Mountains of mini-balloons, some with hundreds or more of sparkly things adorning them, are Stayin’ Alive in 2025 as they started appearing around town right after New Year’s, which is in itself the queen of sparkle. Just check out, and claim your steak, the front window(s) at Bennett’s Chop and Railhouse, and other event sponsors.

You can see that influence, like an Old School supper club vibe, as mentioned below, in the theme ala theme of an event that’s being redone now 40 or so times running. Via like Steve Vai — who also recently played Wisconsin — bands who have been there, done that.

So, it is that time of year again, for the regionally-crucial Hudson Hot Air Affair ballooning event of the winter, like we needed to tell you that, although the temps have been very mild at some times, and if the breeze matches, it will thereby bode well for, again, their 40 or so envelopes to go postal and deliver with actual launches. We’ll see if the skies agree, and reveal a disco ball, all this coming weekend.

Again, this year’s theme is an oldie but goodie. And it’s where the glitz comes in. It’s a simple theme, actually, just Stayin’ Alive in 2025. You might need their help for that, these days.

To wit, the old Empourium in the town of Hudson across from the iconic truck stop brings back the heyday of Hudson rock ‘n’ roll — country too — with the solid, legendary and longtime band Austin Healy, for a Saturday night after-glow as in the Moonglow-shot-and-show, after all the ballooning events are done for the early evening. They play the various old and new sub-genres of country music, even as it crosses into rock, like they’d never missed a rehearsal, going back to the days of George Strait. This is a venue that more and more people are making it a point to check out, hello decades-back-Hastings Tom and crew, with its big ballroom, and make it a renewed and party part of their music-taking-in rotation.

Austin Healy has covered numerous country rock songs online — and don’t forget Dirty White Boy by Foreigner — and then there was a couple of years ago, with Have U 8 Yet, with no vocals (unusual for them) and complex grooves right off the bat and sustained. It smacks of Once Bitten, Twice Shy, and as for Foreigner, that song is and has been in my head lately.

Dick’s Bar and Grill has a relatively new deejay — so if you were at the balloon fest last year there is something new to check out — helping build a brand new clientele, both Friday and Saturday night, and he gets by with a little help from his (dancing) friends, under the lights shaped a bit like balloons. He specializes in urban-style dance music such as hip-hop and rap and funk and more until its doors shut, as many as six of them, and there is crossover as you may hear Eminem meet Twenty Dollars in my Pocket. You can check your cross necklace at the door.

The Smilin’ Moose Lodge Bar and Grill offers quality deejay music, which has old standbys a lot, in keeping with a Way Back theme, and such accompanying entertainment every weekend, and the party always keeps on running in the manner of a late last call. They also get the party started, on Thursday evening with karaoke, one of the longest lasting stints for such that’s running right now in Hudson.

But no one can challenge the karaoke run, going on for many years straight if you discount a brief hiatus during the pandemic, at Hudson Bowling Center in a much more intimate setting via the plaza lounge. It’s Saturday starting at (around) 9:30 p.m. all around the arch at mid-bar range, and entailing many flashy singers in an area directly opposite the alleys, open too.

Ziggy’s Hudson has music every day of the week, except maybe some Monday, often in the lower level with smaller and tighter groups, and up top with full bands among the lumber on weekends. Going on this weekend are Coconut Tiger on Friday night and Pop Syndrome on Saturday night.

Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse, just north of the village, and the Willow River Saloon over west in Burkhardt, also have bands in full stature on the days that constitute the weekend, both using a raised platform to push up the stage. And both have that roadhaus feel.

At Big Guys, the band known by Let ‘Er Rip will rip through it on Friday night, with the group 8-Foot-4, which always seems to make a showing at such festivals, going on Saturday.

Shift across-country to the Willow River Inn in Burkhardt — and also if early on the adjoining Carbone’s Pizza — with the old gents of Rizer. Not Rise Against. There is no word on what might be happening on Saturday, with the Super Bowl coming … 

Hop N Barrel Brewing Company offers some of the earliest music in the weekend, from 7-9 p.m. Friday, in the form of Sten Carlson with a Scandinavian vibe. Then get up early the next morning for not just the balloon launches, but a bean bag contest operated indoors, a rarity, in the big back room. Signup is around 10 a.m. with tossings starting at noon. They continue to roll out new craft brews regualrly with parties on that kind of theme, and new to their big front window right now are vibish signs for Zorro Rojo, showing a ranger cat with weapon, and Dock’s, an IPA being held by a man wearing baseball hat, sunglasses and T-shirt.

Other event sponsors in the nightclub realm include, also across-country are Cheap Andy’s Saloon in Hammond and related Nutty Squirrel Sports (again) Saloon, and back in Hudson, Jonesy’s Local Bar and Grill, and downtown, Lucky Guys Distillery and Pedro’s Pizza Lounge.

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