All around town, they indeed partied like its 1999, and I think Prince was looking down proudly:
– A regular at Green Mill put it this way: Prince’s guitar work was second only to Eric Clapton. (But both had a “Cream” connection, as far as names).
– Early on Saturday night, Prince songs filled the local jukeboxes — to the point that some said they tired of it and one group of people even debated whether to play them for the length of two typical verses — but as the hours moved past midnight, the choices were down to about every-other-song. That didn’t stop one deejay from making a dedication: “Here’s to my man Prince.”
– The One-Man-Band, Jeff Loven, performed a tribute, including doing Purple Rain by request for a second time as his encore, and partway through said to the bartender it maybe wasn’t worthy, to which he got a prolonged thumbs up of outright approval.
– Even as late as Wednesday night, peoples’ choices on jukeboxes were showing their true colors, from the first word listed. Noteworthy were Raspberry Beret at Dick’s Bar and Grill, then Purple Rain at the Village Inn. The latter was done by Phish and featured a near-yodel for the last minute of the song.
– There is a new ride in town, and it’s even more provocatively named. The second annual Unfrost Your Tits motorcycle rally, much like the longtime Unfrost Your Nuts run, faced cold and rainy weather recently, to the point where you’d think it would digress to a wet T-shirt contest with people oh so happy to see each other at chest-high. In fact, the event that was heavy on the North Hudson end of things, had listed as one of its stops Starr’s Bar, weather and time permitting.
– The folks at Smokedale tobacco extended their infamous 4-20 sale through the following Friday, which was April 22. However, and this shouldn’t come as a big surprise, the event although finished was still was being advertised on Twin Cities rock radio early Saturday morning. Guess they weren’t napping.
– Its been pointed out that due to this year’s prom season, sexy is back in, especially when it comes to low-cut backs. This could be seen at the Smilin’ Moose where one woman had nary a cloth on her bare back, except for a couple of spaghetti straps way up high. Later, across town at Pudge’s Bar, and playing out in a similar way all around, a prom mom showed it in a different way, with carefully braided hair stacked way up high. But back to the Moose, where a bachlorette party celebrated in a unique and perhaps premature way, by forming a long reception line to greet people coming in after their IDs were checked.
– Speaking of fashionable dress, the beach party at Dick’s Bar and Grill showcased lots of flowers in the hair, tiara-type bands in the hair, and lots of hats worn by both men and women. As my friend Tom said, the season of sarongs.
– The chalk marking on the floor at Dick’s said “Happy Birthday Turtle.” And just who, might I ask, is Turtle, I posed the question to the bartender. Let’s just say I told him he was “slow” in his response, to which he added, “I’ll bet you were waiting for an hour to pull that one out.” Well, maybe …
– Singer songwriter Garret, a Hudson fixture, is one who has been playing two Sundays a month at The Onion restaurant in Minnesota starting in the afternoon, with all the proceeds going the the financially strapped music program at the Middle School in Hastings for new instruments.