending his show this time folks. I’ll see you there.

If you would rather, you can meet up with Pokey LaFarge at Vintage Vinyl in The Loop on April 25th at 3 p.m. The gang will be there signing autographs and playing a few tunes. By the way, Pokey LaFarge’s newest Album, Something in the Water, releases today, April 7th. Check it out.