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Check out the archives from previous years: 2010 | 2009

KDHX kicked off a summer of independence from mainstream media with Midwest Mayhem. The City Museum was home to four floors and several stages of musical acts and entertainment spread out over five hours on Thursday evening.

Several area theatre companies are staging works by acclaimed playwrights to illuminate the turbulence of today's political climate. While some author's reference current events to push an agenda or present alternate points of view; others, such as Argentina's Lucia Laragione, weave political overtones within more fanciful contexts to raise awareness of historical events and social injustices.

Click an artist name to listen to the session.

Not all rock shows are soul-rocking experiences. Though all the necessary components were there at the Wolf Parade show this Saturday at the Pageant—the punctuated lights, the sheer volume of the music, the gathered masses and group drunkenness -- but the performance while solid seemed forced and it wasn’t fixed by a light show. It was a valiant effort by the entire band, but unfortunately, at least for me, it was just, well, mediocre.

Some consider playwright Joan MacLeod to be a champion of the underdog, producing plays that give voice to those typically silenced or underrepresented within Western society. And while MacLeod develops characters who share vivid and powerful stories, she creates some of the most authentic, engaging theatrical experiences for those fortunate enough to partake.

The reggae community suffered an incalculable loss on July 10, 2010, when Sugar Minott died of a heart condition in Kingston, Jamaica, at the age of 54. The grief and the outpouring of love and tributes attest to the affection and respect that so many people in the reggae community have for the artist. May his example never be forgotten.

Celia isn't just a kid's entertainer -- she's fronted rock bands big and small, and also performed solo, acoustic for adult audiences -- but she has a special knack for making a never-condescending connection with children.

With a recent fall tour announcement of arenas, St. Louis was in for a treat Monday night as Phoenix played to a sold-out crowd at the Pageant. Coming out with guns blazing, frantic strobes lit the fuse for Phoenix’s set opener "Lisztomania" and thus, the dance party was on, for at the least the next 30 minutes anyway. After the high-energy start, a curtain dropped and faded into the 7-plus-minute interlude, "Love like A Sunset," which left the crowd in a befuddled state and basically killed the momentum of both band and audience.

Very, very sad news came across the wire today. Annie Zaleski at the A to Z blog reports: