El Monstero Lit Up Hollywood Casino Amphitheater Saturday

August 6, 2025 Sean Derrick

El Monstero performing Saturday at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in St. Louis. Photo by Carrie Ogle.

–by Randy Thompson

–photos by Carrie Ogle

Summer in Saint Louis is not complete without Cardinals baseball, oppressive summer heat, and El Monstero at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. On an incredibly beautiful Saturday night under the stars El Monstero kept their end of the bargain.

As I watched Blue Oyster Cult take the stage as the opener, my first thought was “Rock and Roll will never die – and neither shall it fade away!”

Blue Oyster Cult performing Saturday at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in St. Louis. Photo by Carrie Ogle.

The first time I saw this extraordinary band was 1978, live at Super Jam in Busch Stadium. Here they were, almost 50 years later, moving just a bit slower than they did back then, but sounding just as good. The voices of lead singers, Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom were youthful and strident. They continue to play solid guitar riffs with the same speed and vibrancy that they’ve ever had. Blue Oyster Cult has a lot of power, and when the guitars are soaring and the drums are setting a pulsating beat, the voices take it to the next level. Their lyrics are something singular to enjoy; deep, thoughtful, and sometimes fantastical, the band offers heavy metal with a sci-fi, occult twist.

They did not disappoint tonight. The fans got into the groove as they filtered into their seats, only adding to the intensity of the scene when they started singing along and pumping their fists in the air. As the end of the set drew near, there were the deep, vibrating thumps of a giant monster’s footsteps. “Godzilla” was thundering his way towards us to trample our senses. We could hear him growling and roaring as he made his way towards the screaming crowd. The band slammed into “The Reaper” for a finisher and the crowd sang along. They left the stage to a standing ovation. It was an astounding way to end the show as these heavy weights set the stage for what was coming next. The crowd was on their feet and ready to take one giant step over The Wall to the Dark Side Of The Moon.

El Monstero is a musical institution in St. Louis. They’ve been playing together since 1999, presenting their incredible versions of Pink Floyd classics, as well some deep cuts from Floyd’s work. Made up of members of several area bands, El Monstero comes together for several sold out shows every Christmas at the Pageant on Delmar. And every summer, they come here to the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater for a Big Show with a special guest. Last year was Don Felder, and this summer it was Blue Oyster Cult.

EL Monstero is a cut above any other band playing Pink Floyd out there, in our opinion. They have had the same lineup for many years, with Mark Thomas Quinn and Jimmy Griffin as lead vocalist/guitar and the band plays flawless versions of all the songs that you expect to hear. They always include selections from The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and once in a while, deeper cuts such as “Fearless” from the album Meddle. Whatever they play, they play it amazingly well.

Not only is the musical talent on stage exceptional, but it is brought to an even higher level by an incredible stage and light show. The graphics this year at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater seemed more vibrant than ever. The band, as usual, had their cast of regulars, including dogs on stilts, armed guards with floodlights shining, pole dancers, and a helicopter that makes its appearance during a specific part of the show. You’ll know it when you hear it.

The fans generally know what to expect at an El Monstero concert, and they always get it in spades. The outdoor shows on the large stage seem to be more stacked than the Christmas shows. There are confetti cannons, psychedelic lights, and sax man, Dave Farver, out among the crowd. This show is a feast for all of your senses. There are the loud, cosmic, psychedelic moments that are followed by the anthemic, and sometimes emotional melodies, such as the touching tribute they make every show during “Wish You Were Here”, when photographs of loved ones that fans have lost are shown on the screen behind the band.

This year, there was special attention paid to the recent and tragic loss of a great El Monstero and St Louis music fan, Ralph Morse. Ralph was honored throughout the night by the band and the fans. There were groups of people in pink T-shirts with Ralph’s picture on them. There were folks dressed as Ralph in his trademark hat in the audience. The band made mention of his loss, and how much he meant to them. His photo was the first shown during the “Wish You were Here” tribute and also the last in the montage of photographs.

Another thing that El Monstero does, besides giving a great concert, is that they give a damn about their community. They are involved in a cause whenever we see them. This year, in honor of Ralph Morse, they were raising money for local animal shelters and dubbed it “Bark Side of the Moon”. Not only is this band made up of great musicians, they are also really caring human beings, who give back so much. El Monstero finished the concert by bringing Buck Dharma and Richie Castellano of BOC back onto the stage to play “Comfortably Numb”. As the crowd left the pavilion, a photo of Ralph Morse’s hat on an empty seat was on the screen.

We have seen El Monstero several times now, and each presentation has its own personality, its own feel. Tonight felt a lot like Ralph. It was very much a tribute to him as well as to the great band, Pink Floyd.

Check out the full gallery of photos after the setlists below.

Blue Oyster Cult Setlist:

Dr Music

Burnin’ for you

That was Me

ME 262

Hot Rails to Hell

E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)

Then Came the Last Days of May

Godzilla

(Don’t Fear) The Reaper

El Monstero Setlist: