Pop’s

I’ve been going here for years. One of the constants in venues with good shows here in the St. Louis area. If any band you are interested in seeing is coming to Pops, do not hesitate to go here. Despite being in East St. Louis, the location is okay and you won’t get hassled by anyone for money. Parking lot is big. Buy tickets from the local acts of possible, saves you time getting in and money overall.

Had a blast!!! Wayyyyy better than Oz. ugh…the staffs were rude at the oz and ppl were way too young to be in there.

It’s a great venue and awesome for small concerts! However, I do have a few issues:
1. A bucket of beer is 5 cans and is $ 20.50. My bar experience tells me that a bucket is suppose to be 6 and is usually bottles. So, you would think it would be cheaper than a bucket elsewhere, but no.
2. It smells terrible outside! Like stale boos and scum.
3. The bar was sticky and the table and stools wobble something fierce.
So overall, it’s a good spot, but has it’s flaws.

Woah. Just, yeah, woah.
²⁴⁄₇ bar, billiards, DJ on the weekends, dancing all night long.
Careful what you say, visitors. Nearly caused a ruckus when this girl didn’t take kindly to our snickers at her qualification requirements for a good man… (overheard in the bathroom). Qualifications: #1 — drive her to the club. #2 Be a pharmacist.
Props for realistic expectations.
We came in at midnight and tumbled out at dawn…

I recently attended a outdoor concert with some band Anthrax and Volbeat as I approached the venue I noticed signage stating no moshing or crowd surfing. I will never attend an outside show at pops what a total boring terrible sounding show… to the people who book the events you might not book a band that has a song called ALL CAUGHT IN A MOSH

Decent venue for live bands, fair amount of seating, two outside smoking areas, two bars (if they open them both). I agree with Steve B who likened it to a «humongous unfinished frat basement.» Plenty of toilets in the girls’ bathroom, which I appreciate.
Mostly, cash only. I have heard you can use your credit card, but, for example, if your drink is $ 4, they’ll run your card for $ 25 and give you $ 21 cash change.

Almost like a humongous unfinished frat basement, the venue serves the purpose for having shows but I wish they would do bar tabs and not charge $ 4.25 for a PBR can.

Soooo… Pops. If you’ve been here than that’s probably all I have to say. I’ll continue for those who haven’t had the Pops experience.
First off, the location. It’s in the part of town that most people try to avoid. But that’s not the issue… the issue is the massive parking lot and the two strip clubs that straddle this place. «To each his own!» I say but this place just doesn’t have a great first impression.
When I was younger I used to come out here just to see the band. I didn’t care about the venue but now that I’m older that kind of changes things.
The service here isn’t very good. And you are, not surprisingly, not treated very well. The space is fairly large which is nice.
As a whole, it’s all very «meh.»
It’s not awful but I would probably prefer anywhere else in St. Louis.

I don’t care _​what_​anyone says– Pops is a five-​star experience. Anytime you can be a few feet in front of a huge name star is aces in my book! My sister (who is incredibly petite) and I (who am incredibly _​not_​) have been to Pops several times. We’ve _​always_​felt safe (Pops hires LOTS of security), always felt comfortable (the crowd can be a little rowdy at times, but it’s nothing a smart person can’t handle), and always felt giddy-​as-​a-​star-​struck-​teenager (even though we’ve long passed), because the venue is so intimate. Whenever you can make eye contact with a rock star while he’s singing and share a smile, etc., you know you’ve found a place you’d return to again and again and again!
Sure, Pops is a little grungy, just imagine cleaning up after a thousand (or more) drunk tween, teen, twenty-​something and middle-​agers! However, the place has stellar acoustics, a great sound-​system, and lots of tables, a couple of different bars, and plenty of restroom facilities on a few different levels.
I hate to give Pops five stars, but only because it still seems to be a loosely kept secret. Plenty of people head there, and they’re a whole spectrum represented, but the snobs seem to keep their distance. That’s just fine by me! I hope I’m able to find a venue that’s got everything Pops has in the future. I’m relocating to Austin, TX. I might just have to fly back to Sauget to keep up with all of Pops’ awesome.

Pop’s? More like Poops. This place is garbage… Though, if you’re looking to be at a ²⁴⁄₇ bar right next to a strip club, you’re in luck.

Giving props to Pop’s!
I never thought that I would be showering this venue with praise, but things have definitely improved at Pop’s. After an awful evening at the Pageant, I want to talk about the positive aspects of having an East Side venue.
On Saturday, we went to Pop’s for Bad Religion, another one of my favorite acts. We missed most of the opening mayhem and walked right in. Oddly enough, the staff was very friendly as we strolled inside during the second band.
We got a few drinks, two PBRs and a water for $ 10.75. I didn’t know this was the strip club! I would safely say that five something for Peebers is a little high, my yeeps.
Pop’s has several different areas: front of stage, balcony, game area, outside smoking area, main bar, and a little corner for assorted snack. Where you stand really affects the sound. The sound is front of stage is fine. In fact, I thought that they did a pretty solid job on BR’s dynamic. We vacated the area during the encore and stood by the door. The quality dropped significantly.
Security has been an enormous issue at this venue in the past. I know people who have been victim of theft in this parking lot. However, they have added a security tower that monitors the perimeter. This surely has reduced the number of break-​ins in the parking lot. I’m sure that it hasn’t eliminated it. Still, do you get this kind of service at other venue’s of its caliber?
I’m not necessarily thrilled about being over on the East Side, but Pop’s has cleaned it up quite a bit. Plus, there’s all sorts of trouble one could get into over that way! Tee hee.

I had to write a review after seeing all the negative reviews on here. I went and seen Clutch there last night. It was jam packed wall to wall with people.
With that being said I didn’t have a hard time getting a beer anywhere, the waitstaff wasn’t rude, the bouncers weren’t rude either.
Its a awesome place to see a concert. Don’t read to much into the negative reviews on here.
I will go back again.

First off I returned to Pop’s this past weekend for a concert, I think my last time here was in 2005 and I don’t think this place has changed a bit. Prior to 2005, I had been a few times and wasn’t really impressed. Basically its a ²⁴⁄₇ bar/​billiards hall, with a small intimate concert venue. Now with that being said it really isn’t a concert venue, just a stage setup in one side of the bar. Now one plus is that they have a balcony that surrounds the stage, but go early if you want to secure a seat. I was standing all of the show, seating is extremely limited and first come first serve.
One thing I failed to mention is that due to the proximity of the strip clubs, be advised if you bring kids to any concerts, because some of the «workers» from the nearby «clubs» were walking around trying to get people to come over after the concert. Not a big deal, however all concerts are all ages but in my opinion Pop’s is no place for anyone under 18.

This is the bar from Star Wars.
I’ve never seen such a shitshow in my life. I didn’t use the bathroom because I didn’t want to contract 15 diseases.
It’s filled with mutants, and people that haven’t left the sewers since 1984. I was told it never closes.
Highlight: Seeing a VERY OBVIOUSLY PREGNANT WOMAN (99% positive) in a tight, blue, spandex mini dress dancing to the cover band. Mini plastic bottle of Sutter Home in hand.
This justified my Saint Louis trip completely.

Does anyone know of any good plastic surgeons in St. Louis? I’m pretty sure that Brian Setzer melted my face off completely last night.
Me and the STL Concert Queen (Allison B. — if you don’t know, now ya know!) hit up Pop’s for some rockabilly awesomeness from Mr. Setzer.
I’m going to try really hard to review the venue and not the show itself. Just know that it’s really REALLY hard to separate the two. I’m squealing like a little girl right now.
Deep breath.
Okay. Pop’s is in East St. Louis, and while I do get a little nervous trekking to this part of town, it’s really not bad. I felt completely safe while I was there. The parking lot seems pretty secure (I didn’t fear anyone breaking into my car), and the venue itself is clean-​ish.
I didn’t buy any food or drinks while I was here, but I came here some years ago for the Flobots show, and I remember some weird funky thing with the bartenders. They’ll charge your card $ 10, give you the cash, and then you pay using that. Or at least, that’s how it used to be. Not sure if that’s still the case.
Anyway, Pop’s is smoke free. Pop’s has a decent sound system. Pop’s feels relatively safe. I really have no complaints.
Now off to find that plastic surgeon…

Pop’s is known to be a legacy. It is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, and has been around on the east side for 30+ years. There is no surprise to find out that its busiest time every night is from 3−6am during the weekdays, and 2am-​7am on weekends.
It caters to all sorts. One of the bartenders told me that you can find the ‘People of Wal-Mart’s Finest” here at Pop’s during their prosperous late night hours. Their main clientele during the late night hours are those from the industry, east siders, or of course, your typical late night party-​er wanting to drink til the sun comes up.
My Thursday night out at Pop’s was relatively tame and early. My boyfriend and a couple of my friends went to see Panic! at the Disco at Pop’s. I won free tickets off the radio on Wednesday. Though, I’m not a huge fan, still seemed like a fun activity to do.
The venue is fairly accommodating to bands and fans. Pop’s can hold up to 1,500 people in the main area. It has a covered patio for smokers, and an upstairs area for onlookers to get a gracious sight of the whole first floor.
They have a food vendor on the outside of Pop’s that sells your basic American food. Phillies, chicken, nachos, and hotdogs. You are allowed to bring it in the venue when concerts are playing. Otherwise, I’m not sure if Pop’s itself serves food. They do have drink specials every night though! Come here to drink and not eat. Drinks are standard pricing per usual. That’s the best advice I can give.
Overall, this is a pretty neat place. I really enjoyed it and will definitely have to come back during their peak hours one weekend.

It’s been a year — time for an update.
I’m at Pops regularly, but it seems like I’ve been here a lot lately — twice in the past six days. Moreover, one of my shows was a half-​club show, and one was a full-​club show.
I still don’t really have quibbles with Pops, other than the occasional concert-​goer lighting up despite being in a no-​smoking state. Pops has gotten better about shutting that down, though, plus they have a patio especially for the smokers.
Last week’s Less Than Jake show was a half-​club set, with the band on the tiny stage at the front of the right-​hand (bar) section. The show itself was great (LTJ always are), and it was a pretty packed house for a club show. I’m on crutches, so unfortunately, I stayed toward the back and couldn’t head to the pit like I normally would, but the sound carried just fine and I didn’t feel like I was far away from the action.
Last night’s Streetlight Manifesto show was full-​club, though it seemed like they mayyyyybe could have gone half-​club if they wanted. The attendance seemed just on the cusp between half and full, so it was hard to tell. In any case, the crowd was still enthusiastic, and some flamboyant skankers enjoyed the extra floor room. Again, because of my broken foot, I was stuck at the tables near the bar at the right, but we found a table with good sightlines, and I didn’t cry too hard over not jumping around.
One thing that Josh was annoyed by was that the bar had only bottled water. Is this a fairly recent thing? I used to get cups of water there all the time.
Pops still is my place for ska and punk shows, and the venue is fine for being sort of dive bar-​y and located between two strip clubs. I honestly don’t know what people are complaining about.

Ahh… Pop’s in the always entertaining and strange city of Sauget. My rating teeters on the edge of 2.5 and 3.0 solely because of the bands they manage to book. I was fortunate enough to see Ministry there several years back, which was amazing. It’s an entertaining place but would not necessarily make the trip just to have a beer. The parking — when a more ‘popular’ act comes to town — is absolutely dreadful. The neighborhood is a little sketchy as well. It usually takes a Christmas miracle to get me across the river to see a live band at Pop’s, but I can honestly say I’ve yet to have a horrible experience when I have ventured across the stream.
The drink prices seem a little steep, though. The service… not exactly prompt either. I had no issues with the bathroom during my most recent visit — Foxy Shazam (who were completely outrageous and great!) — Circa Survive — Anberlin. However, I can only imagine how foul it probably gets during the more crazier nights/​early mornings.

Open ²⁴⁄₇ serving booze + bar food with local bands like Inimical Drive
or larger touring acts this place is…
always open and sometimes rocking. (The rating is for concerts with great sound systems and stage minus a star for the sometimes early morning rough crowds)
They change the personality and size by closing off and opening different areas. The place is actually huge. The crowd changes dramatically depending on what the band and time of the day/​night. Pops can range from a good concert venue to a complete dive bar.
I mostly know this place between 6 – 10 in the morning on Sundays when Red Bull was still kicking in from working nights on Washington Ave. They had pool tables, foose ball, video games, bar food and cans of beer plus other booze. They also had an area outdoors. The people are mostly bar staff from 3 AM bars at this time plus a few «night of the livng dead» types.
If you are leaving here and the bright yellow ball is high in the sky on a Sunday go directly to church and ask for forgiveness.
;)

I laugh so hard reading everyone’s review of this place! Everything but more!
But hey, where else is there to go after you leave Diamonds/Whatever’s it called this month and serves alcohol til the sun comes up.
Certifiably one of the nastiest places on the east side!