excerpt from recently published
"Schools That Rock - The Rolling Stone College Guide"

Frederick's Music Lounge
4454 Chippewa St., St.Louis
www.fredericksmusiclounge.com


You'll get a good sense of Frederick's Music Lounge by simply
ordering their specialty drink, called Cock Soup: whisky and chicken
broth served in a Campbell's Soup can and garnished with a chicken
bone that owner Fred Friction nibbles clean himself. Consider that
an honor, because Mr. Friction is a singular St. Louis presence -
part Tom Waits, part Mickey Rourke, all Casanova- who inherited this
bar from his father, ditched the bumper-pool table and proceeded to
transform a corner bar for career alcoholics into a tiny live music
venue for budding (21-and-over) drunks.
Located in South City, the club occupies a former split-level ranch
house;drinking and rocking on the left side, Friction's sleeping
quarters on the right.When he took over from his father in the late-
90s, Friction still used an intercom/buzzer system just for the hell
of it; patrons walked to the front door, rang the
bell, he queried you through the speaker("Yeah, what do you
want?" "Uh, mmm, could I come in?" "I guess..."). But the club soon
took off, hired a doorman and started booking the twang.
Frederick's is the place to go for No Depression-style alt-country.
At one time or another the entire Bloodshot Records roster has played
here.Calexico crammed seven people on this tiny stage, and the
Handsome Family crammed two.
On Thursdays, they open the mic to ragtimers early in the evening,
and to singer-songwriters later.
In all, Frederick's is one of the best, most authentically St. Louis,
clubs in town.