More best (and worst) in show

(Web Exclusive)

Best (and worst) in show

From the high of Big Star’s reuniting at Springfest in 1993 to the low of Hüsker Dü breaking up backstage at The Blue Note, Columbia has hosted many epic shows. The past 10 years have continued in this mold, boasting numerous concerts: some good, some bad. But only a select few stay with us forever. Vox looks at the shows that happened during its lifetime that — for better or worse — Columbia will never forget.

Happy Birthday, Vox

Birthdays are a time for celebration and reflection. It’s especially true for the big decade markers — 30, 40, 50 and beyond seem to be those times when people take stock of where they are and where they thought they would be. My guess is that the average 10-year-old is more concerned about the color of his or her birthday cake than how the upcoming fifth-grade year will shape his or her life.

Movie Review: Speed Racer

(Web Exclusive) “Okay, no more Mr. Nice Guy,” Speed Racer says during a racing sequence. That’s just a sampling of dialogue from Speed Racer, written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, who brought us The Matrix trilogy and wrote V for Vendetta. It is clear that dialogue is not key to the movie’s development.

There’s something about ’98

It is easy to say that any year was a transitional year in Hollywood, but for 1998 that statement is actually true. Movie studios were in an uproar after a record-breaking year in 1997, which had the highest grossing movie of all-time, Titanic, and the most profitable movie of all-time, The Full Monty. A year later The Blair Witch Project trumped Monty’s mark, which left movie studios confused about what exactly the public wanted.

Before/After

For our 10th anniversary, we wanted to create a visual representation of the passing of time: a concrete depiction of how change occurs — or doesn’t. We scoured over past issues of Vox for iconic pictures. Then we sent photographers to some of these favorite Columbia landmarks to see how they’d fared since they were last featured.

Sex and the sequels

In 1998, Americans experienced the impeachment of a president, the battle of the boy bands, a Major League Baseball home run frenzy and, perhaps most importantly of all, the beginning of Sex and the City. Even after the final season in 2004, this HBO series is still the obsession of television-lovers everywhere. A number of elements combine to create the allure that is Sex and the City — and if these aren’t enough, there’s always the movie coming out May 30.

Vox turns 10

Happy 10th birthday to us — kind of. Although Vox is officially turning 10, our evolution can be traced back more than 30 years, when vox was still only another esoteric Latin word. In the spirit of celebrating our future by remembering our past, we have dusted off the archives, tracked down some of our history and examined our lifelong relationship with MU’s School of Journalism.

Good ride cowboy

The gate bursts open, and a horse springs from the pen. The rider, in a cowboy hat and chaps, kicks his legs forward and clutches the leather rigging tightly as he adjusts his body position to the movements of the bucking animal.

M.I.A. Memories

(Web Exclusive) The past 10 years have seen huge changes in Columbia — some more welcome than others. Favorite restaurants, recreation areas and businesses may be long gone, but their impact remains in the memories of area residents.

Holding a high note

Few people achieve in their lifetimes what Neal E. Boyd had by age 25, when he was profiled in the May 10, 2001, issue of Vox. After standing on the stage at Carnegie Hall belting out “Ingemisco” in his finest tenor voice, daily life seemed at first a bit of a letdown for the singer.

Viagra turns 10

Some of the world’s greatest inventions were unintentional. Frisbees. Post-its. Oh, and Viagra. In testing a drug that might lower blood pressure, Pfizer researchers discovered an eyebrow-raising side effect: Test subjects reported longer-lasting erections. Voila: Viagra. This year, the blue pill celebrates its 10th birthday.

Political partitioning

When Vox interviewed him in fall 2004, Rock Bridge High School Young Republicans founder and president Robert “Mitchell” Erdel was crazy for conservatism. Not only did the 18-year-old hold strong convictions, his room was swamped with enough George W. Bush mementos to fill a presidential library, including a life-size cutout. He even recorded every single one of his hero’s speeches.

Getting trendy

Good Bad Ugly

Like the spaghetti western from which its name derives, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly has become a classic — at least to us. For our anniversary, Vox turns its critical gaze upon itself. Ten years provide plenty of time to screw up ...

Restaurant wrap-up

We love to eat. In the past decade, Vox has covered a number of beloved local restaurants only to watch them go. “Columbia is a very competitive restaurant market,” says Jeremy Brown, co-owner of Addison’s and Sophia’s. “Since it’s so competitive, anything that slightly affects business can put somebody out permanently.” Local restaurant owners and experts share the bittersweet reasons as to why they’ve closed and what the future holds for dining out in Columbia.

Where are they now? Vox staffers weigh in. Q&A: Beth Collins

(Web Exclusive) Beth Collins, Vox editor-in-chief during fall 2002, is now an associate editor at Budget Travel in New York. Although Vox is no longer part of her weekly reading repertoire, she still makes it a point to pick up a copy when she visits her parents, who live in mid-Missouri. After departing from Vox, Collins worked at Food and Wine and then went on to Woman’s Day before Budget Travel. She also works on feature stories, writes and edits for Girlfriend Getaways — a magazine published by Budget Travel twice a year. Collins believes Vox was effective in preparing her for the magazine industry.

Where are they now? Vox staffers weigh in. Q&A: Tom Foster

(Web Exclusive) Tom Foster wasn’t interested in magazines until he studied at MU. His aspirations of becoming involved with the industry began during his graduate experience as editor-in-chief of Vox during fall 1999. We caught up with the former staffer who is now the features editor at Fast Company — a business magazine that focuses on innovation and technology.

Streetside Chatter

Where are they now? Vox staffers weigh in. Q&A: Steve Mazzucchi

(Web Exclusive) Former Vox editor-in-chief Steve Mazzucchi’s résumé boasts experience at publications such as Men’s Health, Muscle and Fitness and Maxim. But don’t mistake this MU class of 2000 graduate for some meathead. Vox spoke with Mazzucchi to learn more about his career, his thoughts on MU’s admission application and his life as a freelance writer in New York City.

Where are they now? Vox staffers weigh in. Q&A: Sarah Engler

(Web Exclusive) Sarah Engler, former Short Talk editor, managing editor and 2003 editor-in-chief of Vox, is now an associate editor at Cookie — a lifestyle magazine for modern moms. Prior to her stint at Cookie, Engler interned and was an editorial assistant at Real Simple. She currently splits her time between editing two online blogs and a front-of-book section in the magazine called Smart Cookie, which is similar to Vox’s Short Talk. Unlike many of her cohorts in the Big Apple who switch publications often, Engler hopes to stay at Cookie and feels fortunate that she’s landed in great places since leaving Vox.

Magazine mortalities

Be careful what you subscribe to. Magazines are failing at rates so quickly that the “12 issues for just $19.95” special might not make it past two.