LO-FI SAINT LOUIS

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Fred Friction

Fred Friction is one person that everyone in St. Louis seems to know. He's known mostly because of his long time proprietorship of Frederick's Music Lounge on the South Side of the city, which had a reputation much larger than the little room it occupied. A room that will live on in the memories of all the musicians, artists, raconteurs and misfits who called it their home away from home. The man himself also made a name for himself as a musician and as a member of several bands through the years. He's definitely "good people," as they say. A character that adds color and warmth to any room he occupies.I had this idea to do one of these sessions on the tiny little electric kiddy train at City Museum for a while. I wasn't sure who would be right for it but I knew it was something I wanted to do. And when I was looking for other people for sessions and I thought of Fred, I knew that he would be prefect for this. Here he plays a parody of the Johnny Cash song, "Folsom Prison Blues,"  Freds version is called "Ice Cream Truck Blues," Written from the point of view of a kid who always hears the ice cream truck in his neighborhood but it never comes down his street.  He also did a second song for me "Everybody Gotta Get They Dime" performed, appropriately, in front of the bank vault door on the second floor of the museum.