Hudson Wisconsin Nightlife

March, 2013Archive for

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

Jazz and country, around the county:
– The one-of-a-kind sounds of jazz group Quasimofo will play at North Hudson’s Season’s Tavern in a return engagement on Saturday, March 23. Keyboard player Chris Ashwood describes the band “as a power jazz trio, with a big band sound in a little combo. Our influences are rock, blues and R and B, with a little bit of punk rock attitude.” The group, which are Hudsonites and feature Ashwood’s dad, Paul, on the drums, will most likely play the jazz fest in St. Paul later in the year and they are getting a lot of gigs in the Twin Cities, Chris Ashwood said. Be sure to get to Seasons early, as music starts around 8 p.m.
– A multi-faceted Night of Country is being presented by St Croix Animal Friends on Saturday, March 23 at the Valley House, 1237 Highway 35, Hudson. Social hour starts at 5 p.m., dinner at 6, contests and activities at 7:30 and dancing at 9 to midnight. There will be raffles, a silent auction, contests and a photographer will make a record the evening’s activities for guests. Music will be by The Ricks, a local country western band who will also offer line dancing lessons. Tickets are available online at the website, www.scafshelter.org, or by calling Diana at (715) 386-4004 or the Valley House. All proceeds go towards building a new home for St Croix Animal Friends, a local organization that is making its first priority to build a much needed shelter for housing domestic animals.
– The Wolf River Band will bring their brand of country to the Willow River Inn in Burkhardt on Friday, March 22. The band has opened for stars like Loretta Lynn and George Jones, to name a couple, and has been nominated for Native American Music Awards and Wisconsin Area Music Industry Awards. They had a No. 1 hit in Europe for their rendition of Honky Tonkin’ by Hank Williams. The band members range in age from the early 20s to the mid 50s, and it shows in the diversity of their song mix, which includes mostly traditional country, fiddle music and ’50s and ’60s rock. The Wolf River Band does songs by Brooks & Dunn, Ernest Tubb, Willie Nelson, Box Car Willie and Elvis, to name a few.
– Then on Saturday night, it’s the idea of luck be a lady tonight, mixed with a bit of black leather to go with lace, as a beautiful and talented songstress with black locks leads the rock quartet Lady Luck when they play Willow River Inn. The versatile group plays a variety of tunes and tempos, but for the most part they really rock out ’80s style– as you might guess from their logo, an Ace of Spades that is set to the pattern of an actual playing card that’s handed out to patrons.

 

 

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Iconic Dibbo’s nightclub to go out with the bang provided by return of Austin Healy

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

(Note: This web page to be updated on Thursday, complete with a review story on the Dibbo’s farewell party and a rundown on local April Fool’s Day pranks around the bar scene. I was occupied during the Easter holiday, but like the sign said for the Agave Kitchen: The Man has risen).

The end of an era in Hudson music will come on Saturday night, March 23, when Dibbo’s will hold a farewell party with the original members of Austin Healy taking the stage for the final time at the venerable nightclub. It has seen icons play everything from classic rock to metal, blues and country rock, to even hip hop, disco and ’80s pop.

The multi-story building is being purchased by a group of investors in the local Dabruzzi family, who plan to completely redo and convert it to a cafe in front, a banquet hall in back, and office space upstairs. However, it appears that live music at Dibbo’s has seen its last day.
Rumors of the change have been swirling for months, but manager Chuck McGee says that when they started becoming seriously considered in December and January, were still premature as nothing had been finalized. There were other considerations to be worked out, such as what if any contribution of funds the city of Hudson would make toward upgrading the old but historic building, and if the new owners would be required to create more parking spaces — a stipulation that in the past had stalled other expansion projects proposed by downtown nightclubs.
However, the handwriting was on the wall in January when the sound equipment was hauled out of the spacious back concert hall, which over the years had seen performances by the likes of 38 Special, Tommy Tutone, Blue Oyster Cult, Foghat, the instrumentalists of Twisted Sister, Firehouse, the Smithereens, Great White’s lead singer Jack Russell and even a quintet, with two drummers, of former band members who backed up heavy metal icons such as Ozzy Osbourne and the late Ronnie James Dio.
The volume churned out by that last crew was only topped by a four-band night of death metal, with surprising clarity and quality, that featured practitioners from the active New York scene and their counterparts who led an effort that was burgeoning in this region and often saw vigorous slam dancing.
And then, a few years back, came a night where fashion met blues, as professional models from the Twin Cities strutted down a catwalk that was brought in and positioned across the midst of the dance floor, followed by the music of up-and-coming guitarist Brandon Scott Sellner. The only thing was that amateur local models were invited to join in and stole the show from the pros as nearly 1,000 people watched.
But back to this Saturday, it’s Austin Healy, the reunited southern rock band that has played Dibbo’s many times over the years and now is the opening act for 38 Special. It’s the perfect act for the finale, and the song with which they will likely close, Freebird, is also a best choice, said McGee, who has been manager at Dibbo’s for about 25 years.
That other group, 38 Special, popped into Dibbo’s in downtown Hudson after playing a megaconcert with numerous bands in Somerset and heading home. The group that was performing that night is a name act in themselves, the Wetspots, and the Dibbo’s staff closed off the east balcony just for 38 Special and its crew. The idea was floated that members of 38 Special could get on stage and play a couple of songs, but the occasion was so long ago that no one could recall if they actually graced the stage or not.
Others have actually performed, some of them often. Tommy Tutone, who made the song “Jenny-867-5309″ famous, would often stroll in with a guitar in hand, since he has parents who live in the Twin Cities and a musician friend, the late Jeff Johnson, who was a longtime Hudsonite and graced the national charts with the groups Supercell and Another Carnival.
When an annual festival he started was playing a park two blocks away and a thunderstorm hit, the two national bands that were scheduled to play made there way through the rain, gear in hand, and were invited to take the stage at Dibbo’s instead.
When Blue Oyster Cult played Dibbo’s, McGee closed down the front area afterwards and they just hung out and talked at length. “I have to admit this was the only time I’ve been starstruck by a band,” McGee said. “They are just iconic.”
Another band made their way to the stage after trekking here from Somerset, this time after playing OzzFest. The members of Twisted Sister joined the house band onstage, but it should be noted that their lead singer, Dee Snider, stayed in the tour bus outside and slept it off.
Before McGee’s time, when the drinking age was 21 in Minnesota and 18 here, there were the popular Tuesday Banana Nights, where a piece of the fruit would get you in for free. It helped that there was a grocery store just up the block, and the owner was a friend of the Dibbo’s management. The story goes that a local musician came up with the freebee idea.
In those days, on a slow night, there would be 500 patrons, but more typically up to 1,500 to listen to a deejay play music of that time. People disagree on the popular idea that the party often spilled out into the main street in front of the nightclub, some calling that an urban myth.
One thing everyone’s sure of, that the staff had to deal with, are the strange requests that some big name performers made for stuff to be waiting for them backstage. Most noteworthy among these contract “riders” were lots of sweat socks, stretchy ones, although beyond that the musicians didn’t specify what type.
“A lot of these requests were made by the staff, not the musicians,” McGee said, laughing. “I would negotiate with them, such as the number of pizzas they wanted us to bring in.”
One thing that was a certainty for at least one group to want was a specific kind of liquor, even if it meant running across town at the last minute, McGee recalls.
Contracts named specific types of food that were to be provided. “But a lot of times the bands didn’t even know what items were in the contracts, didn’t want to know and didn’t partake,” McGee said.
More difficult were the members of Firehouse and the different lineups of Foghat, who required folded beach towels, “nine of them not eight,” said McGee, again laughing.
Reality TV even hit Dibbo’s, when Henry Winkler and Tim Conway ended up playing some slot machines. Unfortunately, that part of the segment never aired.
Dibbo’s was made the most famous by the late Vic Fenner and his family, who bought it from Robert Means and added bands and a bigger stage to the mix of banquet hall offerings. It was at that time that the term “Dibbo’s” was coined, based on the way a nickname was mispronounced. Members of the family were traveling through the area from Superior, reputedly on their way through northwest Wisconsin to go to California although McGee discounts that, and legend has it landed in Hudson and decided to stay here.

 

Posted in The Headliner | 2 Comments »

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Irish all around the region
– Paddy Ryan’s Irish Pub, at 709 Rodeo Circle in the town of Hudson, will do many things on St. Patrick’s Day in a way they only feature on this occasion, involving reasonably priced food and song, Irish whiskey and seating arrangements.
A corned beef and cabbage dinner will be offered all day on Sunday, with potatos and carrots included and of course, plenty of cabbage, all for only $12.
Shots of Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey will go for $3 to make that dinner more festive.
The O’Brien’s, a vocal group from Hudson, will perform from 1:30-4 p.m., and likely give their sets an Irish twist.
The day has a limited menu, which is tweaked for the holiday, said Mike Fassino, who is co-owner with his wife, Connie. “We’ll have everything that’s good in Irish food,” Mike said.
This is the only day of the year where they don’t take reservations, he said.
– In the name of Paint the Town Black, as in Guinness draught, the North Hudson Pub Crawl will start at noon on St. Patrick’s Day. There will be $3 tall taps and corn beef and cabbage all day long, at one of the featured stops, as patrons won’t have to choose which place to visit if on a limited schedule — they can hit them all! Word has it that the appeal of this pub crawl comes from getting that chance to go places you might not typically patronize, and pick up some new friends along the way, as sponsors such as Kozy Korner say that the event might start with 40 people, then balloon to 50 or more as the stops being made continue.
– Guv’s Place in Houlton is having of all things a doubles dart tournament for St. Patrick’s Day, on Saturday actually, with signup at 2 p.m., shooting starting at 3, and a “luck of the draw” format; is that anything like “luck of the Irish?” There will be $500 added cash, which is kind of like the pot at the end of the rainbow. Entry fee is $15 per person. Dozens of green hats are hung from the ceiling, some traditional but also even baseball hats. I asked bartender Patty if she has pulled this shift, since it would seem to be her holiday? She initially just shrugged at my attempt at humor.

Posted in Picks of the Week | 4 Comments »

Friday, March 15th, 2013

 

Green themes, and green shoes …
– As a prelude to St. Patrick’s Day in Bayport, bartender Ginger led the the green theme with a great big shamrock
medallion at the end of her necklace. Reminds of the largest silver cross I’ve ever seen, the size of a songbird, at the
end of some bling on a homeboy on a weekend at Dick’s Bar and Grill. Much like you’d see on the recent Fat Tuesday.
– As told by Green Mill bartender “Sketchy,” who also goes by other aliases: On the last St. Patrick’s Day it was in
the 80s — that’s temps not the decade — and he and his wife went sunbathing on Beer Car Island. He got a real good
burn, and that’s not from the kind of shots he dispenses.
– It also was the time of year for the Oscars, and two actresses wore virtually the exact same red glowing gown on the
Red Carpet, a similarity that was featured on daytime talk shows the following afternoon. Much like when guitarists Jeff
Loven and Geno wore the exact same green, Converse-style tennis shows one Sunday night. I asked Jeff later on the night
of the Oscars if he was nominated for anything, and he answered “not this year.”
– One of my favorite local pubs was out of the beer, Farmer’s Daughter, which happens to have a square top on top of
its tap. That meant there could be no signature plastic glass placed over the top to show it was unavailable; that would
be putting a square peg in a round hole, so to speak, so a small paper sign had to be made. Likewise when PBR went out,
and prompted me to blog a while back that those signature letters marked an attempt to put it in a different container,
hence Pabst Box Rendition. Or at this later time near bar time, maybe they actually stand for Personal Beer Rejection.
– St. Patrick’s Day started early at Green Mill, Wednesday to be exact, with specialty drinks extending through Sunday
such as the Kinky Wolfman, Candied Carmel Apple, Candy Bar Bulldog and Oatmeal Cookie. A party with deejay Dug E Fresh
was to follow on Sunday. One other creative drink name, Bob’s Little Leprechaun at Hefty’s in Bayport, makes one sigh at
the obnoxiousness of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (or is that Public Safety) and its anti-drunken driving
PSAs where a leprechaun gets pulled over for having a wee bit too much. Granted, we all want to keep drunks off the
road, but arresting one of the little people — except for possibly being underage or underheight — is really uncool.
– At Pudge’s Bar, the first place over the St. Croix River for off-sale liquor, bulk specials are being featured for all kinds of Irish fare including dark beer, as the Minnesotans they cater to will be suffering from the implications of the Gopher State being an off-sale dry state on St. Patrick’s Day, which is a Sunday.

– In the recent karaoke competition at the Bungelow Inn in Lakeland, one of the prime competitors afterward slow danced

his sweetie — all while singing Sinatra with a microphone positioned between their throats.

Posted in Notes from the Beat | 4 Comments »

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, if you read down far enough:
– With a new pope selected, one recalls the movie Eurotrip, where a bunch of U.S. blundering travelers fall in with a
bunch of soccer hooligans, one of whom saves the leading man of sorts when he’s accidentally named a new pope by setting
Vatican curtains on fire and producing white smoke. The lead hooligan in the movie looks just like a guy who sings
karaoke downtown — heavy metal rather than the soccer club’s theme song, “My Baby Takes the Morning Train.” So, as
Agave’s sign has said recently, “Long Live the Pope,” fictional or real.
– On the sign at Kozy Korner in North Hudson: “Nineteen Letter Day is exactly 19 letters.” That would make it, indeed,
a Red Letter Day. And inside Kozy, a sign way in the back Korner that is even more my favorite — it says “obstructed
view.” That couldn’t refer to Target Field now, could it?
– A St. Patrick’s Day style made “somewhat” famous by Andy the tatoo artist while in the checkout line: A North Stars
baseball hat and a T-shirt dripping on all sides with imagery of the ultimate Irish punk band, Dropkick Murphy’s.
– Across the road at the Village Inn a while back, when the trio Saving Starz was playing one of their many gigs there,
someone who had imbibed was seeing differently than merely seeing double when he insisted there was only one musician
playing. At least if he’d said two musicians, it could have been explained by, again, seeing double. Do you think we
really could handle two of Geno? Or maybe he just puts out that much sound.

 

Posted in Blast From the Past | 3 Comments »

Just as the spring DIY bug hits, exactly where was that bar table sans stools seen, for four-and-100. Just as cigars are smoked, and have two hot spots during the day, and when its time to chill out another way, at the back of the computer lab, just when are these things most likely to happen? Then black as sliced stems of rhubarb become eventually, or a smashed into dirt flower pot; or orange or blue, if you take in squash and other symbols of holiday, this is what you can see via those melon-types that are almost to the point of Smashing Pumpkins.

Saturday, March 9th, 2013

A long overdue question is whether it’s time for another question. And this steers toward DIY, so be advised, multiple forms and not to fill out when getting your building permit, low end on one street, high just up the route. My query for you, below, involves sitting at a middling point. On one end of our often seen advantages on-street, is getting that still-cool sofa on sidewalk for zero or a cup of coffee, or such, as it can pass muster for your kid just off to college, even if you could not scrub away that small mustard stain, or the one that is browner because the beer that was spilled, not something worse, was dark stout. On the other, high end is that renovation being done at the historic Phipps Inn, seems ongoing, taking into account some of the most venerable vistages of the venue, if only near the entryway.
So now the question: A project of “moderate” cost was seen not on the curb, but tucked a bit inside an entryway nook, and suggested for sale was a rather small bar table, but two levels, for a steal deal of only $400! You could often get one that was less scrubbed for only fifty, if you look around, but hint here, this was in the ritzy Hudson downtown. So if you have seen, or wish to guess, what block?

Answer: Midblock on the one that features the Agave Kitchen on one end and Dunn Brothers on the northmost corner. West side of the street.

There always a party at the Hudson cigar shop, even though low-key and just chilling out,  just three doors down from the Smilin’ Moose. Although there is a large and not-so-large lounge inside, patrons also sit in as comfy chairs as could be hauled out to the sidewalk, on the sidewalk propped next to the (not-stained) glass window.  And three doors down from there, exists a computer store where they work with what are called critical components. And when the business day is not in session (hint) the geeks-if-they-are convene in the back area and play a cool game that is not done on a computer.  So this is a three-part, or four part harmony, question: What are the busiest times to find such things going on, and just what is the game that these people play?

Answer: At the cigar shop, its first thing in the morning or right before close at night, which is after the sun goes down. Push it back another half-hour, and you might see some ping-pong players hit the table-tennis table.

Where did I see, and what did I see, under that Ukrainian flag, flapping doubly so in the breeze as two different ends were pinned to a pole, staffed above the door of a great big ol’ house that wasn’t really that ancient.

The lawn was being mowed by two men, one much younger than the other, but both accidentally reeked some havoc. It was a cutter of grass that they used to cull two different types of lawn and garden casualties: One inadvertently backed over a batch of rhubarb that had finally grown after years, and the other sythe-like sliced a big pot into pieces. Wait, I might have gotten those two results transposed. But where was this carelessness that decimated a garden when the Mother Planter wandered not into, but back west out of town to see her mom on her special day?

Answer: The Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin, and after seeing and hearing of this I apologize to all the Gal Gardeners out there who suffered a home wreck, or at least a garden wreck, by callous hands.

Where can you go in Hudson (a hint there) as opposed to other Wisconsin bergs or suburbs to truly get Wild? This is where there were several such fans, of the now-also-in-playoffs-but-maybe-not-for-very-long Timberwolves too, who obviously were out-of-towners, based on their attire, accent and speaking patterns, and they camped out in (took over?) the back corner of a very long bar-rail (another hint). Where was this non-urban enclave?

Answer: Hudson Tap, doing its part for diversity.

Where was the great big and cool top hat that was handed to a New Richmond bartender, as a hint one of two women on duty, filled with many dozens of used pull tabs that gave nary a pot of gold, so no one gives a buck. So she was not exactly a hostess with the mostess.

Answer: The Wild Badger, as the only green the man would see on this eve was his sparkling hat.

Is time forever, or is there a limit, and then what is it? Days or weeks or years or decades or centuries? And what is the tipping point? This scribe will soon supplement that assumption in subsequent posts, especially those involving popular music. With that framework and time frame, as I have said, I have one last Halloween story and question for the season, I promise. Scout’s honor. And that just might be the fringe group, Scouts of Eternity. And even they are welcome on HudsonWiNightlife.
So: Where do you find carved pumpkins that have been scrounged, and to the greatest degree, by the squirrels, and eaten away by frost — and even these days (and more on this later with the fashion of the humanoids who have survived) so they have blackened and eaten away by other animals, eyebrows and other such features?)

Answer: If you guessed Everywhere you are at least partially right, to glance at the title of the Battle Of Evermore by old Zep, although what I’ve seen in my wanderings that are Everywhere I’ve Roamed (all across the state mind you, and with more coming on the site), but most frequently just east of my favorite stop-lighted intersection in New Richmond, just south of downtown if you want to fact check me — crucial these days.

Just where do the chalked up signs lead you? One grill-and-bar message with letters an inch high runs almost the entire length of the street-scape and says, “It’s a good day to have a good day!” The other, which was pasted on with pastel a couple of months ago on the eve of their grand opening, had almost ten times that many words, so with that detail you can image the service given. Just a teasing hint: The venue could conceivably be called That Headline Italian Attraction (THAI). OK, that’s mixing food types. But they’ve had a brisk business, unlike some other restaurants that have opened in the last year in the same block, maybe due to the fact that the place is just so brightly lit to match the night’s darkness.
But chalk signs have a long history on the sidewalks of downtown Hudson, going way back to the artistic treatment given by bartender Lana way but in final Dibbo’s Days, then yielding in the last couple of years to the numerous full-quote promotional messages up and down the main drag and its side streets leading you to a given place with its specialties.
So, what are the two places referred to in the first paragraph, both in the same two-block section on the north end of the Hudson downtown?

The answer: Smilin’ Moose, which has been around for years, and then Little Italy (does the ethnic enclave that is North Hudson know about this?)

The pumpkins and corn stalks befitting a maze and squash and such — found both before and aft as far as the ends of this building — are only the start of giving this the business, and its shout-outs. Two years running now that is. And because it was said to merit sheers, (a hint). and honk your horn if you find it a-mazing, it could even run afoul of the city noise ordinance because of a prime location … Where and what as I introduce even more and great (pumpkin?) Halloween coverage that you will be seeing throughout the next week or so.

The answer: Suite or Sweet Sixteen/14 salon at one of the most prominent intersections in New Richmond.

They just could not make it an even dozen! (Brought back to mind about a bygone season, when seeing, again, a women dressed like Mrs. Claus and also having wavy red hair sprinkled with green to boot). But for now, we ask if you had seen, and committed to memory, the store that had on its slate by the doorway, “Fa la la la la la la la la la la la la.” As in thirteen such la’s when the actual song had, I believe, nine or 11? Or again, meet in the middle with ten? But where was this storefront where they were la challenged? And should have know better because you can read very literary books there.
A hint and help. It is not the Agave Kitchen, where the phrase Nacho Farm was grown/raised on their very own sign in dozens of comedic ways, although the subject of my question is/was not far afield.

The answer: A coffee shop and hangout spot in transition of format, Three Doors Down from Agave, going straight south.

And again, everywhere a sign and in roughly the same area. What customer-traffic-challenged doorway sign to a restaurant/bar/nightclub building said instead, we are liked by Yelp!
Hint you might guess, is that its smack dab in downtown Hudson.

The answer: The site of the present 517 venue, name taken from the number of the street address, which also has housed a number of other ventures since the demise of the old Dibbo’s iconic rock club several years ago.

So now that Louie Anderson has died, where do we get our comedic fix in an adjoining suburb to the Twin Cities? (And bear in mind that the national media ran the story, but did not mention that he was from The Twin Cities, a two-prong venue he loved?)

The answer: In the past few years, the bigger and newer music clubs in the Hudson area diversified and indeed started hosting comedy nights, maybe with even more than one jokester taking the stage. But which one a bit more down the road from LA, as his initials go, had been the longtime tried and true such venue all the time along?
Johnnie’s Bar in River Falls had been having comedians in at least quarterly for this entire millennium, at least pre-pandemic.

Now months into the labor shortage, its even more the season of stores closing early, with Black Friday under our belts, and also being selective with their days of operation due to many staffing concerns and cost-cutting measures. But with the hours as they are, which store has a sign saying, open 11-? Earlier the place on the verge of the downtown had this reverse-update version on its marque — open until 0. Does this mean they’ll still be serving food at the end of time? Again, which place?

Answer: The Dairy Queen that will just not be disqualified by winter weather.

Now that its the day where most holiday decorating occurs, here is a two-part question on people who did it well ahead of time, even as much as a month! Where did you see (1) A full dozen cardboard and colorful cutouts that did it all with nether a light to be found to give illumination, as they didn’t need it, hitting on many cultural themes that are related to Xmas, but generally off the grid, and flanked by places that had lines of lights going on at a length of similar number, (a hint is that there in this day of flags is one of the Marine Corps and backed by just us chickens and not those on the plate of the revelers). And (2) a place where Santa can actually be seen on the roof, ahead of time, and we presume he got up there by way on an actual two-plus-story chimney with lights streaming from it in a triangle, where a pumpkin had been, and off to the side is a decked out tree trunk for both now and the ages, as has been seen just in a couple of days worth of time to merit mention in this question.

Answer: In order, the corner of Fourth and Sommers in North Hudson, and the east side of Second Street about three blocks from the bridge in Hudson.

The football parties have begun, so you want to get there early, right? A house-party, backyard-big-top-gala, specifically for the Green and Gold, (that’s a hint) did not go strong until game time itself, or just beyond. That draw of visitors was not there, gaining only two cars more or less by the start of the fourth quarter for the noon game, before hitting its stride. Where was this place, where the Packer fans reside and welcome those of their true colors?

Answer: A decades-long home of such gatherings, North Division of the street side, on the cul de sac just west of Fourth Street in North Hudson.

Now that you’ve had a week to put on your thinking caps, here is some 9/11 trivia:
Say did you see that an online commentator had a question on whether observances would be held again this year that come close to straddling the state lines, and had become one of his faves. Where exactly is this trek?

Answer: A big rig caravan starts at Manning Avenue and continues on the St. Croix River Bridge at Hudson. The query was posted on the Nextdoor online bulletin board for the Village of North Hudson, several miles to the north.

There was an attractive lady sitting at the lower bar-rail (hint), cooling her face and very dark locks by using a coaster as a fan, and describing the intricacies of getting the sound system operation just right, with the sound guy and performer working in tandem. Who is he and at which music club?

Answer: Ziggy’s is the place with the helpful Hudson fan, and the country crooner is Tim Sigler.

Where can you see (virus-era) either a single igloo/tent/dome, or could view (pre-virus) a bunch of these warm-it-up shapes?

That would be in a yard on the west side of Second Street in Hudson, or on a patio at Pier 500 on the east side of First Street.

Remember this Andy man, who for the moment lives on via A Great Big Neon Broadway Sign, (OK that’s an exaggeration, as the message is only at a convenience store), from the ‘toons way back? It reads Coffee and Capp, 99 cents, all sizes. Where can it be seen? (Hint, in the city, village, town, ward, district, berg, OK, I guess that’s not much of a hint).

<<It’s a place for icons like Andy Capp, at the former Freedom store in North Hudson, which was formerly Tom Thumb and is now owned by an overseas conglomerate based in Ireland. They must love their Joe there also. And Hi, Just One Rose Who Knows Your Name!>>

Forget miss information {sic} touted online for The Biggest Baddest refuse removal place on the planet — post merger –  and it thusly becomes two words so it must be important. As far as thee ol’ Christmas trees, as I am Mr. Information, where were those holiday shrubs first appearing at the edge of the curb in order to be ditched for pickup?

<<Where Fourth Street North teams with Cherry Circle, on its north end, there was a tree to be seen as soon as the New Year was upon us. Gosh, I didn’t know there is holiday garbage trucking, but I would be grateful. His neighbor across the street quickly followed suit as did the neighbor Two Doors Down. Green stuff like garland could still be seen at those front windows.>>

These days, all that is indeed out there is remote, and see if you can guess how so in what follows: Where is the golf course in western Wisconsin that is kicking ass as far as offering not just one-remote-to play simulator course, but several of the top ones across the country and world, (Hint: You might check out one of the neighboring options, T-Buckets bar, for its many and varied forms of entertainment, after Strokes The Word, to post the ones you cut and then boast over a beer, your only tee-off and putt success (that’s two) on a par three. And then trek back through North Hudson on your way back to The Cities, (and yes we know where you hail from moreso then ever these days and there are many of you), and then hit the remote darts capital of the known universe, as the spaceship with such a sharpened nose crashed because the Science Wasn’t There. Where are these two places?

<<It’s the St. Croix National golf club as you roam toward the expressway through Somerset. And for the darts, check out Guv’s Place on the north end of North Hudson.>>

This question leads from New Jersey, and not from The Boss. A national media personality and former drummer, whose band I reviewed back in the day, shared his top trick-or-treating tales, and they included taking his kids to four-story mansions where the family — Texas Chainsaw type? — would do things such as put evil eyes up top on the windows and a great big smile on the garage door at bottom. Then they would bolt from their perches on the porch this season and come running at you as The Seasons Don’t Fear The Reaper started playing. (How you interpret the song depends on who you think The Reaper is). The second tale was another drummer, Keith Moon of The Who, and definitely not Moon the local radio host midday, who accidentally drove a Cadillac into a mansion’s swimming pool at a time that didn’t quite jive with when it was popular to do so, at least in movies. Who Is This Man And Where Does He Come From, to quote Judas priest.

<<This new radio host on KQRS five nights a week, who has a story and insight about seemingly everything, is Tom Gorman, who was with the Black Crowes and later ventured into sports radio>>

There was just enough snow to get a plow jockey like me (literally) to chip in, and the beneficiary looked a lot like my mom, so Buddy You Best Believe Her. The daughter of this lovely lady was said to, along with her friend from work, be in “withdrawal” in a good kinda way from the music scene in the Minneapolis club district and of course in the St. Croix Valley too. Where did we all have this mutual lamentation of concerts From What Is And What Will Never Be?

<<At a nice but not too fancy home kept in the loop at the end of Fourth Street North, not the Starr’s Bar end, and not because of Death Metal>>

First there was the online recipe for creamy bacon studded buttery beans, then on Twin Cities radio a mention of using such flavors to kill what ails you, or some such thing. At what fest in what area city will you find these ways to cook and more — and as early as early summer, it was thought that this event that’s likely the largest in the country could go on?

<<That would be the dreaded-by-mainstream-food-critics Bacon Bash in River Falls, their fall answer to apple festivals like the one up the road in New Richmond, ‘cuz if we have not heard by now from their PR machine, such as it is and hey I am part of it, the many ways to use the Great American Meat probably is not gonna happen. So there will have to be other ways — an apple a day — to feed the 5,000 that typically flock to RF for this.>>

One the subject of Numbers — not as written in the Bible for you Black Metal artists, and still God bless you all, as Ozzy so often says, sorry — how many authentic brews from not only the area and the region, but out of this country can you get at Winzer Stube, often referenced as the fifth best German restaurant in the whole country?

<<Even even twelve, not a baker’s dozen but right up there, from the country of the origin all ALL my ancestors, come from Germany itself, as says a sign that greets people as they dine tableside on the braod sidewalk.>>

What is old is new again, as I am asking you take a gander at what has been a golden goose, so to speak, due to its the presence in Downtown Hudson. Just what venue is making the most of its twelfth anniversary in business? The years fly by. (The observance has been ongoing for a bit).

<<That would be the Agave Kitchen and accompanying Bullpen Cantina upstairs, that you might not necessarily know about. The celebration is noted by a big chalk rendering on the wall by the front door. If you saw this, tell Paul the owner that he should advertise for pay a bit more! And it is a leader in the comfort food realm, mostly restaurant or mostly bar, that is so vital these days in keeping our wits about us to soften the blow of the virus in this time of near turmoil. Agave means staying power>>

If you think you can think like Joe, you will know which two of the multitude of not-thought-of entertainment options you can use, based on the following recommendation, that I’ll say for dealing with ongoing stir-craziness are the bestest of the bestest. (And the first one just be remedial English). But seriously, a hint: They will give you hours and hours of watching or streaming for each of the ten or more installments, in thus way pushing this option over the top compared to others for sheer volume of entertainment. So if you are psychic, read below to see how well we did.

<<A new cable channel, Pluto, spends lots of its air time playing reruns that are actually cool, those being classic NFL football games that dig deep into the vault, not just the ones you might expect without needing to huddle on it. (Disclaimer: There are not too many Viking games, and The Pack Attack misses some obvious choices, such as this one that has always made me wonder, the 1980s Monday Night Classic where BOTH Washington and Green Bay scored over 40 points, without needing an OT. You might say, one of by air, two if by Adrian.

And my second choice: Groups of movies on a top ten theme, back to back to back, of the bestest of the bestest, here I go again, such as the recommended top James Bond flicks of all time, spanning the globe to come up with all the various leading man Bonds>>

To Get Satisfaction is if you want a bartender who is quick with a joke and a light up your smoke, to point you in the direction of even more such banter. Try these last two weeks worth on for size. Since the virus is only 19, it can’t even be here at the bar. Exercise makes your body look great, but so does tequila, so its your choice. Where was this silly sign? If you can guess, you might even check it out for this current week’s slogan.

<<The Village Inn in North Hudson, which flips between such jokes and the specials of a given month. And while we are only scantly sponsoring scat humor, we thought you might like tolerating this at The Village: Poop is not something we really joke about. But it’s a solid. >>

With a fear among many of us that the Stay Closed At Home rule will be reopened not long after it had loosened things up again, what is the Hudson fast food joint that just put on one side of their sign “drive through only.” A hint: There slogan is We Have The Meats, and still do if you are driving, but God Forbid keep your hands on the wheel.

<<It’s Arby’s on The Hill, and lets see if neighbor food places follow suit, like kitty-korner gas stations>>

As seen on a billboard, of the bar that are asked you to guess. It is offering $1 off the second drink for snowmobilers who come in, although there obviously will not be takers for a few more months. Again, name that bar (here’s a hint, it’s not in hoidy toidy Hudson, or even North Hudson):

<<The snowmobile-friendly bar is the Barnboard Grill and Saloon on the edge of Roberts. Again, don’t drive or even snowmobile after imbibing. At the least you might get a face full of fluff>>

Posted in Where Did You See It? | 3 Comments »

Saturday, March 9th, 2013

There was a fairly obvious band choice this weekend. That’s amidst a Friday show by Saving Starz that packed the spacious Village Inn, at least early on and mainly in the bar area, causing Geno to wonder aloud if his hard-strummed but acoustic guitar could be heard in the wings; and calls by at least two local clubs on their signs — one in Hudson and the other in North Hudson — to have other local guys the New Skinny play Pepperfest.

That band choice is having Sterns County 17 border hop on Saturday and play at the Corner Saloon in River Falls, bringing across the I-94 bridge their state’s “hottest live country” with a rock ‘n roll edge complete with fiddle — is that an oxymoron? — and a high energy stage show to boot.

Posted in Picks of the Week | 2 Comments »

Dinner theater may be a lot like a rock club, and can have an edge

Saturday, March 9th, 2013

Dinner theater is not meant to be edgy, since after all people are enjoying their meals, but the St. Croix Off Broadway Dinner Theatre walks the line between entertainment that at times pushes a limit and letting people savor their dessert.
Sounds a little like a bar and grill with live music that goes beyond pop standards.
So, when co-founder Jim Zimmerman wrote a play that was performed that had just a bit of rough language interspersed here and there, there were no real complaints, his wife and co-founder Jill Zimmerman said.
In the shows they choose, they do have to mind their P’s and Q’s. Even if they would want to tone some content down, in many cases there are agreements where production companies are required not to change even a single word of the original writing. Zimmerman notes that even The Odd Couple could be a bit racy.
In fact, Neil Simon has been notorious for sending out “spies” to ensure compliance, and one theater group Zimmerman knows even ended up with a veritable 20-year ban before they could do one of his works again, she said.
The shows are run by the Zimmerman married couple who pull out all the stops, and do most of the work themselves, to field professional productions with regionally renowned actors while on a tight budget. And they’ve found creative ways to accomplish their goals, while based out of an intimate setting at the Hudson House Grand Hotel.
Starting March 15 will be their most recent production, which gets heavily into music. Life Could Be a Dream is a “Doo Whop” music tribute that features some men who were banned from their high school prom and then enter a radio contest, falling in love along the way. Featured songs are Earth Angel, Unchained Melody and Only You.
The Zimmermans point out that their actors are professionals, and this is not amateur theater. “We draw (actors) from all over the Twin Cities and the St. Croix Valley,” she said.
An example is Fredrice Nord, who has performed in shows at the Phipps Center For the Arts in Hudson and has served on its board of directors.
A production at the theater, like band lineups, may have anywhere between two and many more actors, and there are a large run of quarterly shows arranged around the year’s four seasons. Zimmerman notes that the winter show won’t necessarily be a holiday-themed production.
“We try to pick plays that are known and that will grab people’s eyes,” Zimmerman said, adding that practical constraints keep them from doing a play like Oklahoma with its large and muscial cast.
Since this is theater that includes a meal, the productions chosen are usually on the lighthearted side, with a little fluff, comedy and farce. “We won’t be performing Twelve Angry Men,” Zimmerman said with a laugh.
But here they keep very busy. “We do pretty much everything ourselves, a little number of hands doing a lot of work,” Zimmerman said.
“We want to entertain people and give them a break from the everyday,” Zimmerman said. A lot of their patrons have become friends, and especially if they hold season tickets have joined former theater students and others they know as volunteer help, especially for things such as box office tasks. They will sometimes put on-contract some types of work, and usually do this to enlist a stage manager.
Jim is a theater professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and the couple has been working on these types of shows since high school.
The local theater has a policy where people are sought to be made comfortable by not requiring them to sit next to someone they do not know. (Although that could change somewhat if they eventually expand beyond their 140 seat capacity — to be more like the availability at Dibbo’s, to draw a local comparison).
Like some rock stars, in our region and otherwise, their actors often prefer to work in smaller, intimate settings. The seating is arranged in a semicircle around the stage, with some balcony seating.
The patrons also can chose items off a menu, rather than have a prescribed dish or two be the entree of the evening. “So they can be made-to-order. For instance I don’t like mushroom sauce with mine, so people can ask for that change. No problem,” Zimmerman said.
Orders are taken before the show, not during it, and the last round of activity before the curtain goes up at around 8 p.m. is a choice of dessert, which is served at intermission. Some regular patrons come at 6 p.m., so there is plenty of time to mingle and have appetizers.
Shows are Fridays and Saturdays through May 11, with the exception of the Easter weekend, with matinees on April 13, 20 and 27 and on May 11. There is a Stay And Play option that includes hotel reservations, dinner theatre and breakfast the next day for $176.95 — if you choose to explore the rest of Hudson’s nightlife. For tickets, call (715) 386-2394.

 

Posted in The Headliner | 3 Comments »

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