Kari Liston Article

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By Erikka Pfeiffer and Dana Keeven - As published in the Sept. issue of Playback St. Louis

For those who are unfamiliar with the emerging sound of young St. Louis Blues musicians, the name Kari Liston may not ring a bell. However, for a growing number of local music fans her name is synonymous with a fun, upbeat, show and a progressive style of blues unique to newer bands emerging from the South Broadway District. Liston, a 25-year old St. Louis native, has just wrapped up her first year performing with The Bottoms Up Blues Gang – St. Louis’ newest blues trio.

This distinctive acoustic group features the talents of Adam Andrews on harmonica, Jeremy Segel- Moss on guitar, and is led by Liston’s powerful vocals and charismatic presence on stage.

The Gang, as loyal fans refer to them, has already carved a niche for themselves in St. Louis with their constantly evolving stage show. Their unique arrangement of instruments create a sound that appeals to a very broad audience and offers a welcome change from St. Louis’ mass of electric bands.

"Everybody loves the blues whether they know it or not. They can’t help but love it. I could sing the blues to someone who had never heard it before, and they would enjoy listening because everyone has the blues, or has had them at some time in their life," Liston explained.

The Gang’s style is heavily influenced by St. Louis’ rich tradition of blues and soul. All three musicians are students of more experienced local talent such as Bennie Smith, Tommy Bankhead, and Eric McSpadden. However, their strongest influences have come from the younger generation of musicians like Brian Curran, Sharon Foehner, Tony Capenella, and Matt Murdick.

Individually, Liston’s musical interests are hardly restricted to blues. She has successfully incorporated elements of Rock and Roll, Soul, R&B, and Jazz into her performances without losing the blues feeling. Drawing inspiration from such a wide range of musicians and genres has afforded Liston and the Gang the opportunity to constantly play fresh and interesting material.

Their play list includes standards such as Key to the Highway and Smokestack Lightning, but these aren’t the same old blues. There is a quirky and distinctive spin on all of the band’s cover songs and their original tunes have become fan favorites.

"Kari has a lot of strengths, but I think her biggest advantage is her willingness to do things her own way. When she sings you don’t hear imitation. You hear Kari and that’s an important quality," said Matt Murdick, local piano dynamo of the St. Louis Social Club, the Rich McDonough Blues Band, and the Solid Senders.

Liston’s decision to sing, and specifically to sing blues, was not something she anticipated. She graduated from Oakville High School in 1997 and headed to college at Southwest Missouri State in Springfield. After studying theater for one year, she left school for New York City to pursue a career in acting. Her short time in New York offered no work on stage, but served as a wake up call for what it would take to succeed as an entertainer.

"I was nineteen years old and I was going to be a starving artist. I had to try; I didn’t want to regret not doing it. For three weeks I had no job and no place to live. After spending Thanksgiving alone at the YMCA I decided it was time for a change of plans," Liston recalled.

For the next few years Liston moved around and took non-performance related jobs in St. Louis, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Unsatisfied with the work she was doing, and unhappy with where she was living, she found inspiration in a pretty unlikely place.

"As corny as it may sound, it was while watching Oprah that I realized I wanted to sing. It was like a light bulb went off in my head. The topic of the show was finding your passion by choosing the one thing you could do for a living that you’d be willing to do for free. I wanted to sing…and it hit me right then and there, it changed the trajectory of my life. I knew I needed to go back home," explained Liston.

Liston immediately returned to St. Louis determined to make a place for herself as a vocalist. She reunited with her high school friend, and local guitarist, Brian Curran and began singing with him on stage as often as she could.

Liston credits Curran with teaching her blues and introducing her to bandmates Adam Andrews and Jeremy Segel-Moss. Curran’s influence on the trio is evident in the relaxed, easy to enjoy style of blues that has become their signature.

"Brian was the guy who gave all of us the opportunity to play. I don’t think I would have ever stepped on stage if it wasn’t for Brian and there definitely wouldn’t be a Bottoms Up Blues Gang if he hadn’t supported us from day one," said Segel-Moss.

Liston and Curran share a laid back style of music, but there is no lack of passion in either one’s performance. Their subtle enthusiasm creates an intimate atmosphere where the audience is encouraged to become involved with the show.

"I like [Kari’s] attitude of not worrying, but still putting on a show. She’s not concerned with what people tell her and I enjoy feeding off of her energy on stage. She makes it fun," said Andrews.

The Gang has performed together since August 2001 at venues all over St. Louis and the Midwest. One of their first regular weekly gigs was at the Beale On Broadway (two blocks south of Busch Stadium – across from B.B.’s Jazz, Blues & Soups). Bud Jostes, owner of the Beale, added the young band to the bar’s weekly line-up almost immediately after they began playing together.

"I work with a lot of the older professionals, but I also like to bring in young talent to give them a break. When I saw Kari sitting in with Brian Curran…I took notice," said Jostes.

Things have only gotten bigger and better for the singer since those days last summer and Jostes is still one of Liston’s biggest fans. Recently he hired Liston and Irene Allen, of Goodnight Irene, featured Wednesday nights at the Beale, as back-up vocalists for Kim Massie and the Solid Senders every Tuesday night. As the list of venues and show dates continues to grow, Liston keeps her eye constantly trained on the direction of her career.

"It’s been a crazy year. We’ve gone from being nobody to playing five nights a week in and out of St. Louis. We’re playing the Big Muddy [Blues Festival], we just went into the studio, and we’re planning on being in the Baby Blues Showcase Thanksgiving weekend. In five years I hope to be on the radio. I’m going all the way with this," said Liston.

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