There is lots of music to be thankful for over the holiday, and much of the rockin’ starts out early in the evening:
— A band that is relatively new to the area, Moonlight Mirage, brings its variety dance band music to the Village Inn in North Hudson on Saturday, Nov. 30, starting at 8 p.m. They are constantly adding new songs, and those you are likely to hear include those by the late Amy Winehouse, the Foo Fighters, Little Big Town, Kesha, ELO, Katrina & the Waves, and the B-52s.
— There is a doubleheader of the band Practical Goods this weekend, Friday at Dick’s Bar and Grill from 6-9 p.m. and Saturday night at Guv’s Place in Houlton. The married couple, who hail from Hudson, play all kinds of venues including wine bars and fairs and festivals all around the St. Croix Valley and Twin Cities metro area — and even in Austin Texas. The duo features original music by Sarah Van Valkenburg and also “red dirt” Texas country as well as other country music styles, and mixes in Americana and some rock.
— Singer and guitarist Kyle Kohila also played Guv’s on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and his sets included an acoustic version of Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC, as only he could do it, followed by a rocking out take on Folsom Prison Blues by Johnnie Cash, and then a tune that smacked of slide guitar in Mother by Pink Floyd.
— Various venues were closed for Thanksgiving Day, but some were operating on a kitchen-only basis, most notably the free sloppy joes at Kozy Korner in North Hudson. Also, the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt offered a complete turkey dinner, as well as the band The Mayer Brothers on “Thanksgiving Eve.”
— Dick’s had a deejay extravaganza on Thanksgiving Eve, and it featured a rare all-request night.