It’s tough to beat the pedigree of the musicians in El Monstero. The group was founded by members of the St. Louis rock band Stir, who decided to do a covers show around Thanksgiving 1999 that drew 900 people.

From there, El Monstero continued to play gigs around the holidays, even as their personnel evolved: Stir bassist Kevin Gagnepain stayed aboard and was joined by members of nationally signed bands the Urge (drummer John Pessoni, keyboardist Bill Reiter) and Kingofthehill (vocalist/guitarist Jimmy Griffin) — all of whom had continued to hone their craft in other St. Louis bands — as well as a group of talented local instrumentalists, including vocalist/guitarist Mark Thomas Quinn, and backing singers.

Together, El Monstero is a testament to the power of Pink Floyd, and to the power of community.