WEBER CHEVROLET AND KSHE 95 PRESENT EL MONSTERO Special Guests Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks

ST. LOUIS, MO / March 18, 2024 – El Monstero, the definitive U.S. Pink Floyd tribute band, is thrilled to announce their annual summer show will feature Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Jon Anderson of YES on Saturday, June 15 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. Show time is 7:30 p.m. (gates open at 6 p.m.)

Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 22 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at www.livenation.com, in-person on Fridays at the box office at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, or Ticketmaster.com. For the first week of sales, lawn and select reserved tickets are only $21 plus fees. 

“On behalf of the entire band, we are honored to share the stage this summer with Jon Anderson,” says bassist Kevin Gagnepain. “He has been a big musical influence for all of us and we cannot wait to perform an epic night of music for our fans.”

Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks will make St. Louis a part of their 2024 “YES Epics, Classics, and More” tour. The set list will contain numerous YES songs from all stages of the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career that feature Jon as their lead vocalist and songwriter. The tour also promises the introduction of new material created by Jon and The Band Geeks. For more information, visit www.jonanderson.com.

El Monstero began its theatrical presentation of the band’s music in 1999. The band is comprised of St. Louis natives Mark Thomas Quinn (lead vocals/guitar/lap steel guitar), Jimmy Griffin (lead vocals/guitar), Kevin Gagnepain (bass/vocals), Bryan Greene (electric and acoustic guitar), John Pessoni (drums/vocals), Bill Reiter (keyboard/vocals), Jake Elking (keyboard), Dave Farver (saxophone), Erminie Cannon, Tandra Williams, and Kirstin Johnson (vocals).  

El Monstero focuses on the Gilmore/Waters era of Pink Floyd, but ventures into albums recorded both before and after that time in the band’s history. El Monstero delivers an audio and visual experience like no other combining pyro, massive theatrical props, innovative technology and even fireworks. For more information, visit www.livenation.com or www.elmonstero.com

WEBER CHEVROLET AND KSHE 95 PRESENT EL MONSTERO AND LIVING COLOUR

El Monstero, the ultimate U.S. Pink Floyd tribute band, is pleased to announce their annual summer show will include none other than GRAMMY award-winning artists Living Colour on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre.

Show time is 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 25 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at www.livenation.comwww.ticketmaster.com or at the box office at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, open Fridays and Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For the first week of sales, lawn and select reserved tickets are only $19.95 (plus fees). Click here for tickets! 

The band is excited to collaborate with Living Colour this summer. Bassist Kevin Gagnepain explains, “We started working on this lineup in 2020 before the pandemic hit. As we navigated the changing landscape of the last two years, this opportunity took a back seat. Thankfully in 2022, we are able to finally get it together, and we cannot wait to give our fans an epic night of music!” 

El Monstero began its theatrical presentation of the band’s music in 1999. The band is comprised of St. Louis natives Mark Thomas Quinn (lead vocals/guitar/lap steel guitar), Jimmy Griffin (lead vocals/guitar), Kevin Gagnepain (bass/vocals), Bryan Greene (electric and acoustic guitar), John Pessoni (drums/vocals), Bill Reiter (keyboard/vocals), Jake Elking (keyboard), Dave Farver (saxophone), Erminie Cannon, Tandra Williams, and Kirstin Johnson (vocals).  

El Monstero focuses on the Gilmore/Waters era of Pink Floyd, but ventures into albums recorded both before and after that time in the band’s history. El Monstero delivers an audio and visual experience like no other combining pyro, massive theatrical props, innovative technology and even fireworks. For more information, visit www.livenation.com or www.elmonstero.com.  

Living Colour was formed in 1984 and is currently comprised of Vernon Reid (guitar), Corey Glover (vocals), Will Calhoun (drums) and Doug Wimbish (bass). Stylistically, their music is a creative fusion of heavy metal, funk, free jazz and hard rock. The band is best known for their signature anthem “Cult of Personality,” which won a GRAMMY Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1990. They were also named Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1989 and won their second GRAMMY Award for their follow-up album “Time’s Up” in 1990. For more information, including tour schedule, visit www.livingcolour.com

When a Korn Fed Kid Turns Into an Adult

Nu Metal pioneers Korn made their way to St. Louis at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater recently and I was finally able to check something off my bucket list that had been sitting there for years, seeing Korn live in concert.

Korn came into my life when I was in middle school. You know, those years spent developing yourself and realizing that not everything is as bright and colorful as elementary school would have led you to believe. Korn’s self-titled debut and the follow up Life is Peachy provided me with plenty of sounds and lyrics to analyze.

During this time, my parents’ relationship had already started to fall apart. My dad was drinking way to much and my mom was not having any of it. If you recall my post about DMX, you’ll know that music helped me through what should have been an important developmental time period in my life. Korn kept me going through the same strife I was facing in life.

Eventually, my parents divorced and my father died from cancer… Korn’s Follow the Leader came out a little before this time and was my blueprint for getting through it all. I kept my smile when around friends and family, but deep down I was torn apart and did not have anyone checking in on me. During my father’s funeral I remember riding with a couple of my friends at the time and we had the Follow the Leader album playing. As we pulled into the cemetery, Dead Bodies Everywhere started playing. I distinctly remember commenting on the song playing and where we were and thought it was hilarious. To me, it was a sign that I’ll be okay, and having a band like Korn to help release frustration and anger is exactly what a little freak like me needed at the time.

Korn continued to help push me through high school, allowing me to express my individuality in ways that I probably shouldn’t have, but did anyways. I didn’t know any better and my up bringing was falling apart, so I was just doing the best I could do, with what I had at the time.

For Christmas after my dad passed away, my cousin got me the album Issues. I was in love with the band by this point. I thought the cover contest for this new album was the greatest idea ever! Once I unwrapped that plastic and popped the album in my CD player I listened and absorbed it all.

I listened for hours on repeat. I listened in between Tony Hawk Pro Skater sessions. So far these four albums by what I considered to be the greatest band of all time kept me afloat and surprisingly, they kept me grounded. A few albums later, and missed out Family Value Tours, I knew I had to see Korn live at some point in my life. It just never worked out for me early on in their career. No money, out of town, cancelled shows, and then finally at 37 years old, I got to see them. I was worried about Covid and hearing J.D. recently got infected, I was expecting them to cancel again, which would have been okay, but I am so glad his health bounced back quickly and they were able to stop by St. Louis with Staind!

The drums, the bass, guitars, and vocals were loud and intense! My wife and I got two seats, right in view of center stage and once it all began something magical happened. The grief and pain that I held onto for 20ish years disappeared. The best I can explain it was out-of-body. The emotions I felt watching and singing along with one of my favorite bands of all-time was therapeutic and euphoric. I woke up the next morning, and even now, a week later, I feel closure. I feel a freshness, a freedom. Something I have not felt in such a long time and it almost feels super-natural.

Seeing Korn perform live crosses another item off my bucket list. It also did wonders for my internal happiness and mental well-being. Breaking a cycle of self-loathing, sadness, and grief, that I had been dragging along with me for decades. I never expected to feel this way about a band, but Korn got me like whoa, and I cannot be more thankful.