For the best of what’s happening in this, the ten days of Halloween, see Notes From the Beat and Picks of the Week.
For the best of what’s happening in this, the ten days of Halloween, see Notes From the Beat and Picks of the Week.
Costumes and carving aplenty this weekend:
– The Halloween costume party at Ellie’s on Main is “so cold, it’s scary,” with the proverbial Silver Bullet making things interesting on Saturday night, Nov. 2 — $4 Coors Light in 24 ounce cans while supplies last. And that doesn’t even mention the prizes, at any event where the ratio of dressed up patrons to those not in attire is as good as you will find. They will gather on the dance floor, with spectators lining the aisles, at 1 a.m. to vie for a $100 first prize, $75 second prize and a $25 third. And there is a raffle every half-hour from 9-11 p.m. for a $10 bar tab.
– At Dick’s Bar and Grill on Saturday night, Nov. 2, the New Skinny plays music and with a name like that makes one wonder what a perfect costume could be like. They bill their costume party as a Halloween Extravaganza, with dancing going on in a room with, count ‘em, 55 big paper pumpkins hanging from the ceiling along with skeletons and two disco balls.
– On Friday night, Nov. 1, Woody’s in Bayport has theirs titled as a Halloween Bash, with a whole bunch of prize opportunities for costumes. Leading the way is $200 cash for best costume, and a $100 gift card for second and a $50 gift card for third. Prizes also are given to the three qualifiers at 10 p.m., 11 and 12. The big prize is given at 12:15.
– Green Mill has a pumpkin carving contest where you can bring yours for prizes given — in the form of cash and bonus points — at 6 p.m. on Halloween. Kids also eat free on that day.
Here are the highlights of all the happenings (thus far) for Halloween and end-of-year holidays:
– The Halloween party thrown by Jess (see archived lead story) attracted a ton of people to Guv’s Place in Houlton, and maybe that’s what distracted a decoration witch a block away who ran into and speared a telephone pole. One of the newer bartenders found herself without a costume, but found she could easily get one of Jess’ old ones — all she needed do is ask. As for the decorator supreme, she was putting up the last of her outdoor decorations late last Friday and then said, “I have to go home and get a head.” And again on the late side, the guy being electrocuted on a rack did indeed show up, between two scary trees in an outdoor tent.
– Speaking of Guv’s, I have a newfound neighbor from North Hudson who I did not know about until I encountered her in Houlton, several miles away from home. It turned out that she lives just a block away, and she told me her daughter is one of the neighbor kids who just loves my moving-props Halloween display, and talks about it starting in spring!
– But here are the best costumes from the first of the two Halloween-Party weekends: The Geico motorcycle guy (who definitely beats Flo), and left some of his dollar bills scattered on the aisle floor at Dick’s Bar and Grill. He was all covered with them but his face, and said they were actually Monopoly money, mostly hundreds, to show that he indeed has the money to throw around. Then there was the guy dressed up as a human pinata, complete with carrying a stick to whack himself with. The counterpoint to that was a woman wearing two small sombreros where they shouldn’t be. Kozy Korner had at their party a technician in a zoot suit who had a helmet brimming with pipes and valves. The Village Inn best costume prize went to a (Big Head Todd and Monsters themed) noggin the size of a wheelbarrow. They also had a woman with all the right curves to emulate a lifesize martini glass.
– Just before the holiday, I saw a black cat crossing the freeway in front of my car late at night (how it got on the four-lane road, I have no idea). And OK, it was not pure black, there were some white spots.
– When Woody’s in Bayport held its annual Zero to Blitzed run recently, as well as during a bachelorette party at Dick’s Bar and Grill, in both cases there were a foursome who wore masks held up by a stick. They looked much like those sported by my roommate in college (slightly unpleasant memory).
– Members of the Half-Ass Morning Show on 93X radio said that at least one of them had received guitar lessons from Jeff Loven, the one-man-band guy who plays locally. However being this time of year, they questioned at length whether his name was indeed Jeff Coven, as in witch?
– This is a good season to recall someone — or something — I saw in a yard along the main drag in North Hudson while coming back from the Village Inn. It was a guy in a demonic hockey mask, jersey and stick, looking much like the bad guy in one of those horror movies. Maybe I should lay off the sauce for a while.
– My first siting of Halloween costuming for the season was at The Village on Saturday, Oct. 12, when some zombies showed up. That’s much like the Zombie Pub Crawl in the Twin Cities, done about the same time, that has always attracted plenty of Hudsonites, and leading the way is my friend and former karaoke-meister Opal, who now lives there. But the hottest zombies were at The Village last Saturday (actually they were virtually all of the servers).
– My friend Tom suggested it might be topical to go as Lady Gaga, in her awards show attire covered in red meat. He did acknowledge that the meat dripping with blood might attract too many vampires.
– Patrons at the party of the two-story Willow River Saloon last Saturday were treated to a monster or two shown as shadows perched in an upstairs windows.
– Pudges Bar gets the nod for the most realistic-looking mummy, a lifesize one propped up by the pay phone.
– The Willow River Players used the opportunity to downsize the stuff of their costume and props department, with a storage unit sale, and maybe the place where the aforementioned classic mummy came from.
– Dick’s was one of many places brimming with spider webs, to the point where one tall guy got his mohawk caught in them while shooting darts and started thrashing around. A short distance away, there was a glowing monster with only his extremities remaining. Reminds me of Ozzy singing, “pair of boots dancing with a glove.”
Halloween parties with costume contests everywhere, some with bands as well. (Just ask mom):
– Since the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt is in the same building as Carbone’s, you can arrive a little early to their Halloween party on Saturday night, Oct. 26, have some pizza, then go dance it off and possibly claim one of three cash prizes in their costume contest. The band Still Runnin’ will provide diverse sounds and encouragement to those who are dressed up to strut their stuff, and get some cool stuff, namely monetary prizes and drink specials.
– Mom truly knows best, even on Halloween. She will be the main one to select nominees for prize-winning costumes at the Kozy Korner Halloween party on Saturday night, picking out the top three or four dressed-up people, who then will be given a chance to strut their stuff for a $100 prize for best costume, and gift cards for second place. Judges at the North Hudson grill and bar will gauge the crowd to determine exactly when to hold the selection time, but it will be around 11 p.m. The party officially begins at 8 p.m. and goes to close. “That’s gives people a good three or four hours,” one of their openers said about the chance to be seen. There will be Happy Hour all night and free jello shots.
– Across the street in North Hudson, the Village Inn will have a zombie theme and costume prizes at their Halloween party on Saturday night, which will also feature the band Rhythm Roosters. And also in North Hudson, a mile to the south of the other events on the main drag, there is a party with prizes for costumes slated at Seasons Tavern. So, if you are a dress-up professional who wants to hit as many parties for prizes as possible in a short time — and we know you guys are out there — this Saturday might be just the thing for you.
– This Saturday is also the last chance to walk the Dreadwood Haunted Forest at the County E paintball course northeast of HUdson, and perhaps visit one of the consoling psychics on hand as you exit their maze. The forest is so spooky that a flyer takes 106 words to describe all the necessary precautions, medical and otherwise, for walking this fright fest. Tickets are $12, with $2 off if you bring a canned good or non-perishable food item. A portion of the proceeds go to charity. All visitors in line by 10:30 p.m. will be admitted. But if you go, keep in mind their motto: “No hayrides. No escape. No mercy.” For more information and directions, call (651) 224-3003 or visit info@dreadwoodhaunt.com.
– River Falls is also haunted. The Corner Saloon is having the band Haunted Wisconsin bring-in their hard rock sounds for a concert on Saturday night.
Not to be a wuss at Halloween, Jess of Guv’s Place in Houlton returns to her typical outdoor nightmare scenes, as well as inside displays — and a favorite band, Saving Starz, is providing the music — at their annual Halloween party on Friday night, Oct. 25.
Patrons will see dozens of scary creatures both inside and out, as Jess is back with a vengeance after limiting things a bit last year. That was because work to the Stillwater bridge kept some people from getting to Houlton — and having the fright of their lives.
“I buy new ones each year,” Jess said of her lifesize monsters, then added to look around her. There are six new creatures this season, almost all of them bigger-then-life bats. One is positioned right where a lot of people order drinks, and it shrieks whenever there is a noise, (it’s doublely loud when somebody orders a double?). Various bartenders say these type of displays creep them out late at night before the holiday, but Jess is not dissuaded.
She noted that there are different themes each year, aided by the fact that so many monsters are donated to her by well-wishers, if I can use that term on Halloween. She put up the decorative creatures in phases starting as soon as September turned into October.
Then of course, there are Jess’ favorite, the creepy but amusing clowns, three of them by last count. One hangs over and surveys the people playing video poker, holding the sign “Carnival of Horrors.”
On Friday, two or three hours before their Halloween party starts, she plans to erect her 20-by-20-foot tent in the parking lot, complete with bar, then deck it out with ghoulish decorations. They include those who have been popular and eccentric, stand-up characters in the past, such as Uncle Charlie and Hazel the Witch, (yes I got the word order right, as the remedy Witchhazel, by comparison, would constitute a frightful brew to drink). For now, Charlie fittingly “is hanging around somewhere,” Jess said earlier in the week.
There are also frightening trees in the classic outdoor display, done up in a way that only Jess could do. Like in many cases, there are skeletal-looking hands with spider webs interspersed. Jess said she waits until the last minute, then takes the decorations down right away, to keep them from being stolen.
The decorations inside also are heavy on skulls, most bony and others with pealing, rotting flesh, as well as winged creatures. The ones with these appendages are often seen hanging from the ceiling, and the wings at times are large and draped like an indoor tent — sometimes with shredded ends for a more graphic look.
There is little actual blood or gore, and the mayhem that befalls some of the creatures is mostly suggested, rather than being too grisly. Such is the case with a smiling ape sitting inside an iron maiden.
Some monsters use their long wingspans to spread out banners that say things such as “Beware, enter at your own risk.” That one last season was draped over the entry to the back room.
However, noticably missing right away was a more-graphic-than-usual hallmark of last year’s display, an old man on a rack being electrocuted that sat in a corner where there now is a darts game.
About the only other place where there is a dearth of decorations, because of space reasons, is a new cooking area. A creature or two that were there had to be moved — to another graveyard? — when the installation recently ocurred.
Jess said earlier in October that much of her outdoor display might need to be erected under the cover of darkness, as a recent full moon stood watch up above to ward off evil spirits.
The outdoor end of things wasn’t put up last year, since the weeks-long repair to the Stillwater lift bridge at that time was limiting customer traffic.
But at this year’s party, the acoustic duo Saving Starz is back, with music starting at 9:30 p.m. There are various costume prizes at midnight, with a different theme established by judges each year to help them with their choices. Serving drinks will be shot girls, not from just any brew, but the ones from Pearl Vodka. And there will be a killer drink special on buckets of Budweiser, (make that one a Bud Fright?)
Male-female duos top the bill as hot acts of late:
– Back at Urban Olive and Vine for the second straight month, on Saturday, Oct. 19, is the duo Quinn and Meyer. The
male and female combo have great range in their voices, and mix in a little mandolin and harmonica with song selections
that include old time and folk music and go far from the usual, with some of their cover songs being lesser-heard
versions of songs from other artists. One thing that makes them unique is that they frequently switch instruments back
and forth, all of the ones in their repetoire. The duo even ended their set with a comic touch, a ditty by the boys
from Monte Python. More typical were songs made known by the likes of the Beatles, and even the Boss. My favorite part
of their last performance here was plucking on the mandolin that was both vigorous and had flurries of notes. They even
make some of their own instruments, based on information gathered in trips to Ireland, and music from that country is a
hallmark of their musical side project that also plays here.
– Urban Olive and Vine had a performance by another male-female duo that packed the place last Friday, Jami
Lampkins and Tom Waselchuk, who front the Dang-Its, a Madison band. The duo, named 2013 country-bluegrass
performers of the year in the Madison Area Music Awards. They play some originals and also, as they put it, favourite
covers. (Does that spelling say something about their style?) It was their debut performance at Urban Olive and Vine and
they will be back in a few months.
– For something completely different, (sorry about another Monty Python reference), check out Bayport on Saturday. All
I have to say is it’s a good thing this event isn’t in the same format as the Daytona 500, as far as trips made around
the track. Woody’s is holding its Zero to Blitzed in 1.6K run-walk, and I’m sure there will be a lot of the latter, as
the event is billed as providing a beer for every lap completed, as well as a free drink ticket for back at the bar
afterwards. (I don’t know, if it’s like auto racing, do you still get a lap-for-beer on the course if you have gas
trouble and have to make a pit stop?) There is a $25 entry fee — cheaper than NASCAR — that includes an event T-
shirt. Registration is from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. with the race at 2.
This Saturday, Oct. 12, promises to be a day of cycles and psychics.
Because a beautiful, slightly cool fall day is forecast, an overflow crowd is expected at the annual Frost Your Nuts Run, which will not really live up to its icy name. To verify that, just ask the psychics who will be giving readings from in-front-of the apartments across Wisconsin Street North from the Mallalieu Inn, which sponsors the motorcycle rally. The family full of psychics, who have the same gift and I can personally vouch for their accuracy, will be there as long as the cycles, and they fittingly are toying with the idea of a Halloween theme. Motorcycle riders will gather in the late morning and leave in batches during a couple-hour period following noon to take in the fall scenery around western Wisconsin. As many as 5,000 people have participated in the past.
Saturday night marks the return of East River Rock to the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt. The fivesome includes a keyboardist and has a tough-enough look about them as they play southern rock, blues, country and some rock. The guys’ dark-clothed appearance reminds me of a former local bassist you may have seen, Scotty “Danger” Manske. and the group has made some recordings that are available on the Internet. To give you an idea, three of their top plays are this diverse combination of titles, The House is Rockin,’ Satisfaction and Hard to Handle.
Make your plans for this winter, and probably not before, if you want that favorite and affordable steak. The Sports Club restaurant and bar in downtown Hudson is planning a whole host of major renovations, inside and in back, and right down to an updated front facade, and will need to close for a month or two starting this weekend.
If you are at Guv’s Place in Houlton, you are essentially at a crossroads where you can see promo flyers for the two most happening things in the area. A mile away, across the St. Croix River in downtown Stillwater, is a fall-themed music and arts festival on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6. And a few miles to the south of Houlton, at the Village Inn in North Hudson, was Saturday’s well-attended cancer benefit for Abby Doonan.
The Stillwater festival has two diverse bands on Sunday for a wide listening experience, Gypsy Mania Hot Club from noon until 2 p.m., and the veritable Mick Sterling from 2-4 p.m. The event in North Lowell Park has more than 60 artisans and goes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is sponsored by the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce and for more information, see stillwaterfallartfair.com.
Despite some pesky sprinkling rain, the benefit for Doonan, 22, who does not have medical insurance, was such a big hit that dozens of people needed to park across the highway from the Village Inn. They were attracted by a dinner, silent auction and raffle. For more information or to make a donation for Doonan, who has stage 4b Hodgkin’s lymphoma, contact Mac Spohn at (715) 222-0862, abbydoonanbenefit@gmail.com,, her Caring Bridge site, or drop off a donation at Westconsin Credit Union.
– For a diverse musical experience, take in Loose Cannon at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Saturday night, Oct. 5. Their song list has a whopping 75 entries, with new songs added monthly, and there are multiple titles from the likes of Green Day, Guns ‘N Roses, Bon Jovi and Katy Perry. Although Loose Cannon plays many musical styles, the song list also has some adventurous and very recent picks in the hard rock realm.