Old Friends

Neon Memes • In an era addicted to the new, old friends come as a colossal comfort. Case in point: Kevin Renick. Kev and I first met in early 2000, when the two of us were writing for a local tabloid. Nowadays he contributes the monthly "10 Don't-Miss Shows" column to Sauce Magazine (1820 Chouteau Avenue, 314.772.8004), but Kev and I also periodically still meet to trade half-witticisms and doomsday pronouncements. We did just that last Friday. The October St. Louis Magazine had newly departed for the printer, and payday had finally arrived, so I hit first Whole Foods (1601 S. Brentwood Boulevard, 314.968.7744) for refreshments and then Kev's almost inconceivably cluttered flat. Most of the next two hours passed in a spirited discussion of Lindsey Buckingham and his mad 1979 masterpiece, Fleetwood Mac's Tusk. Kev informed me not only that he'd scored an advance-review copy of Buckingham's latest solo CD, but also that he'd be attending the man's September 29 Pageant performance accompanied by St. Louis pop princess Robynn Ragland, whose Modern American Female Gut ranks as one of the most memorable local releases of the past 10 years. I wanted to punch him. What are friends for? ―Bryan A. Hollerbach, Managing Editor