So Volume One’s “event season” is finally in full swing. As you likely know, our Sounds Like Summer Concert Series on the banks of the Chippewa River has been up and running for a few weeks now. We’ve also already participated in two great local festivals, The Taste of Eau Claire and The Open Air Festival of the Arts. And we’ve been accepting artist registrations for our annual art festival, Chalkfest, to be held on August 8, for the last few weeks (you can learn more at www.Chalkfest.org).

And now with this issue, we’re announcing the return of the Back-Alley Summer Cinema Series. Thanks to a fairly last-minute bit of sponsorship heroics on the part of Deborah Becker of State Farm Insurance, the series will go on this year with five films in the fabled “back alley” on Graham Avenue in downtown Eau Claire. I’m particularly excited about the July 20 screening of the fun and poignant documentary, “Young @ Heart.” Probably my absolute favorite film of 2008, it follows an ambitious choir of elderly vocalists as they tour the world signing the music of bands like Radiohead, Sonic Youth, and The Clash. A stunning film.

So, lots of opportunities to stop by and say hi to us this summer. Please do.