Give me liberty, with a spiked mullet, or give me V-Day:
– Someone dressed as a gowned Lady Liberty was seen walking back and forth around the streets downtown, with a sash that said simply, “Liberty Tax.” He was a man who didn’t really look old enough to be paying taxes, and the tines attached to his head kind of looked like a spiked mullet. (Except they were sideways).
– Another popular historical character, a human-size wooden Nutcracker soldier, had been set up next to the slot machines at Pudge’s since Christmas, and jokingly equipped with a Mich Golden Light propped in his hand. Better that than walnuts and filberts.
– Since the recent nights have been frigid, and hopefully people won’t be on Valentine’s Day, it’s a good time to mention that the eighth annual Roots and Bluegrass Festival in River Falls that’s coming up April 10-12 has all of its scores of bands indoors. The twelve different venues will essentially crank up the heat, compared to outside, if not necessarily the volume, as much of the music is acoustic and will allow patrons of the free shows to converse as well as listen.
– The cold did, however, provide an opportunity for a local man who was stranded in New York after flights were cancelled by a blizzard. This allowed the man, who was familiar with the area, to hit some old watering holes. I hope they weren’t the ones right in the airport, unless he really had a craving for some of those airport peanuts.
– A football picks board at Dick’s Bar and Grill had all of its squares filled by participants, and a sign at the top of the cardboard contraption said “see other side to reorder.” Does that mean that if you selected the Seahawks, you get a mulligan and a second shot at winning the prize?
– Can guns and having a couple of drinks ever successfully “mix?” A friend of mine who visits from Minnesota says he found it odd bedfellows that a bar and grill in his hometown was a sponsor of a gun class at the local rifle range. A few days after he told me this, a limo swung through downtown Hudson delivering patrons to bars, and on the side of it was a placard advertising a gun range and shop. All these things may actually be pertinent and even timely, since such a business has been promoting a Valentine’s Day event where there were discounts if a woman was part of a group being taught shooting skills. The event was billed, of course, Guns ‘N Roses.
– The Sexy in the City night out at Woody’s in Bayport keeps growing and growing, as the deejay pointed out. Not long ago it had eight vendors of Valentine’s Day-friendly goods, and this year there were 11. But when the event as held on a recent Saturday, it also was somewhat kid friendly, as the show was stolen by a young boy who in the company of his mother just kept break-dancing in front of the DJ booth. It was a different story at Ellie’s on Main a few weeks earlier, when a fashion show, and Obey Clothing Company sale, with items available for purchase, had a tone that was much more edgy. It featured creations spurred by pop culture that covered all different genres, from dressy to metal. No matter what concert or other event you wanted to attend, you’d find your gear here. It was billed as: “Whatever your style, punk, retro, metal, hipster, classic, weirdos, nerds, rockers … Obey has something for you.”
– And lastly, since Valentine’s Day is indeed upon us, there is this revelation from patrons at the Smilin’ Moose that could either enhance or kill the mood. The video rolling at the moment, featuring a band playing new country, showed female marchers in a parade, as well as lots of booty. A guy pointed to the screen and said to his buddies: “That’s my boss’s wife up there!” Also at the Moose, a frequently played video is of Eminem and Snoop Dog rapping about, what else, someone’s booty that’s shown in cartoon form. The main object of their desire has her butt thrust prominently toward the camera — looking like someone in the “I like big butts and I cannot lie” video — then pulled back again. In any case, it was humorous when at one point, all the video screens in the place temporarily froze when the cartoon woman’s butt was at its closest, taking up most of the screen. Timing is everything.