There’s been a stange bit of feedback in the field recently, with folks asking for regular updates on the status of Cabrini Academy’s sixth grade soccer team, the self-styled Ninjas. Yesterday, the squad found a place in the W column, with a 4-3 victory over the Boys Club, at their Soulard pitch. The field is a strange one, for sure, a looooong rectangle, approximately the length of a city block and the depth of a shoebox. Factor in, too, the dirt baseball infield and raised pitcher’s mound as extra impediments to smooth play. On the plus side: an actual, lit scoreboard; and a PA system, replete with a horn sounding off each goal. And yesterday, there were many of those. Despite dipping into a 2-0 deficit, the squad scored four unanswered goals, before a late tally from the BCs. The record’s now 2-4 overall, 0-3 league. A rematch with the Boys Club looms Tuesday, not long after tomorrow morning’s league game, against a team I can’t recall at an hour I can’t quite place, though it’s early. Too early.

All this stated, “yes,” I realize that my players are not thinking about soccer right now, but I am.

(Hammer time! So, OLS beat an undermanned Cabrini 6-0. And the Boys Club match is postponed, one week from tomorrow. Hooligans, don’t show up until next Tuesday.)

If folks wouldn’t mind sharing, I’m working on a project about STL films. If anyone would care to jot down some thoughts, that’d be great. They can films inherently about St. Louis, featuring the town prominently or simply shot here.

KDHX’s fall pledge drive is underway. Well underway. This coming Monday night’s the single pledge show this for The Wire, from 7:30-8:00 p.m. On Friday, I’ll rejoin Bob Reuter, on another edition of his Bob’s Scratchy Records, hoping to build on yesterday’s record haul. Thanks and/or thanks, in advance, for your contributions to 88.1 fm.

Got a copy of the new St. Louis Magazine and the October issue’s got two pieces by me, one on the Zombie Squad and another on Brad Soderberg, coach of the Billiken basketball team.

Imagine that the free mags will hit the stands soon, too. Sauce will have a piece summarizing local, live music over the Labor Day weekend; and Playback will feature an interview with Seven vocalist Matt McInerney, aka fine artist “Lull.”

Thursday’s P-D will have a review of Doug Morgan’s new joint, Boogaloo.

Think that’s it for the week.

The requests for a Cabrini soccer schedule have been many. At least, oh, two of them have already been fielded. To satisfy these queries, I offer:

http://www.cabriniacademy.com/Sports/2005_5-6BoysSoccer.htm

Team record’s currently 1-2 overall, 0-1 in league play. Expecting nothing short of a donnybrook with Immaculate Heart this weekend. Bring a lawn chair and we’ll see you there.

(Update: Okay, so that one went down as a 9-0 defeat. Ouch!)

Filling in for Nico Leone on “Coin-Operated Radio,” Saturday night, ‘tween 6-8 p.m., on KDHX 88.1 fm. Will no doubt play a bit of Sonic Youth, in appreciation of the show noted below; plus some good slices of Idlewild, who’ll be in town next week at the Duck Room. If around a radio this weekend, do tune in.

A founding guitarist and songwriter of Sonic Youth, Ranaldo is coming to St. Louis on Friday, Sept. 17 to play with Text of Light, an improv group that plays along to the short films of experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage.

For the purposes of an advance piece for the P-D, Ranaldo is calling me tomorrow morning. This is making me very nervous. I need to remain calm. I can’t even say that I cue-up Sonic Youth on a regular basis, but still… it’s Lee Ranaldo! Of Sonic Youth! Yah!

(Update: what a pleasure to speak to Lee Ranaldo. His whole interview is presented over at 52nd City. Please read, at your convenience.)

Spent yesterday morning in the hallways and classrooms of Collinsville High School, dressed in a suit for my role as “Dr. Magee,” in Mark Cange’s locally-shot feature film “Student of Leisure.” Don’t know a whole heckuva lot about the production, at this point, but cast and crew members have been active with directors like Eric Stanze and Chris Grega in recent years. No lines to share since Magee didn’t actually have anything to say in the script. Just a lot of glowering, really. Will type more on “Student” later.

Oh: along the hallways of the first floor, the artwork of Collinsville students is hanging, with many of them incorporating the famous C’ville “giant Brooks catsup bottle” into their work. In one, the sports mascot, a Kahok Inidian, is climbing the bottle. To say this work would be a fine example of outsider artwork… well that’d be understatement. I’d gladly pay $50-75 for the piece right now. Amazing.

Playback: Interview with Dana Smith, who is showing some artwork and throwing a musical event along the Cherokee Corridor this coming weekend.

Sauce: Two pieces this time out, including one on local beekeeper Christopher Granger; the music column’s on the acts playing Art Outside next week.

P-D: Bar review in the Post this coming Thursday will be the Du Bowl Lanes.

Would hotlink, but the function ain’t working properly. Dag. Idiot proof, sure.

Cabrini: 0, St. Peter: 7. Tourney, ovah!

Coach Crone is disconsolate, his personal misery index soars. Woe!