First things first, its the summer of Loven Live back to Boardman, and then there’s always Booster Days to give a (rare these days?) boost to live rock and country:
— July First not only brings a harbinger to the Fourth, four days later, but also the return of one-man-bander Jeff Loven to the near-the-cornfield stage at Meister’s Bar and Grill in Boardman. This top Minnesota (and Minnesconsin) act is sure to be joined for a few numbers by Dave, the proprietor, complete with his Elvis suit and songs — but we won’t comment on his hips. And the two each summer, with Sunday in the late afternoon marking the renewing the duo, manage to come up with something different for each individual audience, to the point of having Dave arrive at the cornfield/stage by plane! The show starts in the late afternoon, but get their early to enjoy their food and drink specials.
— But of course, this is the weekend of Hudson Booster Days, and over half of the bands on the fest’s list are new, and in most cases relatively new to the area. That is something the Boosters have been striving for in the past two years, just ask my source Holly Schultz, who also happens to be one of the grand marshals this year at the Saturday morning parade through the downtown. This is a listing of these acts, which usually start late in the afternoon and go through a bit past midnight: (Friday), the country strains of North of Dixie followed by the band Branded; (Saturday), Long Time Gone followed by Yam Haus, (Sunday) The Chubs, then Bigly, then the traditional choice to close Booster Days, Uncle Chunk.
— Yam Haus was the featured band when Hop & Barrel had their “public event” midweek, under a great big Bigtop in their parking lot. A fan who has been a regular on the downtown scene for a few years described The Yams as being “local,” but that means a bit into western Wisconsin. Whatever, they will be In The Haus at Booster Days.
— Speaking about “into western Wisconsin,” there is a bit over year old, wholly happening Honky Tonk in the heart of Hammond, with the signature Schuggies. They had one of their featured bands, Drop Tailgate, last Saturday, and one of the things that made them noteworthy was the female singers totally animated nature, shown mostly visibly when ripping through Gunpowder and Lead. The rhythm guitarist then added in on vocals, with a similar upbeat style, and they often played off each other. You can catch this band again on Saturday night at Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse just north of Hudson, and then earlier on Friday night, for an as advertised “duo,” there is local country and pop strains (did I use that word again?), of singer and songwriter Chaunte Shayne, (who also covers Gunpowder and Lead).

The summer solstice is a time to party with rockers, even if you are not a Druid:
— I remember that back a few years, before hip-hop was truly king, the groundbreaking heavy metal band Queensryche added yet another innovation with a special cable concert themed totally after the summer solstice. Well, apparently that caught on, as when the solstice shone this year, on Thursday, there were all kinds of acts around the metro area who used that as a reason to perform a special gig. And that musical options included karaoke and even open mic nights. One of them was at Dick’s Bar and Grill, who conducted such a jam on the night of, and you could catch them doing it again every Thursday, such as the one coming up, and maybe get an after-the-fact bit of that summer-has-truly-arrived feel. The same is true with the open mic at the Beach Bar across the St. Croix River, only they do it every Wednesday evening — which meant they missed out on any solstice observation by one day, so go there this coming week to check out the newly arrived length of days, meaning more time to sing and play.
— Also as far as summer now here, you might want to go to Broz in River Falls and order an Eberon, a stripped bare version of drink when it comes to its ingredients, making the most of what’s there, but on its flyers showing an ancient sun complete with rays, getting back to the basics and tickling the senses like a summer breeze, they say. Also on that theme, is the mango blonde ale offered locally by the courtesy of Lift Bridge, and also sporting an interesting, if often used, logo of a Tiki head doll. And you can certainly find that blonde, in the name of summer, in that sun bleached variety.
— As far as Lift Bridge, their synergy in this area with radio’s 93-X goes beyond the Brotherhood Beer brewed for the rock station in conjunction with the Stillwater company, and touted by a sexy voiced woman in their ads. If you want both beer and babes, we suggest the annual Booze Cruise on the St. Croix River, coming up next weekend. (You can only get tickets by listening to call-in offers on their station). But they do have one bit in their ads that is over-the-top humorous, saying they’ll have a certain percentage more of various drinks — and capping it off by saying the river has 100 percent more bridges, referring of the course to the St. Croix Crossing near Stillwater that will have to be negotiated for the first time by the Booze Cruise. Nice.

Do you want some World Cup soccer, as it can be viewed without wandering to the Cities? Or how but some (other) country? Hope this is music to your ears:
— Remember when watching soccer on TV was seen as boring and uncool? (For those of you my age, can you recall the media mogul on SCTV?) Well celebrate enlightenment at Buffalo Wild Wings in Hudson from June 14-July 15, when the biggest international soccer tournament there is hits the airwaves (is that the right term when it comes to cable and digital?) Party the whole month by getting five traditional wings for $5 during tourney action, this offered in addition to their “regular-season special” wings of wonder, and in this case World Cup worthy, (see the end of this paragraph), and with world-class seasonings from all over the globe among their dozens. Anyway, for some of the Cup games, which can start as early as 5 a.m. our time, you might have to resort to other metro-area venues, a few of which have altered their hours radically so people can get their kicks even if sleepy and in need of coffee as their beverage of choice. (BWW in most cases opens at 11 a.m.) A couple of the venues across the river, but not from closeby such as the near east metro, even will have meet-and-greets with actual, live pro soccer athletes from the Cities. But take it from that bastion of get-it-right entertainment and sports news, the Pioneer Press — they seemed obsessed with sheer number of TV screens, which is not the end-all, and they didn’t name any local specials, saying they hadn’t been announced yet, even though I have them. But they did list with several paragraphs the various BWW outlets as No. 2 in their best places to watch goals being scored (hopefully a lot of them, so its not, as SCTV so famously said, dull). That apparently was not a concern for a trio of guys on Monday night, who were talking up the merits of a halftime lead. Two were from Florida, where soccer is big, and the guy in the middle had a Hudson Soccer Association T-shirt.

To take it one step further, BWW says that even as posted in Hudson, that they are the Minnesota United FC viewing headquarters for the Gopher State (yes, the state vs. state thing is wrong again), and there are specials to go with their games as well. Namely, $1 off select tall draughts, a chance to play a “kick it” text game for prizes, and at the same time qualify for free socceer gear.
— Sure to make you smile, its Chaunte Shayne and her country strains (some pop too) at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday evening starting early. For purposes of this mini-review of a recent River Falls gig, given good length because she’s local, when Chaunte sang Miranda Lambert’s Gunpowder and Lead, with a manner that also sounded much like Shania Twain, her voice had just the right slight and understated twang, held long enough to slide into the venerable song’s next line. Then meanwhile, and working together with that tone, the position of her right hand holding the microphone freed up the left to do many gestures of caution, as if to say “don’t mess with me!” She has always appeared comfortable and confident while singing, but as time passes, these qualities are showing through more and more. This is especially true in engaging and directing the crowd for sing-alongs, something she does often and provides a vehicle to show her subtle charm. Her sense of clothing style onstage has expanded, from a great look that was often leggy and somewhat saucily scant, to a recent show where she sported a multi-piece shawl that draped over her waist in several downward directions, with different lengths, of which some had enough stringiness at the bottom to look like flapper garb. The whole thing evoked mental images of the wardrobes of her predecessors who were icons as female pop vocalists. (Think Stevie Nicks, to name one). Chaunte and bandmate Hardy on guitar are perfect counterpoints, as Hardy is animated and very active, and she moves a bit more slowly and deliberately, making every motion count, although still using plenty of hand gesturing, in a way that is all her own. But when it comes to the up-tempo parts of songs, by contrast, she can really go on a run.
— At DQ, you can buy any cake for Father’s Day and not be DQ’ed from getting a $5 gift card — even the triple hot fudge mocha supreme?? (As dad loves it over the top, unless his cholestrol is getting to him). And the Hudson Dairy Queen is open to 10 p.m. for a late gift, just in case there is role reversal and dad’s holiday is the one that’s forgotten.
— The Hammond Arts Alliance is sponsoring a tribute to Bruce Foster at, where else, the Foster Hall gallery in the downtown, on June 16 and 17. Featured is the prose of Scott Vetsch at 7 p.m. Saturday and the music of Geno LaFond and Amy Grillo from 8-11 p.m. at the nearby Ras’ venue. Contributors are Leslie Ann Batt-Lutz, Sharon Graham, Carol Freier, Heidi Freier and Rita Marrinan. See, HudsonWiNightlife.com gets way beyond just the western end of St. Croix County in its coverage.
— On Saturday, June 16, its the Pedal Pint ride sponsored by Casanova Historic Liquors, according to its marquee, and even one at Kozy Korner to accommodates it. And we wonder, what type of cycling does this involve? If any??

If you choose to rely on Family Fresh Market in Hudson for your graduation party and Father’s Day needs, you will get a party planning checklist and ordering guide, as well as more than $25 in savings, along with the great food.
Dad, and maybe even the grad, whether high school or college, would love that kind of practicality, all found in their Coulee Road store.
To wit, there is a serving guide for food, often trays of it, offered in-house at Family Fresh that features 11 kinds of delicacy categories that go beyond the usual fare, and also provide a serving guide based on the number of people you will have to serve.
On the next page is their one-stop-graduation-stop that lists a full 27 items that you will not want to forget. You will see advice on decorating, floral, greeting cards, lots of food and beverage, utensils and napkins, and ice.
Across the bottom of both pages are bakery cake and deli order forms.
On the back of the four-page leaflet are three Family Fresh coupons for $5 off each, one for $10 off, and one for $1 off.
Its all just Family Fresh’s way of inviting you to enjoy the summer.

Pea Soup Days in Somerset and June Bug Days in Baldwin are going on simultaneously this weekend, just miles from each other, which is fitting as the bands are largely local:
— The bands at June Bug Days are the throwback to two acts that have been popular for years, pop-ish but with quite a bit of variety under the tent. Rhino is Friday evening and Good For Gary Saturday evening. The variety theme gets pushed even more at Pea Soup Days, starting with Paisan and the Family Brass on Friday night, bringing a whole different sound from Cumberland and after touring several states, with 10 musicians playing many different genres to back their dueling guitarists, then having the acts shifting to youthful and harder rockers Contraband at 8 p.m. Saturday, followed by Sunday’s Regret an hour later, known for their short set breaks, which means lots of music.
— Check out the Fulton Brewing special at Dick’s Bar and Grill, known simply as 300 IPA, and it costs only $4.25. That means that it costs just a bit over 1.33 cents for each one of those 300 (and just what exactly does that number stand for?)

Kick off the summer festival season at Good Neighbor Days in downtown Roberts going on all this weekend, featuring moderate tempo rock bands known locally for many things including their female lead singers.
Requisite local rockers Boondoggle lead off on Friday, playing music from five decades, by artists such as Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones, Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Dwight Yoakam, and there may even be something by the late Tom Petty thrown in. Members are Brent Ackley, Dawn Budrow, Jim Ehlers, John Wolf and Nate Dahl. They are on starting at 9 p.m. and the Boston Haas female trio opens from 7-9 p.m., running roughly the same time as the tractor pull. The annual festival also offers a popular car show, fireworks and of course the grand parade on Sunday, which always proves to be among the most popular offerings.
Also appearing, on Saturday night, is a band that puts the long in longtime tenure of putting out quality rock music to which you can dance, Jonah and The Whales. They have been known for decades for covering artists with styles such as Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga, Pink, C&C Music Factory, Grace Potter, One Republic, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jason Aldean, Owl City and LMFAO.
Another group you can see from western Wisconsin, the Bear Creek Band, masters multiple musical styles, ranging from Hank Williams to Z.Z. Top, Lady Antebellum to Lady Gaga.
Closing out the weekend of music are the Hunyuks and friends, with their light Old School sound, at 3 p.m. Sunday.
— The food is great, patrons say at the Smilin’ Moose, but watch out with the cheese stuffed hamburger. “Great burger but when I bit it, it sprayed hot melted cheese all over me. I will go again but wear a poncho,” added one of those folk, who were responding like typical Cheeseheads (cheddar rather than colby). Could also invoke the old Italian theme from North Hudson — and the Mexican nacho cheese adage from, well, wherever — and get it stuffed with peppers, rather than the Badger State specialties derived from milk.

Feeling Lucky? We have poker night at a new venue and also a “band face” that a mom or grandma could love, but not only them:
— The poker night torch has been passed from the Village Inn, which had it for several months ending about a year ago and attracting lots of shall we say “spirited” Twin Citians, to a place on the other end of North Hudson, the Mallalieu Inn, which now has this going every Tuesday evening.
— At the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt this weekend, there are two bands that you have to take at face value. There is RadioFace on Friday evening, May 25, and The Chubs on Saturday evening. And this is not the thing your grandma used to do when she’d take that face and pinch the chubby cheeks, and say how cute they are, as these guys rock.
— This being Memorial Day, one of the biggest liquor selling weekends of the year and the gateway to the summer selling season, the recently opened Lucky’s Wine and More near Plaza 94, one of their three local locations, is marking the occasion with a big sale with scores of the lowest legal prices on all your favorites. They also offer a 10 percent off sale on a number of products. And on Saturday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. there will be a tasting with a popular national hard seltzer brand, White Claw, that is known for several fruit-infused flavors, with just the right amount of fruitiness to make it tasty but not too tart. The people at Lucky’s also invite you to stop in and try out their selection of local wines, liquors and beers, and it all runs through June 3.
— Since they’re offered at Johnnie’s in River Falls, manage to make it to Moscow Mule Mondays, and get money off in the amount of $1.
— If you can peel away from the venues with less value for fruit, squeeze away to places where that is prized, and get a Bud Lite beer complete with (in what’s an original) orange peels for a different citrus taste, building on their rolling out of their lime infused product.
— The Surly Coffee Bender is part coffee and part oatmeal brown ale. So the idea is to go on a bender by toasting more than one or two, then curing that hangover with some great java and its caffeine. Could be like is said of many coffee-beer combos, simply magical. Or, if the bender part is taken too far, it might be practically “cowboy coffee.” Head to downtown River Falls, north side of the main trail, and see how far you can push this beer and its dark foamy head.

Go visit Johnnie and Mel and the Best of Seven:
— Local country-and-other-styles, saucy singer and songwriter Chaunte Shayne will help you kick the summer off by kicking it at two River Falls clubs, one on each side of the main drag, and also on each side of the Memorial Day three-day weekend. She will be at Johnnie’s (east side) on May 18 and Mel’s Midtowner (west side) on June 3. Get there early in getting this early start to your summer because yes, the shows start early, at 6 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
— Please be privy to a precious pre-PepperFest party, at any of the seven bars in North Hudson! Get free prizes (is that redundant?), special prices on festival entry buttons, and other special deals on Sunday, May 20, from 6-8 p.m. at any or all of those party places you can make. By the way, the real thing runs Aug. 17-19.
— Go for Two. And do it twice. First buy a Monaco cocktail at the Village Inn, which is advertised as providing two shots in each of seven cans, typically utilizing vodka, and some tequila in the mix too. Also consider a double-up afternoon, when paying just a dollar more, on each weekday from 2-4 p.m., good on all domestics and rails.
— Need the time to repair your friend’s damaged relationship, only their at a different bar? The Village also offers to plug in and recharge your cell phone for you, while you — get this — continue talking! Just ask the bartender, uhm, when you’re off with your friend.

Joel Kachel, a VERY original singer-songwriter/performer, considers himself a child of the new ACOUSTIC POP ROCK wave (his emphasis). He’s been around the area, but will take another step and carry his guitar to the stage at the Bungalow Inn in Lakeland on Tuesday, May 15, as this more and more veritable venue continues its Tuesday run with yet another early evening performance. Joel is quite young, (maybe a resemblance to Justin Bieber?), and of course with that comes being energetic and engaging on stage, but already has built up a reputable resume of local and regionally based performances, lots of original-music recordings and CDs, with the help of a master music maker who also has produced such tunes for Miles Davis and Cobie Caillat.

The two-day, three-stage, 40-band, two-Maynard-group, 25,000-plus-fan, low-as-45-degree, and at least one-Scotty Ian-lookalike extravaganza, will hit the Somerset Amphitheater with a Northern Invasion fest on the whole weekend of Mother’s Day, like she’d approve!?! More on that further down.
The traffic to Somerset was stop-and-go starting early Friday evening, all the way back to the 694 bypass, with the first driver of note sporting the same long, stringy beard as the Anthrax frontman. At least the congestion was broken down in spurts by stoplights going through Stillwater, and the first year the new St. Croix River Crossing has been tested by a metal fest.
Other names on the lineup include Avenged Sevenfold, (one of my fave guitar-driven bands), Breaking Benjamin, Black Stone Cherry and Atreyu on Saturday, plus Alice in Chains, (top of my list for grunge), the newly remade Stone Temple Pilots, Black Veil Brides and Andrew W.K. on Sunday.

— The caves have been around for centuries. So was it worth the wait? We may have to wait a bit longer, at least to get the complete picture. For there might be drinks under them there hills, as these are the places where Casanova Historic Liquors and The Nova have held their occasional tastings , but later this Saturday, May 12, its on the patio adjacent to the caves where the wine will flow for people to sample. Rose wine that is.

— This Sunday is Mother’s Day and some local brunches are being offered with items that would make Mom swoon. Food items that is. So here is a sampling of some of the more adventuresome choices you’ll be able to find, among the couple-dozen or more at most venues, and we’ve opened up the geographical area beyond just Hudson to give a wider area a little love. Because mom is all about love.

There is leg of lamb actually hand carved by a host at the West Wind Supper Club in River Falls, along with the standards of roast beef and smoked ham to make three meats that get sliced there, and complement the Swedish meatballs. Across the way at their buffet, the Kilkarney Hills Golf Club presents pesto salmon and apple bourbon pecan chicken (three toppings) among its meats. And at one more golf club in RF, there is house-smoked brisket at part of the brunch. Featured at Mallard’s in Bayport, you might need to shell out a few more clams, but that will include oysters in your buffet. But by comparison in Somerset, at Not Justa Bar and Cafe, there is an unusually sweet deal that joins together six of your favorite meats including the prime rib. Lastly the Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse has in addition to its ribs the flavor of smoky slaw and Snicker salad.

But we really need to go back to West Wind, and add some intrigue on how they could really cater to mom, because we know she can be a rocker, (if for sure not one of Somerset’s Black Veil Brides). At West Wind, when you put together the brunch buffet and dinner buffet, you get at least 12 hours of dining opportunities of that type, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., much more than the ending of 3 p.m. that is typical of most places for mom’s brunch. At West Wind they do that same timing, but then also for five hours starting at 4 p.m., switch over slightly from a brunch buffet to dinner buffet format. The rub here is that there are enough time options, some of them for late in the day at the time bands typically hit the stage, for mom to have her buffet, then head on over to the Northern Invasion and have her music too. The same schedule of hours is true for attendees of what’s become a tradition at West Wind, the UW-River Falls graduation buffet, held on Saturday, May 12. This buffet has in addition, starting at 2 p.m., “endless options, featuring unlimited slow-roasted prime rib.” As they say at West Wind, especially after commencement, let’s meet up.