Jim Field started the Mouldy Fig Jazz Band in 1959 when he was a junior at Main Township High School in Parkridge, IL, and they also go beyond that genre. These days, The Bungalow Inn in Lakeland is often the first venue named as a favorite by the award winning group, and is a staple there on many Tuesday evenings. They will be there again this Tuesday, April 4.

Lets rock hard and just get in it for the hard sell this weekend, (and that’s no April Fool!):
— This is just flippin’ crazy. North Hudson resident Burt Yardley will be on the DIY national TV network on Saturday night, April 1, for the newest episode of First Time Flippers. Houses that is. Burt works at First American Bank, one of a conglomeration of financial institutions on Hudson’s south side going toward the industrial park, and has been a licensed mortgage broker since 2011. What better place to view him doing his thing than the sports bars that are his ol’ North Hudson stomping grounds, such as Kozy Korner, which has his prime-time event promoted on their sign, forsaking sports for the moment. The show starts at 8 p.m. And then there is another showdown a couple of days or so later, as the Twins and Brewers play out their (afternoon) openers. Why not view it locally, as you can see Minnesota try to dethrone a Royal Lefty ?
— This to report on the front of, on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish. The Hunyuks really lived it out while playing to a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd at Bobtown Brewhouse on the Saturday after the Irish holiday, following the downtown Roberts parade they helped sponsor. At least one of their sets was heavy on American Irish music, broadly defined by one of my local sources as the tuneage fancied by real Irish immigrants back in the day, when they were longing for their homeland after landing in American ports such as New York.
— Not that kind of music, but the whole raft of country rock, modern and traditional country, and classic rock will all be the order of the day(s) at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt this weekend, with the Country Outlaws taking the stage on Friday night and Still Runnin’ on Saturday night. Update the rock a bit with Good For Gary at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night.
— And make it rock hard at Dick’s Bar and Grill by ordering, with an edge but also on a first-name basis, a Henry’s hard soda in the advertised flavors of grape and orange, and also kiwi! Just kidding on that last flavor. But flavors you might not be able to resist are part of the Avon 39 Wing Battle, as part of the walk to end breast cancer, a feast that takes place with seven different venues vying for the crown, stretching from the Bungalow in Lakeland, to Bobtown in Roberts. The two-month food battle will officially reach its midway point on April 1, and even though its April Fools Day, we wouldn’t kid about something as serious as kicking breast cancer.

Fish for walleye at the end of the dirt road, and throw in some euchre:
— They haven’t been back for a while, but have drawn rave reviews from the staff at The Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt, where they will play on Friday night, March 24. Come that night and get down and dirty, if you’re serious about your country music, with the Dirt Road Band. Then on Saturday, its Blind Dog.
— There is walleye seven different ways during the festival for that fish at Green Mill. Leading the way is a dish discovered on an annual Ontario fishing trip, pan-fried walleye dipped in a special batter. It is also available grilled and with a choice of several sides. Check out the other entrees as well, as they get even more creative, even getting into the realm of stuffed tacos. And it’s offered through April 30.
— This could be a very valuable euchre tournament, with other offerings to match. It all takes place on Saturday at the Legion Post 121 in River Falls, at 701 N. Main, as a benefit to newborn Cole Carlson, who has been battling multiple medical problems since birth. Fifty percent of money will be paid out to winners of the tourney, with the rest going to Cole’s family to pay medical expenses. There is a 10 a.m. check-in and 11 a.m. start for the tourney, and a $40 entry fee per team. Raffles, silent auction and food will be available. Craft beer flights come from Bobtown Brewhouse, with all proceeds to the family. Donations are accepted, and can be made through various sources, including Royal Credit Union.
— Tom Hunter plays at Urban Olive and Vine on Friday, and is described in gushing tones by one of the staff members as “a great jazz pianist.” There is an early start, so get there ahead of time to get your spot.

Go fish, and party, just don’t come up empty at anything this weekend:
— I may be fishing to put this out there, but this might be the first fishing of the season, both as far as an organized tournament and catching a big lunker — or as you might see below, an even more attractive fish. And it also, of course, involves more than a bit of partying, as the Saturday, March 11 event at Dick’s Bar and Grill is billed as a fishing, and drinking, derby, as you try your luck on the St. Croix River, and maybe not farther afield from Dick’s than the nearby waters off Lakefront Park. The cause at hand is a benefit for Mike Netz and family. Buy a drink and get a ticket for a chance to “catch” a fish from the “honey hole.” There are prizes in three different fishing categories. Fee is $20 and sign-up is at noon, with the contest running between 1-3 p.m.
— Empty Arms, which again will play the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Saturday night — they’ve been there a number of times since bursting onto that scene a few months back — is billed as a roadhouse blues-rock-rockabilly band focused on keeping you on your feet, even though their arms may be empty. This would seem to give them a leg-up on other acts. Fitting that the next song on the radio was Open Arms by Journey.
— The Sunday selection party is coming to Buffalo Wild Wings from 3-7 p.m. on March 12, and those wearing their NCAA team’s attire get select half-price appetizers.
— Also at BWW, for March Madness, patrons can spend $20 on Miller Lite and food and get $10 off a ride from Uber, which now has been said to have a presence in Hudson. A foursome of out-of-towners were asking about it, as well as where they could party until closing time, as they checked their slips. They were summoned to go downtown, which as dictated by their social media devices ended up meaning the Hudson Bowling Center across the freeway. And as far as the Lite-Uber offer, there was a stipulation that in some states where there is a BWW, you didn’t actually have to make a beer purchase (predictably Wisconsin was not one of them). That reminds me of a proviso in a BWW sweepstakes for patrons, defining what amount of days you need to be eligible, and then added “or any other number.” I guess that covers all bases.
— Celebrate the days of Saturday Night Fever at Woody’s in Bayport with Citradelic Saturdays, courtesy of Wisconsin’s own New Belgium brewery. For under $5 you get to indulge in one, which may inspire you to dancing, and not the polka. Also, Citradelic IPA is currently available at Dick’s Bar and Grill.

Even if you have no cash, you can still take in goony tunes this weekend and go full tilt:
— At The Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Friday night, Feb. 3, is Johnny No Cash, which they say plays old-school tonky tonk and classic country and western music. They name as Artists We Also Like, the likes of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Johnny Horton, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline, Dwight Yoakam, George Jones, Ray Price, Charlie Pride, Waylon & Willie, Conway Twitty, Charley Pride, Hank Thompson and Don Gibson. Now that’s a real throwback.
On Saturday night at The Willow is Full Tilt. I must reference that band, who just like the recently added Thursday open mic night at Dick’s Bar and Grill, had some of those same house band stalwarts, then in Hudson for their Sunday night events. Hint: One of them is a Full Tilt guitarist. Check out both places. The music at each starts about 9:30 p.m.
— A motorcycle rally on Saturday will end at the Cave Inn just north of Roberts, and feature, fitting for a cave, the rocking band Goons and Tunes.
— The Magic Sunshine Band will play the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night, with their tribute to the ’70s and AM radio music. Will they shine magical new light on the scene?

— Singer songwriter Tim Fast has toured the country and in the process picked up high praise for his sweet voice from some prominent peers, and now he’s bringing his neo-folk act to the River Falls Golf Club to provide entertainment for a craft beer and wine tasting to benefit the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust. Things get going at 5 p.m. Saturday.

All the different versions bring variety at various venues for this weekend’s entertainment:
— At The Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt, on Friday night, Feb. 24, Country Outlaws provide there own version of, well, outlaw country, and then on Saturday night, Still Runnin’ performs with inclusion on their song list Blues Suede shoes (all versions), La Bamba (Los Lobos version) and Summer Lovin’ (version from Grease).
— Even though the weather has not been chilly, there is a chili cookoff at Dick’ Bar and Grill this Sunday, just as there was one at Emma’s Bar in River Falls last Saturday. The Hudson variation states that your chili is on the wanted list and that there is an award, although the overall posse displaying their grub is filling up fast. So you might want to get out your six-shooter, dispatch the cowpoke in front of you and claim your home on the range. (OK, maybe not). But there are five different prizes given, kinda like a rodeo, and set-up is at 11 a.m. and judging at 1 p.m. There is a $5 fee for sampling all the different varieties.
— Jack Klatt, a fingerstyle guitar player and vocalist who says he walks the fine line between blues and country, has made a live recording at a 100-year-old church. He now brings his critically acclaimed act to Juniors in River Falls on Friday night, and is different in that he’s played about as much in central Wisconsin as in the metro area. Producing his first recording is Tom Herbers, known for his work with Low, Trampled by Turtles and the Jayhawks.
— As advertised at Broz in River Falls, a meeting of Texas and Wisconsin. Collect caps of Lone Star Beer, the official beer of Texas, for prizes that include free beer and/or Broz apparell. There is also the new Wisconsin version of half and half, fresh from the Dairy State, of Blue Moon Belgian White and River Falls’ own Nevermore Chocolate Oatmeal Stout from the Rush River brewery.

You might want to “bone up” on what’s going on this Friday and Saturday:
— The band Bones Gang, which plays at The Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Saturday night, Feb. 18, doesn’t make any bones about it. They participate in: “Drinking, writing music, fighting with each other, drinking some more….” And we’ll hope you’ll agree that the end result is some great rock! After all, it all comes from this (musical?) influence they’ve listed, namely: “being under the influence.” These guys look the part, too, long-haired rockers, not unlike partial namesakes The James Gang, although a bit silver-haired on the edges.
— To start the weekend earlier than those events offered above and below, head up to The Willow on Friday night and take in these longtime locally-based stalwarts, the party-rock band and truly beyond, The Zebra Mussels.
— If you want to take a road trip, although a mini-road trip, a ways “up north” to listen to some music and shake your thing at the same time, you might consider trekking to a few miles north of Somerset and the venue aptly named Not Justa a Bar, and take in the band Shakin on Saturday night.
— Earlier on Saturday, there is something that while a couple of “events” short of a heptathalon, is still an extravaganza of athleticism that’s been coming around each year, not just every four years. Yes, that’s the Bar Olympics in Hudson/North Hudson, starting at around noon and featured these four venues — Kozy Korner in North Hudson, Dick’s Bar and Grill in downtown Hudson, The Hudson Bowling Center up on The Hill, and Mike’s Em Pour E Yum in the town of Hudson. Sign up with your bartender/mentor/coach/personal trainer.
— You also needed to sign up with your bartender at Dick’s for the Valentine’s Dart tournament. And a similar call had to be made to find my Valentine her favorite gift, based on the Minion movies — which now are biting the dust behind a new such flick, The Trolls. Which gets me to a perfect joke for this holiday. She enjoys teasing me about the size of my “Minion” when I’m wearing the themed shorts SHE got me, and a “short” while back I shared this story with a couple of newfound female friends. One of them, a blonde, yucked it up, while another, a brunette, said she didn’t get it. I thought this was role reversal, where the blonde was the astute one!

Whether it be a singing valentine, a Sinatra-style crooner, or old school country-rock band, there are options for you in the coming days, as its all about the music:

— If you want something truly unique for Valentine’s Day, the St. Croix Valley Croix Chordsmen Chorus is there to charmingly sing what who knows, you otherwise might have a touch of difficulty saying.
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the Croix Chordsmen will send a Barbershop Quartet, appropriately and specially attired, to sing for your Valentine at a home, office, classroom, restaurant, or almost anywhere else, searching out and serenading your spouse, sweetheart, family member, child, grandparent, friend or other loved one, also bearing three added things: A rose, box of candy, and card for the occasion.
All this, which will help you rule the day for your sweetness, for only $40.
The singing valentines leave only this to imagine: From out of the blue, four men bearing flowers appear to serenade your sweetheart at the location of your choice, saying something like: “Suzanne, Raymond has something special he’d like to tell you…” Then out pours a sweet, tender love song, in gentle close harmony. Throughout North America, hundreds of barbershop quartets stand ready to provide a Valentine’s Day gift that will be remembered forever. Locally, all just by following a few easy online prompts that really personalize the experience.
These Valentines Day gifts are terrific for, not just your wife or girlfriend, but also husband or boyfriend, and don’t forget mom, or that certain someone who doesn’t know about their secret admirer…
Go online at www.stcroixvalleychapter.com, or contact Tyler Smith at (651) 439-4527, or Dick Kelm at (715) 425-2793, to make arrangements.
The St. Croix Valley Croix Chordsmen Chorus is located at 611 South Holcombe St. in Stillwater.
— Gary LaRue, who will perform at The Bungalow Inn in Lakeland on Valentine’s Day, specializes in singing and crooning and playing the popular songs of the Rat Pack era, made famous by legends such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Andy Williams, Bobby Darin and Jack Jones. His smooth vocal style has been described as a cross between Mel Torme and Chet Baker, and considered quite a compliment. And as it fitting for Valentine’s Day, which is Tuesday, Feb. 14, all the while he smooshes with the ladies. He says he also can accomodate almost any request. If you want a vocalist to sing background music “off to the side,” or instead to be the “main attraction,” he adds he can perform that way. Despite being Rat Pack at heart, LaRue’s style is called hard to categorize. But while listening, you and your sweetie can indulge in a steak or seafood dinner.
— The Blind Dog band, while not masters of grammar, are none-the-less — and maybe because of — entertaining. They will play the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Saturday night, Feb. 11. They include on their play list Lynard Skynard, that being their (halfways with the y’s) spelling not mine, and a tune made famous by a man with Hudson ties, Tommy Tutone and Jenny 8675309, although their version with its lack of punctuation is that done by Blink 182. The two Skynyrd songs (with spelling unlike that invoked by my late colleague Willis Miller in a fan’s Hudson Star-Observer obit, where he opted for the standard English version), are Gimme Three Steps (to which I first cut my teeth on an open mic night at the old Sandbar, and soon ran out of verses due to the house band’s extended guitar solos), and Sweet Home Alabama.
— New to the local scene, but gaining traction regionally, is Free Fallin, a Tom Petty tribute band with other like-minded songs, that is becoming very popular around the metro. They play the Smilin’ Moose for perhaps the first time on Friday night.

While the trend seems to be most people watching “The Big Game,” as it is now referred to for legal reasons, at house parties, there is at least one noteable exception. At the newly opened Next Stop bar in Houlton, there is a trifecta and more of super offerings. You get to designate your team of choice, and every time their score changes, get a free jello shot. In addition, patrons can guess the score at the end of each quarter, and the one who comes closest gets a free T-shirt. There are happy hour prices all through the game, which is becoming a theme at Next Stop, and another special is four domestic beers for $10 in a bucket, and in a new twist to an old game, you get to keep the bucket! There is pot luck food, to boot.
While most people are, again, watching the big game at house parties, one local sports bar in celebrating in-house. At Kozy Korner in North Hudson, they are closing at 4 p.m. Sunday for their company Christmas party. And the return to deep freeze we’ve had in past days shouldn’t mean that attendance (if only workers) is as effected by ranging temperatures throughout the day as was the recent outdoor bean bag tournament.
The Big Game is not the only game in town. Local bars said they were filled to capacity because of the Hot Air Affair being all this weekend, and things were just crazy, so much that workers cut first were known to stay after for a drink (or two …). This was to the point where venues were shouting last call in advance of usual because there were so many people to be prodded to vacate the premises. But that wasn’t the only super-late-night twist. DJ Ben Michaels at Dick’s Bar and Grill announced that there was an unofficial after-hours party that was to be found elsewhere by going in the back way and announcing the password “Midget.” (Gotta love that super partying choice of wording). Kinda like Tom Cruise in that really out-there “password” flick with Nicole Kidman, who by the way has a look-alike in the Hudson bar scene. Among those people who did head to the door at Dick’s in a timely fashion, were the music duo Ella and Wade, in a rare off-the-stage presence downtown after their gig at Mallory’s.
Anyway, if you were not out Friday night, there is more of the same to be had tonight, that being Saturday, as we do it all over again with the ballooning pilots and their entourage.

Wanna go for a ride? Check out the music and ballooning-related entertainment at the Hudson Hot Air Affair on the home page.