April 24, 2005
Bates Street Boys
One of the things Maggie and I love about shopping at Soulard Market every week is the people that we see and talk to on a regular basis. From produce vendors, to proprietors of local shops to friends that we run into, there is a true sense of neighborhood. Even though we don't live in Soulard, we feel like we do on Saturdays. One of those folks that we see every week is Charles Haller.
No matter what the temperature is, on Saturday morning you'll find Charles sitting at the west end of Soulard Market, either picking his banjo or acoustic guitar, singing anything from century old folk tunes, to John Prine covers, to original compositions by him and his band, The Bates Street Folk'n Blues Band.
Charles doesn't always perform solo at the Market. He gets a lot of help from the many children that pass throught the market. Whether it's singing along, or helping to strum the banjo, he loves playing for the kids and introducing them to traditional folk music. Here he can be seen playing "Jesse James" off his latest cd, "Last Missouri Exit".
In addition to his band and street musician duties, he also gives lessons for a small fee. As his business card says, Bates Street Folk'n Blues Band plays music for all occasions - weddings, funerals, divorces, et. al. So if you're shopping at Soulard Market, make sure you stop by and listen to Mr. Haller, drop a few bucks in his jar, and buy one or both of his cd's, "Behind the Times" and "Last Missouri Exit". They're only 5 bucks each.
Posted by Tom at April 24, 2005 02:49 PM
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