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The Badger State beckons all comers — Come Together Right Now — as the Biggest Bar Night Of The Year and before bellies up with bands, and you can’t do that right now in the Twin Cities. So we are a Beacon, in more ways than one, and read on to see what that means.

For the for-now-still-open bar scene in western Wisconsin that is taking the place of the Minnesota shutdown, it is go south then go north to hit all the happenings as we approach another huge holiday.
And if you have been living in a cave, (more on that later), you need to know that basically all on-site bar business in the Twin Cities is now off-limits, which means that people will be streaming to St. Croix County like has not been seen until before the drinking age was made uniform, (again more later).
And the mask-or-die principle has re-engaged a fire storm on social media in the St. Croix Valley, state versus state. As one commentator said: “They are going to be celebrating while people (here) lay dying.”
With that said, here is the way you at least for the moment — as Wisconsin tends to follow what Minnesota does — can still musically Beat It. “Fight the hoards (not likely anymore), sing (maybe) and cry (over lost concert time) …” And you listeners of KQ know that this song has been played over and over under a new format (again in a later post).
But for now, the Biggest Bar Night Of The Year, and the entry weekend that will lead up to it starting on Saturday as places tend to meld toward the weekend day that is closest to the actual holiday, is still in place in the Badger State.
But we will go in reverse order in hitting home with the party scene. When is the last time a deejay was on board for a full six hours — short of possibly New Years. That will be the case at T-Buckets near Somerset from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thanksgiving Eve with DJ Jeff. And if you need more, there is an accompanying pajama party. Makes me think about an album cover on display at Ziggy’s in Hudson showing Lita Ford spilling out of her corset. Lingerie might be fair game (and this is a day of big game) if its warm. And as far as Lita, loved karaoke singing to the duet with Ozzy to that Close My Eyes Forever song. And maybe at T-Buckets …
And across the way at Shuggy’s in Hammond, there will be bands both that night and the Saturday before .. Maybe can even catch what has become the house band, Fog Pilot.
Go now down south and its Ziggy’s again, with the veritable Twin Cities cover band Uncle Chunk — can’t play there right now and did they see this coming? — on Thanksgiving Eve (for the uninitiated, that’s Wednesday night). Their web site shows the Hudson-based band Buck Tucker on a video, which is perfect for right before hunting. And the weekend before it is Skitzophonic, with a singer that looks just like alt-punk, and the return after only a short wait of Wisconsin’s own Apollo’s Beacon, with this time getting the spelling right, (not two pp’s, as that would be an app). But the Smilin’ Moose, no bands for now, as the figureheads are from Minnesota.
Now I gotta rag on a few people, who have been not so kind to HudsonWiNightlife … sniff, sniff. As you go north as village people, check out the signs of the times. You can find the ultimate deer hunter widow dart tourney and also a classic band, which will have a couple bucks knocked off if you bring a banana — that is so old school, if you remember past Dibbo’s days before the millennium turned, There Will Be Fighting In The Streets, With Our Children At Our Feet, (Minnesotans sometimes bring them with). And if you go to Kwik Trip and get their 40-or-so day-old bananas for a buck, you and your limo driver and guests (Mister Take Us To The Show), can get the discount and even more than a Nickelback total.
Why coy with where and when? Its a song and dance as old as the first publishing efforts, by cave man Unk on the wall, As Another Brick In The Wall, hold out and maybe he’ll give you a short shout-out for free. That said, can you simply say not good business but cheap (did I say that, sorry Leigh. You’re no Lita). But I will name Village Liquor and their just now available as we speak, a French wine that could be your next Beau. That starts its name and it ends with Nouvena … The sign hawks it as of the 19th.

Late breaking. The Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt still has been having bands (plural) each weekend, and they steer toward southern rock. So on Saturday Night Live the band Kinfolk takes the stage … I’m assuming you can’t miss the Sweet Home Alabama tie-in, Taking Me Home To See My Kin, as this is a travel to see the family holiday.

Want more holiday stuff? Food tips will follow before next Thursday, and will get you more dough, which could even be used for bread!

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