Now that it’s back to work at school, it’s back to providing y’all with the latest dates at local concert venues all around St. Louis. Today it’s a showcase for four weeks of shows at The Pageant, located in the Delmar Loop. Bands playing there include Anvil, Umphrey’s McGee, Dark Star Orchestra, Switchfoot, and Yonder Mountain String Band.

Remember, check The Pageant’s website for additional ticket outlets, show times, and if you’re not satisfied with the ticket prices at Ticketmaster, try StubHub!

Date’s for this quarter’s shows are as proceeds:

Friday, January 29: Anvil with Conquest and Gold Tooth

Saturday, January 30: Keller Williams

Thursday, February 04: Umphrey’s McGee w/ Speakeasy

Friday, February 05: Giants in the Sky, hearafterthis, John Boys Courage, and OPTION // CONTROL

Saturday, February 06: Gov’t Mule w/ Jackie Greene

Wednesday, February 10: Robert Earl Keen

Thursday, February 11: Dark Star Orchestra

Friday, February 12: Anthony Meyer Band, Reigning Heir, Niteowl, and Misguided Education

Saturday, February 13: Concert for the earthquake victims of Haiti – featuring The Domani International, Waiting for Jimmy, and Whisperwall

Monday, February 15: Switchfoot w/TBA

Wednesday, February 17: State Radio w/ Big D and the Kids Table

Thursday, February 18: Galactic w/ Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

Friday, February 19: Yonder Mountain String Band

Hope everyone enjoys these first four weeks, and remembers to not take on too much work at once. If you’re ever in need of a break, there’s always plenty of barbeque here to satisfy the gamer in all of us!

The pickings this month are scarce, what with one whole week being taken up by a Pink Floyd tribute band that’s mostly sold out by now, however, there are still a few great bands to choose from.

Tickets for most of the shows can still be picked up from Ticketmaster, linked from The Pageant’s website or directly. As well, tickets for The Swell Season on Friday, December 04, 2009, can be purchased through StubHub. Other places to purchase tickets are listed here.

December’s shows include:

• Friday, December 04, 2009: The Swell Season w/Rachael Yamagata

• Saturday, Decemeber 05, 2009: Mama’s Pride

• Friday, December 11, 2009: Whisperwall, The Makeshift Gentleman, Matt Rowland Band, and Drew Mantia

• Wednesday, December 16, 2009: Sister Hazel w/Benjy Davis Project, and Andrew Hoover

• Friday, December 25, 2009: A Tribute to Pink Floyd – El Monstero y los masked avengers
• Monday, December 28, 2009: The Unconcious w/The Great Crusaders(featuring former members of Suede Chain)

• Tuesday, December 29, 2009: Pale Divine w/The Stranded Lads

• Thursday, December 31, 2009: Dr. Zhivegas

Remember, Lindenwood, work comes first, but when the work is over, The Pageant has all you need to enjoy the winter holidays!

I was thinking of my cousin’s band yesterday, He Who Dredz, who I know have a show coming up on the twenty-eighth of November, when I realized: I didn’t know at what time or where they were playing.

I thought they were playing at Pop’s. I was wrong.

Which, incidentally, is how I came to know of Fubar, in Midtown Alley, and of Firebird, in St. Louis, which I will, from now on, bring to you news of upcoming shows from both monthly.

Billed the “Best All-Ages Venue,” by the Riverfront Times, Fubar is located in in the historic district between Compton and Cardinal at 3108 Locust, St. Louis, MO 63103.

Firebird, on the other hand, bills itself as “St. Louis’ Best New Music Lounge. Firebird used to be known as Bluebird, before it closed for a few weeks in January for upgrades, and was reopened as Firebird. It is located close to Fubar, at 2706 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103.

Both, while closer to Lindenwood than Pop’s, are also farther away than The Pageant, but unlike either Pop’s or The Pageant, cater exclusively (so far as the schedules say) to local and underground talent. You’re not going to see Megadeth or Skillet here, as you would at the other two.

Of course, this also means that prices are more manageable, for the Broke-Ass College Student (BACS) budget that’s usually got us up against the financial wall.

As well, it gets us away from the mainstream tractor beam that always seems to hold us in such awe. (I am, sadly, within firm grasp of it.)

Situation: FUBAR

The shows at the Fubar include:

• Tuesday, November 17, 2009: FREE Acoustic Show in Lounge, featuring Stian Skaaden, Mike Vinopal, Pat Baum, Morgan Nusbaum of The 75, Jon Dittmer, and Riley James

• Wednesday, November 18, 2009: Auternus, Latin, Lesser Key, SOMA, N.Nomurai, + guest

• Thursday, November 19, 2009: Jeff Gorski, Off Course, Katherine Knight, Action Noun Action, Hearts Like Lead, Gay Breakfast, Jesse Ives & Guests
• Friday, November 20, 2009: Slave to the MetalFest hosted by Mistress Juliya, featuring Buried Beneath, Deadlife, My Name is a Weapon, Colors From a Cannon, Call Me Goliath, Powerhead, The Ship of Fools, Compelled to Destroy, Hollowed Point Heroes, Bare Knuckle Conflict, Inimical Drive, D-Railed, and Walk of Ignorance

• Saturday, November 21, 2009: Slave to the MetalFest hosted by Mistress Juliya, featuring The Tards, Modern Counter Culture, Mans Laughter, Drag the Dead, Paradigm Grip, Seven Year Existence, Humanities Dusk, Hope Can’t Save the Dead, Ashes of Scorn, Gigglefit, and Headchange

• 7:00 p.m., Monday, November 23, 2009: Dead Swans, Mother of Mercy, Nothing On Nothing, Feeding Lies, and Head For the Mountains

• 10:00 p.m., Monday, November 23, 2009: SPEEDWOLF, Zuul, Die Wasted, and Terra Caput Mundi
• Tuesday, November 24, 2009: The White Tie Affair, Every Avenue, Stereo Skyline, Runner Runner, and The Chain Gangs of 1974

• Friday, November 27, 2009: November MetalFest featuring Shotgun/Bayonet, Invictus, Scavenger, Lyluth, and more.

• Saturday, November 28, 2009: Days of the New w/ special guests Three Fortys, Bullshed, Take a Number, and Off Course

• Monday, November 30, 2009: Broadcast the Nightmare, Corpus Christi, and Whisteria Cottage + Locals -  Divide the Past and Walk of Ignorance + 1 TBA
• Thursday, December 03, 2009: The Captain Midnight Band and The Pat Sajak Assassins, with guest

Burn, Baby, Burn

At the Firebird, the performances include:

• Wednesday, November 18, 2009: Caporetto w/Engine Orchestra, and Tilts
• Thursday, November 19, 2009: Daytrotter Presents- Ezra Furman & The Harpoons w/Rachel Goodrich and Peasant

• Friday, November 20, 2009: Anders Parker w/Jon Hardy & The Public and The Dive Poets
• Saturday, November 21, 2009: Headlights w/Pomegranates and Fractured Army

• Wednesday, November 25, 2009: Local H w/Kinch and One Lone Car
• Thursday, November 26, 2009: Grand Buffet w/Celery, Humanoids

• Friday, November 27, 2009: Lengrand w/Pirate Signal, Sleep In Sundays and Falsetto Boy
• Saturday, November 28, 2009: EARLY SHOW – Raising Kane, He Who Dredz, Icon For Hire, Pinkleef, and The Drama Score

• Saturday, November 28, 2009: LATE SHOW – Season To Risk w/Gold Tooth, and The Unmutuals
• Sunday, November 29, 2009: We All Have Hooks For Hands w/Target Market and Tarlton

• Tuesday, December 01, 2009: Holly Golightly and The Brokeoffs, Kentucky Knife Fight, TBA
• Wednesday, December 02, 2009: Big D & The Kids Table w/Sonic Boom, BAMF!, and Disturbing Lou

• Thursday, December 03, 2009: The Gorge, TBA

Remember to check both Fubar’s and the Firebird’s websites for updates to shows with TBAs or for shows that were unbooked, and thus could not be reported on.

Check back in after December 11 for more shows to see at Fubar and the Firebird for your holiday break. ‘Cause there’s nothing like sampling the local music cuisine!

I know it’s the last four weeks of the semester, but if you ever need a break from studying, papers, and last minute exams, then Pop’s has some great acts to see during this time. These include a beer pong tournament with a chance to earn a trip to The Flamingo in Las Vegas to win $50,000, Insane Clown Posse, Trivium, and Megadeth! Local acts include Opposites Attack, Silent Doom, Persona Crown, Slabcity Gorillaz, Incineration, and Make Me Break Me.

The dates for the shows are as follows:

• November 18, 2009: The Point Beer Pong Contest featuring Opposites Attack, Coma, Make Me Break Me, and Black.
• November 19, 2009: A Local Music Showcase featuring TBA
• November 20, 2009: Silent Doom, Search Party For My Ex-Wife, and TBA

• November 21, 2009: Persona Crown, Operator 303, Burning Down Oceans, The Vanguard Party, and Rockface Barband

• November 22, 2009: Slabcity Gorillaz, Trent Smith, and TBA
• November 24, 2009: Incineration, Pariah, Blood of Heroes, Survive The Flood, Creative Diversion, and The Blackout Agony

• November 27, 2009: Flobots w/Kinetix and Midwest Avengers

• November 28, 2009: Insane Clown Posse w/(hed) p.e.

• November 29, 2009: An Honest Upset, and TBA
• November 30, 2009: Psychostick w/Make Me Break Me, From Skies of Fire, and Bonneville

• December 03, 2009: A Local Music Showcase featuring TBA
• December 4, 2009: Trivium w/Chimaira, Whitechapel, and Dirge Within

• December 6, 2009: Megadeth w/Suicide Silence. Warbringer, and Arcanium.

Remember to check the Pop’s website for new information on any date listed with TBA, as these slots and dates are currently being booked. Also, remember that national shows like Megadeth will be much more expensive than local shows, which are usually seven dollars.

Pop in sometime after Thanksgiving for another edition of Let’s GO! Pop’s, where I’ll expand on more December shows for your holiday break and into 2010!

You go to your local game trader (GameSpot, for example). You see a new game (Borderlands, perhaps?) that the THEYs (magazines, websites, G4TV, government spooks) have been praising.

You also see three or four older, cheaper games (WWE Day of Reckoning, Worms 3D and Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem?) that have been out for years. You have always wanted to play them, but never had the money for them when they were new.

Now, altogether, they cost the same as the new game, but you can’t decide which one to purchase. Four mediocre games just aren’t the same as one awesome one. You need an Nth opinion, but where can you get one?

FAQs, Reviews, Et Cetera, Oh My!

GameSpot has a separate website called GameFAQS, in which the content within is contributed by the users. The primary function of the website is to provide reader-written reviews and walkthroughs of video games, from systems such as the Atari 2600 all the way up to the Nintendo Wii.

In addition, you can download saves for use in your Action Replay or other game modification device (when available), check prices at GameStop, EBGames and Amazon, even ask questions about the game and answer other peoples questions about it (registration required)! As well, GameFaqs features an active message board community, if texting people is more your thing.

Continue? Of Course I Want to Continue!

However, as with all community-contributed websites, the quality and quantity of the content is wholly dependent on the interests of said community. Fortunately, GameFAQs has such a wide and far-reaching fan base, that most games have all the information you should need in making your decision.

So whether you need advice on how to make it through Streets of Rage 3 PERIOD, or you just need a little reassurance that you should not regret buying Prototype over inFamous, GameFAQs has all the FAQs laid out for you.

The shows coming up, starting on Novemeber 2nd, include:

• Monday, November 02 – Matisyahu w/Trevor Hall

• Tuesday, November 03 – Paramore w/Paper Route and The Swellers
• Wednesday, November 04 – AFI w/The Gallows
• Thursday, November 05 – Neko Case w/Sarah Harmer

• Friday, November 06 – Son Volt w/Peter Bruntell

• Saturday, November 07 – Bob & Tom Comedy All Stars
• Tuesday, November 10 – David Cook w/The Script and Green River Ordinance
• Wednesday, November 11 – The Black Crowes w/Truth & Salvage Co.
• Friday, November 13 – Boys Like Girls w/Cobra Starship, The Maine, A Rocket to the Moon and VersaEmerge
• Saturday, November 14 – Bo Burnham

• Sunday, November 15 – Rob Zombie w/Nekromantix & Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures
• Tuesday, November 17 – Skillet w/Hawk Nelson, Decyfer Down and The Letter Black
• Thursday, November 19 – Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers w/The Wood Brothers

• Friday, November 20 – LMFAO w/Shwayze, Far East Movement, Paradiso Girls and Space Cowboy
• Saturday, November 21 – All Time Low w/We The Kings, Hey Monday and The Friday Night Boys

• Wednesday, November 25 – Jake’s Leg
• Friday, November 27 – Cavo w/Brookroyal, Autovein and Shram

• Saturday, November 28 – Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute w/The Steve Pecaro Band, The Tony Campanella Band and Jimmy Lee Kennett

It looks like November’s going to be another exciting month for The Pageant, so get out there and enjoy the shows! Here’s looking forward to even more fun in December!

Zero Punctuation is a weekly, animated video review of video games animated and narrated by Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw, for the online video game publication, The Escapist. The Escapist covers video games, gamers, the gaming industry and gaming culture.

Croshaw is a British video game journalist currently living in Australia, and his reviews reflect this nature. Zero Punctuation is written in, what I consider to be, a refreshingly overly critical manner for games felt to be hyped upon or given too much slack by big budget reviewers.

This is especially true of his reviews for games which are put out to continue a long-lived franchise, like ones featuring Mario, Sonic, Master Chief or Solid Snake, and do not change or improve their gameplay mechanics greatly or have not addressed problems that were prevalent in previous iterations.

By contrast, Zero Punctuation is animated in the style of Flash animation, with a narration style from which the title gets its name: literally with zero punctuation. At times the review is so fast-spoken, that I have to watch it a second or third time just to catch all the words.

The animations act out the narrative, often to hilarious ends, like when describing how utterly repetitive and lame the electrical attacks of the game inFamous are to the gory claws, fists and tentacle attacks of Prototype, the onscreen avatar representing the hero of inFamous is impaled in a slapstick manner by the hero of Prototype.

The animation is all done in a minimalistic style, similar to how the cartoons are done in the Lindenwood Legacy, interspaced with video clips from the game being reviewed and sometimes with live action from Croshaw.

What I found most refreshing about Zero Punctuation was that while the reviews may seem overly critical, they make you realize that even though you may own ten or twenty games (fifty for me), only three or four (eight here) of those are ones you that hold precious memories spent with friends or for some reason keep you coming back to play on a consistent basis.

You may own five sports games and four first person shooters, including Halo 3 and Madden 2010, but Zero Punctuation makes you realize that the Duke Nukem 3D that you co-oped on with three of your buddies over Xbox Live Arcade was so much more worth the money.

There’s a solution to this problem. It’s called Hulu, and is widely used, even by those who DO have adequate channel coverage and/or DVR recording space.

Let’s say that you missed the big WWE Monday Night Raw fight or you want to watch an upcoming one. You can watch previous shows from that show’s archive of episodes. For future episodes, you can sign up to the Hulu subscription service for free, similar to Youtube.

Just apply for an account and set up whatever subscription you’d like.

Hulu is not dependent on what channels or content may be available in your area. I found anime like Fist of the North Star, that I know is not usually available from any service packages like Direct TV, Dish Network, etc., at least that are affordable.

As well, legacy programs, like Miami Vice, are available for streaming whenever you wish.

Streaming, as mentioned, is how these TV programs are watched on Hulu. It’s like Youtube, except with minor amounts of commercials and without the blathering comments made by the Youtube community.

Hulu is essentially a way for television networks to re-air their programs for their fans, as well as allow prospective fans to check out new programs at their own leisure. This in turn generates more viewership when new programs and episodes premiere or older programs have their season finales.

In all, when you don’t have many television options, (like at Lindenwood, where the channels do not work consistently,) or want to see something new or old, then try out Hulu. It’s sure to fix your craving for television goodness!

Well, that may change. I had heard about a site known as GameTap, and decided to check it out. Essentially, GameTap is a both a video game archive that let’s you play the games archived there, whether by download or inside your browser through emulation–and the archive increases weekly.

The games range from console games like Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis/Megadrive, PC games like Unreal Tournament 2004, and arcade games like Galaga/Galaxian. It virtually turns your computer (and browser) into the ultimate arcade machine.  In some ways it is similar to Nintendo’s Virtual Console video game library for the Wii, except that there are two systems of payment to choose from rather than one. Each has their own merits and faults.

First, you can pay a monthly fee (or a year’s subscription) of either $9.95 ($79.99 for the year’s discount), or $4.95 ($49.89 for a year’s discount). However, games currently for sale within the past year or two are not available and the shooter category is rather slim when it comes to classic choices (No Doom 3, Blood, Star Wars: Dark Forces, or Half-Life? As the boys on Monday Night Football would say, “Come on man!”). As well, DOS-based games seem to be slim pickings, too (No Alone in the Dark, Tyrian 2000, Duke Nukem II, or Lemmings? Come on man!).

On the other hand, you can browse the GameTap Shop, buy new games, download them and play them, without ever leaving your computer throne. Games are full price, so check to see if your computer is up to spec with a game’s requirements before deciding to purchase it.

Both methods receive new games, when available (weekly for subscription-based gaming). Though both may not have ALL the  games your gaming diet requires, both are also likely to have at least SOME of the games you desire. As well, a broadband connection is required, the games can only be accessed via the site on a computer running Windows XP or Vista, and for those of you who are running Vista in 64-bit mode, only the games in GameTap’s Classic Pack are 64-bit compatible.

For me, GameTap seems to be what I need when I’m without access to my beloved DS (working since the launch date on November 21st, 2004!), and a PC with decent specs and a broadband connection are my only companions. If this describes your situation, then GameTap may be right for you, too.

I wonder if they take quarters by mail?

(Cue series of hilariously awkward GameTap commercials produced by legendary video game satire group Mega64)

(Hope you laughed at them as much as I did!)

Well, the Pop’s Nightclub Concert Venue in Sauget, IL., and The Pageant on Delmar Boulevard are both within half an hour of Lindenwood.

Ticket prices ranging between six and twenty-five dollars, and fourteen and fifty-six dollars, respectively, depending on the whether tickets are ordered in advance or at the day of the show, at both venues, and depending on the seating section, at The Pageant.

At Pop’s, upcoming shows include:

• Saturday, October 10th – Allusive w/ The New Translation, Killer Me Killer You, Arythma, and Sunday But Summer.

• Monday, October 12th – Stryper w/ Flight Patterns.
• Wednesday, October 14th – GWAR w/ Job for a Cowboy, and The Red Chord.
• Saturday, October 17th – Never Shout Never w/ Meg & Dia, Now Now Every Children, and Carter Hulsey.
• Wednesday, October 21st – Jet w/ Kill Hannah and Greek Fire.

• Thursday, October 22nd – Strung Out w/ The Flatliners, PourHabit, and Sore Throat Syndrome.
• Saturday, October 24th – Opiate: A tribute to Tool w/ COMA and Fer De Lance.
• Sunday, October 25th – Five Finger Death Punch w/ Shadows Fall, OTEP and 2Cents.
• Tuesday, October 27th – Taking Back Sunday w/ Anberlin, fun. and Gavin Castleton.
• Thursday, October 29th – The Chariot and Oh, Sleeper w/ We Came As Romans, Dead and Devine, Wings of Tyranny.

At The Pageant, upcoming shows include:

• Friday, October 9th – They Might Be Giants w/ The Guggenheim Grotto.

• Saturday, October 10th – Dave Attell w/ Kelly Price.
• Tuesday, October 13th – Metalocalypse: Dethklok and Mastodon w/ High on Fire and Converge.

• Wednesday, October 14th – Dinosaur Jr. w/ Lou Barlow & The Missing Men.
• Friday, October 16th – Trey Songz/Mario w/ Day 26 and Sean Garrett.
• Saturday, October 17th – Lucinda Williams w/ Buick 6.

• Sunday, October 18th – The Used w/ The Almost and Drive A.
• Thursday, October 22nd – Ludo w/ Ha Ha Tonka, Meese and Without a Face.
• Friday, October 23rd – Mutemath w/ As Tall As Lions.
• Saturday, October 24th – Relient K w/ Lights and Barcelona.
• Sunday, October 25th – Joe Bonamassa w/ Gina Sicilia.

• Thursday, October 29th – Mason Jennings w/ Anni Rossi.
• Friday, October 30th – Our Lady Peace w/ TBA.
• Saturday, October 31st – Queensryche w/ Lita Ford.

If experiencing a concert inside a warm, dry building at a lower price sounds like a better deal to you than sitting out in the wet and cold at Riverport Drive, then these two venues may be what you crave. Enjoy!