Hudson Wisconsin Nightlife

January, 2018Archive for

So area partiers got socked with snow, local ‘psychics’ will still give predictions on the size of grid victories, if not total inches

Friday, January 26th, 2018

Sixteen inches of snow? Not a problem for partiers across the valley, although you can’t necessarily say that about all their venues:
– When The Blizzard Of The Last Five Years hit, some local haunts closed as early as 5 p.m. because of the bad conditions. There were a couple, though, that generally close prior to actual bar time, but stayed open later than usual, possibly to take a bigger share of what customer traffic there was, (after all it was a Monday night). A couple of guys who I used to hob-nob with at the former Guv’s Place in Houlton, said they ended up at Dick’s Bar because everything in New Richmond and Stillwater was shut down early. Word had it that MnDOT decided not to get its plows out on the interstate until 2 a.m., which of course is bar time, since it wouldn’t be prudent. So much for the last-callers from Minnesota.
– A local guy who considers himself to be somewhat psychic predicted that the Vikings would beat the Eagles 14-10. That falls closely in line with the prediction of sportscaster Mark Rosen. Rosen and 10 make Zen? Guess not. Although I did talk to my quasi-psychic buddy in the middle of the Jacksonville and New England game and he noted the score was, indeed, 14-10 for the southern team in that contest. However, he added there was a whole half to go. Or in the Vikes case, a whole 50 minutes before the end of their huge downfall.
– A couple from Boston called back about our invitation to have them come for Super Bowl week. They noted that they are not big sports fans, and that it probably showed, even though their surname is the Holsteins, so you would think they’d fit right in over here in Minnesconsin, where football is god and cows aren’t far behind. Apparently that situation isn’t automatic or big news, as Alice said, “so what is happening? Are the Vikings playing the Patriots?” At least she won’t have a cow if there is another Deflategate.
As far as such travel situations, people who are dealing with putting people up say their guests have already arrived almost two weeks in advance of the Big Game, just to watch the teams practice. As far as making these arrangements, such companies were very busy with just less than a week before the Super Bowl, as their was a dump of 20,000 more tickets now that the final two teams have been determined, (plus the blizzard to keep their reps from getting around the metro). And people from Philly are standing in line, figuratively, to get such tickets and get over here. If you see someone partying downtown with an Eagles jersey, don’t admit you are a Packer or Viking fan, or you might get slugged!
– Kozy Korner in North Hudson changed its tune and got kozy with the Vikings, in the absence of a Packer Backer playoff possibility. Their sign said simply: “Go Vikings! We believe in you.” Even the following Monday.
– He became a legend, locally, if only in the late night: Around closing at The Village Inn, the bartender across the way from Guv’s Place in the village came over for last call, and part of the conversation revealed that she has a friend who knows Kerry Collins, a retired quarterback who had success in his career, even in the postseason, but not consistently so.
– Its been a long time since I saw a street musician in Hudson, but there was an old graybeard plucking his guitar and singing on a recent weekend night, when the temperatures had warmed. I parked on Locust Street where the old newspaper office was and he was doing his own take on an old pop-ish love song. I got my prescription at Micklesen’s, talked to the pharmacist to the point where I had almost overstayed my welcome, and when walking back the guy was still at it. By this point he had drawn a couple of followers who were listening intently.
– In response to the overwhelming demand for all sorts of craft brews from this region and beyond, Surley Beer out of St. Paul laid off 10 about percent of its workers in late 2017 and cut its production significantly. So, some of the local beers of that type are having an impact beyond just the pallets of their fans.
– The other night I was walking up to the corner of Second and Walnut, when I noticed something odd sitting on the frozen tundra that is currently the curb area. It was an orange, rock solid! This is where the cabbies usually sit, so perhaps the flavorfully frozen fruit of favor would more fittingly be a lemon? (OK, we know that these local drivers have much better equipment than that). More poignant this holiday season might be the beer kegs filled with greenery just up the street, in front of Stone Tap.

Rock around the Hudson Hot Air Affair clock this weekend, with all sorts of styles at various evening starting times

Friday, January 26th, 2018

While the Hudson Hot Air Affair has a big blow up with the requisite ballooning activities, it also features a wide range of music downtown, in differing styles, and it all follows the Super Bowl theme. (The local event has been moved up a week, to Jan. 26-28, because of the big game in Minneapolis).
The following is a primer for Hot Air Affair music:
– A signature activity is the Taste of the Hot Air Affair, Touchdown Hudson XXIX Edition, with local rockers Boondoggle providing the music. (They will tone it down for this gig so people can converse). The times for this opportunity to sample all kinds of good stuff is 7:30-10 p.m. on Saturday. The Boondoggle genre is “variety country/rock. We play music by Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones, Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Dwight Yoakam, and anything and everything around and in-between.” Moreso than almost any band, they cover the gamut of five decades — the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and even the 2000s.
Band members — some local people you may know — are Brent Ackley, Dawn Budrow, Jim Ehlers, John Wolf and Nate Dahl. Their hometown and continuing onward, current location is western Wisconsin, namely St. Croix County. “We like music with good harmonies, dancing beats, lots of telecaster “twang” and hot guitar solos,” they say.
“Boondoggle has been terrorizing the region with loud rock ‘n’ roll and badass country music since 2002,” members say, “playing our version of hundreds of popular songs over more than 200 gigs.” For this gig, they have turned done the volume, so to speak.
They list their band interests as rowdy bars, bachelorette parties, dancin’ fools, wedding dances, barn dances, guitars, cadillacs and cold brewskies. To further the humor they say that they are “just one hit shy of being a one hit wonder.”
– On Friday night, starting at around 9:30 p.m., is the group Junk FM at the Smilin’ Moose. They fire off partygoers’ favorite songs with unexpected twists and surprising changes of pace, sporting a song list as diverse as you will find. They say that on more than one occasion fans have confessed: “Junk FM RUINED some of my favorite songs – when I hear the originals all I can think is ‘I like Junk FM’s version better.’“
With genre-bending mashups and juxtaposing styles, Junk FM just wants to see how ridiculous the dancefloor can get over the course of the night. From Garth Brooks to Lady Gaga in one slamming step, simultaneous Eminem and Green Day, Cee Lo Green meets Rod Stewart, all while stealing your drink!
– But rock music is not all there is at the Hot Air Affair. Anne Deming takes the stage at Urban Olive and Vine from 6-8:30 p.m. Friday. “I write songs and tell stories with my guitar,” Deming says, adding that this is a common genre, with solo guitar plucking being typical, but critics say she also has a voice that carries her to the top of this style.
Seductive and confessional are the adjectives that come to mind when describing these songs. Dealing with life, love, and accompanying emotions, Deming is said to have a voice that comes close to, and stacks up favorably, to a more angelic Natalie Merchant. Standout tracks include the blues oriented “Not The One” and “Talk Me Down,” as well as “Bring Me Happiness,” a gospel-flavored number sung a cappella.
– Also at that Urban Olive and Vine venue, at the same time frame on Saturday evening, is the duo calling themselves Quinn and Meter. Pat Quinn and Peg/M.Etta Meyer perform a wide range of music, including folk rock, traditional and contemporary Irish songs, a few standards and pop favorites, and original material.
– There also is DJ music to dance to on both Friday and Saturday nights at Dick’s Bar and Grill, featuring Ben Michaels, who has been known to throw in some multiple-song mixes, and at The Moose on Saturday, with one of their revolving group of DJs, who always draw a packed house. Both venues have a series of TV screens with videos running in tandem with the songs, adding to the experience.
– Lastly, you can find karaoke at the Hudson Bowling Center on both Friday and Saturdays nights, a two-fer trend that has been rolling out the tunes in that manner for years.
For more information on non-music activities at the Hudson Hot Air Affair, check out the latest edition of Hudson Neighbors magazine, which has hit the bookshelves and mailboxes.

Colleen Raye rocks the holidays (still today) as a (continuing into 2018) gift to lovers of spirited music

Sunday, January 21st, 2018

Not to be a wise guy, but as a writer I always love the rationale, such as it is, to be able to extend a deadline.
At first I thought to invoke the old joke that hey, the three average men, not being so wise, met up with some of their buddies at happy hour (hence the connection with nightlife) and one thing led to another and they forgot about getting out the typewriter until well past Christmas.
Then I was told that in Orthodox churches, they celebrate this what-makes-December holiday until the 19th of January. I also heard that some people in that religious mode want to push it back until the 26th, and that there are even some people on the fringe who want to keep up the celebration until into February (OK I made that up).
Anyway, it can still be seen as a time to rock around the Christmas tree, if it is still up. And the musical subject of this article offers more variety than just the holiday carols that can wear on you.
The theme played out at the seventh annual Colleen Raye Holiday Concert, which really rocks out, and all these things give a reason to still write about it in mid-January. (This could be seen as being a late Christmas gift to the procrastinator).
This year the concert needed to be held at River Falls High School, as the auditorium in Hudson is undergoing a large renovation, which is now almost complete. (See more on this in the second half of this article).
As is often the case, there were many similarities between the Colleen Raye concert and its obvious connection to holiday fare, and the things that are standard at hard rock shows I have been to over the years.
The concert opened with a rockin’ Joy to the World, made so by a horn solo, and this tempo was much like what I’ve seen so often at rock concerts, where you open with a song that rocks out the most of what’s in your set list, and then progresses into a second number of similar volume, before easing up the pace a bit. Only then did the three singers made their entry from stage left, much like Ozzy Osbourne does to lead off many of his concerts, where after a guitar solo he slowly descends from the ceiling in the mouth of a mythological beast, similarly performing a grand entry. The forceful instrumental had made their ten-piece band sound like a full orchestra — or a Rush power trio. The show was solid in that way, but unspectacular, much like a Tim Sigler gig at the Smilin’ Moose. The vocal flair didn’t show up until a bit later.
The guys in the horn section played well to the crowd, swaying with their instruments like Bruce Dickenson of Iron Maiden using his microphone stand. And Debbie O’Keefe, one of the three singers who actually lives in Hudson, did costume changes at intermission into a smokin’ red dress that made her look younger and not frumpy, like you might expect of Courtney Cox. But overall, despite an obvious attempt to incorporate secular songs with the usual holiday fare, the choices were safe. There was no cover of Bruce Springsteen strolling up the boardwalk on Christmas Eve. But there were songs in the style of The Temptations and a blues number true to the genre.
But to keep things sacred, I found it noteworthy that the number of big ornaments hanging from the ceiling was seven, which Christians will tell you is symbolically God’s perfect number. That’s in the same vein as the number of lasers that were shot across the top of the crowd at the first Black Sabbath concert I ever went to.
The Halleluia Chorus was also sung, fittingly, as this was the tribute done by rocker Chester Bennington at the funeral of his dear friend Chris Cornell of Soundgarden earlier in the year.
Late in the concert, the orchestra went on a run with Run, Run Rudolph, although what made it rock was a trombone, not an underplayed guitar. Interestingly enough, there was little in the form of an encore despite enduring applause at the end of the concert.
But to the other show being highlighted in this article, and also moved from its usual venue, the Hudson Schools all-district holiday concert, with several hundred singers and musicians, was transferred from the new auditorium at the high school, which is undergoing part of a multi-million dollar renovation, to St. Patrick’s Church across the street, creating many logistical and artistic challenges, and also disrupting parish activities during this Christmas season. But that season also marks the end of an arrangement for use of the church facilities for music that may not rock out as much as that in downtown Hudson, but gets close, and for other things such as a massive need for more student parking, during which everyone made the best of it.
A total of 760 seats were made available for concert-goers, and parish leaders strived to make as much room as possible. “We got out the tape and measured,” said parish administrator Steve Richter. “Like Lambeau Field, you’ve each got your 22 inches.” And artistically there were challenges, such as giving audience members a good view of the choirs, since the church follows the modern design format of being in the round. Also, a new two-ton granite altar can’t be moved, like the past one, to create room for musicians, so they had to scrounge out whatever space they could find to stand. There was the situation where when multiple choirs and orchestras had been on the stage at the former venue at once, now there was only room for one, which effects the set changes of one group filing out and another making an entrance, that used to be typical. A way around that is to have some singers actually stroll through the audience, so that aren’t completely absent. There are not the usual two balconies for audience members, which aid acoustics and visual effectiveness, and some people observing had to turn their heads regularly to take it all in.
Across the street at the construction zone, the renovation also includes things such as new acoustic ceilings, and an orchestra pit now at the same level as the stage, not raised, one of a group of things that allow easier access for musicians to enter the stage, said high school music director Andy Haase.
As a result of the needs for rehearsal time, the Eucharistic adoration that has gone on continually at an adjoining chapel for years was postponed, since when this same type of transfer was done for hosting the fall concert, people often walked in during times of quiet meditation and tried to strike up conversations, Richter said. “We did get some complaints.” But the postponement was not sitting well with some the leaders of the adoration, who thought this might be an opportunity for those not familiar with the practice to learn more about it, and there was an initial miscommunication about the continuation question regarding the adoration, during the time of concert rehearsals that last most of the school day for over a week.
But the shift of the concert did create an evangelism opportunity. “It’s great that kids are doing it,” said Richter, referencing the fall concert where students asked one girl about religious icons and other items, “you’re Catholic, what’s this and that for?”
Other parish activities also had been rescheduled, but overall the parish was happy to be helpful to the overall community, such as by hosting funeral visitations for prominent non-Catholics that have attracted people by the hundreds, he said. Another example is a formal arrangement that has gone on for years, allowing permit parking by dozens of high school students at the church lot during school hours, then having them walk several hundred yards. The parking arrangement has expanded to virtually the whole church lot during the day as the renovation is going on, as part of the project is tearing up the old high school parking lot and providing a new one with greatly expanded capacity. A third part of the project, on the same grounds is a new football stadium with all the (Christmas?) bells and whistles.

Listings of local lore on last-minute Viking luck, hashtags Skol and Bandwagon have been seen on sports bar signs, (and also possibly Whatreally?)

Friday, January 19th, 2018

On the Vikings recent playoff last-play luck, most everyone is on the bandwagon, although it still might be considered a crap shoot, as to invoke a popular song back from one of the last days Minnesota was in a Super Bowl, “traveling twice the speed of sound, it’s easy to get burned”:
– The sign a few days ago at Kozy Korner in North Hudson said it all: “We are Saints fans today.” And into tomorrow, as the sign stayed up the day after the close loss. Across the street at the Village Inn, the lot was basically full, even though this was not a Packer game, and the only number of parking stalls available was about equal to the number of losses the Vikings have had this season (not many).
– A new sign inside at The Village, right next to the one listing their specials, and showing a rather dorky guy in a suit who looks like he’s stepped out of the 1950s. “Meet Dick. Dick is a Vikings fan. Don’t be a Dick.” Also don’t be a Dick and give your support to Leigh, the owner, who is on the mend after getting in a snowmobile accident where he broke several ribs and sustained other serious injuries. He is not expected to get out of the hospital until after the Super Bowl is played.
– There was also a full house at Woody’s in Bayport, despite the blowing snow. The crowd was much like a Packer game in that for even the most mundane successes, such as the Vikings getting a first down — whether on a gain of five yards or 15 — the reaction of the crowd was huge. One can only imagine the way they went nuts on that final game-winning play, which was — and I have to say it — what had been an Aaron Rodgers specialty.
– Despite the reversal of fortune for the Vikings in the late-going of playoff games, such as the missed field goals that gave them losses in recent years, not everyone is on the trend that a Super Bowl appearance is a sure thing. My friend Matt fully expects that the Diggs divine display at the end of the Saints game will be followed a meltdown in the game against Philly, which would mean yet another postseason disappointment.
– A company whose specialty is making arrangements for renting out houses for Super Bowl visitors told me we could get up between $1,000 and $1,500 a night for our run-of-the-mill place. And those numbers could go even higher, if the “home team” somehow advances. A rep said that they’re thinking it will the Patriots and Philly, and as far as that goes, Jacksonville has a good team, too. What about the Vikes? After all, they are favored by a point or two in Sunday’s game. Can we get a little love here?!? With all that said, there is a local B and B that is asking a whopping $7,000 a night in order to stay there, as incoming football fanatics get more and more desperate.
– Do you believe in miracles? Officials at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis apparently do, while both looking heavenward and seeing the football head that way. These beliefs were bolstered after the Aaron-Rodgers-like (sorry about that reference) touchdown pass that covered most of the field and allowed the Vikings to advance against all odds to the NFC championship game. Only hours after the play in question, our family that has a member who graduated from that school got an email that specified such a miracle and said it would occur again, as the school announced holding a contest to give away a pair of Super Bowl tickets. Holy smokes!
– It’s still a couple of weeks before the Super Bowl in Minneapolis, but there already are signs of it hitting late night shopping in the area. A clerk reached for one of my night-time munchies to scan it in, and the bottom of her blouse caught on a metal edge and stretched out. She needed to quickly fix that. I quipped, at the risk of being slapped, “we already have a wardrobe malfunction.” She laughed, which these days is not a slam dunk. Copy this to Justin Timberlake, for reference involving his Feb. 4 appearance here.
– Favre jerseys that are now being worn to sports bars during the end of the Packer and Viking seasons have invariably shown him in purple and gold, not green and gold. At least there is that commonality of a Gold Standard, and it started before Green Bay was mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
– The Big Guys BBQ patron bus may have been frozen out in the (recent) cold big time, as it lately has often been parked at one of its new homes, the lot at the Dairy Queen — and its frigid treats inside and out — but way out in back, not by the stop light as in the past.
– Also, from the Fox New Year’s Eve broadcast where noteworthy deaths from 2017 were recognized, these names can be added to the list of celebrities with local ties being reported by HudsonWiNightlife: David Cassidy, who once sung karaoke with my friend and former duet partner Kara, (our choices were from the body of work of Motley Crue), and Gregg Allman, who had been known to party down at Pudge’s, (one wonders what he would think of the new digs, much better than most dugouts. See further). On this topic, also concerning Pudge’s, is the reference to all-star pitcher Jack Morris of the Twins and other teams, who had a favorite spot at the bar there. He was at long last named to the pro baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.
– Switching gears to politics, recently seen late night was a rusty truck that flew a tattered-at-the-bottom American flag from its back payload, which I thought that veteran’s groups say is a patriotic no-no. However, all things considered, this display seemed to be quite fitting …
– So Trump is in trouble, yet again, for using not the F word, but the two-syllable — can I get away with describing it that way? — S and H word when referring to certain countries rife with immigrants. This spurred a debate on the FCC worthy of George Carlin about whether certain some words can be said on the air, and what exactly the word is and type of air (read media) it is on. The odd thing is the censors requiring bleeps have for decades missed certain usages of the F word in popular songs, while being hyper-zealous on others. With that said, HudsonWiNightlife gets bold and notes that there are literally millions of times The Who has gotten away with screaming, “You the fuck are you?” in one of their signature songs. One artist who hasn’t had as much success is Alanis Morrissette, when after a brief period of true First Amendment rights she got censored from posing a different question, “Are you thinking of me when you fuck her?” In my book, that’s the strongest part of an already strong song, You Oughta Know.

This might be your weekend of tried and true music, if you are a gentleman with empty arms or a rough houser

Friday, January 19th, 2018

This weekend is one for oldies (as far as tenure) but goodies as far as music. The Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League is at Juniors in River Falls on Friday, Jan. 19, with an early start at 7 p.m. And for a far different style, at The Willow Inn in Burkhardt, is Empty Arms on Friday night and Rough House on Saturday night. And for even more variety, check out Good for Gary at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night. All this leads into a pair of killer weekends — the next two — of music and other activities at the Hudson Hot Air Affair and the Super Bowl overflow into Wisconsin.

– In the end of this football season that is raining purple, a true blue way to celebrate is the Purple Punch at Woody’s in Bayport, that is made up of Purple Pucker, Pinnacle vodka and citrus soda. Go Vikes!?! While they still can, because the best way to beat a curse is to drown it!

Bungalow Idol is back with a blast; will you be the next singer to move on? Below see the basics for belting out the beat

Thursday, January 11th, 2018

Perhaps the longest-running karaoke contest in the region is back at the Bungalow Inn in Lakeland — after a one-year hiatus — and this Friday is another chance to join the cast of characters who will move on to the finals in early February.
Qualifiers for Bungalow Idol are being chosen each Friday in January, and you could be among the next to join the pair who already made their mark, singing their way to success last weekend. Two qualifiers are chosen each weekend this month, and a total of eight will compete for first-through-third prizes in the last installment.
Bungalow Idol has been held for years, as those who would strive to be like it have come and gone. As one of the frequent participants both there and at other contests that haven’t stood the test of time as well, I respectfully offer a set of tips that might make you the next Kelly Clarkston, so to speak.
First of all, pick a song that’s well-known and not really “out there,” and is, to coin a term, radio friendly. You may have a one-time fave that’s in a specialty music genre, but remember that you may need to come back to the finals with something else on your plate. I learned this fact the hard way, as one time around at a karaoke contest venue, I ripped through Run To The Hills by Iron Maiden, a rendition of mine that has quite a few times literally brought the house down. The karoake-meister was really getting into it, to the point of moshing it up and tweaking the tone of my voice with his sound machine for optimum effect. I thought this was a slam dunk for me, but in the end I didn’t even move on past the initial round. The song was just not well enough known to the average judge.
Another side of that same coin is when a song is difficult enough, again often as a specialty, that you might miss-hit on an occasional word. Simon Cowell isn’t the only one to pay attention to such detail. And as far as detail, it is hard to go wrong by picking out an old school Rat Pack song. There are a lot of participants that can really do Sinatra well — and The Bungalow is no stranger to several of them — and they always seem to get past the first round.
And then, as has been often pointed out to me, there is something that would seem basic, but is frequently a rule broken: Hold the microphone right up to your mouth, and sing into it so you can be heard. This can be challenging if you are roaming around and playing to the crowd — like I once strived to do, while engaging some of the women in the audience to Satisfaction by The Stones. And a flip side to that: Always be sure to finish off your notes.
Lastly, make sure you don’t speak into the microphone to assess your performance if it still might be on. A friend of mine ruined her chances by saying, she thought to herself, “gee I butchered that.” It was audible, to the judges and the audience, and needless to say she didn’t move on to the next round either.
So, I hope that helps you scope out your selections and style, and maybe see you at The Bungalow so I can tell if you followed my primer, or took things in your own direction. (That’s all right too, as the best I’ve ever finished is third). Its also worthy of note that all during the competitions, there are cocktail specials made with Absolut and Grey Goose vodkas. Its OK if you need a bit of calming before getting up the courage to really rock out.
The events each Friday start at 9 p.m., with registration needing to be done by 9:30 p.m. Hope to see you at the finals on Feb. 2.
– Another Friday night option is at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt, with the band Lady Luck, led by the luscious Leisha, who is said to be perhaps the hottest lead singer in the area. You can tell by her online bio, which references “pearls and lace.” And oh, about the music, the band has updated their set list to include creative choices such as Velvet Revolver and Flyleaf.
– Don’t forget that having it being the new year — its here already? — there is the annual One Block Run to benefit charity at noon on Saturday, starting underneath the “Hudson, Wis.” sign leading up the dike road. (It currently has all the letters lit, which is not always the case, in order to light your way). Then after this less than one percent of a marathon to run or walk, be sure to stick around at Dick’s Bar and Grill for all kinds of fun stuff.

Several sets of smokin’ tunes heat up the Hudson Hot Air Affair, or offer the way to be way cool

Thursday, January 11th, 2018

(If you can’t wait until closer to the end  of the month to have the music in you, check out this web site’s Picks of the Week department for a primer on how to make like a rock star and win Bungalow Idol).

While the Hudson Hot Air Affair has a big blow up with the requisite ballooning activities, it also features a wide range of music downtown, in differing styles, and it all follows the Super Bowl theme. (The local event has been moved up a week, to Jan. 26-28, because of the big game in Minneapolis.
The following is a primer for Hot Air Affair music:
– A signature activity is the Taste of the Hot Air Affair, Touchdown Hudson XXIX Edition, with local rockers Boondoggle providing the music. (They will tone it down for this gig so people can converse). The times for this opportunity to sample all kinds of good stuff is 7:30-10:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Boondoggle genre is “variety country/rock. We play music by Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones, Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Dwight Yoakam, and anything and everything around and in-between.” Moreso than almost any band, they cover the gamut of five decades — the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and even the 2000s.
Band members — some local people you may know — are Brent Ackley, Dawn Budrow, Jim Ehlers, John Wolf and Nate Dahl. Their hometown and continuing onward, current location is western Wisconsin, namely St. Croix County. “We like music with good harmonies, dancing beats, lots of telecaster “twang” and hot guitar solos,” they say.
“Boondoggle has been terrorizing the region with loud rock ‘n’ roll and badass country music since 2002,” members say, “playing our version of hundreds of popular songs over more than 200 gigs.” For this gig, they have turned done the volume, so to speak.
They list their band interests as rowdy bars, bachelorette parties, dancin’ fools, wedding dances, barn dances, guitars, cadillacs and cold brewskies. To further the humor they say that they are “just one hit shy of being a one hit wonder.”
– On Friday night, starting at around 9:30 p.m., is the group Junk FM at the Smilin’ Moose. They fire off partygoers’ favorite songs with unexpected twists and surprising changes of pace, sporting a song list as diverse as you will find. They say that on more than one occasion fans have confessed: “Junk FM RUINED some of my favorite songs – when I hear the originals all I can think is ‘I like Junk FM’s version better.’“
With genre-bending mashups and juxtaposing styles, Junk FM just wants to see how ridiculous the dancefloor can get over the course of the night. From Garth Brooks to Lady Gaga in one slamming step, simultaneous Eminem and Green Day, Cee Lo Green meets Rod Stewart, all while stealing your drink!
– But rock music is not all there is at the Hot Air Affair. Anne Deming takes the stage at Urban Olive and Vine from 6-8:30 p.m. Friday. “I write songs and tell stories with my guitar,” Deming says, adding that this is a common genre, with solo guitar plucking being typical, but critics say she also has a voice that carries her to the top of this style.
Seductive and confessional are the adjectives that come to mind when describing these songs. Dealing with life, love, and accompanying emotions, Deming is said to have a voice that comes close to, and stacks up favorably, to a more angelic Natalie Merchant. Standout tracks include the blues oriented “Not The One” and “Talk Me Down,” as well as “Bring Me Happiness,” a gospel-flavored number sung a cappella.
– Also at that Urban Olive and Vine venue, at the same time frame on Saturday evening, is the duo calling themselves Quinn and Meter. Pat Quinn and Peg/M.Etta Meyer perform a wide range of music, including folk rock, traditional and contemporary Irish songs, a few standards and pop favorites, and original material.
– There also is DJ music to dance to on both Friday and Saturday nights at Dick’s Bar and Grill, featuring Ben Michaels, who has been known to throw in some multiple-song mixes, and at The Moose on Saturday, with one of their revolving group of DJs, who always draw a packed house. Both venues have a series of TV screens with videos running in tandem with the songs, adding to the experience.
– Lastly, you can find karaoke at the Hudson Bowling Center on both Friday and Saturdays nights, a two-fer trend that has been rolling out the tunes in that manner for years.
For more information on non-music activities at the Hudson Hot Air Affair, check out the latest edition of Hudson Neighbors magazine, which just hit the bookshelves and mailboxes.

The swagger of the 80s, flanked by music of the 70s and 90s, too, is on tap, also bringing in styles you don’t always see

Thursday, January 4th, 2018

Its all about the 80s and more this weekend:
– When is the last time you found yourself dancing in your seat, to the music of the 70s, 80s and 90s? This could be the time, when Rock Brigade performs at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Saturday night, Jan. 6. They do rock and a bit of country, played with what the members claim is an accuracy that will have you thinking the original band showed up on stage. Rock Brigade will make you laugh, as a way to get away from the seriousness of day-to-day life, with what they say are some of the most outrageous rock star costumes, changed frequently, and antics you have ever seen in a local venue.
– They claim to bring to the stage sexual magnetism, exceptional personal hygiene and more importantly the music of the 80s. What makes the M8Ds even more different is that they bring a pop-punk twist to songs of that decade. See for yourself when they play the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night.

A fabulously frigid NYE, found the return to the 1990s meant few had the mettle to bare their midriffs, but opted for warmer metallic styles

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018

The frigid temperatures on New Year’s Eve had a definite chilling effect on fashion, bucking the trend in recent months of women dressing down — meaning some had been showing a little more skin, to the point of sporting bare midriffs again.
On this night, however, it wasn’t until about 1:30 a.m. that I saw my first little black dress, on a woman coming out of the Agave Kitchen, as there were very few skirts to be seen anywhere, unless they had thick leggings underneath. More popular, and perhaps a bit warmer, were blouses and legwear that were gold-foil and metallic-glitter dominated. A different twist was the head-to-toe seamless garment of a woman at Dick’s that had a similar gold glow, but was much more sleek and thin-fabriced.
My vote for the best use of what is mentioned above, is a woman who did indeed wear a short skirt, along with black boots, but one leg had black tights and the other gray, along with a plaid sweater. As they ducked out of Pudge’s and headed north, she complained that she was so cold her legs and face were frozen. The answer: They hopped to it and headed for entry into the Hop & Barrel brewery just up the street. They perhaps should have been joined by some of the Twin Citians, who were much more abundant than local regulars on this night, and were out on the street without coats.
But when it comes to outrageousness in style, you can’t beat the Smilin’ Moose. In the back end of the dance floor, there was a woman showing off her belly, with the word “chaos” written twice on her upper shirt, one time for each breast. A short distance away, another patron was attracting attention for the look on the other side of her dress, a backless style that ran all the way down to near her tailbone. More traditional there was a guy decked out in a three-piece suit that made him look like he might be just coming from church, except that his stylish buttondown shirt was black. The place was packed to the point that one section where there normally are almost a dozen tables, had them all removed to create more space. Across the way, someone was trying to negotiate her way through the packed dance floor while carrying a tray of shots. Good luck with that. That also was needed by the person crossing the street to get to The Moose while using a walker. Better luck with that outside than in.
But back to Pudge’s. A crew of almost a dozen people there lined up for the biggest selfie ever — OK, they did get someone else to take the shot for them. Just ask the guy on the end who for some reason was pointing at the back wall when the flash went off.
On the topic of photo opps, a woman at Agave had a tight belt around her waist that accenting her celebrity look-alike status. Namely, it made her booty appear to have the same shape and size of Kim Kardashian.
Lastly, I encountered a Minnesotan at around 2 a.m. who was concerned about her having time for last call. Uhm, no problem, since this is Wisconsin, where bars can stay open on New Year’s Eve until its so far into New Year’s Day that none of the drinkers can remember New Year’s Eve.

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