Come on out for an evening of pure St. Louis blues by rising blues star Matt "The Rattlesnake" Lesch and "The Queen of the St. Louis Blues" Miz Renee Smith. You won't want to miss these two powerful performers bringing you the blues up close and personal. Come help us celebrate the future and the legacy of St. Louis blues with this one of a kind performance.
Born in 1997 in St. Louis Missouri, Matt “The Rattlesnake” Lesch started playing guitar at the age of 11. By the age of 12, he took a serious interest in blues and started studying the masters such as Albert King, B.B. King, Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. At the age of 16 he was taken in and mentored by local blues legend Big George Brock and quickly became Big George’s lead guitar player. Matt learned the meaning of the blues and where the music came from firsthand from a sharecropper out of Grenada, Mississippi. After performing at many national blues festivals across the country with Big George, Matt quickly became a seasoned veteran at an early age. Matt has had his own band since the age of 16 playing all the local blues clubs and festivals in St Louis, Missouri, and Illinois. At the age of 18, Matt started attending Webster University as a Jazz Performance major. In October of 2018, Matt released his debut album Furious Strike at the age of 20. Furious Strike brings a modern, contemporary style to the blues genre that includes his original music and modern playing style. Now 26, he has played all over the U.S.A and internationally in France, Denmark and more. Matt has a brand-new CD out entitled "Blues Cut Like Glass" that features all original music.
Renee Smith has earned the nickname “Queen of Saint Louis Soul” on both sides of the Mississippi. Born in St. Louis, Mo. and raised in East St Louis IL. Renee began singing at age 12 in the Mount Missionary Baptist Church located in East St Louis IL, where she is currently the lead vocalist for the Voices of Zion. Drawing on her background in gospel music and her years of concert experience performing Blues, Soul and Jazz along with her many featured performances in local and international clubs, charitable events and festivals, Renee makes every performance exciting and heartfelt. With her powerful voice and dynamic stage presence, she makes a real soul connection. She has performed at the Peabody Opera House, the opening of the St Louis based National Blues Museum, sang the National Anthem at the St Louis Dome of America’s Center, and has done television appearances and commercials in Singapore.