This is how the rest of River Falls Days happen to fall, bringing four name bands to the fore:
– In its concerts held in the park, River Falls Days features three bands that have differing twists on a like-minded theme, and one that’s completely different. The slate: Rural Route 5 plays Friday from 8-10 p.m., then the Devon Worley Band from 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m., then on Saturday the Bad Habits Brass from 7-9:30 p.m., followed by Sweet Siren from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Noteworthy because it is the first River Falls Days for the business, Swinging Bridge Brewing Company, along with Friends of the Kinni, will sponsor Fighting Fish men’s league baseball on Friday from 8-11 p.m. Sunday will offer an all-day Car Cruze-In, as well as fireworks at dusk.
– Sometimes you have to define your terms, especially for those of us on the older end of adulthood. The Village Inn in North Hudson has a sign saying its Monday-Thursday happy hour includes a buck off of “adult” beverages. I guess that means the typical options for your caffeine, such as soda and coffee, don’t pass muster, which could be crucial because half of the happy hour is 7-9 a.m. The other half is from 4-6 p.m.
– Buffalo Wild Wings serving breakfast? Wow. That’s what I first thought I read in the entryway, but the special actually is titled its “fast break,” a lunch with a number of choices for one each, the entree and side dish. This special starts at 11 a.m., when BWW opens, so again, I didn’t think breakfast was much of an option. Maybe brunch.

– Also this week is Paul Esch. He performs live acoustic music including classic acoustical light rock, blues, guitar instrumentals, favorite cover tunes, contemporary pop music and original songs, featuring great vocals and harmonica solos, for over 15 years. He will be at the Bungalow Inn in Lakeland early Tuesday evening, July 11. Paul studied guitar with Grammy winning, national-acoustic-finger-picking champion Pat Donohue of Prairie Home Companion fame. Paul’s experience runs the gamut, and includes leading acoustic music duos, trios and five-piece rock bands. His debut CD “Go Ask the Sky Why” and “Light the Night Concerts for Crime Prevention” were profiled on KARE-11′s “Finding What Works.” He was also featured on KCFE-FM radio and Joe Soucheray’s Garage Logic radio program, and his set list includes Van Morrison, James Taylor, Neil Young, Jim Croce, Neil Diamond, Tom Petty, Gear Daddies and the Zac Brown Band. Paul has performed live guitar music for a broad audience, including many corporate parties, country clubs, restaurants, bars, patios, ski resorts and outdoor music venues. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

There are all kinds of ways to be entertained, yet beat the recent heat:
– A North Hudson bartender friend said she was already prepping on Thursday for a typical trek not to the cabin, but to the Cedar Lake speedway in New Richmond for a Saturday, July 8, gathering to include colleagues from the Willow River Saloon in nearby Burkhardt. (Some of them are taking a bit of time away from serving during their regular band slate, Runs With Scissors on Friday night and Strangers on that very Saturday). On tap at Cedar Lake for a four-day period is a special Outlaw series of specialty car races, one of their biggest events of the year.
– As they say, timing is everything. For years, the Mallalieu Inn in North Hudson has offered a popular Wednesday evening steak grill-out, with accompanying side dishes, that is the best value for such food you will find. However, last Wednesday, with the temperatures reaching 94 degrees, the air conditioning conked out. But this coming Wednesday, with more moderate temps probable, you can give them another chance to be fully meaty and liquidly refreshing, as well as tasty.
– North Hudson has this thing with grand openings to mark bar anniversaries. Kozy Korner will be at it again on Saturday with a bean bag tournament and at 5 p.m. live music (the exact band on its out-front sign is not specified, but considering the time of year, its unlikely to be the Badger Marchers that so often pop in).
– A one-woman shop kitty-corner from the Smilin’ Moose offers massage therapy, energy work, intuitive guidance and medium services, and personal training. So if you need to get in a more healthy state of mind and body, after a previous night of hard-core partying, you might want to look them up, right next to another venue with music, Urban Olive and Vine.

Three days of Booster Days music reveal three different themes:
– When I met up by chance with Booster Days stalwart Holly Schultz last fall, she reveled in all the possibilities that might be offered by fresh new bands as part of their lineups.
The following is what the Boosters came up with for music in Lakefront Park during their three-day, 2017 run starting on Friday:
June 30 — There is a superhero theme with “Licensed to Thrill” from 5-8:15 p.m. and dressed for the part, “Rock Godz” from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
July 1 — It’s all new blood with diversity, including “Hillbilly Science Show” at 1 p.m., then “Karmacide unplugged with Rick Brix” from 2:15-5:45 p.m., “100 watt jones” from 6:15-8:30 p.m., and “70′s Magic Sunshine Band” from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
July 2 — Its back to tried and true music, steering toward classic rock and country, with “The Chubs” from 1:30-4:30 p.m., “Wicked Garden” from 5:15-8:15 p.m. and “Uncle Chunk” from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
For more information, visit hudsonboosters.org and click on the Booster Days tab or look for Hudson Booster Days on Facebook.
– It’s hardly ever that there’s a weekend without a pair of bands at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt, but this is one where not even a single act takes the stage. That’s because the staff’s attention is focused on an activity a few miles away, that being Booster Days. The Willow and its accompanying pizzaria, Carbone’s, will be one of three local vendors dishing out their popular hot food, including broasted chicken, all throughout the festival.
– The chef’s special, offered every midweek at the Village Inn in North Hudson, this past week featured the epitome of summer picnic food, which means it just might come around again soon, (or simply to keep people guessing, would that be called chef’s surprise?): Two specialty brats, BBQ baked beans, brown sugar sauerkraut and the staff recommended beer cheese soup plus brat.

Three days of Booster Days music reveal three different themes:
– When I met up by chance with Booster Days stalwart Holly Schultz last fall, she reveled in all the possibilities that might be offered by fresh new bands as part of their lineups.
The following is what the Boosters came up with for music in Lakefront Park during their three-day, 2017 run starting on Friday:
June 30 — There is a superhero theme with “Licensed to Thrill” from 5-8:15 p.m. and dressed for the part, “Rock Godz” from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
July 1 — It’s all new blood with diversity, including “Hillbilly Science Show” at 1 p.m., then “Karmacide unplugged with Rick Brix” from 2:15-5:45 p.m., “100 watt jones” from 6:15-8:30 p.m., and “70′s Magic Sunshine Band” from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
July 2 — Its back to tried and true music, steering toward classic rock and country, with “The Chubs” from 1:30-4:30 p.m., “Wicked Garden” from 5:15-8:15 p.m. and “Uncle Chunk” from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
For more information, visit hudsonboosters.org and click on the Booster Days tab or look for Hudson Booster Days on Facebook.
– The chef’s special, offered every midweek at the Village Inn in North Hudson, this past week featured the epitome of summer picnic food, which means it just might come around again soon, (or simply to keep people guessing, would that be called chef’s surprise?): Two specialty brats, BBQ baked beans, brown sugar sauerkraut and the staff recommended beer cheese soup plus brat.