Today, February 29th, we celebrate a weird extra day on the calendar. Historically, I’m a fan of weird lil guys. This day- definitely a weird lil guy- is no exception. I love a bonus day for nonsense. Today is somewhere between a black hole and the calendar equivalent of a snow day. It exists, but barely. It’s the perfect day to take chances, make mistakes, and have fun. So here I am, pitching you a zine. My pitch will be too earnest and too corny for your liking and contributing will be too much work for your current 2024 schedule. AND YET. I’m going to pitch you anyway. If you love it, it’s a Leap Day Win. If there’s crickets…this never happened. Intrigued? Read on.
Since it's Leap Day and nothing that happens today is real life, I am shooting my shot on an idea I've been thinking about for a minute! I have been kicking around an idea for a while to do a zine in honor of "Rex Manning Day" - the fake in-store holiday in the film Empire Records, celebrating the arrival of has-been musician, Rex Manning, for an event at the record store. Rex Manning is a fictional rockstar in a fictional record store in one of my favorite music movies. Originally, I wanted to organize a show of real bands covering fictional bands in honor of Rex Manning Day, but the logistics never quite worked out (and it turns out, not as many people are obsessed with this "cult classic" as I am?! Wild but true.) But I've never been one to back down from a weird idea that I truly loved and other people were quite lukewarm about! So!
I am pitching you the Power of the Playlist Rex Manning Day zine. Submissions are open to all. I want your essays, art, interviews, lists, screeds, and of course, playlists inspired by Empire Records. Submission possibilities include, but are not limited to:
Stories/Interviews/Art/Etc about meeting your musical heroes/crushes
Stories/Interviews/Art/Etc about musical tastes in the workplace and navigating your co-workers’ music preferences
Stories/Interviews/Art/Etc about record stores: what they've meant to you, what they mean to you, what they mean to communities
Stories/Interviews/Art/Etc about Empire Records the movie
And of course, playlists related to/inspired by any of these topics.
If you are interested, email poweroftheplaylist@gmail.com for more details. But do it quick, before it’s March and I lose my nerve. Happy leapin everyone. <3