Faithful reader Patrick Vacek recently saw someone at the Webster University Center looking suspiciously funky. Mr. Vacek approached the visitor and found out he was George Clinton’s bass player, who was visiting Webster to pick up someone who was using the swimming pool.
Vacek then snapped the photo you see above.
Note: George Clinton once again refers to the forefather of funk and not the actual forefather.
Due to some domain issues, our friends over at 52nd City are unable to get the word out about two of their upcoming events. It’s time now for Highway 61 to do its civic duty.
Go to these events:
52nd City “Sporty” Release Party
Where: Riley’s, 3458 Arsenal, 314-664-7474
When: Saturday, July 28, 3-6 p.m.
No cover, free food and drinks, all ages
This afternoon will mark the release of our fifth print issue, along with our previous effort, the CD “Sound.” The new mag features a variety of St. Louis writers, illustrators and photographers musing on the topic of “Sporty” and will be on sale for $8, with all previous issues available, as well. Expect a few sporting events to be held in-and-out of Riley’s on Saturday. Owner Bill Kapes is generously offering some free food and drink… while supplies last. Our new web issue will also go live on this day.
Chippewa Chapel BBQ Benefit
Where: Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp, 314-773-3363
When: Thursday, August 2, 8-10 p.m.
No cover, BBQ for sale, 21-up after 10 p.m.
The hosts of the Chippewa Chapel and Off Broadway have generously offered to host a BBQ benefit for 52nd City. Bring a few dollars for BBQ and your guitar: enjoy a bite, then sign up for the Chippewa Chapel’s open mic, the most-popular open mic and jam in South City. The open mic ordinarily kicks off at 9 p.m., but we’ll have music on the gorgeous Off Broadway stage beginning at 8 p.m. this evening. Some 52nd City giveaways will be peppered through the evening.
I’m sure you were all shocked by the lack of a SOTW last Thursday. Don’t worry, though, I didn’t forget about it, I was just too busy selling out. But it’ll be worth it to you in the end.
How so? Well, this week’s SOTW is the They Might Be Giants Podcast
You’ll need iTunes to get it, and the link will either take you to the podcast in the music store or lead you to download the program. If you don’t have it, just make sure you have a fairly speedy internet connection to the rock you live under.
The podcast comes out irregularly, but it features music, news and strangeness from one of my favorite bands.
Don’t like TMBG? Don’t like a corporate SOTW? Too bad.
Enjoy.
Warning: I didn’t actually witness any of this, I just talked to those who were present.
Yesterday, the councilor for a summer camp being held at Webster University reported seeing a very odd-looking man in the school’s University Center. Employees reported seeing him near the pool. Sources say he was non-threatening and quiet, but when he did talk, it was a low mumble that was nearly impossible to understand.
Who was this strange man?
Happy Thoreau day. 190 years ago today David Henry Thoreau (later changed to Henry David) was born.
Now log off and go simplify. Post your T-Day exploits in the comments and a prize will be awarded to the best one.
This week’s song comes through one of my favorite (and one of the best) music blogs out there now, Stereogum. so I can take no credit for finding it. Hopefully, though, if you aren’t already an SG reader, you will be now and I can take credit for turning you on to a great site.
The song of the week is Built To Spill’s cover of the Gladiator’s ‘Rearrange’.
Update: The link is now here.
Why did I choose a song from a well-known band hosted by a well-known site? Well, I have a bit of a history with this song. I first heard it when I saw Built To Spill at the Polish National Home in Brooklyn last winter. I loved the song and someone told me it was a cover, so I scoured New York to find a Gladiators album with the song on it. I finally found it, and loved the collection of tunes I bought, but I longed for a recording of the cover. Finally, today when I checked Steregoum, there it was.
So now you can enjoy the song without paying $20 to see the band. Without enduring a string of subway closures to get home at two in the morning, and without spending several weekends hunting through obscure record shops’ bargain bins to find what you so desperately crave.
Enjoy.
Call it flattery, call it plagiarism, but I’m pulling a Hurst and starting my own weekly feature.
Every week I will scour music blogs (who scour the net) to find the best in free aural goodness. I will then post a link here on Thursday.
This week’s Song of the Week (or SOTW as the cool kids will no doubt be calling it) comes from cartoon mastermind James Kochalka and his band James Kochalka Superstar. This mp3 is posted on his homepage, which also features a semi-regulary podcast and a daily comic strip. (If you haven’t heard of Kochalka and his diary strips, visit the site)
So, without further adieu, I present Hwy61’s first ever SOTW, James Kochalka Superstar’s “When Frampton Comes Alive.”.
I’m a firm believer that graphic literature has a bum rap in society. Sure, Time Magazine did put Watchmen on one of their ‘best novels ever’ type of lists, but that seemed more like stuffy editors saying “Look how cool we are!” than serious critics giving an art form the respect it deserves.
If you agree and are looking for some more like-minded individuals, head over to on July 13th to see Scott McCloud. McCloud is touring to promote his third book, the wondeful, Making Comics but will answer whatever questions you throw at him from 4-7pm.
McCloud has written some of the best comic analysis ever, so come to learn and bring your favorite stuffy editor along with you.
I found this on a bench in Tower Grove Park yesterday.
I’m not sure who the “Church Lot Crew” is, but if they’re trying to be tough by etching a park bench, they should probably choose a better name. As it is now, they sound more like the Boxcar Children than the Bloods.
With gas prices inflating, more and more stations are making pay-at-the-pump service mandatory. But I’ve noticed another trend picking up at convenience stores and filling stations, mandatory window service.
I’ve seen the window service at night. The doors to the store are locked, but you can buy things by ordering them through a bulletproof window on the side of the building. It makes sense that in certain neighborhoods these preventative measures must be taken when shoplifting/robberies are most likely to occur, but a few hours before dusk on Monday night, the Sinclair station on South Broadway was locked, and I had to use the window.
This isn’t a very bad neighborhood, and the clientele all seemed like upstanding citizens in expensive cars. I was pretty surprised that window service was initiated so soon (or all day) especially since the employee inside had to take a break from STOCKING THE SHELVES to go to the window to ask me what I wanted.
I’m sure she was reshelving the wares so that I could press my face up to the locked door, choose a product, then ask for it through a microphone connected to a speaker 18 inches away.
Congratulations Sinclair on South Broadway, you’re a giant vending machine.
