Keeping the music alive

For Barnhouse and employees Kevin Bucklew and Rob Lampe, Crazy Music is the hardware store for local musicians. It’s like your buddy’s garage — it has drumsticks, amps, guitars, weird objects and instruments that you didn’t even know existed, much less that you’d really like to play. There are recorders, tin whistles, necklaces with inch-long playable harmonicas, udus (vessel drums) and mandolins. There are ocarinas from Peru and a goat-hair trimmed djembe (a type of drum) from Africa.

Galleries for Local Artists

Stores, museums and restaurants all over town eagerly display the work of hometown artists. But in a town so loyal to the locals, how do you sort through the who, what and where? In order to make what might seem like a daunting task dramatically easier, Vox breaks down seven spots looking to showcase the work of the local creative crowd. From submission to commission, put down that paintbrush and pick up a pen.

Book Clubs Turn the Page

There’s online shopping, online classes, online TV shows — now online book clubs? The Columbia branch of the Daniel Boone Regional Library system has teamed up with a program called Dear Reader to introduce this new trend to you lazy, er, technologically savvy folk. DearReader.com founder Suzanne Beecher created her Web site in 1999 to encourage people to get into the habit of reading, and her club now boasts a membership of over 350,000 people.

On the Job: Private Investigator

Between hanging with her little girl and practicing martial arts, Melinda Kidder scopes out scenes to get the dirt on unanswered questions and finds out some unwanted information, too (like public officials taking a leak). No, she’s not a stalker or a creep but a highly experienced private investigator who has never been caught in her line of work and doesn’t plan on it either.

Midwestern Movie Machine

Crime families, revenge missions, post-apocalyptic zombies and deadly class crushes are only a few of the thematic elements that Evan Melkersman is exploring. The 22-year-old MU senior has his own production company, Melk78 Productions, a couple of films and a miniseries in the making. He’s not messing around.

The sound of music

Without music, I’m not sure who I’d be. It’s taught me creativity, expression, teamwork and traditions. I play a few instruments, I’ve sung in choirs, acted in musicals. I shamelessly listen to musical soundtracks, no matter how cheesy others think it is. That rich immersion in all things music is probably one of the more instrumental aspects of my development.

Vox Asks Columbians

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Tattoos v. Piercings

Looking for a way to unique way to stylize your body? Weigh out the street cred and the permanence of two options: tattoos and piercings.

Four bands, one studio

There are busy musicians, and then there is Wil Reeves. The Columbia musician plays in not one, not two, not even three, but four bands and operates the Centro Cellar Studio where he records and produces music from numerous acts. “I pretty much use every minute of my day to do stuff,” says Reeves, 31.

Physical graffitti

Often considered the mark of criminals and social deviants, tattoos have a long, sordid past in contemporary society. Fathers have forbidden daughters to permanently blemish their bodies and invite judgment. Prisoners decorate their biceps with gang signs and hate messages. Yet people continue to inscribe names, music lyrics, works of art and other sentiments on their bodies, and the popularity of tattoos is growing.