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“Can you write some advice to an aspiring journalist?”
“Is that you?”
“Yeah. I’m in broadcasting.”

With a grin, he immediately hunched over my copy of Chuck Klosterman IV, writing frantically with his black sharpie. I wondered if it would bleed through the thin pages.

I think his words are going to push me through Broadcast II next semester when I’m feeling despondent and need to hear something encouraging. Thanks Chuck, you’ve already made my semester.

You may have heard of my good buddy Chuck Klosterman. In fact, we’ve spent a lot of sleepless nights together. He’ll keep me up until the wee hours with bedtime stories - well, more like intellecutal essays - ranging from his life as a Sim or why he hates soccer so much. Each piece could serve well to spur your imagination and conversation.

Thursday, July 5th we’ll actually have a date together at the Mad Art Gallery, and I can’t wait.*

We share one distinguishing trait - overanalysis. Chuck (yes, I’d like to think we’re on a first name basis; and no, I’m not completely sure that I’ve been saying his last name correctly over the years) can turn something glanced over by many and construct it into a complicated and in depth analysis on culture or psychology. Through these ideas, his writing style is one to keep you interested. A firm chokehold on the neck of the English language forces it to scream “Uncle” in his wake, and scattered footnotes further his humorous commentaries. Not to mention that Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is organized into a mixtape format, with chapter titles as playcount times and a bootleg CD title page.

So, all in all, vis a vie, this and that, I anticipate the reading to be one not to be missed. Give this guy the audience he deserves. I know I will.

Get to know Chuck Klosterman through his own words:
Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota
Sex Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto
Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story
and most recently
Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas
I imagine his next collection will be called Life as The Chuck: I Really Love Using Subtitles.

PS: If you pick ip IV at Left Bank Books, they’ll give you two tickets to the event! Cocoa puffs will be provided to snack on, and the man himself will judge a Jimmy Page look alike contest, so don’t forget to curl those locks and bring your best guitarist gleams.

*Granted, he’ll still have no idea who I am. He’s probably just here for the extra cash another tour date could bring rather than my own personal hopes and dreams.

It’s almost been a year since last summer’s devastating storms blew out power during a heat wave, and it’s been over six months since the ice storms did the same in the bitter cold.  But do you ever find yourself asking “what would I do if a mob of vicious flesh eating undead persons swarmed through my neighborhood during the middle of a blood shortage?”

We always thought we could just call out Beetlejuice or the Ghostbusters, but the Zombie Squad seeks to correct those popular survival misconceptions during this year’s Disaster Awareness Fair.  These defenders from the undead will be working alongside the Red Cross, Fire Dept, and other rescue agencies to help educate you at the Schlafly Tap Room & Brewery on Locust.  And while formal donations of blood will not be taking place, there will instead be informative presentations on zombie attacks and other equally likely disaster survival techniques on Saturday, July 21st.  And beer (hooray)!

Alongside the representative groups, you’ll want to stick around for Frontyard Features which will be playing Mad Max and Shawn of the Dead (more on that later) with instructional videos and PSAs in between.  Of course, should you make it through the flesh-devouring horde of zombies on the way in, you’ll want to bring surplus canned food for you and your friends to Feed My People.  Every 5 cans of food is good for a raffle ticket c/o REI, which give you a chance to win the Zombie Squad merchandise you’ll need to survive that night.  Until then, just stay tuned to the Emergency Alert System…

I’ve heard it over and over. It seems ska is teetering on a shoddy, slowly decaying limb in the social music scene compared to the surge of popularity it experienced in the early ninties. Just listen to some of the music in flicks from that era and don’t be surprised if you catch a couple lines of Reel Big Fish’s “Sell Out,” listen in on Toasters melodies in the background, or even hear some of Gwen Steffani’s pre-Hollaback Girl repitoire.

Locally, the ska bands have been washing out with the tide while we wait for the Fourth Wave. Swift Kixx broke up. Psycho Dad hung up its hat. Secret Cajun Band is on a hiatus. And then there was the Monskasities…

While the scene here in St. Louis may seem to be grasping and gasping for life between breaths for the next horn chorus, there are still staccatos of life peeking out through the spread. This Saturday, June 23 once local legends The Monskasities will be getting back together for a reunion show at The Creepy Crawl. These kids know how to have a good time and can balance their music with audience interaction and laughs. Doors are at 5:30. (Psycho Dad will also be playing a reunion set at this show!).

If you’re still craving more St. Louis ska, don’t forget the KDHX 88.1 Ska’s the Limit show hosted by the great Paul Stark on Friday nights at 8:00pm.

Or, pick up a record by MU330, the local ska band that actually made it to the national level (their name came from the music class where the original members met at SLU High School). They do remember to stay true to their STL roots and often make sure that we’re included for a show when they’re rolling through town. This past Winter, at a Christmas Eve-Eve show (Dec 23), the band even brought a multitude of presents and candy to pass around to the crowd and spread the holiday cheer.

St. Louis Ska Fest 6 will be coming up late in July as well, thought a lot of details are still floating in the air.

So if you’re up for it this Saturday night, put on those skanking* shoes, don your checkers, and take advantage of quality local ska nostolgia while it lasts.

*a note on skanking - don’t forget kids, that’s ska dancing, not street corner smut

Comic from Natalie Dee

Last weekend St. Louis held its own in 48 Hour Film Project. In case you weren’t involved in the actual filmmaking scrambles, you can still reap the entertainment value from the Project.

Each of the 71 participating teams that submitted their films last Sunday night have had the opportunity to screen at the Tivoli theatre through this week. As of today, there are still two screening groups left - that’s 23 groups with 23 different local film screenings to be entertained with. (Screenings 5 & 6: 7:00 and 9:15, respectively). There’s also a 48HFP Blog where filmmakers and spectators can talk about their experiences with the program as well as submit screening reviews.

In case you’re not familiar with the event, filmmaking teams are given different aspects of the basic movie. The team’s task is to bring these together to create a final short film. As the name implies, the 48 hour time limit makes the task a bit more daunting.

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To prepare for this year’s RFT Music Showcase taking place at various locations in the Loop, I’ve gone through their grandoise list of scheduled bands to compile a mixtape of the most promising sounds. Keep in mind these are only my personal favorites of what I was able to hear. It’s mainly indie pop/rock with a few surprises thrown in. All tracks can be found as free samples online, ususally on myspace pages but on occasion discovered after a little hunting on a band’s or label’s webpage.

A setlist, times, and stage locations can be found here: RFT Music Showcase 2007 Myspace Page

More on the showcase later, and onto the track listing!

RFT Music Showcase 2007: Rockin’ Full Tape
1. Your Days and Our Nights - Gentleman Auction House
2. Three Little Birds - Johnny-O & The Jerks
3. Devil’s Dog - Walkie Talkie U.S.A.
4. He’s A Cop Now - Jumbling Towers
5. Newlywed Deception - Team Tomato
6. Progress - So Many Dynamos
7. The Beat - Target Market
8. Out of Control - Say Panther
9. Mean Mean Miss Guillotine - Johnny-O & The Jerks
10. Oh, Sweet Beacon - Casey Reid
11. Search Party - So Many Dynamos
12. American Shogun - Spark Thugs
13. If It’s So Hard - Say Panther
14. Me & My Vampire Friends - Bunnygrunt
15. Summer Moon - Magnolia Summer
16. Worn Out Engine - Tom Hall
17. Misalliances - Berlin Whale
18. Of Cycles and Engines - Finn’s Motel
19. Commitment - Walkie Talkie U.S.A.
20. Halloween Song - Say Panther
21. M. And O. Blues - Tom Hall
22. In Saint Lou - 7 Shot Screamers