The North Mississippi Allstars are the last of a dying breed.

Lucero is a band of road warriors in the truest sense. Playing 150 to 200 dates a year, the Memphis-based group prides itself as workhorses.

Ha Ha Tonka always comes to entertain and that's just what they did Friday night at the Firebird.

Friday Night at the Pageant, Drive-By Truckers and Those Darlins put on a high energy show for a venue full of folks celebrating good times, good friends, good music, and a World Series victory for the Cardinals.

When it comes down to it, the Jack Daniels-swigging, Southern rock-swaggering force of nature that is the Drive-By Truckers is grounded in great songs. Patterson Hood and Jay Gonzalez prove it in this special duo acoustic session.

If you've listened to my show, Bittersweet Melody, you know that Drive-by Truckers are one of my favorite bands. No one band represents the South in today's rock world more than Drive-by Truckers.

The melting pot location between the north and south partly explains the appreciation running deep among local music fans for Southern-style rock. Little Feat -- with its mix of blues, country, rock and Cajun -- is one of several '70s bands that have kept St. Louis entertained for 40 years.

The kickoff to Twangfest 15 exceeded all expectations at the Pageant Wednesday night.

Southern rock on a Tuesday night? Yes, please. Alabama born and bred, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit played the Old Rock House last night, led by openening act Maria Taylor.

On Friday night, amid tornado sirens and bouts of torrential down pour, college frat boys, rained-out Cardinal fans and music revelers alike made it to Off Broadway for a whiskey-filled tribute to Missouri roots and southern rock.

Audience expectations were high at last night's North Mississippi Allstars show at the Pageant, as it was billed by the band as an "epic performance" to be recorded "for a possible future release."

If Lucero's music were a tattoo, it would be a rattlesnake wrapped around a whiskey bottle stamped with a heart broken down the middle. Even when stripped down to acoustic guitar and accordion, the Memphis band's country-scorched rock & roll shines through with punk resilience.

Uncle Lucius cooks up the southern-fried guitar with a side of groovy percussion smothered in soul. Whether contemplating liquor or love, the Austin, Texas-based band stays true to its roots in Sly and the Family Stone and the Black Crowes. Wash that all down with some whiskey, listen to the live session on the Rhythm Section, and you will start to see what sets Uncle Lucius apart in the Southern rock field.