There are those in Soulard who would suggest (if not argue) that the neighborhood doesn't need another club, nightspot, public house or tavern; that the current roster of venues is plenty fine, thanks very much. And there were a few naysayers who spoke vociferously against the opening of Spooty's, a corner bar just across the street from the Great Grizzly Bear, located in the heart of Soulard.

Owners Ron Schmiedebush and Glenda Cooper, partners inside and outside the business, spent four years remodeling the space, which had long been abandoned. Spooty's debuted on Jan. 5 of 2005.

A clientele was quickly found, including a good number of fast regulars. Schmiedebush, a blues musician for going on four decades, is quick to point out the place is a type of "mom and pop operation," and that the place isn't looking to be the biggest and loudest in town, let alone the neighborhood.

"We own it, we run it," he says. "It's just a little blues bar."

That fact is one you can gather from the wall immediately behind the club's tiny stage. On it, a mural's been painted of blues greats John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Albert King. Indeed, the club's booking policy leans toward the blues, with just a pinch of other styles thrown in for leavening.

The hard-working Johnny Fox is there every Thursday night, with a yeoman-like, four-hour shift of solo work. On Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons, it's the acoustic sound of the Hot Rod Ron. Other nights feature a rotating cast of acts.  When there's no live music onstage, Spooty's has a 42" Plasma big screen to enjoy all major sports events instead.(Go Cardinals)

The club is proud of its reputation for attracting folks beyond the twentysomething set. It's happy to serve a core of regulars from the neighborhood, who are happy to deal with a no-frills attitude in a cozy space.

Spooty's is, in fact, a rather small room, with the universal 49-person limit. But it has character, including one Soulard obligation: an exposed brick wall. With a small back bar built specifically for the place, it's got some nice touches. Among those is the series of windows that look out on Geyer.

Since the Anheuser-Busch brewery is just down the road, Spooty's stocks and sells a fair bit of Budweiser, and microbrews (outside of our own Schlafly) haven't really been embraced. Though the local lagers and ales are easily the most-popular items on the menu, other spirits are available.

There's no room for a kitchen at Spooty's, but they'll happily refer you to the menu of all the surronding Restaurants and will let you snack on their fare inside Spooty's. Or they'll call over to Joanie's a couple blocks away, and have a pizza delivered to you. It's that kind of place.

Now, you might wonder why a bar would be called Spooty's. And we'd tell you, except that Schmiedebush is a natural storyteller and would love to tell you the whole story himself. It has to do the blues, we'll give you that hint. The rest? You'll just have to ask.

Address: 1026 Geyer Avenue
Phone: 314-588-1807
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 4:00 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Credit cards: All major
Smoking: Throughout