As one walks up to either restaurant they can hear the lively music and feel the beat before opening the door. And once they walk in, they see a rowdy crowd listening to the music while catching up with friends and family.
A birthday is celebrated in the crowd at Honky Tonk with balloons. After noticing this, performer Claudia Rose, leads the crowd in singing Happy Birthday.
“What do you guys want to hear next?” Rose asks after singing Happy Birthday. Rose has been playing for nine years and has a spunky and creative personality that can be heard when she sings.
“I’ve been into music since I was little bitty,” Rose said. “Watching Muppets a lot when I was growing up I was like I could do that. I could sing songs and put on a little show. And I was making my parents watch me put on little theater performances and stuff. It just made sense.”
Rose’s parents are a big part of her music from not only showing up to support but also her father aids in scheduling her performances.
“She’s always sang, even as a toddler,” Rose’s father, Scott Hensley said. “At about 12 years old, a friend of mine reached out and asked me if I knew anybody that played guitar and sang. As a joke, I said, ‘Yeah I know somebody.’ Silly, I know, but they said ‘I want your daughter to play the event.’ That was her first paying gig at 12 years old.”
Rose has grown up in St. Charles, making her a local and no stranger to Main Street.
“I’ve been here [Honky Tonk], a few times,” Rose said. “It’s been a minute since I’ve been here but I talked to the owner the other night and he was like ‘I have you on my calendar for Saturday. Will you be here?’ And I was like, sure.”
This special connection makes performing even more special for Rose and is why she keeps returning to Main Street.
“I just like the community of it [Main Street],” Rose said. “It seems like most people know each other and you make a little family the longer you spend down here. And you walk into a room and you hear ‘Woah it’s Claudia, wow.’”
