Sunshine is given a shot at Shooters on a cloudy and cold day:
— You gotta love a band named Apollo Beacon, which is shining its light in its own godlike way when giving more verve to old standards of rock and other styles. They take the stage at Shooters in River Falls this weekend, as the club steers away from the tried and true standards.

— And then back to the Village Inn in North Hudson, which is getting more and more into having more music on a more regular basis. You gotta love it when they start with more with the stellar stalwart Kurt Jorgenson, etc., who is being asked to play more and more at The Village. He is back twice in March, on the 13th and 27th, Fridays all, after the upcoming Feb. 21 gig.
— And of course there’s Valentine’s Day night — with heart-throb rocker Bret Michaels, he of big flowing hair and the occasional love ballad, at Treasure Island resort and casino. Just after reading this tidbit, I heard a song by none other than his band Poison on the radio. There is a Hudson connection, too, as longtime duo-based guitarist Geno was invited at play at the newly discovered oil territory in North Dakota, along with Michaels. But being a Christian, Geno elected to decline due to the lawlessness of this northern locale, opting for a day job at U-Line, although he held out slim hopes of returning to rock with only Christian lyrics. But bad boy Michaels just may have been a good fit for that. and if you can’t make that show tonight, consider this offer, only from hudsonwinightlife: If you can’t make the show and why would you not like to, catch the chance before he heads back to LA to get a private serenade from Michaels, at the Quaint Old But Still Kinda In Demand Watering Hole — with his gorgeous locks cut that he’d older, instead evoking a combo of Rob Halford’s current bald head with Judas Priest, and the lullaby of Queensryche’s Silent Lucidity. Do You Lie Like I do?
— All three evenings this weekend, the fine arts center at UW-River Falls will hold a valentine-themed cabaret with a name starting with the words, you guessed it, “amor.” There is a significant admission charge, based on age, so if you want to take your Smilin’ Moose of a lady to something truly different and show your heart through getting out your wallet …
— As far as drink specials, there are some outrageously mixed cocktails with multiple over-the-top ingredients, at Juniors lounge in River Falls. But to top it off, there are five, count ’em five, singled out as special concoctions to that degree, at the end of the drink menu that are truly premium and veer toward top shelf, unlike you will normally see. The folks there have elected not to say for the record exactly what these are, because there is always the chance that they will be altered/improved upon by the week, at the expense of a past fave. So check it out and make up your own mind.

Away from home at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for the first time, and possibly without your mother’s guidance and — yikes! — maybe even co-hosting with her, to have to throw your own Super Bowl party, whether for your college friends or family too? Here’s a primer, courtesy from the folks at Family Fresh grocery in River Falls, for making it a superb gala.
There is so more to entrees at these shindigs, such as all the special ingredients that get thrown into your nachos dip, and Family Fresh has them all. The start is when you walk into the store and are immediately introduced to a caravan of goodies, within several steps of the door. But there is much more snack food, added to the variety of chips and crackers, available. If the fiesta is hopping, there will have to be all kinds of soda, and other beverages, to balance the spicy taste. And inside the store, you can go the the plentiful aisles of candy and deli food and cheese, at a reasonable price that beats the competition, and all the ingredients for more than just comfort food. And if you like games — football, and poker, and more — there is the benefit of a deep three-of-a-kind discount when you buy that many items of the same variety.
Hope that your party is wonderful and your team wins.

And by the way, the Biggest Sports Night is not necessarily the biggest bar night, as people stay in for house parties. And who does snacking and other foods like the south, we assume, especially when its for late delivery, or even eat in, although we doubt that for Sunday Night. And who is more South, and hotter than the weather down there — other than maybe if having the big game on TBS — then KFC, of course formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken. They are adding new flavors to their recipe, and of course front and center. are wings spiced with not only hot sauce but NASHVILLE hot, as that torrid Tennessee twist invokes a popular song “hot, hot, hot.” Take that all others including the neighboring ragin’ Cajun.

An as long as we are on the theme the south does their very own style of food best, consider the special the have that’s also new, BOGO coupons for chicken pot pie.  Just don’t expect deliver by horse and buggy.

This Friday: Last chance to qualify for Bungalow Idol, and a warmup act for bungling in the jungle in front of some opinionated “judges” brought in by HudsonWiNightlife. And I know, you’re reading it again, but this mentioned phrase is worth repeating. Actually, think about the emcee off on the side, stage right, with those big theatrical curtains hanging just kinda, sorta in front of him. Bungalow Idol has this version that promotes individuality by both the singer and emcee, very big dance area, and place where the machine that spins the instrumentals at this point has been used so many times it has taken root, and limits (are there any?) are delineated by carefully laid and separate styles of flooring, apt for cutting the rug.
This is not your father’s karaoke, or maybe it is, so just hit it. And so goes all you need to know about the remainder of Bungalow Idol, held all this month on Friday night, so you can still weigh-in — along with some non-official judges, brought here by HudsonWiNightlife and giving their commentary only there. So there may be those truly quasi-celebrity judges in the audience, whose opinions really mean nothing as far as naming the real winner, that will reign in on the sidelines with those select few who actually are the judges and have views that count, and carry more weight then, say, an emcee,”as I will keep on rambling on.” The two additional possible principals who are likely to show, after being on the road, come from very different worlds that start way back: The guy who can give you the ultimate Iron Maiden lowdown for virtually every one of their 180 songs but loves all types of music, retools his views to the point that the ol’ AC/DC is a meeting in the middle, and a woman whose choices are defined by four words To Sir With Love. And there may be added stand-ins who prefer something middling as far as volume, and between the polar ends is yes, Bungalow Idol minds and music. So lets all get together in Lakeland for the Bungalow Idol finals! This Friday is the last of the chances to qualify for the finals, on the first Friday in February. Music starts shortly before 10 p.m.

It takes a village to fully support more than one NFL football team in the playoffs, even if begrudgingly, but the Village Inn in North Hudson pulls it off again this weekend, with the backing given to both the Packers by land (as in farm country) and the Vikings by sea (harken the early pirate days of their ancestors).
So, as owner Leigh says unabashedly, this is a Packer bar, but they can bend the rules a bit more and a bit more as the season progresses — and if the Vikings don’t do one of their disappearing acts. So for this weekend, it will be nuts with cheering all the way through to shortly before midnight on Sunday, as has been the situation a bit more and a bit more as the decades have progressed — and yes, The Village has been serving the Packer population that long, and when judging by the sheer numbers watching games, they have got to be the main destination for such sports bar revelry in the entire area. Its not easy to fill up a place that big week in and week out,.
Why this devotion to one venue? The vast majority of the fans are seated at dozens of tables that are spread reasonably apart, giving some leg room rather then the only option being squeezing in a bar area, so when there is a touchdown patrons can literally up jump and wave their arms around, and they regularly will, all the time shouting in most cases Score rather then Skol, although you can do that too (and this should be an air show battle). And if the bar rail is your thing, you can get do that too, and no doubt be close enough together to get into some candid conversation, if you are among that area’s frequently cerebral crew, and they are not just a few.
There are 20-plus televisions combined into several different banks, so if you want to watch something like soccer instead, the bartender can likely hook you up. And one more big bank that’s an attraction because combines many different glass-enclosed cabinets into one big viewing wall of NFL helmets, and it takes in even more show pieces than the number of TVs.
Lastly, you cannot forget the big PDFP attraction of specials, which can and do get a lot of attention. That is short for pizza, drink, food and pitchers.
The Vikings are on during the late afternoon Saturday and the Packers on Sunday night.

Where’s the go-to place for the through-and-through Irish as the long holiday celebration continues through and through? Why Paddy Ryan’s of course, my Wild Irish Rose, as you can join them.
If you are still willing to go six ways from Sunday, and maybe even beyond that, then you might be very cool with continuing your holiday joy even further, courtesy of Paddy Ryan’s Irish Pub (they are indeed the host with the most and are making this facet of their business a tradition). What could be better in this vein then partying with the Irish and don’t know just when to give up during the long weekend. To wit: Paddy Ryan’s has not only the usual Guinness, but also prominently Murphy’s Irish Stout, and I found this out by picking up a CD that was lying next to our TV, and on the cover jacket these two were shown front and center, among the 28 pub songs done by veritable Irish such as the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Mecheam. So get to the town of Hudson venue in the next few days until the 12 days of Christmas officially expire.

This is taking the Arch and the following Beans and extending it way into White Out night and the foam it brings along. And all this to extend the New Years Eve special into not only a first, but a second day, and/or night at BX Mexican in downtown River Falls. Featured music, as you might guess, are provided by Steve Arch, followed of course in that manner by DJ Beans. This will likely give more sustenance then what your grandma provided in her salad on New Years Eve. And to boot, and you might need these getting your way home in this snow, which is part of the fun, for $21 there is indeed a cover, but it includes a free drink of your choice. Might I suggest something brimming with ice? And you should know that the first part of the evening and its music is 18-plus. Youth is served, at least for a while.

Oh my God, is it almost Christmas, in a pumpkin kind of way, to fix all ills? Is pumpkin one of hose herbs?

— Being the spiritual season, I have to ask if this event, advertised on TV at some sports bars, can be a further take on the autumn-all-things-pumpkin theme explored it the item below, namely the book Hi God 2, as if our omnipotent God needed a sequel! As one of my favorite bartenders answered the question from behind the counter, what is your go-to-holiday-pumpkin-spiced drink. His response: “What there’s more than one?”
It may not be that simple. Being touted even after Black Friday are pumpkin scented candles (your lady will love it if you can’t afford concert tickets to Smashing Pumpkins) and air fresheners, (if your partying got a little out-of-hand, if you know what I mean), several of the Halloween movies for an all-night after-bar marathon (but be wary, they won’t go over as well as a chick flick), spiced gourmet coffee (if you need to nurse that hangover, even if you can’t fully taste it because of hair of the dog), don’t forget treats for that pet (who has stuck with you through thick and thin), Xmas cards (for makeup sex if you offended anyone the night before), wrapping paper for emergency gifts, that’s read 6 a.m. (to help if you really got out of control), ornaments (if the mistletoe got lost) and of course pumpkin pie and snacks (to ease your cravings while you sit in that on-sale fishing shack). And more tangibly, European Christmas Market at the Union Depot, during every weekend before Christmas. Pumpkin theme? Yes, they have more than gingerbread.
— There are still various deer hunting seasons running, through either the end of December or New Years, and there are many cool waterings holes to be found in all directions within a few miles of a hub for this activity, in and around Willow State Park, to continue the tales of the hunt after registering your deer. There is south (closest if you are buzzed, Paddy’s Ryan’s and Uncle Mike’s Em Pour E Yum), north (Willow River Saloon), east (Meister’s Bar, Boardman Bypass and Sidetrack Saloon in Roberts), and west (Next Stop Bar and the Cajun Club in Houlton).
— A flyer seen downtown promotes a event, designed to raise awareness of the aweful disorder, called Dementia Live, being held at various locations around the region at several different times. Please pardon me for this type of lighthearted mention concerning the disabled, but this is a concert you just gotta see.

It is the time of year for all things pumpkin, but that’s old hat, like the deer hunting hats being seen, yes 24/7, all over while they are still in a current mode. More timely is the fact that Kwik Trip just opened their North Hudson store, the most important thing of consequence to the north of the existing local shops, after several days of somewhat glaring, yes orange, bold lighting to announce their likely to be primo local presence that is spilling over all the turn-lane infrastructure. It was installed in large part to benefit their sure-to-change-the-local-scene-presence as far as a player in the market. So back to pumpkins. If you hurry north, as its still for a bit the grand opening, and you can still get on special a fantastic cup of pumpkin spiced brew, also with cinammon, brown sugar and vanilla. And many kinds of brew for free, and even a brave brown pumpkin mix that’s big in the cooler, again for a limited time, although even after its less than a buck. These things are highlighted by the fact that there are many, many bottles of sweetner to add to the experience, even though what we’re assuming was an added pumpkin mix seemed to be sold out at times. Must be good. And also a coupon for free milk! Don’t forget to factor in the Kwik Trip special of bananas, potatoes and onions for only 28 cents per pound, and being offered as an added incentive is a free first pound of those things, although of the three, the banana part is still coming. Once here, could you dip that banana in the pumpkin coffee for one more, quasi-tropical flavor in our northwoods.

Drop in and extend your holiday experience by taking in the country band Drop Tailgate at the Wild Badger in downtown New Richmond on Saturday Night.
Drop Tailgate is a mostly local group, and they have been around for several years, for a great blend of nostalgia and talent on this holiday.
Drop Tailgate performs songs strikingly close to the original artists, they say, but give it a little boost to keep the party rockin’. Along with performing with a stage show that includes rock and pop (and add some top 40 and modern) at countless fairs and town festivals and street dances across a three state area, Drop Tailgate has shared the stage with dozens of national acts at many major music festivals that include Moondance Jammin Country Fest, Winstock and Country Fest, to name a few.
The fun starts at 9 p.m.

Its getting Wild with the unfolding holiday(s):
— With the uncertainty involving the Minnesota Wild’s lineup in goal, some coming, some going, its fitting that the band playing the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Friday evening, Nov. 22, is called Slap Shot.
— For less then $4 (all Saturday) at Fleet Farm in Hudson you can purchase doe urine for the deer hunt. Word has it that some rich, foreign hunters — who got into the country with a sponsorship from the NRA –and come from a land of plenty, but without many mammals to shoot, and who prize drinking such stuff as a delicacy, quaffed it all and as a result didn’t get their 12-pointer this time around. (Just kidding)

— Although Ziggy’s still does it best, it is not the only route to go for free peanuts (being on the bar rail) or even street food. Fleet Farm steps in again, with a huge flyer for the hunting season and everything you might want (snacks mostly) for sitting for hours on your tree stand. Today’s huge flyer has ten pages of all kinds of equipment for the hunt, and the centerfold then lists other more standard needs, followed by, you guessed it, ten more pages of everything a hunter can’t do without. What was most striking about the centerfold (no not kind of centerfold, although it might help pass the long hours in the woods) is a sales price on a big vial of pain reliever, just in case your lonely buddy accidentally — and we’re just assuming here — strikes your butt with the butt of his gun.