Meramec graduate hosts radio show while reviving St. Louis’ punk rock scene.
Kurt Oberreither
– Staff Writer –
Maurice “Moe” Holmes sits adjacent to a roundtable surrounded by college-aged musicians whose hipness starts on one end of the spectrum, a guy sporting a melodica and granny glasses, and ends on the other side of the table with a bald, slightly older male with skater shoes.
“Eric, let ‘em in,” Holmes said with a grin and a laugh.
Curse words and laughs ensue on air.
Holmes is a St. Louis punk rocker who earned his associate degree in general education in the early ‘90s at STLCC-Meramec where his interest for writing was sparked. From there, Holmes entered the scene with a band called Striek. His dedication to music and St. Louis has remained strong to this day.
Holmes explained that a creative writing course at Meramec helped him hone his abilities to write poetry and lyrics.
“Meramec kicked off my career as far as me having such a profound intrigue for writing and exploring my writing abilities,” Holmes said.
Holmes began writing music after graduating from Meramec. When he got to the local scene, he cited a lack of community between bands and show attendees. Holmes said it’s key for bands to support each other’s music.
“The punk rock scene back then was totally scattered; now it’s more family oriented, we know each other, [and] a lot of the bands that are in the punk rock scene in St. Louis attend each other’s shows,” Holmes said as sweat beads at the edge of his receding hairline under the heat in the cramped studio.
When St. Louis’ punk scene was on its last leg, white flag in hand, The Exploited’s battle cry “Punk’s not dead” still rang true for Holmes.
“I was the guy that gave it that breath of life—resuscitation so to speak—when it was lying on its death bed,” Holmes said. “I was the one that was like ‘No, it’s not dead because if you didn’t start punk rock, then how could you say it’s dead?’ You can’t end something that you didn’t start.”
In 2008, while he was a guest at Riverfront Radio, he realized there was not a show with a punk rock format. Holmes then pitched his idea, saying there was a niche in St. Louis.
“Whenever Rancid comes through, whenever Dropkick Murphys come through, when a lot of those bands come through, it’s selling out,” Holmes said. “Obviously there’s a market for that.”
Holmes got the gig ,and despite a few time slot changes, he continues to provide a hub for local, national and international acts. His show, “Moe’s Big Takeover,” sits in the noon to 2 p.m. time slot on Sundays where he enjoys the scope and lack of FCC regulation on http://riverfrontradio.com. He said his show has been received well here and even overseas.
“It’s been great, I’m reaching an audience in the U.K.,” Holmes said. “They love it so I just keep it going.”
After realizing the amount of women who go to concerts he attended, Holmes said he found something to set his show apart.
“A lot of different radio shows are geared toward males and my show is geared toward male and female. I try to play equal amounts of artists,” Holmes said. He still contributes to the St. Louis circuit through his band, Scene of Irony. Holmes said he has toured the United Kingdom and plans to go back in March.
It’s 1:57 p.m. as Holmes hands the airwaves over to his guest, Roundheels, one last time for shout-outs. The band quickly goes up to get a picture with Holmes, he goes up to snap a picture with them before rushing off to his next destination, Lemmon’s, where he is hosting an all-ages birthday bash for the local band Captain Dee and the Long Johns’ lead singer.
Holmes hops into his blue Dodge Ram truck and roars down the street until coming to a quick stop.
“You guys need a ride,” Holmes shouted.
