The Blue Collar comedian sold out one show at the Missouri Theater in about 2 hours. Now, a second show is booked to handle demand.

Any Christian-based group has a few hurdles to jump when seeking a wider popularity. How do you create music that can appeal beyond a Christian audience without taming your overall message in fear of alienating the secular music fan?

It seems like the hot indie rock band of the moment comes along every few months or so. And for the most part, they don’t sound or look that much different from one another.
Then, New York’s Vampire Weekend came along in 2007 and pretty much screwed all that up in the most audibly enticing ways possible.
The band’s music was the buzz of the blogosphere at the end of 2007. Before its self-titled debut album was released in Jan. 2008, Spin Magazine did a cover story on the group calling them “The Year’s Best New Band... Already!?”
These critical and musical accolades are enough to go to anybody’s head, but drummer Chris Tomson isn’t quite sure he’s felt that effect.

While covering St. Joe’s arts and entertainment scene, I have come to realize what the general public tends to come out for and what it steers clear of. But in St. Joseph, the popularity of stand-up comedy is in some crazy kind of middle ground.

This is: John Goolsby

Briefs for Sept. 5, 2008

That's cool: Water Powered Clock ($12.99)

Tickets to see a “Blue Collar Comedy Tour” comedian at the Missouri Theater next month were gone before you could say “tater salad.”

Calendars for the week of Sept. 5, 2008

For the past decade, the First Presbyterian Church’s Downtown Noon Concert Series has given residents a chance to get a healthy serving of culture on their lunch hour. The 2008-09 concert series will once again give St. Joseph residents that musical option starting Thursday.