Concerts & Events in University City

Shopping at a boutique is like coveting a fashion-savvy friend's wardrobe, except that you can take home a knockout pair of jeans without worrying that your bootylicious bud wore them better than you to an auto plant. Whereas department stores follow trends, boutiques create them with innovative looks from top designers that you won't find anywhere else in town. Byrd Style Lounge cultivates a collection of classic lines and edgy designs, perfect for those who want one-of-a-kind looks but don't want to sift through thrift or pay top dollar for something someone's grandma already wore.

Every Thursday through Saturday night, two pro piano players sit down at Jive and Wail's two baby grand pianos and proceed to bang out Top 40 hits from a plethora of eras, including time that has not yet come to pass, though these future-songs cannot be heard by present-day ears. Audience participation is not only encouraged but demanded by the dueling pianists—who are not above threatening their audience with atonal jazz if no song requests are forthcoming. Once you've made your request, the bar's high-tech sound system makes sure you won't miss it while refreshing your tipple at the full-service bar.

Ornate chandeliers and a high-ceilinged auditorium are just two stunning features of Powell Hall, an opulent, Versailles-inspired concert venue built in 1925. Originally known as the Saint Louis Theatre, Powell Hall was bequeathed its new moniker after the Saint Louis Symphony Society won it during a heated card game with a band of ragtag vaudeville performers. With its marble-accented lobby and sprawling interior, Powell Hall continues to beckon visitors to take in its inimitable sights and classic sounds.

A tradition-rich NHL franchise, the St. Louis Blues look to continue their 2010–2011 campaign of slap shots, penalty kills, and all-around pucksmanship as they scrap for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. See if you can catch a glimpse of your favorite player amidst the blurred and helmeted faces of Eric Brewer, David Backes, and the rest of the squad as you cheer for the home team or wear a fake mustache and infiltrate a crowd of the visiting team’s fans. Kids 3 and younger get in free, though they are not guaranteed a seat, so bring along a lap or your dandling knee. Hockey is like the magnificent mutt of the sporting world. You get the suspense of watching an object swish through a net (like in basketball or soccer), the thrill of rambunctious brawls (boxing), the elegance of ice skating, and the utter brutality of golf all combined into one action-packed event.

With 11 World Series titles under their belts, the St. Louis Cardinals have thrilled hometown crowds with more than a century of on-field excellence. Opened in 2006, the current Busch Stadium greets each guest with stunning views of the Gateway Arch, treating them to foot-long hot dogs and mile-long bratwursts from the concession stands. Cards fans can also snap photos of the verdant natural-grass field, create their own Fredbird at a Build-a-Bear station, or play musical chairs in the stadium's 46,000 seats.

As a huff-and-puff-filled harbinger to the NCC Tour de Grove cycling events, the Tour de Grove 5K will send racers pattering across the same circuit set to host the Missouri Professional Cycling Series later in the day. Before whirring bicycle wheels zip through the neighborhood, runners can slide into their favorite pair of kicks or moon boots and motor around the fully enclosed, two-lap course. A pair of bridge crossings connects the winding route as it weaves through the grove, and to ensure participants won't have to strap grandfather clocks to their backs, a motion-capture camera provides spot-on race times. After the 5K, an awards ceremony will award the fastest male and female sprinters with cash prizes.