It’s North Hudson versus North Dakota.
When the UW Badger women’s hockey team travels to Fargo for postseason play, it can be a long haul, so along the way, the band will haul in their horns for pizza at Kozy Korner.
The Badger marching band will for certain be at Kozy at 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 6, unless a flat tire or some act of God delays them, the locals say, as they will be on their way heading northwest, rather than on their return trip home.
Then there is the weekend. If the Badgers win on Saturday, they hit the arena in Fargo again on Sunday. In that case, they would make their way back to Kozy after the game, arriving at 7 or 8 p.m. It’s hard as the ice of the rink to say exactly when, as the trip from North Dakota can bring blizzards or just plain long miles.
If the Badgers lose on Saturday, they’ll take a different route home, and that would mean the earlier performance at Kozy would be a one-and-out.
Twenty to 25 band members typically sign up to go westward, as there is a minimum and maximum number for the trip. Once here, they’ll play for 15 minutes — about three or four songs worth — then chow down amongst the locals, and finally play for another five minutes or so.
With the close proximity that comes from two dozen band members and their instruments, wherever you sit, you’ll be rubbing elbows with a Badger band member. The members obviously love the pizza and other food because as owner Ryan points out, hey, they keep coming back. Another draw is that they see player photos on the wall and comment, “hey, we know this guy.”
— On the other end of the music spectrum locally, and with another Fargo connection, Maverick’s Corner Saloon in downtown River Falls has its regular “mix” of deejay music on Thursday and Friday nights. On Thursday, its K-Drive, who lists his hometown as Rotterdam and is known for playing hard electro sounds. Then on Friday, its DJ-Wissota with his yes, “Sconnie Sound.” Born in Eau Claire, he cut his teeth in the Fargo bass music scene and is known for being a polite entertainer who forsakes all the attitude as much as a turntablist dealing largely with funk and electronic dance music.
— For yet another different turn on the music, since there will be much more than just live bands, check out the fifth annual Roots and Bluegrass Music Festival in River Falls on April 9-12. Also on tap are a flatpicking bluegrass contest that is billed as being championship caliber and the only one of its type, and a music instrument appraisal where you can find out how much that antique stringed or wind instrument you have is worth.