When talking about Rudy Rudesill, who plays The Bungalow Inn in Lakeland this Tuesday from 5-7 p.m., it is hard to find a more varied list of bands and styles that are near and dear to a performer. Despite this resume, he still is much more humble than many musicians, not into self-promotion and definitely not a diva. “I guess this is the part where I tell you a little about myself,” he wrote to start off his home page. “I am a guitar player-singer songwriter born and raised in the country between Baldwin, WI and River Falls, WI. In 2006 my wife Nancy and I relocated to Woodbury, MN where we lived for seven years before I moved back to my hometown of Baldwin which is where I still reside.”

His influences in music have varied greatly throughout the years: Growing up listening to Gospel and old classic country, to today, taking in all kinds of singer-songwriters, bluegrass, blues, country, rock or whatever strikes him. Along the way, favorites have been southern rockers like The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Add in songwriters like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, John Prine and Guy Clark, to name a few. And of course many older rock and rollers like The Stones, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and probably his all-time favorite, The Grateful Dead. You can see all kinds of this on Tuesday, although its hard to fit them all in.
“I got my first guitar as a teenager and have always enjoyed playing and singing. I learned how to sing in a country church where my family was very involved … This is where I learned to harmonize and loved the sound … with another person or in a choir,” Rudy Rudesill wrote.

For Thanksgiving, they have the meats and music, the more the merrier:
— At Season’s Tavern in North Hudson, this will be their first-ever Thanksgiving buffet, workers say, with reservations available for usage from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The buffet costs just $18, ($10 for children 12 and under), and what really makes this a value is that those prices include a non-alcoholic beverage, and you can get one of those for the kids, too. (Although the adults could also order one of their signature Bloody Marys). You will have all the requisite Thanksgiving items people clamor for: Roasted turkey and stuffing, mashed potatos and gravy, wild rice pilaf, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and even a relish tray assortment and two kinds of desserts, pumpkin bars and apple crisp. Call (715) 386-8488 for reservations.
— To get an even earlier start at that same cost, starting at 9 a.m. and running until 2 p.m., try the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt, where you can get a buffet with 11 kinds of meat — multiples of everything from surf and turf, to poultry (turkey of course heads the list), brunch-style favorites and meaty comfort food. When the chefs add in their other items, the volume of food choices available swells to double the number of just meats. Call (715) 386-2201 for reservations. And don’t forget that on the eve of the holiday, to work up an appetite or wear it off in advance dancing, you can come listen to the country music, and related types of popular tunes, of James Zachary. Twas the night before Thanksgiving …
— Meanwhile at Dick’s Bar and Grill, they are changing it up on Thanksgiving by having the kitchen opening at 8 a.m., then shutting down at 2 p.m. But wait, there is pizza available in the bar until closing time 12 hours later, at 2 a.m. On Wednesday, there is a pre-Thanksgiving celebration with unspecified activities starting at 3 p.m. They have revealed that they are featuring the usual “tokenomics” until 6 p.m., with deejay music with Ben Michaels to follow starting at 10 p.m.
— To get an even earlier jump on your holiday, take in Kurt Jorgensen at The Bungalow Inn on Tuesday from 5-7 p.m., for a taste of light rock, blues, pop, and soul and a self-described “southern kissed” classic rock sound. The Minnesota Music Awards has presented him with singer, entertainer, songwriter, album (as he’s done at least eight) and song of the year.

Let’s face it. Self-deprecating humor aside, Radio Face looks like a hit:
— They may not bill themselves this way, or give themselves enough credit, but they are not unattractive people. Playing the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt for perhaps the first time, at least with this lineup and/or name, on Saturday night, Nov. 18, is the group Radio Face.
— New to the game locally is the band Uncle Mike and the Mason Jars (no relation to the Uncle Mike at the Uncle Mike’s Em Pour E Yum in the town of Hudson). The aforementioned group will be featured on Saturday at a fundraiser to aid homeless people, for Grace Place and Serenity House, that also features tastings of wine, beer and spirits from some of the best, mostly local vendors — seven in all — and a silent auction. It will be held at Ready Randy’s banquet and catering center just south of New Richmond. This is a 21 and over event and runs from 6-9:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the sponsoring venue, or the two places that are benefactors, for $35 in advance or $40 at the door.
— On tap at Pudge’s Saloon and Eatery is BBA ale, blended by the Brewster Bros. Brewing Co. The handle shows a regular guy who just has to be named Bubba indulging on it. Given the name of the company, shouldn’t that be called BBB ale. Or better yet, BBBBB, as in Brewster Bros. Brewing beer for Bubba?
— As a name that befits their genre, the Barn Cats will play at the barn dance at the River Falls Academy gym on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. This is the second such dance this season; the first and third are featuring the Rush River Ramblers. As far as the Barn Cats, they will be back to play another such gig in mid-April.

— And this in advance of the traditional big days of deer hunting over the Thanksgiving weekend, rather a celebration taking place on Saturday at the Village Inn in North Hudson. While your hubbies who are enamored with bringing home that big buck might take off for Colorado, or just go up north, you can get some of the spirit from that state without ever leaving town. Yes, ladies during the deer hunting widows observance at The Village can drink all the Coors Light they wish — is there a pipeline coming from Golden, Colorado? — for a mere $20. That’s more than some guys spend on that smell-like-deer-stuff that they swear will get them at least an eight-pointer. And yes, there will be rock music, too, pulling one out of the vault. The old war-horse band Gel, not seen so much around these parts since the old Dibbo’s closed, will be on from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Get a taste of wine, and also Sarah and Chaunte:
— Sarah Van Valkenburg — who is country through and through — plays the Bungalow Inn in Lakeland on the 14th of both months, both November and December for early evening shows — defined as between 5-7 p.m. — and the second time around it’s in conjunction with a wine tasting event, which is a regular feature at The Bungalow. This consists of six wines to sample, usually three reds and three whites, and a buffet of appetizers and the music, to boot, all for a real deal at $15. The wines that are selected for tasting are changed every time around, which is usually monthly, which means that even if you have partaken in this multi-flavorful offering in the past, you can still get a completely different sampling experience each time you come. Reservations are needed, so especially since this is the holiday season, get your name on the list soon.
Performing as a married couple, which includes husband Eric, the Van Valkenburgs have enjoyed success playing wine bars, pubs, restaurants, fairs and festivals around their community, which gets all the way westward into St. Paul and even includes Austin, Texas, as old (and also some new) country music is what they do, along with Americana (red dirt Texas style), light rock and original songs written by Sarah. You also might hear some Rolling Stones, Elvis or Ray Wylie Hubbard at their shows.
Her voice can only be described as exceedingly sweet, and the last time at The Bungalow — also for a solo, early evening Tuesday show — she was sporting a big brimmed hat and shawl that reminded me of the garb donned by another veritable singer, Stevie Nicks.
— In a venue HudsonWiNightlife hasn’t referenced in a while, Maverick’s Corner Saloon in River Falls will be the site of a gig by Chaunté Shayne on Friday evening, Nov. 10. It will be in their big second room, which is as roomy as the main one. RF is the country singer’s hometown.
She is in an expansion mode, and has put out a call for so many diverse musicians to join her band that they certainly have not filled all those positions yet. And with their heavy and well-traveled schedule, with 100 gigs already done in a year of performing at just age 22, playing two or three times a week and practicing just as often to get it down just right, they will need them. So check them out at the next show and introduce yourself, if you are a female back-up vocalist/pianist, keyboardist, violinist, guitarist (vocals are a plus), traveling bassist, steel guitarist, fiddle-ist and maybe even Sunday night tambourine-ist. (OK, we made up those last two terms).
In what is also rapidly becoming a part of her base, and showing her viability, she has scheduled back-to-back holiday shows, on Dec. 22 and 23, in down-home Iowa, at the American Tap in Webster City and Sneakers Eatery and Pub in Fort Dodge.
— We hadn’t realized until now that there is so much good about Good for Gary, which plays the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night. They are a cover band that now lays it out there that they specialize in current and past dance hits, but in a twist that’s different than most, focus on the newest Top 40 songs. With a seven-piece line-up, (also unusual), there’s no hip-hop, pop or dance song they can’t cover, they say, adding that you will hear some Lady Gaga, Eminem, Usher and Rihanna at every show.

We’re talking PopROCKS, and not the candy, and also the possible trifecta return of Big Fat Groove within a several week period:
— What, you want pop and rock and dance and party and “hits” music, that might make you laugh to boot? You might want to check out PopROCKS at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night, Nov. 3, as the venue again takes its occasional steer away from the same bands it usually offers and adds in one that’s only there once in a while.
— It’s been a while since I’ve done a mini-review, so here goes. Big Fat Groove played Pudge’s Saloon and Eatery twice in a month-long period … so we’ll have to see if they come around again in the next couple of months. Their middle set scorched, and the band features a strong rhythm section, and when the guitar comes in its bound to be funky. Also, the drummer is a main vocalist, which again is like the late Grant Hart of Husker Du, who passed on recently. He told me he’s well aware of the energy created with, and shared between, the band and the audience, such as was the case the last time they played. And the cushy chairs and fireplace upstairs at Pudge’s didn’t hurt the ambiance.
— This might be considered WEST Hudson, not North Hudson, but this trivia offering at Alary’s Bar on WEST Seventh Street in St. Paul is just begging to be mentioned — and it over the years has had scores of lovely young women bartending who hail from WESTern Wisconsin, and that’s not trivia when they’re friendly. But coming with their frequent evening bar trivia, that is themed after Star Dust IPA, comes a free pitcher of Surly Hell for teams of four or more, and a similar reward if you buy any shot for an opposing team. That’s got to be hell in there are only three on your team.
— Lastly, in NORTH St. Paul, not NORTH Hudson, actually Gordie’s in Little Canada, where in addition people from THE WEST — Alary’s — apparently also go judging by the bus that can be seen outside, there is this atypical contest. You toss a bean bag, but throw it from the exacting distance of 11 feet, 4 inches, as specified by a very wordy sign, and the target is set-up at a right-on 42 inches, by rule, above the floor. There are also more than 100 words used to describe the rules of the game; really needed? That kind of OCD will get you in Surly Hell!

Halloween costume shopping at the Hudson Goodwill store on Coulee Road is not only very inexpensive, but offers a diverse set of attire. They have odd-ball but fantastic costumes the Big Box Stores don’t carry, and the choice to buy the pieces you need, but necessarily the whole kit, just the accessories you require, not pay for the rest, their managers say. An example is a Darth Vader mask; you can pay for just that and utilize that black robe you already have in your closet, if you desire, and save because of shopping Goodwill and getting an already reduced cost. And they have many different styles of wigs, for example, not just one or two. On top of this, you can get a 25-percent-off offer on Halloween fare if you bring in a bag of donated materials.

Thank God its soon Friday. These next paragraphs in three or four different ways show why you should think so:
— And you thought you liked The Lynx. Check out a new, edgy rock band, Bad Kitty, at Pudge’s on Friday, Oct. 20. The group’s Facebook page shows a key member, a beautiful woman with darkly exotic makeup and dress, in Gothic style, perfect with Halloween approaching. The band interests are described as breaking the law, skipping school, cross dressing and blowing bubbles, as the group is all about attitude, which is also shown by their pink kitty logo, with bow by one ear, holding a rifle. Members are Alan on drums and vocals, the man with no name on guitar as a new one had been added for the new year, Serghei with an ethnic edge on bass, Sylvia on vocals and keyboard, and Yvonne on vocals. This a new band on the local scene, but with loads of gigging experience, from pop to rock and beyond, a five-piece that gets things hauntingly done. Look for additional music and videos to follow.
— You can have your breu and listen to it too. With a band leader who has played with almost 20 different groups, Jimmy Famous and the Payback will play the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Friday, featuring blues-rock that steers way away from the usual overplayed standards, as they have a well-set play list that has only about five songs that you’ll hear all over the radio — although they end with two of the tried and true. So, for the true fan with refined tastes, there also is Bob Breu, on lead and rhythm guitar with a gritty style, who has been doing this and incorporating different styles since 1969. Most noteworthy for me, I recall taking in some of these guys several times at the old Dibbo’s in downtown Hudson, when they were performing as Mr. Peabody. This is perhaps their first time at The Willow.
— For some cleverly made drinks, and for sure accompanying conversation lines in the same mode, ask bartender Chad at Dick’s Bar and Grill for his favorites to get womens’ attention. A clue: There is one such drink that’s particularly potent, as far as both liquor(s) and effectiveness with the ladies, and two others that although second choices are almost as sure fire. He says they never fail, but if they would … ouch. And if you happen to be a guy, well you just better get over it. Or put on your Halloween wig even when its not a holiday. And while quizzing Chad about his drink-pouring prowess, go to the next room and take in new country act Chaunte Shayne from 6-9 p.m. Friday.

Halloween costume shopping at the Hudson Goodwill store on Coulee Road is not only very inexpensive, but offers a diverse set of attire. They have odd-ball but fantastic costumes the Big Box Stores don’t carry, and the choice to buy the pieces you need, but necessarily the whole kit, just the accessories you require, not pay for the rest, their managers say. An example is a Darth Vader mask; you can pay for just that and utilize that black robe you already have in your closet, if you desire, and save because of shopping Goodwill and getting an already reduced cost. And they have many different styles of wigs, for example, not just one or two. On top of this, you can get a 25-percent-off offer on Halloween fare if you bring in a bag of donated materials.

He slaps, he shoots, he scores! No this isn’t about the Wild hockey team and its new season, its about some wild bands playing locally:
— Slapshot, unlike many of today’s groups, takes a shot at some of the more current music that is out there. They are a cover rock band that plays songs from the 80s, 90s and up to the very current, and they play the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Friday, Oct. 13. The band is also elsewhere, as they have been entertaining crowds throughout the Twin Cities area for more than nine years. Slapshot offers a cool choice of covers as is shown by their online version of Bulls on Parade by Rage Against The Machine. The band members are Darrin on vocals, Tony on guitar and vocals, Chad on bass and vocals, Tim on drums, and also Lisa doing management and booking, and being the “party starter.”
— Get a jump on the witching hour that’s coming up soon, and thus worthy of early note, and check out a new, edgy rock band, Bad Kitty, at Pudge’s Saloon and Eatery on Friday, Oct. 20. The group’s Facebook page shows a key member, a beautiful woman with darkly exotic makeup and dress, in Gothic style, perfect with Halloween approaching. The band interests are described as breaking the law, skipping school, cross dressing and blowing bubbles, as the group is all about attitude, which is also shown by their pink kitty logo, with bow by one ear, holding a rifle. Members are Alan on drums and vocals, the man with no name on guitar as a new one had been added for the new year, Serghei with an ethnic edge on bass, Sylvia on vocals and keyboard, and Yvonne on vocals. This a new band on the local scene, but with loads of gigging experience, from pop to rock and beyond, a five-piece that gets things hauntingly done. Look for additional music and videos to follow.

— If you can’t wait that long for Pudge’s music, consider taking in the redux performance of Big Fat Groove and its soul, R&B and bluesy tunes, when they come back to that first nightclub in town when across the river on another Friday evening, that being this one, The Thirteenth. Even because of that, they might be considered pre-Halloween scary. (See additional information on Big Fat Groove, from their earlier time at Pudge’s, in an item three stories down on this page).

— Get them before they migrate, and join their club, otherwise known as a flock. If you purchase six pints of Goose Island beer, at the Willow River Saloon and five other area establishments, you get one of their T-shirts free, as befitting the fast-forming gaggle of Goose guzzlers. As I recently joked with one of my bartender chums, you don’t necessarily look to get goosed, but it can be a fringe benefit. With friends?
— Cookoffs are now not all about chili. If you’ve got a great recipe for any kind of soup, come down to Dick’s Bar and Grill this weekend and show your soup cookoff stuff. What, soup vs. chili? “Hey, that first word,” said a Dick’s employee as he walked away to underscore the point. The event goes from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15, with admission at $5 or two canned goods (maybe some of that soup you buy at a store).
— Pudge’s has six current specialty drink specials being especially hawked, and three of them have names you don’t always see, and that’s batting .500, to make a postseason baseball reference. The applicable drinks are: Frostbite, Raspberry Chocolate Delight and you also might consider in that realm Golden Cadillac.

Seventh Heaven for bikers? Earlier than usual means a bit more warmth, but it could rain on your parade:
— With this Saturday being the Seventh, the date of the annual Frosted Nuts Run falls about as early in the month as it could. (Could that earlier time mean that your nuts will not be nearly as toasted as they normally would be?) Well maybe, maybe not. The temperatures will be a few degrees above average, but rain showers are expected. Still, this warmth is well above the record low for this date, more than 20 degrees higher. Bikers can meet up at the Mallalieu Inn for a departure of around noon.
— This time, they are in Prime Time. The Viking cheerleaders will again be at Pudge’s for game-related interaction, this time on Monday Night Football when they face the Bears. The last time around for this guest appearance, there was not only beauty but diversity, as the two cheerleaders were a tall blonde and a much shorter brunette.
— At Buffalo Wild Wings, there are two different new specials of note. On sale are select beers, with six-packs going for only $7.99 — to go only. Their flyer reiterated “cannot be consumed on premises.” Isn’t that kind of understood?
Also at BWW, there are now breakfast entrees as a special on weekends, and hopefully you can check out a game at that same earlier time. Five of the seven listed have a Buffalo sauce theme, which you would expect. And there also is a Blue Moon beer themed early-on drink, fittingly called a bluemosa.
— As the Smilin’ Moose jumps back into its non-summer music slate, not on the patio but indoors on the west end, there is a return engagement of the Chad Edwards Band on Friday night, playing all kinds of country, with a focus on the favorites.