They all have been around for a while, and will continue to do so …
– The five-piece, female fronted band Generation, which has been playing for at least two decades, will perform at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt for the first time in a while on Saturday night, Jan. 25. They describe the musical numbers in their play list with these numbers, “90 percent country, 10 percent classic rock.”
– The first in a series of frozen bean bag tournaments around the area will be held just in time for a mix of warm and cold weather, and even some snow, depending on exactly when in the weekend you’re talking about. This one is set for Kozy Korner in North Hudson on Saturday afternoon and is being held in conjuction with Hudson Rotary as a charitable benefit. For a nominal entry fee, you get to toss the bean bags in hopes of winning cash prizes and enjoy special drink prices.
– Bo’s N’ Mine in River Falls is marking the birthday of a couple of their longtime stalwarts, even though they aren’t that up there in years, with a night of music and specials, also on Saturday.

It’s time for a Run and also Runnin’ with it.

– It may only be a block, but it promises to be cold, with a bit of snow to run thr0ugh. The annual One Block Run to benefit the fight against Cerebral Palsy will go off at noon Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Dike Road near downtown Hudson, and as has been the case in some past years, the glasses of water grabbed at the halfway point just may be frozen. But led by the llama mascots, dozens and dozens will again brave the elements, then return to sponsor Dick’s Bar and Grill for dozens and dozens of prize giveaways and what’s always quite the party.

– The band Still Runnin’ returns to the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Saturday, playing often up-tempo country rock and related styles. Their show at the Willow during the Halloween party had this as a highlight in my book: An amped up version of Old Time Rock n’ Roll by Bob Seger featured an intro with chunky chords from a keyboard that sounded much like the lead-in to doo doo doo Heartbreaker by the Rolling Stones. So Runnin’ rolled out the Rolling Stones and ran with it. Good company.

There’s at least one good party option this weekend  to “spur” you on.

– Guv’s Place in Houlton is getting back into hosting bands more frequently — often in the form of duos and soloists — and this Saturday night, Jan. 11, continues that trend as pop-rocker Christy Sperling takes the stage for her first show there. Look for her to play additional shows at Guv’s in the next month or so.

– When he’s not giving lessons on various types of guitar picking, Kyle Kohila also plays Guv’s and other venues quite often, and a highlight for me of his most recent performance there was taking on a non-electric version of You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC, followed by a rocked up version of Folsom Prison Blues by Johnnie Cash, and then giving a slide guitar feel to Pink Floyd’s Mother. Koliha was at Guv’s at both the end of November and the end of December, and expect to see him more there during the New Year.

– A Hudson-based hip-hop manager says his shows have been drawing well in the New Richmond area — once even bringing so many people into an Amery venue that it effectively doubled that berg’s population number for a night. He also says to watch for shows in the immediate Hudson area, and adds that his crew already rapped at Uncle Mike’s for a night. While I was being told this, on the back patio of Ellie’s on Main, a couple of his stalwarts broke into a makeshift concert of a song or two, using their thumping voices.