Expectations...they’ll get you every time. I’ll admit it. I really thought we’d come back from South by Southwest and have some time to, you know, relax. Read a magazine. Pick up a new hobby. Decompress.

Boy, was I wrong. It’s been crazier than ever here at PLAYBACK:stl Central, not least because (as evidenced by the letters section below) we’re not ones to just rest on our laurels. No, sir. We’ve got grand ideas and we’re always looking to improve, make things better, reach more people.

For one, there’s that little fourth anniversary party we threw at the Pageant last month. Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, One Lone Car, Lorenzo Goetz, and Geoff Koch...was that a good time, or what? We hope that many of you came out and helped us celebrate, and that we were proper party hosts. You know: Everybody left with a party favor, a good time was had by all, that sort of thing.

There’s also that weekly shindig we host at Cicero’s. Every Tuesday night you’ll find us there, chowing down on pizza (best in St. Louis!), draining a pint or two, and enjoying some really great local and touring acts. It’s all ages, and the music is guaranteed to be good (after all, I picked it); what are you waiting for? After that first cup of coffee, Wednesday mornings really aren’t bad at all...

This month we’ve also got the second annual Midwest Music Summit showcase, co-presented with our friends at KDHX 88.1 FM. May 6 we’ll be down at the Creepy Crawl with seven of our favorite local bands (really wish we could’ve fit more) and a special guest or two, impressing the pants off the MMS executive director. We’re pretty proud of the talent in our fine city, and we know you are, too. Come on out and support your favorite bands; let’s show MMS what this city is made of.

And I would be remiss were I not to mention the first-ever St. Louis Music Awards, which we’re bringing you along with KDHX. I’m back on that talent soapbox again. St.Louis has it. Come out and support it. The awards will be presented at a very special event May 2 at Mississippi Nights; don’t miss a piece of history.

So you can see, we’ve been keeping kinda busy. All these parties take planning, you know. Our weekly gig takes booking. And in between all the special event planning, we’ve got a job to do. Listen to all the latest CDs. Go to plays and movies and concerts and art openings. Read books and comics. Write reviews. Interview artists.

We’ve got some really exciting coverage planned for the months to come. We’ll also keep trying out new ideas: columns, voices, designs, layout, Web extras. Be sure to write and let us know what you like, and what maybe doesn’t work so well.

The Events Queen is rubbing against my ankles, purring for me to remind you that she’s got a weekly e-mail list. There you can find out about the shows that week, as well as giveaways and other exciting PLAYBACK:stl news. Want to be a part of it? Just visit www.playbackstl.com and click on “Events.”

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