Hudson Wisconsin Nightlife

December, 2012Archive for

Saturday, December 29th, 2012

It’s time to stay out all night to see — and hear — some old friends.

– Junior’s nightclub in downtown River Falls is having not one but two music acts on New Year’s Eve, the Chris Silver Band and the Nasty Habits Brass. Both have local roots but have expanded their scope well beyond River Falls. They each will go on for about two-hour stints starting at around 7 p.m. The Chris Silver Band will open, playing their Americana, Indie-styled and jam band music, and the Nasty Habits will follow. My favorite recollection of the Nasty Habits from last New Year’s was a version of “Play That Funky Music” that also turned into an extensive, several-minute jam with the horn section and featured a sax solo. But this New Year’s Eve at Juniors, there is a special holiday menu to go with the free champagne toast at midnight.

– This whole weekend at Dibbo’s, it will be reunion time with band members who several years ago played the club several times a year. On Saturday, its 8 Foot 4, whose drummer Dan also was in Third Degree back in the day, and has invited some members of that veritable band to join in that night. Also noteworthy is that one of the longtime guitarists, Rick, is the son of former Minnesota Twins great Tony Oliva.
– Then Sunday night at Dibbo’s, its Paint Them Alive, whose frontman Craig held that same role for many years for Toybox, and he’s invited some of those musicians who also used to grace the Dibbo’s stage. They include instrumentalist Brian and Craig’s wife, Brooke, who was lead singer. (The band stopped playing actively when the two got married and decided to start a family, but they’ll be back in true form for this particular night). Also making a return is Brian Stevens, a drummer who also was in Lasher, Scarred By Metal, which performed frequently at Dibbo’s, as well.
– Then on Monday, Dibbo’s is open all night with no closing time for New Year’s Eve, and has the seven-piece band Epic 5, who has one member who looks just like someone from ZZ Top, (which is perfect for New Year’s, as is anyone who on this party night would play LMFAO). This is the first time in recent memory that the club has had bands for three straight nights during the year-end holiday.
– Other bands playing around the area on Monday night include Flashbacks at Willow River Inn in Burkhardt (again, a perfect name for all the memories you might have of past New Year’s Eves), Ed Sheet Rockers at Uncle Mike’s Em Pour E Yum in the town of Hudson, and one man band Oly, who comes well recommended by the people at Hefty’s Roadhouse in Bayport.

 

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Saturday, December 29th, 2012

Look-alikes for Ozzy and purple Santas are seen:

– A bartender at Hefty’s Roadhouse in Bayport has a father who is a dead ringer for Ozzy Osbourne, is about the same age and draws lots of attention for doing his songs in karaoke. That’s much like the ultimate Ozzy tribute-band singer, Michael Ault, who used to bring his act to Dibbo’s and is endorsed by Ozzy himself. Ault even has all the same tattoos in all the right places and would stay in character and BECOME OZZY even throughout his set breaks. And now that Ozzfest is basically defunct for this area, maybe that’s the closest we’ll get to him, after back in the day Ozzy was known to stay overnight at the Best Western Hudson House Inn.
– Two Viking sightings stood out when Minnesota had their big win over the highly ranked Houston Texans. A fan left Dick’s Bar and Grill dressed to the nines in suit and tie, but that tie that was shown off by an open jacket and was totally Viking purple. He also had a Santa hat that was much the same color and style. Then, just outside Historic Casanova Liquors, a customer had her picture taken with a lifesize, inflatable Viking player — and leaned over too far and partially collapsed it. Casanova’s has for several years posted both an inflatable Viking and Packer right next to one another during football season. If one team or another has an especially bad loss, that player is turned around to show their back, as if to hang their head in shame.
– Late in the evening of the day when the awful news was aired about the scores of elementary school students being gunned down, a worker who deals with such things was especially struck by the tragedy. She works as an advocate with the state of Minnesota to provide counseling in such situations, and was pondering the events of the day at Guv’s Place in Houlton. She said that if the shootings had been done anywhere in the state of Minnesota, she wouldn’t be at Guv’s during the course of that weekend, rather logging lots of time on the site so she could work with the grieving.

 

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Saturday, December 29th, 2012

It was time to party, either with your new spouse or an old special friend:
– Like many others at the time, a couple named Joe and Jeralyn celebrated New year’s Eve at the turn of the Millenium by getting married, in the back of the cafe area of Dibbo’s, no less. They then had their romantic dances on the adjacent dance floor that was overflowing with other couples, while the rock band that was on for the evening toned it down for a few ballads. Soon after, confetti and other paper flew, and by the end of the night/morning there was so much party-prompted stuff around the cocktail tables that you could barely find the dance floor.
– In a touching tribute, an elderly women came out by herself that night to the chaos that was Dibbo’s to see a decades-younger friend in the band, which was from the Minneapolis area. For years, she had traveled a long distance to Hudson whenever that band played here so they could hook up between sets, and would never miss such a gig for any reason, although never taking in bands other than the one with her companion. She stuck to herself at a table next to the sound booth, listening quietly, and even broke from her normal schedule and stayed out until the sun came up.
– That turn of the Millenium was the first time I’d ever stayed out all night for New Year’s, since my newspaper editors decided that if the world did indeed end, they wanted it documented, although I don’t know who would be around to read about it. So I drew the reporting assignment of staying out until morning, basically on the clock, to see what I could see. Not a bad gig to have, even though I didn’t get to have my first beer until 4 a.m. So what did I find? The most interesting it got, from a doomsday perspective, was that lots of people out in the townships were shooting off lots of quasi-illegal, high-powered fireworks.
– That night also marked the first time I had photographed my friend and occasional Calvin Klein model Debbie, posing in her little black dress with my practicing psychic buddy Joe, on the back landing of Dibbo’s, (I hope their spouses didn’t mind). I needed one last shot to fill out my photo feature, and I got it with the help of then-21-year-old Evea, and that sprouted a friendship that has lasted until now, when in her thirties, like Debbie was, she also is pursuing
some modeling jobs.

 

 

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Friday, December 21st, 2012

 

Play it back, as longtime faves show … or don’t
– The five-member band Playback will play back at Dibbo’s on Saturday, featuring their blend of party rock, dance and pop music that includes songs by Pink, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Kid Rock and Katy Perry. The guys and lead singer Nancy also will be sporting a little leather as they churn out favorites from the ’80s and ’90s.
– A longtime favorite in the area, the Tommy Bentz Band will be at the Corner Saloon on Saturday, playing jams, rock and southern rock. They are known for winning a contest a few years back for portraying the Beatles, and are a big favorite of my friend Liz Jones, who has run for Senate and the School Board in this area and now has taken her many skills that include being a volunteer extraordinaire to Texas. She says there are few jam bands that play this tight.
– Speaking of Idol, (in the Notes on the Beat), one man who made it into the Sweet 16 and farther has at times been part of a New Year’s Eve show at the Phipp’s Center for the Arts in Hudson, but apparently his star has risen enough so he won’t be there this year. However, family members of Reed Grimm that include prominent singer Colleen Raye will put on an all-woman show that night, with classic songs of the ’60s. Shows are at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

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Friday, December 21st, 2012

Of The Voice and whether (such shows) will truly end life as we know it …

– The third-place singer on The Voice, Nicholas David of Eagan, Minn., has a good friend who works at a group home in the town of Hudson and even has been known to emulate him when singing Sinatra-style karaoke at Bo’s ‘n Mine in River Falls. The guy mentioned early on that — despite his well-referenced humility — the Eagan man is like many contestants and doesn’t use his real name when performing. But he can kick it out on the piano and when surrounded by bursts of fire while doing Hendrix, becoming one of several musicians with Hudson ties to make headway on American Idol and other such contests.
– I’m guessing that the world has not come to an end after all, but the last time there was such a scare, it was toasted at the Village Inn in North Hudson. After all, if the dooms-dayers are right, it’s time to run up a monster tab and not have to worry about ever paying for it. (It has been suggested that if you read the fine print, the aliens legally have to pick up any lingering debts of the people they blow to smithereens). On the down side, there is a sign on the Village Inn wall that says “Free Beer — Tomorrow.”
– It’s also the holiday season, which meant at least three Ugly Sweater contests, which were held at various times of the evening, afternoon and even in one case late morning. Showcasing their questionable taste were Woody’s in Bayport — which was packed full with nattily dressed patrons — the Green Mill and Pudge’s. Seen were a woman dressed as a Christmas tree, complete with lights and decorations that included beer cans, (empty we assume), as well as a man who literally was walking with a candy cane, which one hopes never gets stuck to the fuzz on his obnoxious shirt. There was also more of a liederhosen theme than you’d expect.
– Singer Tawny and guitarist Chris got up on stage during the Jeff Loven show recently, and although not having worked with each other prior to this, get kudos for a spirited version of the hard-to-sing-number “Message in the Bottle” by The Police.
– Rock singer Amy Lee just turned 31, but an area man must think she’s not yet reached a point where having to hold at 29. He claims that after a Somerset mega-rock concert, he and five others found themselves in bed with the veritable songstress. With the man’s bravado you have to wonder, but he seemed pretty confident in his story.

 

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Friday, December 21st, 2012

It’s the season to resurrect all kinds of interesting crap:
– Santa sightings during the previous holiday season included one as Ellie’s on Main was closing who was a woman, true to the large size of the Santa suit, but still decidedly female, and a Plaid Santa that could rival Billy Bob Thorton’s Bad Santa movie character (and there is a look-alike of the actor around the Hudson downtown).
– One other holiday sighting that went way too far: The Village Inn in North Hudson for a long time had a two-foot-high ceramic version of Brett Favre standing next to its door, but (an apparently disgruntled Viking fan) lopped off the head and took it along home, leaving a headless Favre for a while around the time of last year’s Halloween. I guess that’s not as bad, though, as the guy who busted up a local bar’s washroom and mirrors a few seasons back when watching his Vikings lose a lead.
– This year’s Burger Battle will soon be in the books for naming the establishment with the best hamburger on the menu, and the Agave Kitchen points out on its omnipresent sign that it is the title contender. I wonder if that made bartender Andrea dance again heartily with the WWF belt loaded down with a huge metal buckle. It hangs on the wall upstairs in the Bullpen Cantina, and she’d have to get up on a chair and get it down.
– The Bullpen Cantina is where a guy had a little too much encouragement and decided to have some further fun. He spontaneously did a headstand in the relatively narrow aisle between tables, and was even able to hold it successfully for a few seconds before asked to take a more reasonable stance.
– Last year after a road trip to Lambeau, a woman said her buddies were leaving the stands to go elsewhere, but that she was REALLY thirsty and needed something before they departed. Buying a $5 water wasn’t the ticket, but a bystander heard of her plight, waved her down and said she could buy his “coke” for the same rate. This made three other bystanders suspicious and wonder if they should call the cops. I wonder if Dr. Pepper has this problem? (Or Dr. Feelgood). Ask Jess and Missy of Guv’s Place, who were near the front of a Motley Crue concert, just prior to football season, and were sprayed by water by none other than Nikki Sixx, who they said was outstanding. But then there was the singer for the other oldster rock band of the night, KISS, who they said just drooled.
– Last year right before Rich of Raley’s Pizza fame shut down his indoor-outdoor stand at Dick’s Bar for the winter season, two guys from Norway blew off his food, then apologized profusely and later hugged him. Then they planned to go off to Ellie’s to look for some women they’d seen, and were told “In America, it’s not all right to follow girls.” More apologies and hugs followed. Then before they left completely, they noted, “You know listening to OUR national anthem never gets old.”

 

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Ponder isn’t the only pro to road trip to Hudson

Friday, December 21st, 2012

Bring the ring, or a drink token, and they will come …
It’s now old news that Viking quarterback Christian Ponder came to Hudson with his squeeze, ESPN reporter Samantha Steele, to quickly get married at the government center and then hightail it back into the Twin Cities for practice. What you may not know is that it isn’t the first time a pro athlete has come to Hudson to have some fun, while at the same time be under the radar. Who do they think we are, rubes who don’t recognize the faces of journeyman second-string athletes with less than stellar ratings? Granted, it did require some of the workers to take a look at the signature before they realized who he was.
With that said, the ceremony was held just a few doors down from the offices of a couple of county government workers who I see downtown on occasion when they’re out dancing. But unlike other celebrities before him, Ponder apparently didn’t stay around to enjoy the amenities of our fine community and mingle with such people.
All this ballyhoo meant that the sign outside of Kozy Korner in North Hudson had well wishes for “Samantha and Christian Steele.” Read into that whatever you want. That’s apparently what was behind a Twin Cities news station coming over and doing a brief interview with Kozy’s owner.
A patron at Guv’s Place noted that last-name switcheroo, and said that the bartender, Jaime, looks a lot like Samantha and even compares favorably, with her flowing blonde locks and darker highlights.
A former regular downtown said that when he lived in Madison, he saw then-Badger offensive coordinator and future Viking coach Brad Childress getting cozy (that’s with a ‘c’ not ‘k’ at the start) with a woman who wasn’t his wife in the parking lot of a Madison golf course. I’m sorry, but even with alleged antics like that, the guy still looks a little too mousy to pull off his tough-guy persona.
Vikings aren’t new to Hudson establishments. Pro-Bowl caliber offensive lineman Chad Hutchinson, one of those people who protects quarterbacks like Ponder, was once seen at Hudson’s Green Mill with some of his (line?) mates. A worker at Green Mill who is a source of mine couldn’t confirm, or deny, the report.
A pair of former Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders have at one time called Hudson their own. One worked at Pier 500 back when it was known as Sunsets, and frequented Dick’s Bar. I met another when she was up here at Dick’s, and taking some time to re-evaluate the relationship she had back home. At the same time, she took in a Packer-Cowboy playoff game.
Speaking back again of wedded bliss, my friend and bartender at Dick’s named Michelle Brown sometimes jokes (I’m assuming) that she’d love to marry her big time sports crush, Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers. That would make her married name Brown-Braun. And I just had to pop the question of where, Brownie, would the two of you tie the knot and go on a honeymoon? Anywhere far, far away, she said. (Presumably a lot farther than driving from the Twin Cities to Hudson). And also, it would have to be very warm. (OK, that’s a choice very unlike that of Ponder-Steele).
Other pro baseball players could at one time be seen in Hudson. Owner Michael at Pudge’s Bar says that Twins pitcher Jack Morris used to come in quite frequently and have a drink. That’s possibly because he had built a mansion just south of here along the St. Croix River bluffs.
And don’t forget another star pitcher who’s lived in Hudson after retirement. That’s the record-breaking Jerry Koosman, of New York Mets’ fame.
Lastly, we go to hockey. Famous skater Neil Broten, who has friends in town, was known to tip a few at Pudge’s shortly after retirement, and a youngster named Cory who later starred for the Hudson Raiders was treated, if that’s the right word, to a stitch-up-quick technique by Broten. The youngster had gotten a bad cut and Broten aided him in the Gornick Arena locker room so he could get back out on the ice.
Working out of the same facility, the original owners of Total Hockey at least once brought clients — former NHL stars who were considering the start-up of such training centers across the country — to Dibbo’s to listen to a band while they talked business.

 

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Friday, December 14th, 2012

Of the good, the bad and the ugly …
– The Wolf River Band is on tap at the Willow River Inn in Burkhardt on Friday, Dec. 14. The band has opened for stars like Loretta Lynn and George Jones, to name a couple, and has been nominated for Native American Music Awards and Wisconsin Area Music Industry Awards. They had a No. 1 hit in Europe for their rendition of Honky Tonkin’ by Hank Williams. The band members range in age from the early 20s to the mid 50s, and it shows in the diversity of their song mix, which includes mostly traditional country, fiddle music and ’50s and ’60s rock. The Wolf River Band does songs by Brooks & Dunn, Ernest Tubb, Willie Nelson, Box Car Willie and Elvis, to name a few.
– The number of patrons who are again frequenting Guv’s Place in Houlton has picked up tremendously in the last few days, as the Stillwater Bridge has finally been reopened after over two months of repair. The project was completed more than a week earlier than forecast, and it couldn’t come any more soon. Guv’s is celebrating this fact with a bridge reopening party on Friday, Dec. 14, which will feature music by Kyle Kohila with his vigorous finger picking style, and prize giveaways in conjunction with the Boots ‘n Bears campaign, of which Guv’s is one of the places around the area taking the lead. Patrons are asked to donate clean and lightly used or new items — footwear or teddy bears — for children of any age. Big wrapped boxes that look very festive have been set up as collection sites at various venues including Guv’s through the St. Croix County Tavern League, and can be loaded full of gifts through Dec. 17. Guv’s has set up a decorated box that’s five feet high for the collection. The event is co-sponsored by a bar in Baldwin. Guv’s will give you a free
drink on Friday night with donation, and there are $3 Cherry Bomb specials and holiday wrapped mystery prizes.
– The Bad Girlfriends Band will play at Dibbo’s on Saturday night, Dec. 15, with their area-favorite “Girl’s Night Out Party” music, current and classic rock, a little country and all your favorite dance tunes. The musicians are former members of veritable bands Gridlock and The Pearl. Longtime patron Bill, who is in his 50s but known for his devil-may-care approach to trying wacky activities, says the band is simply the Best in the Valley and explains: “First their was Phat Pearl, then the Pearl, and now Bad Girlfriends.” The band actually is made up of equal numbers of men and women, one of whom is noted for picking up a tiny, pulled-in violin for Kashmier by Led Zeppelin. Lead singer Lori is known for really showing her pipes on vocals, and also her bawdy showmanship. (Or is that show-woman-ship?)
– You thought yours was bad? Well show it! (Redux). On Saturday, Dec. 15, Green Mill becomes the second establishment this weekend to host an ugly sweater contest, from opening time at 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., and the winner will get a $40 Green Mill gift card. You need not be present at the time when they make the decision to win — and who would want to be, looking like that! Everyone showing up in an ugly sweater, (management decision is final in what truly qualifies as ugly, although they’ll be pretty liberal), gets a free drink.

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Saturday, December 8th, 2012

Of bears, boots, bridges, bad sweaters and big drums …

– The Stillwater bridge is now open, but yet another reason to frequent the suddenly more accessible Guv’s Place in Houlton is the Boots ‘n Bears campaign, of which Guv’s is one of the places around the area taking the lead. Patrons are asked to donate clean and lightly used or new items — footwear or teddy bears — for children of any age. Big wrapped boxes that look very festive have been set up as collection sites at various venues by the St. Croix County Tavern League, and can be loaded full of gifts through Dec. 17. The event is co-sponsored by a bar in Baldwin.
– You thought yours was bad? Well show it! On Friday, Dec. 14, Woody’s in Bayport is hosting an ugly sweater contest, just in time for the holiday where it gets colder and people wear ones with weird reindeer and obtuse elves and the like. In this event, the first of a few that will be held in the area in coming weeks, prizes will be given for the most obnoxious sweater at 7:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and there will be drink specials, especially for those brave enough to show up dressed despicably.
– Rhino is back yet again at Dibbo’s on Saturday, Dec. 8, bringing their trademark rock sounds, which include the well-known line of four or five kettle drums — with the band members abandoning their usual stations to pound away on the percussion instruments as a group for just one song. The act has drawn comparisons to the Blue Man Group. Another highlight of their act are the inspired Purple Rain vocals, with fog machine to compliment the Prince song. A favorite moment for me was last year at this time, when in what has been a theme at Dibbo’s a few weeks running, a man briefly got up on stage, and stole one of the band member’s Aussie-styled big brim hat that’s just fitting considering the band’s name. The patron then got on his knees to play air guitar in front of the real guitarist, before exiting stage right.

 

 

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Saturday, December 8th, 2012

There are three places or events that, sadly, will no longer be on the beat:
– After years of karaoke that took place regularly at the Sports Club, the singing that was held last Saturday will be the last call … at least for a while. The restaurant and bar had held karaoke either weekly or monthly, without hardly ever missing a beat, going back to the early days of Jams by James, who was one of the first practitioners in this area and gave rise to others. But now its being discontinued, at least for now, because of cost issues concerning licenses.
– It seems there is no one in Hudson who does not know Monique, of Pub Monique fame. The place was very popular in Stillwater for a couple of years, and a lot of Hudsonites went there, if for no other reason than to say hello to the proprietor. Then they would come back here and share stories of lore concerning their trip, like the guy at the bar atDick’s Bar and Grill who said, how did that go again, that a close relative of his ex-wife went to high school with Monique back in the day. But alas, the pub has closed because the rent was too high.
– Last weekend marked the first time in years that North Hudson’s Al Heidenreich did not cook up all the wonderful food and drink for his twice annual Packer-Viking game party. The booya was only the start, however, as Heidenreich turned his entire basement and multiple additions to his house into a great big sports bar, with one room of it flowing into another, for football parties extraordinary. The big additions were outside without walls, but more like the Metrodome than Lambeau, were well heated and had TVs stuck into the rafters. For one party, he even made his driveway into a replica of the Metrodome. But what might be the most over-the-top thing Heidenreich did was lug another replica, a lifesize one of the Stanley Cup, around to all the local sports bars and get it autographed by dozens and dozens of fans.
– Carmen Electra was on one of the talk shows the other day, and talk came around to her ex, basketball player and actor Dennis Rodman. A friend of mine who is an on-again, off-again regular downtown is a friend of Rodman’s, having met him at a photo shoot. They still keep in touch. Ironically, on the talk show the topic shifted from Electra and Rodman to an audience member asking how many piercings are too many. Rodman probably would have an opinion on that question.
– Hanging out at Ellie’s on Main can be profitable. A bouncer there said he found just laying on the floor a diamond earring and a token for a free drink at Woody’s in Bayport. Not being a regular there, gave the token to me. Thank God he decided not to toss the earring my way.
– A few days later, at the Village Inn, a friend of mine named Joe volunteered to buy a drink for (1) himself, (2) another regular named Joe and (3) myself, also being named Joe. I had been expecting a fourth Joe, who is really into fishing, and could have fished for a free drink himself if he had already been there. Depending on the drink of choice, that could have made for — drum roll please — four cups of joe.

 

 

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