Madison Square Garden

Familiar Ring: What must Devon Alexander "The Great" do to live up to his nickname?

Three Local Bitches to Compete in Westminster Dog Show Tonight

courtesy Kathleen WeichertJazzy, one of the two beagles from Belleville who will be competing at the Westminster Dog Show tonight.​Update/spoiler at the end of the post. This is a great time of year for dog-lovers. Last weekend was Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl VIII in which adorable puppies tum ... More >>

Chuck Berry's Only Number One Hit - "My Ding-a-Ling" - Was Recorded 40 Years Ago Today

What can be said about Chuck Berry's "My Ding-a-Ling" that hasn't already been said? It's a naughty crowd-pleaser that contains more double entendres than there are silver bells on a Christmas tree. But the song holds some intriguing designations, besides that fact that it was utilized brilliantly ... More >>

Bruce Springsteen Tour Dates, E Street Lineup Announced

Bruce Springsteen's long awaited 2012 US tour dates are out and, at lest in this first batch, the closest he'll come to St. Louis is an April 17 show in Cleveland and an April 12 show in Detroit. A stop here could be announced at a later date -- there is a tantalizing week between the Cleveland show ... More >>

Mizzou Moves to 8-0 With Win Over Villanova

Ah, always nice to see college basketball season roll around again, if for no other reason than I can use my favorite picture. ​Last night was a very good night for the University of Missouri men's basketball team. Playing on a national stage -- ESPN, and not The Ocho -- in the early game of the J ... More >>

Bob Gruen Is a Rock & Roll Primary Source

Ah, always nice to see college basketball season roll around again, if for no other reason than I can use my favorite picture. ​Last night was a very good night for the University of Missouri men's basketball team. Playing on a national stage -- ESPN, and not The Ocho -- in the early game of the J ... More >>

RIP "Easy Ed" Macauley, Star of Boston Celtics, St. Louis Hawks and SLU Billikens

image viaEd Macauley with his SLU coach, Ed Hickey.​"Easy Ed" Macauley, one of the early stars of the NBA and, incidentally, the Saint Louis University Billikens, died yesterday here in St. Louis. He was 83 years old and six feet eight inches tall. Macauley grew up in St. Louis, attended SLU ... More >>

Comedian Bill Burr on Carnegie Hall, Breaking Bad, and Losers Who Think New York is the Shit

Photo by Brian FriedmanStandup Bill Burr, coming to the Pageant this weekend​Nobody personifies wise-ass East Coast standup quite like the Boston-born Bill Burr (he once told an entire crowd of heckling Philadephians, "I hope your mother has herpes in the center of her asshole"). Yet he's schedule ... More >>

New Release Highlights for March 22: The Strokes, Panic! at the Disco, Jennifer Hudson and More

(New albums are typically released on Tuesdays, i.e., today. What can you spend your hard-earned pennies on this week? Find out below.) Acid House Kings' Music Sounds Better With You​*Acid House Kings, Music Sounds Better With You TheLineofBestFit reviewed Music Sounds Better With You: "This ... More >>

Alice Cooper Old School 1964-1974 Boxed Set to Feature a St. Louis Concert

alicecooper.com​Alice Cooper's having a pretty good week. On Monday night, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. (He wore a snake for the occasion.) And this morning, he announced the June 2011 release of a monster (pun intended) boxed set, called Old School 1964-1974. Packaged in ... More >>

Video: Daft Punk Beams Itself Into a NYC Phoenix Show

Last night was just your normal, garden-variety Phoenix headlining show at Madison Square Garden. And then Daft Punk showed up to crash the party. (You know, the usual. No big deal.) The duo started performing "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," which eventually morphed into Phoenix's hit "1901." Th ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of August 3-9

Every Monday A to Z publishes the best-selling releases from area independent record stores from the preceding week. An asterisk after an album name indicates that the act is coming to town. And so without further ado: Vintage Vinyl 1. K-JON---I Get Around 2. MAXWELL---BLACKsummers'night* 3. MICHAE ... More >>

Whole Lotta Film

Every Monday A to Z publishes the best-selling releases from area independent record stores from the preceding week. An asterisk after an album name indicates that the act is coming to town. And so without further ado: Vintage Vinyl 1. K-JON---I Get Around 2. MAXWELL---BLACKsummers'night* 3. MICHAE ... More >>

Happy 92nd Birthday, JFK

Wikimedia CommonsIt seems it will always be John F. Kennedy's deathday in Dallas -- not his birthday -- that we will observe, and that which, even now, almost 46 years later, still fills a dark, anguished corner in the national psyche. JFK, the most famous initials of our lifetime. Stran ... More >>

He Ain't Not Heavy: Exploring the phenomenon of the lesser showbiz brother

Wikimedia CommonsIt seems it will always be John F. Kennedy's deathday in Dallas -- not his birthday -- that we will observe, and that which, even now, almost 46 years later, still fills a dark, anguished corner in the national psyche. JFK, the most famous initials of our lifetime. Stran ... More >>

Jeff Tweedy's Son Spencer: His Blog Is Better Than Yours

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

Second Spin: Oak Ridge Boys, Bobbie Sue

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

Video: The Police, "Message in a Bottle" with NYPD Marching Band

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

Just Shoot Me: Photographer's My Chemical Romance nightmare has a happy ending

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

Photographer's My Chemical Romance Nightmare Has an Even Happier Ending

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

Photographer's My Chemical Romance Nightmare Has an Even Happier Ending

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

R.E.M. at Stubb's, SXSW, Wednesday, March 12: Review

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

Devon Alexander Finds the Spotlight -- and Makes the Most of It

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

Devon Alexander Finds the Spotlight -- and Makes the Most of It

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

Riddle of Steel 1985 CD release at the Bluebird, Friday, November 30

(Via Stereogum) When you were thirteen, what were you doing? Me, I listened to a lot of R.E.M., had poofy hair and braces and wrote angsty, depressed journal entries about how terrible my life was and how Spanish class sucked. But kids these days -- man, they're just so sophisticated. Take Jeff Twee ... More >>

Steel of the Century

Riddle of Steel has its back against the record machine.

Neil Hamburger at the Creepy Crawl, August 2: Outtakes from the Story

Riddle of Steel has its back against the record machine.

Prince of Darkness

A St. Louis company is making a killing off Halloween. Your screams are music to their ears.

Liberté! Equalité! Hocké!

The St. Louis Blues want you back. And this year, they even have Ice Girls!

Derby Rolls Again

Roller derby's St. Louis roots run deep. Now a new generation of skaters vows to bring this rock-'em sock-'em sport back to life.

Beat Happenings

Music news you can use

Take Me Out

We trace Franz Ferdinand's family tree, talk with Idlewild and dig the truth behind Brian Jonestown Massacre's St. Louis cancellation

Get Your Acts Together

Our handy guide to this year's Music Showcase

My Sweet Lore

Oh, those wacky Final Four campuses!

Abundance of Richies

Is the soul balladeer Burt Bacharach or Michael Bolton?

WWE in the House

And it's a house of pain

Off the Rails

The Guns N' Roses tour collapses, and Axl folds. Is anyone really surprised?

Flame On

Out of financial and creative bankruptcy, Marvel Comics is mighty once more

Hunger Strike

Can a non-9/11 benefit album make any noise?

A New Tune

After September 11, some new songs just don't sound the same

The Champ

Bill Bangert wanted a world-class domed stadium in St. Louis County, but all he got was a tiny town. Now the 77-year-old dreamer is back in Missouri with a few more nutty ideas.

Sound in Motion

Former (and future?) Fugee Wyclef Jean arrives in St. Louis to present The Ecleftic

Billy Club

A simple, happy message helped him become the nation's favorite preacher. Thanks to a Popsicle-slick PR machine and a talent for dodging tough questions, we've forgotten what Billy Graham is really all about.

ESSENTIAL VIEWING

The Reduced Shakespeare Company offers the condensed version of human events with History Ain't What It Used to Be: The Complete Millennium Musical

Sound Checks

The Reduced Shakespeare Company offers the condensed version of human events with History Ain't What It Used to Be: The Complete Millennium Musical