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The kids and their toys will benefit this Christmas season, because of a benefit at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt that’s being held because some adults were not naughty but nice at playing some of their games.
The fifth annual dart tournament in memory of Dan Anderson and Tom “Blackie” Bednarek is Saturday, Dec. 6. It is a luck of the draw, casino style event and the children are the ones who really get lucky, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Toys for Tots. There is an 11 a.m. signup, and dart tossing starts at noon. Entry fee is $10, and it includes meat and prize raffles, and of course the toy drive. People can still donate gift baskets and gift cards to be used for the raffle if they act fast. Call Bryoni Eggenberger at (715) 808-5358, or Chad Bednarek at (651) 208-5079.
While you are there on Saturday, why not stay and check out the band that comes on at about 9:30 p.m. and do some dancing to wear off that post-holiday turkey, with a group that has a name befitting the onset of the deer hunting season. They are Buck Tucker, a longtime favorite here, bringing their variety of country, and mixing in other styles, to the Willow.
— The Smilin’ Moose again hyped up its number of people on stage at once — count ’em, eight musicians, and I hear that there are sometimes even more — when the Bad Habits Brass took the stage last weekend. Three of them constituted a horn section, and because of the sheer number of players, it was kind of hard to see the drummer in the background, (that’s probably OK, once most drummers I know shun the limelight). While new at the Smilin’ Moose, the band can be seen regularly at various venues in downtown River Falls, especially Shooter’s Pub.
— Jawsy, a band that features singer Amanda, filled the house at the Village Inn in North Hudson last week. They started their second set with a song that’s been done by a few staple artists in the area in recent times, the one about “99 Red Balloons.” The buzzy, long bass chords on that song complimented Amanda’s singing style well, and it was followed by a couple of lesser known songs featuring a different, plucky then jangly guitar style. Although they are not playing as frequently of late, you can still catch Jawsy on occasion at The Village or Dick’s bar and grill. They also play the Beach Bar in Lakeland, Minn., on Saturday, Dec. 13, with a jaw-dropping 8:30 p.m. start.

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