Eschewing the formality of an opening act, Soundgarden was all business at the Pageant on Tuesday night.

Fans sporting tattoos, beanies, backwards hats and dark clothing crowded into the Pageant ready for a sold-out Deftones show. Never have I seen (in recent memory) so many sleeved-up men and women. It made my own tattoos (also on display) seem oddly normal, their counter-culture aspect weirdly nullified by the inky surroundings.

The Dublin, Ireland four-piece Kodaline, previously known as 21 Demands, opened with a set of breezy tunes helmed by Stephen Garrigan's nigh-falsetto vocals. The sound played multilayered and grandiose, like a more alternative rock version of Mumford & Sons, with crashing waves of piano, acoustic strumming and vibrant bass.

Chicago band Speck Mountain plays loud, thick, shoe-gazey rock with an aching lyrical core. "Lies," an otherwise unreleased B-side, has a heavy sound, yet somehow it still soars.

After building anticipation to great heights with an aborted '05 tour and a subsequent hiatus, Garbage finally made its way back to the Show Me State. Touting an excellent new album and a sold-out show, the band eclipsed expectations as the first song's chords rang out.

One of the greatest of the original wave of grunge bands, Mudhoney is still slugging and sludging its way into rock 'n' roll fans' hardcore hearts. Witness "The Only Son of the Widow of Nain," a heavy track from the forthcoming album "Vanishing Point."

If you're not familiar with Imagine Dragons, then you probably don't listen to commercial radio or have a 16-year-old child.

Despite a few bumps in the road, Soul Asylum had a great start to its 2013 tour Wednesday night at the Old Rock House.

It's safe to say that just about everyone knows Primus. You might not own every disc or have seen the band live, but you've probably caught a video on MTV for "Mr Krinkle" or "My Name Is Mud," or maybe you've caught one of bass player/singer Les Claypool's many side projects.

Billy Corgan seems like a new man. At last night's Smashing Pumpkins show at St. Louis' Chaifetz Arena, Corgan appeared free of angst or rage, performing his superb new record "Oceania" with a flash of positivity and swagger.