Jackson restaurant Stooges uses local musical talent for its first festival

Ted Clark loves music. He has slowly fattened the entertainment options at Stooges, his diner in Jackson, and has now planned a music festival for Saturday.

Stooges will hold its first music festival, Stoogefest 2009, beginning at noon Saturday. Eight local acts will be featured during the all-day outdoor festival that covers punk, pop, country, alternative and indie rock, said Jeff Stevens, who co-owns Stooges with Clark, his father.

Stevens said he expects a fairly large turnout to hear the area favorites, including solo acts Mark Rees, Jefferson Fox, Nicky V. Hines, Doug E. Rees and Kaleb Huggins, as well as groups Basement on a Hill, Every Other Chair and Biggest Car in the Country. A $5 cover will be charged, and all ages are welcome to attend.

The concerts will be under a tent outside the restaurant until 10 p.m. Saturday.

"It will be a carnival-like atmosphere, and we are expecting the music to draw them in," Stevens said.

Food and beverages will be served outside so attendees never have to leave the music, and the full Stooges menu will be offered inside.

Ted Clark said Mark Rees, Doug E. Rees and Fox have all headlined at Stooges in the past, and the others are groups he has tried to get in to perform before.

"There's really no other music venues in Jackson, so we are glad to be able to showcase eight local acts," Clark said.

Country singer and acoustic guitar player Mark Rees has been a top draw at Stooges in the past, Stevens said. "So many people showed up before that we had to turn some away."

He said that's where the plans for the festival started.

Clark said he hopes Stoogefest will turn into an annual event.

Stevens said Clark wants live entertainment for Stooges and the reason for the festival is not a matter of making money.

"He just loves it," Stevens said.

Stooges has become well known in Jackson for hosting musical acts. Artists who play Tunes at Twilight on Fridays in downtown Cape Girardeau open at the restaurant Thursdays with regular Doug E. Rees, and Bruce Zimmerman now has a standing gig on Tuesdays.

Saturday is forecast to be sunny and warm, but Stevens said that in case of rain plenty of people would be able to fit underneath the large tent or head inside the restaurant.

Stooges

Pertinent address:

507 W. Main St., Jackson, MO