When we launched St. Joe Live last year, it was not with any intentions of world domination. We are not to be confused with Stewie from “Family Guy” or Hulu. What we did want to do was keep you entertained and informed of all the cool (or at least curious) stuff going on in St. Joe and elsewhere. For our first anniversary, we’re taking a look back at how we started, what we’ve done and what you can expect.

SPECIAL DELIVERY

As we developed St. Joe Live, we realized the place it could be best served and most conveniently placed is racked in locations around town to be picked up for free throughout the week. Of course, we didn’t realize that we would be delivering it ourselves.

The first month St. Joe Live was printed, we didn’t even have a person hired to make those deliveries. So, the St. Joe Live reporters loaded up their cars with thousands of copies of the publication and drove around asking bars, restaurants, stores, tattoo shops and at least one laundromat to get on board. Thankfully, most of them did.

Now, we have someone who delivers the publication for us and we don’t stuff our cars and drive from one end of town to the other to make sure this publication is available for free. But for a month, we got to find out just how many pounds of paper our cars could hold and had a free “newspaper ink” air freshener as a result.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

A year of St. Joe Live coverage this varied can only be expressed through personal reflections and essays about what this publication means to each and every one of us. Then again, we could always just do it through simple statistics. Yeah, that’s it. Lots of exhaustively tabulated statistics. Here are the stats on the people we’ve talked to, the events we’ve covered and other fun facts to help sum up our year.

Grammy Nominations of people we've talked to: 54

• Al Green (16)
• Metallica (16)
• Raphael Saadiq (6)
• Jewel (3)
• Plain White T’s (2)
• Miranda Lambert (2)
• Lady Antebellum (2)
• Fastball (2)
• Marilyn Maye (1)
• Jim Brickman (1)
• Rufus Wainwright (1)
• Mastodon (1)
• Chuck Mead/BR5-49 (1)

Grammys Won: 21

• Al Green (12 including Lifetime Achievement Award)
• Metallica (8)
• Raphael Saadiq (1)

Oscar Nominations: 1

• Hal Holbrook (1)

Emmy Nominations: 12

• Hal Holbrook (12)

Emmys Won: 5

• Hal Holbrook (5)

Tony Award Wins: 1

• Hal Holbrook (1)

Oldest Entertainer

• Hal Holbrook (84)

Youngest Entertainer

• Cash Colligan, bassist for The Cab (20)

Bands in the “Rock Band” or “Guitar Hero” video games: 7

• 311
• Rise Against
• Coheed and Cambria
• Mastodon
• Bang Camaro
• The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
• Metallica

Festivals/Parades we've covered: 22

• Trails West!
• Southside Fall Festival
• Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival
• Bikes and Blues Festival
• Apple Blossom Festival
• Sugarplum Festival
• Mayfest
• Pumpkinfest
• Juneteenth
• Amelia Earhart Festival
• Mardi Gras Parade
• St. Patrick’s Day Parade
• Rockfest
• KC Irish Fest
• Griffon International Film Festival
• St. Joseph International Guitar Festival
• Missouri Association of Community Theatre State Festival
• Pioneer Days Arts and Crafts Festival
• Young Playwright’s Festival
• Kansas City Renaissance Festival
• Magoonstock
• Missouri State Fair

Festivals/Parades that Shea has covered: 10

Comedians we've talked to: 7

• Dane Cook
• Larry the Cable Guy
• Cheech and Chong
• Ralphie May
• Frank Caliendo
• Patrice Oneal

Comedians that have starred in “Waiting,” “Good Luck Chuck” and “Employee of the Month”: 1

Comedians that had their own Roasts on Comedy Central: 1

Comedians that have appeared in “The Office”: 1

Comedians that lost their shows on TBS: 1

Movies that Blake, Lacey or Shea have reviewed: 26

Movies reviewed that are based on or have spawned graphic novels: 5

Movies reviewed starring Seth Rogen: 2

Movies reviewed featuring a shirtless Hugh Jackman: 2

Chick flicks reviewed: 2 (3 if you count “Twilight”)

Art/Exhibits we've covered: 19

• “Don Kimes: Painting and Mixed Media” at Northwest Missouri State University
• “Human/Nature: Recent European Landscape Photography” at Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
• Joseph Lorusso’s “Dreams Begin” at Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art
• Annual Regional High School Exhibition at Albrecht-Kemper
• “Segues: Works in Wool/Works on Paper, A Collaboration of Vision and Voice” at Albrecht-Kemper
• “Resting Places Living Things” at Nelson-Atkins
• “Always in Bloom” at Albrecht-Kemper
• “Objects in Motion” at Northwest
• “Philomene and Lou: A Tribute” at Albrecht-Kemper
• “Teresa and David Harris: Vessels, Constructions and Related Objects” at Albrecht-Kemper
• “Inventing the Shuttlecocks” at Nelson-Atkins
• “From the Land of the Taj Mahal” at Nelson-Atkins
• Tom Stancliffe Sculpture Exhibit at Northwest
• Department of Art Faculty Exhibit at Northwest
• “The Tsar and the President” at Union Station
• “Dialog in the Dark” at Union Station
• “Art in the Park” at Civic Center Park
• “Buttons, Banners and Flags: Electioneering in America” at the St. Joseph Museums
• Gallery 7 Opening

Musicals/Plays we've covered: 27

• “The Color Purple” at Kansas City Music Hall
• “Mark Twain Tonight!” at Word of Life Church
• “Fool For Love” at Missouri Western State University
• “Nunsense” at Missouri Theater
• “Nunsense 2” at Robidoux Landing Playhouse
• “Night of the Living Dead” at Missouri Western
• “The Capitol Steps” at Missouri Theater
• “Honk Jr.” at Robidoux Landing Playhouse
• “You Can’t Beat The House” at Mound City’s State Theater
• “Peter Pan” at Missouri Theater
• “A Christmas Carol” at Missouri Theater
• “A Farndale Christmas” at Robidoux Landing Playhouse
• “The Birds” at Northwest
• “Alice in Wonderland” at Missouri Theater
• “Grease” at Missouri Theater
• “The Lion King” at Music Hall
• “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Missouri Theater
• “Forever Plaid” at Robidoux Landing Playhouse
• “Of Mice and Men” at Robidoux Landing Playhouse
• “Movin’ Out” at Northwest
• “Marlowe” at Missouri Western
• “Late Night Catechism” at Northwest
• “Red Riding Hood” at Downtown University Campus
• “Phantom of the Opera” at Music Hall
• “Phantom of the Opera” at Missouri Theater
• “Bash” at Robidoux Landing Playhouse
• “Misery” at Robidoux Landing Playhouse

Musicals/Plays that are also movies: 13

Musicals/Plays featuring nuns: 3

Dance/Stage shows we've covered: 7

• “The Nutcracker” at Music Hall
• Marilyn Maye at Missouri Western
• Dallas Brass at Missouri Theater
• Five By Design at Missouri Theater
• Leahy at Missouri Theater
• Roger Davis of “Rent” at Northwest
• “The Souls of Our Feet — A Celebration of American Tap Dance” at Northwest

Saint Joseph Symphony performances: 5

Times St. Joe Live has been called its old name, Off Hours: Endless

WORDS TO LIVE BY

OK, it’s one thing that we’ve managed to get some pretty notable performers to talk to us in the past year. But it would be nothing worth remembering if they didn’t have something to say. Lucky for us, they did. And some of it was pretty friggin’ interesting, funny and occasionally weird.

We’ve gone through a year’s worth of articles on national touring acts that came to our area and are giving you some of our favorite quotes. Some of these actually made it to print, but a lot of them didn’t and are now getting a chance to shine on their own.

You’ll hear about flying bottles and elastic pants, group baths and dragons, martial arts styles and “The Wiggles.” And of course, a not-quite-accurate St. Joe history lesson from a guy we almost guarantee was under the influence of controlled substances. Read further and prepare to be amazed.

“I felt like I was so tethered to the whole singer/songwriter genre that I couldn’t sing songs about pickles or something like that.” -- singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson on her past creative restrictions

“I think we should be wearing elastic pants these days.” -- Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack on the band’s expanded sound

“One of the things I know with Metallica is Metallica does what Metallica wants to do and that sometimes pisses people off.” -- Robert Trujillo of Metallica

“It was like taking a bath with a thousand people.” -- Greg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk on his sweaty club performances.

“Luckily, I have stayed gainfully unemployed.” -- country singer/songwriter Chuck Mead on his music career.

“God, he’s the big man. I’m just taking notes.” -- Reverend Al Green

“I remember I had this brief moment in my mind like, 'How do you write when you don’t smoke?’” -- Mikel Jollett of The Airborne Toxic Event on writing after songs after he quit smoking.

“It was like I distrubed some sleeping dragon that wanted to come out and eat a few gay men in suits.” -- singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright on performing his tribute concert to Judy Garland.

“You don’t need a middleman. You don’t need, like, major labels anymore, unless you’re (expletive) 'American Idol.’” -- Matt Caughtran of The Bronx on today’s music industry.

“I don’t just need to know kung fu. I can learn jiu-jistu. I can learn drunken boxing. I can tell different kinds of stories in different kinds of ways.” -- Dane Cook on his many styles of comedy.

“Isn’t John Brown’s body molding in the grave there?” -- Tommy Chong on what he knows about St. Joseph.

“Let’s put it this way. If somebody threw a shoe at us, it would hit us.” -- Tommy Chong on how he and Cheech Marin have become slower on stage over the years.

“I’m, you know, watching “The Wiggles” and playing (Nintendo) Wii. What else is an unemployed guy like me supposed to do?” -- Frank Caliendo on his daily life after TBS cancelled “Frank TV.”

“They’re kind of love letters. I’m kind of a legend these days. But I’m not saying that. The reviewers are saying that.” -- Marilyn Maye on her recent concert reviews.

“You want to know why I still go out and do the show? Because I get pissed off! I get angry watching what’s going on in the world.” -- Hal Holbrook on why he continues to perform “Mark Twain Tonight!”

“We had gotten a couple of e-mails from them that said they wanted to talk to us and we deleted them. We thought they were spam.” -- Rory Feek of Joey + Rory on the duo’s first contact with Overstock.com, a company they are now spokesmen for.

“To the dismay of my critics, I will keep making movies until I win a Razzie. I keep getting nominated, but it’s like, dude, if I suck then give me a Razzie! I know I sucked better than them other guys did.” -- Larry the Cable Guy on his movie career and Razzie nominations.

“You know, hosting “Web Junk” didn’t make me relevant. I would just come on and be like 'here’s a video of a Japanese guy getting kicked in the balls.’” -- comedian Patrice Oneal on his frustrations with his television experiences.

“There we were, camping out in front of the place like guests normally DON’T do.” -- Kenn Jankowski of The Republic Tigers on sleeping overnight in a bus in front of the Ed Sullivan Theater before the band’s appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

“Jimmy kept saying on his show, 'Hey, maybe I’ll bust out my bass clarinet.’ So he played with us in Vegas and he showed up in Los Angeles. I can’t guarantee his microphone was plugged in, but he was up there.” -- Joe Gittleman of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on talk show host Jimmy Kimmel joining his band for a couple of nights.

“We’re gonna play a little harder-edged set than we normally do and, you know, try to keep the bottles away from our heads.” -- Michael Todd of Coheed & Cambria on opening for Slipknot the first time.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The fact is, now is no time for gloating. Because regardless of what we are doing, if there is anything we can be, it’s better. If you go online, you’ll see we’ve put together an entire playlist of music from all the national acts we’ve done stories on over the last year. We’re also going to be getting a lot more video on www.stjoelive.com. Right now, you can go to “Sound, Scene, Delivered” and see a preview of its future video-focused transformation. And later this month, we will be developing our new music video feature called “Press Play,” where we will record local bands performing live at the News-Press.

Oh yeah, be on the look out for any St. Joe Live events we will be hosting and get some free merchandise. Cause in this economy, nothing beats free. Otherwise, keep checking us out, because now that we’ve gotten a year under our belts, we’ve started teething. It’s only going to get crazier from here.