To start the list of who to see this weekend, you have to find some “Common Ground,” on which we all can agree is musical quality. So here goes:
— My friend Jake is the lead singer for the group Common Ground, which plays Dibbo’s on Saturday, and says they are steering more toward modern rock with new songs added to their set list. That’s big for a group whose singer Jake used to be a bit more of a headbanger when with “Lasher: Scarred by Metal,” even to the point of pulling off songs like The Trooper by Iron Maiden.
Common Ground, of course, is more about the ’90s and today, and they’ve had some interesting facets to their performances at Dibbo’s of late, which have been many and well-received. They get my kudos for originality in their song choices by tearing through Tie Your Mother Down by Queen, and Jake has played a double lead with the guitarist on his keyboard, and even soloed, to songs such as Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith.
Like the group Mock Star two weeks before them at Dibbo’s, Common Ground gets the audience involved. When a request came for Girls, Girls, Girls, the band members said they knew parts of that Motley Crue song, but not others, so they asked the women who asked for it to come onstage and help out. They did, and gave a respectable showing. At one other show, they rewarded two women who had danced all the way through a set with a couple of drinks — ordered via Jake over the microphone in his role as frontman.
— At Hefty’s Roadhouse in Bayport at 8 p.m. Saturday is Timbre Creek with Dale Martell and Pat Cutler. They will do not only Irish songs, but folk, rock and bluegrass, and Martell — who also does music lessons and production — has even been known to pick up the mandolin and fiddle and venture into other diverse genres of music such as Old Time, country and jazz.
— Irish music, of course, is not new to the area. The Mouldy Figs have played the Village Inn in North Hudson, sometimes to warm up the crowd before Packer games, and at Paddy Ryan’s the groups playing that style of music have included Todd Menton and also The Langer’s Ball.

The other day I stopped at a local watering hole and talked to the bartender, a friend I’ve known for several years named Josie Batchelor, only to find that without knowing it we’d actually crossed paths much earlier, the common denominator being music and a local drummer/singer who died way too soon.
I told Batchelor that night that she may not know it, but I’ve developed a reputation for singing with hard rock bands, that even has led to people paying me to go on-stage at open-mic nights and sing their favorite screamer.
Really, Batchelor replied, adding that in a lower key way she’d done the same thing, going years back. It started with her hanging out regularly on Thursday nights at Dibbo’s when the house band was an eclectic and very talented quartet called Captain i.
It turns out that we many times had sat just tables away from each other, then independent of one another engaged in conversation with the drummer, Jason “Ozzie” Oswald, who we both found out these years later was a mutual friend. It wasn’t long before I’d be taking a few turns singing heavy metal standards with Ozzie — whose band got me started doing these impromptu gigs — and whose calling card was that he not only pounds the skins, but sings at the same time.
So, I asked, how is Ozzie these days?
Haven’t you heard, came the response. He was killed in a local car crash. Late this November was the one-year anniversary.
In honor of Ozzie’s passion for music, initial plans were made to set up a band program where disadvantaged kids could obtain instruments was set up at New Richmond High School, where he attended not too many years ago.
When reached by phone, the band director, Matt Mealy, said he couldn’t confirm if such a thing had ever come to fruition, but he could confirm Ozzie’s passion for music. In fact, they were friends while growing up.
Captain i soon gained notoriety for its mix of songs and its antics onstage. To have a drummer sing lead vocals was unusual in itself, but there also was guitarist Nate, a stocky man who played barefoot while wearing shorts, even in winter, and careened nearly out of control back and forth during solos — at one point doing a sponatenous half-stage-dive. But shortly after they had recorded a CD — before that was something you could do yourself in unspectacular fashion — the band broke up just when they seemed headed for big things and were getting media attention that included tons of airplay on numerous college radio stations.
But when they were in their heyday of local performances, Batchelor and I ended up at the sessions because of mutual friends, who also knew the band. One of my best buds, Shawna, knew all those guys and the Thursdays on which we got together — and for a good year it was each week — became something to look forward to.
Shawna had heard me sing karaoke, but nothing more. So one night when it was slow, and Ozzie asked the crowd if there were any special requests, I just had to respond, “do you known any Black Sabbath?” You know, songs by that other Ozzy?
“We know Paranoid,” he responded.
“Can I sing it?” I dangled the idea.
It took a bit of persuation, but Ozzie let me come on stage.
One of his band members wasn’t too certain. “If it turns out that you suck, we’re gonna kick your butt,” he upped the ante.
Moments later, the band’s guitarists were laying down the song’s trademark, fuzzy introductory grooves, and my mind went blank.
I turned back toward the drum kit and asked Ozzie: “How do the words start?”
He frowned, and you could tell he thought I was just another wannabe. Then he spelled out the song’s first line for me.
To make the story short, I got my act together, and the newly energized crowd ended up spontaneously dancing, and a friendship was forged.
After Captain i disbanded, I ran into Ozzie periodically and always asked the same question — when are you getting the band back together? I told him that when he did, I wanted to blog about it.
Ozzie frequently said that he eventually had grown weary of the rigors of both playing the drums, vigorously and with a lot of extra fills, and singing as well. He wanted to be in a group where he could just be the drummer.
About a year ago, I kept running into him at County Market in Hudson, where he worked in the deli but people kept asking him about music. At first, the talks were lighthearted, such as when Ozzie asked rhetorically they were going to get some better canned music to play over the loudspeaker. And who would be the next Guns ‘N Roses-type big thing.
However, he soon started telling me that he indeed was going to be playing in a new band, and he seemed to be gaining a new energy over the prospect. He assured me he would let me know when it came to fruition.
Because of last November’s crash, we never got a chance to have that conversation.

Sing a tune in honor of bands both local and national:
— Wednesday lived up to its reputation as one of the biggest party nights of the year when James Zachary played at Uncle Mike’s Em Pour E Yum, with music that could best be described as from American-made artists. There can be exceptions, though, with James, such as songs from Nickelback out of Canada, Green Day and Black Eyed Peas.
— Ah yes, Nickelback. I my early days as a reviewer, I was in occasional contact with people from their initial record label in New York, Roadrunner Records, which later went on to feature many prominent metal and hard rock acts. I even got the label’s promo materials and demos in the mail. Some cool free stuff.
— A Willy Nelson tribute band, Billy and the Willie’s, also took the stage on Wednesday at the Village Inn, featuring a female singer, and not one, not two, but three male musicians who I swear look just like Nelson himself, plus a very creative use of keyboards. There was plenty of room for requests and dance music, and the band even tried to get the proprietor to come on stage and sing some Travis Tritt.
— To change styles, how would you actually define “thrash?” One beautiful girl band member, who said she gave up the ghost a half-year ago because of the constraints of her day job, offered a wide-ranging answer to that question in a recent conservation at Dick’s Bar and Grill. We both love the old school metal, but she said that even Joan Jett’s sharp-edged lyrics could fit that “thrash” category. Metallica beware!
— Has anyone seen Kami out and about? One of the last time’s I encountered her was when planning what was her somewhat annual post-Thanksgiving party. It was billed in a way we all can relate: After tolerating your weird relatives all day on Thursday, spent some time with people you really like afterward. And her place was just up the hill, only a little bit, from the bar district, very conveniently along Third Street near the fire hall. And Kami, if you bring back this bonanza, this time I promise not to loose my keys enroute and have to try to bum a ride.
— Since it’s hunting season, I offer this tale: In order to backtrack to Hudson after socializing at Woody’s Bar and and Grill in Bayport, I swing around the entire four corners of a block to return to the main drag, an area frequented by deer. One time recently, a young buck ran a short distance ahead of my car and before I could even turn on my blinkers, turned corner after corner to keep running in front of me. Apparently — how appropriate — a deer with a death wish!
— Talk about being two-faced, or having eyes in back of your head. A man taking in pre-holiday music at Dick’s, with a bald head and just a bit of facial hair, had the face of a skull tattooed on the back of his head. All the better to see the band with!

Three’s a crowd, so here are the top two things to do while parting in Hudson this coming week.
— If you’be been at Dick’s Bar at all in recent months, you’ve probably met Amanda, one of the bartenders. You have a chance to see her again, in a different capacity, on Wednesday when her new band, Smirk Worthy, plays its first gig. Amanda says they can’t be pigeon-holed into any one genre, but that their play list is much like that of The New Skinny, songs that you have not heard for a while, but soon recognize as your toes start tapping. Despite that, don’t think for a moment that they’ve forgotten about the classics. Amanda says that as its lead vocalist, she wants to put a more female twist on many songs that usually are sung by men. That’s worth a smirk. Music starts at Dick’s at 9:30 p.m.
— The band Mock Star gets all dressed up in their rock musician personas and plays Dibbo’s on Saturday night, Nov. 3, in another return engagement that will no doubt feature their unique approach. While they are heavy into “Dibbo’s style” hard rock from its heyday, they know just about anything you can ask to be played and encourages such requests, while at the same time isn’t shy about bringing people on stage. Their theme says it all: “You aren’t just with the band … you’re in the band.”

Here is a listing of some of the best Halloween partying to be done in Hudson:

— Why enter the Halloween costume contest, or just watch the fun, at Ellie’s on Main on Saturday night? Owner Gregg Ellstrom says there are no shenanigans, and people say they like the bouncers and how they conduct themselves in what is a fun and friendly atmosphere. The big patio, complete with roof and bar, doesn’t hurt either.
Prizes for costumes get into triple digits: $100 cash for first, $100 bar tab for second, and $25 cash for third. The deejay again will determine the winners, based on crowd reaction, near the end of the evening.
Last year, there were 25 to 30 contestants, and the place was very near capacity all night, as people checked out the costumes. Check with the deejay to register.
— In the party at Guv’s Place, which gives the option of a Friday night contest, about 90 percent of the people typically show up in costume and its packed.
The band Off the Record will play from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., and prizes are given by categories such as best costume or most creepy attire; the exact types of categories differ each year and are finalized on the night of the party.
Prizes are in cash or bar tabs, some are given out to patrons selected at random, and there are drink specials.
— Trips to Vegas, Hawaii and big cash prizes are on tap at the annual Halloween Bash at Junior’s Bar and Restaurant in River Falls on Saturday, starting at 9 p.m. and hosted by radio station KDWB in a 21-and-over event. Fifteen dollars gets patrons all they can drink on rails and selected taps.
The sexiest costume gets the trip to Cancun, and the best costume a trip to Hawaii, with the second place finishers in each category also going to Vegas, and three winners chosen at random during the course of the evening getting a trip to Vegas, as well. The best group gets a $500 bar tab.
Join Crisco and KDWB, and indulge in some of thousands of jello shots for $1 each. There is free “wop” when you walk in the door, while it lasts. Junior’s is at 414 S. Main St. in River Falls.
— The New Skinny, a rock band of Hudsonites, will play at the Halloween Party at Dick’s Bar on Saturday, and drummer Brando got in the act early last weekend by donning a flowing and flaming red cape with a Jagermeister logo. A costume party will be offered. Then next Wednesday on Halloween itself, music will be provided by Brian Naughton.
— Manager Chuck McGee said Halloween parties at Dibbo’s, for $400 in prizes, are fun because people are very bold and often sexy in how they dress up, and can be quite creative — or downright weird, in a good way. It’s obvious that they put time and energy into making the costumes. We both remembered the guy at a Dibbo’s party who dressed up as a “shower,” complete with a curtain hung by rings encircling his head and a faucet right next to his nose. And there always seems to be someone dressed as a member of KISS, and they do it well because they already have the gear, or as a Playboy Bunny.

The band Gel will play all during the Saturday night party at Dibbo’s. They are veterans at Dibbo’s, having been booked regularly for years, and play a wide variety of ’90s and current rock, without relying too much on the overplayed standards. Think Fuel, Weezer, Bush, Candlebox, Disturbed, Nine Inch Nails and Green Day. They always bring a crowd.
Dibbo’s encourages people to put that effort into making costumes with prizes that include $250 for best costume, $100 for second and $50 for third. There is no cover charge and there of course are Halloween Horror drink specials.

— An appearance by Mix 105 radio is a highlight of the free pumpkin party at Camp St. Croix on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There also are many other activities, including horse drawn wagon rides and pony rides, petting zoo, a magician and pumpkin decorating. At 11:30 a.m. there is a pet costume contest, and at noon the kids get their costume contest.

In which nightclub did this occur?

In order to see if your guess is right, check next week’s edition.

One of the comely bartenders at this joint takes a microphone and sings along to a rap song to the patrons — all while strutting across the top of the bar.

Good luck guessing!