The two acts playing the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt this weekend both pay homage, by their choice of
names, to the country or rockin’ highway song.
— The increasingly popular Rural Route Five, which is known to even play shed parties amongst their broad mix
if the terms are right (and how cool is that?), is at The Willow on Friday night. The New Richmond-based band
has a few songs that weren’t country before, but are now.

They make the most of their play list, which includes large doses of Miranda Lambert, and lots of Brooks and Dunn.

— Loot 66 plays classic rock and a variety of other self-described cool tunes. Perhaps that main focus is
appropriate, as one of the primary players looks a lot like a present-day Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, right
down to the baseball hat. They will play The Willow on Saturday night, their second such show at that venue
(their first was Sept. 10).
— New to the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night is the rockin’ power trio Kick. They definitely look the hair-band
part, from the big and wavy locks to their signature online photo of a lead guitarist taking a scissors-legged
leap while jamming between the other two musicians.

— The Negret Wine Co. celebrates it first anniversary on Saturday, with cake and prizes, live music by one of

their stalwart bands, wine gift basket giveaways, and the production tours of their vast facility that they have

become known for. There are things to celebrate most of the day at their downtown Hudson venue.

The following are a few ways to spend perhaps the biggest bar night of the year, that being Thanksgiving Eve, as HudsonWiNightlife returns to the scene with a primer for Wednesday:
— The Way Out moves on down the way to Roberts, where they play Bobtown Brewhouse on Wednesday, where they will likely incorporate all the different styles you can imagine, often shifting midsong, and many of their numbers start with jangly guitar, then rock out or tone it down later. Their riffs borrow from various artists, including Bob Seger and Led Zeppelin. They take the stage a bit early, at 8:30 p.m. and play until about 11:30. That’s much the same timing, moved back just a little, as when they regularly hit Dick’s Bar and Grill in Hudson.
— At Meister’s in Boardman, there is an act that is both familiar and popular, and you can guess from where he hails. DJ Meister will take the stage at his venue, and he will offer karaoke as well.
— When Rock Hard played a gig recently to a large crowd at the Village Inn in North Hudson, they showed their colors as being power-driven and loud, in a good way. The band is there again on Wednesday night. The aformentioned qualities played out, also combined with falsetto vocals, in the earlier gig, when raging through Rock ‘N Roll by Led Zeppelin and an AC/DC standard to close the evening.

They are country through and through, and although they may have names like Johnny No Cash, both patrons and club owners hope to “cash in” on their sound this weekend:
— Johnny No Cash started by being an instant hit at fraternal club music halls, and now they bring their honky tonk show to the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt for the first time on Friday night, Nov. 11. Artists well-represented in their sets of Old School, authentic and classic country and western music, will include 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. Members are Les Butch Blake, Rick Jenkins, Don Kaste and Kent L. Kramer.
Johnny No Cash was formed in August, 2014, with the intention of playing one car show. But the four veteran musicians came together for their first rehearsal on bingo night, and the rest as they say is history, with the local VFW filled with more than 30 couples out on the dance floor. At that rehearsal, they were asked to play an outdoor biker benefit, and at the car show a proposal was made to play a wedding. Soon, Johnny No Cash was bringing their honky-tonk sound to Eagles Clubs, Elks and Moose Lodges, VFWs and other types of venues around Minnesota and Wisconsin.
— The Chad Edwards Band band has been around with various forays into music, and the country band now will take their act to Juniors in River Falls on Friday night. A California native, Chad started his music ambitions by learning to play the fiddle at age 10, and made many more landmarks in the next decade. Now back on the area scene is the national recording and touring artist and songwriter. Never to be mainstream, Chad has his own distinct style, with a voice that has been likened to George Strait and a rockin’ show compared to Aldean. As far as Sam De Leon on lead guitar, his true love lies in “real” country like Hank, Roy and Cash, and the rhythm section is known for their iconic ties.
— One of the series of well-attended wine tastings, with six brands to choose from, is at the Bungalow Inn in Lakeland on Thursday, Nov. 10, from 6-8 p.m. While this aspect of the show is sold out, you can still take in throughout the night the strains of another popular local offering, the musical duo of Beebe and Keeley, alternatively munch on some of the upper-end appetizers — and if you like what you see and hear make reservations for the next tasting at about the same time next month, although you’ll have make plans fast, as seats also go fast, servers suggest. The duo dubs their performances as electrified acoustic, with one guitar each, and they say they offer an eclectic spin on standards from several genres (totaling almost a dozen styles).
— This is the ultimate hybrid. Patrons at the Village Inn in North Hudson can be in the midst of entering a drawing to win an either Packer or Viking themed MP3 cooler, which has an oversized capacity and incorporates the wheeled ability to be mobile — making it easier to access your drink — as well as a speaker system for your favorite music that makes it possible to literally blow the doors off your party. (You also, obviously, have the option of toning down the volume and mellowing out with a favorite drink it dispenses).

They call it, and are the definition of, Americana Soul, whether as a full band or a two-person performance. The Kurt Jorgensen Band, formed in 1998, is recognized by peers and critics as one of the Twin Cities’ best original bands, and they take their act as the Jorgensen Tagg Duo to the Bungalow Inn in Lakeland virtually every Tuesday throughout the rest of the year. Incorporating blues, soul, jazz and rock into a unique style the full band calls Americana Soul, the Minnesota Music Awards has twice awarded the band Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Male Vocalist, Best Female Vocalist and Album of the Year. Jorgensen and the full band are currently working on the their ninth album.

The Kurt Jorgensen Band, with members who have there own specialties, has played countless shows and outdoor festivals both near and far, and often opens for national acts which have included Joe Cocker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Guess Who, America, The Little River Band, Blue Oyster Cult, Foghat, Double Trouble and more. They take much of that flavor and incorporate it into the duo performances, as at the Bungalow.
An online sampler includes an even dozen original tunes you can check out. At the Bungalow itself, the Tuesdays the Jorgensen Tagg Duo will play are Nov. 8, 15, 22 and 29, and Dec. 13, 20 and 27, all from 6-8 p.m., as the Bungalow has booked one of the top acts in the area for a steady stream of music.

Two (dollars) will get you one; it’s better in drink specials than in moving the football yardsticks.
— This is what’s said to be the best and most comprehensive local/regional slate of drink specials — except maybe if you’re in a college town — for when you’re taking in your NFL football. The Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt has $2 domestic beer and rail drinks on Sundays from noon until 6 p.m., which takes in both this Sunday’s noon start (Vikings vs. Lions) and the doubleheader game (Packers vs. Colts). This shout-out came originally from bartender Sue at the Village Inn in North Hudson, who has worked there for years, is broadly connected and also knows what’s going on about town and even a bit farther afield.
— The Some Shitty Cover Band blends pop, rock and alternative from the ’80s, ’90s and today, and will do so at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday, Nov. 4. You gotta love a group that pokes fun at itself, and the guys note that theirs is not just a name, it’s an insurance policy! Some Shitty Cover Band features members of successful groups such as Quietdrive, All The Right Moves, Take Cover and also self deprecating, The Usual Things. Influences include Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182, All American Rejects and since they’re playing in Wisconsin, Beer.
— Speaking of The Moose, Sweet Siren played a return engagement there last Friday, and the percussion was amped up loud enough that it could be heard in the parking behind the former Dibbo’s — someplace where you’d more certainly have expected it. As is the practice of bringing back old gems, you can expect The Siren back at The Moose sometime in the next few months.
— He could be the son of a preacherman — and yes he’s a guy — with another throwback band playing at Juniors in River Falls on Friday starting early at 8 p.m. Patty and The Buttons preach the gospel of hot rhythm and happy feet, they say. The band is similar to what you’d find in a dancehall, cafe or speakeasy between 1920 and 1940. The lead man and accordionist Patty spent the early part of his life playing on street corners around the world while learning tunes from the old masters of traditional music. His eclectic taste gives the band diverse influences including New Orleans traditional brass bands, early blues, Gypsy jazz and 1920s popular song. The core instrumentation of accordion, clarinet, guitar and bass is light and swift but also melancholic and lush when it needs to be. Patty’s lead vocals are inspired by the soulful old time hollers and croons from the dawn of recording.
— And as a last (dying) gasp of Halloween, the brew named Black-o-Lantern has been popping up around the area, complete with a higher alcohol content, which could conceivably lead to a blackout. (Insert some type of Black Sabbath reference here!) And I will myself add one more, again with a Halloween theme. The sign at Green Mill had a back side that featured all the candy falling out of the bottom of a trick-or-treaters bag but was ripe for recovery. (I think that would qualify as a trick). It’s like the late Ronnie James Dio so famously sang with Sabbath, “you get to keep the gold that falls,” Sugar as currency.

No suggestion of a sophomore jinx, just simply sweet sounds at The Saloon, or Smilin’ at the Moose if you’re a Sweet Siren:

— I’m thinking Chubs will not have a sophomore jinx when it plays the typical styles that you would see at the Willow River Saloon, plus throws in some modern rock and even a bit of reggae, in doing their second gig at the Burkhardt venue on Friday night, Oct. 28. However, their mainstay style is — of course – country, but they include a diverse blend in the song list, which has in it songs by the Black Keys, Sublime, Bob Seger, BB King, The Commodores, Jefferson Airplane, Alice in Chains, Poison, Cheap Trick, 3 Doors Down, Bill Withers and Melissa Ethridge. The band features Mike and Darrel on guitar and vocals, and also Rocky and Devin.
— At long last, Sweet Siren will be back at The Smilin’ Moose on Friday night, even though the marquee spells their name Sweet Sire, due to space limitations. I’m sure they would like to be party to being a sire with that siren ….
— And also largely for Baby Boomers, at Green Mill, kids will eat free on Halloween … unless something eats them first!

This Thursday is your chance to take advantage of multiple drink specials and raise a toast to both the Wild and the Packers in one fell swoop:
— A rare opportunity is at hand, to go to sports bars and see both the Wild and the Packers at the same time on different TVs. Adding to the uniqueness of the matter is that Green Bay’s opponent are the Chicago Bears. Think of it as Packin’ it in to see Bears ‘n the Wild. I will explain. On Thursday night, Sept. 20, the Wild play at 7 p.m. and the Packers at 7:25 p.m. (Hopefully the Wild will have scored a couple of times already by the time the Packer game starts, to help make up for the recent lag in offensive productivity). The scheduling is unusual because the hockey team out of the Cities hardly ever plays at the same time as the Packers, and even when they do play on the same day, there is a difference between mid-afternoon and evening starts. Add to the fact that when it comes to division rivals such as the Bears, it usually is a noon Sunday game. What this means for you, the patron, is that at some sports bars led the way by Dick’s Bar and Grill will have the rare chance to offer more than one group of team-specific drink specials at the same time.
— They can play and party, and again will do both at The Willow River Saloon. The five-some Hitfaced has parlayed the status its name suggests using decades of music, playing songs from 40 years, starting with the 1970s and including smash hits that draw from a specific range of time you don’t always see. You can be the judge on Friday evening, Sept. 21, in Burkhardt, as this band that has just started reigning on their stage in recent times takes you back through time with cross-over country, funk and dance, some harder rock and even disco, and of course current pop music. On lead vocals is someone with an interesting name, Nealee Perkins Mingo, followed by another lead vocalist who also plays guitar, Thomas Boden, and additionally on vocals and guitar, Tim Smude, on bass guitar and also vocals, Scott Kee, and on drums and percussion, Salvador Rosas.
— Tis the season, and Halloween themed drink specials are popping up in the area. In various night spots, such as the Village Inn in North Hudson, can be seen the ad for a Halloween-ish apple product that’s also Biblical-ish, the Serpent’s Bite apple cider flavored whiskey. At Woody’s in Bayport is another such apple product, that may have to do with the pads in your bowling shoes. A sign that warns of wearing regular shoes onto the bowling area is sponsored by the self-described devilish Paddy’s brew, and suggests that while most people are not devil-may-care and they comply with this rule, there can be a seasonally appropriate bad apple in every bunch.

Sevens are Wild literally, as the Badger State is doing much more with the start of pro hockey than its neighbors to the immediate west. So if you have had wanton wanderlust for the Wild during the offseason, or the Wisconsin Badgers for that matter, this is your chance to once again wig out:
— Bar manager Jess at Guv’s Place in North Hudson is notorious for being a Wild fan, and has had jersey wearing specials in the past, although there is no definitive word if that will be going on this week. What is known is that in back of the bar rail there are three big TV screens side-by-side-by-side, much like you have seen at Buffalo Wild Wings on the other end of town. But across the river the Wild were mostly AWOL as far as specials, but taking their place at Woody’s in Bayport are three different New Belgian beers, part of a 25th anniversary celebration.
— Dick’s Bar and Grill has free shots when goals are scored during Wild Games, including Thursday’s 7 p.m. opener. You do have to be present to win, but you’d think you’d want to be anyway, especially at the times those goals are being scored in the first place. When one of the bartenders was reminded of the frequency at which such tallies are being recorded in the NHL these days, he noted that a restaurant in a neighboring state was offering the point differential in Michigan football wins as the percentage discount off steak dinners. Well the plan became more murky when Michigan beat Rutgers 79-0 or so, meaning your steak was virtually free. It seems the place capped it at fifty, which means you’d better not score much more than seven touchdowns.
— That could be the primo goal when No. 8 Wisconsin takes on No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday, also at 7 p.m., in yet another outdoor party at Kozy Korner in North Hudson — this time college not pro football — a facet that made an Ohio transplant in my family perk up her ears. That follows the Wednesday party when the top-ranked volleyball team from Wisconsin took on those pesky Gophers, yet again at 7 p.m.
— Now that the windows to Ellie’s on Main are shuttered, although the lighted sign is still on at the recently closed place, you can find longtime stalwart Jonesy back at work at Dick’s for the first time in years. Up until now his most recent siting there was during a concert where he, uncharacteristically, was seen swaying to a cover of Four Non-Blondes.

The chili and country music make for a hoedown, with the Vulcans adding another layer, and in other places you might not want to drink that bucket of beer too fast, because there are numbers to crunch:
— The Village Inn in North Hudson will mark its 11th anniversary under its current ownership on Saturday, with homecooked food and music by the group 2 Mile Final in what’s being billed as a hoedown. The music group features three different vocalists on lead, so they say they can cover almost any song. They will play country and something that’s a term you don’t hear much anymore, southern rock, from 6-10 p.m., with karaoke to follow. (A longtime local stalwart at events such as these, singer and guitarist Kyle Kohila, was a late addition to play the early afternoon). There will also be an all-day chili feed, and among those attending will be those pesky Vulcans from St. Paul, who have a strong connection to the current owner, Leigh Halvorson. But these things are not all that’s offered gratis. Miller Lite drinks will be available for free from 5-6 p.m.
— Other NFL offerings go by the numbers. During those times, Buffalo Wild Wings features five 16-ounce aluminum cans of Budweiser products for $18. Downtown at Dick’s Bar and Grill is one of the places with a largely similar offering for Packer and Viking games, buckets of the fittingly named Lombardi Golden Ale for $10.95, and pitchers of Surly Furious for $11, just in case your team loses and you get a bit hot under the collar. Dick’s also has five Buds in a bucket at a cheaper price, those being in bottles, and free shots given each time one of those teams scores, not to mention their regular deal of five bottles of beer in the aformentioned bucket for a special price.
— Also at Dick’s is a new acoustic music act on Friday evening, Joel Kachel and Pocket Change. Joel’s producer has worked with artists from Miles Davis to Colbie Caillat and his song “Crow” has received multiple awards and won him a number of songwriting competitions. He has toured nationally and internationally, although originally hailing from a place much closer to this area, that being Woodbury.

Its the new kid on the motorcycle rally block, but she doesn’t look like your kid sister.
Taking its place alongside the male-reference Frost and Unfrost Your Nuts runs is the second annual Frost Your Tits Off rally, even though this is still very early in October and the temps are expected to be quite balmy.
The woman drawn in the flyer seen about the various nightspots around town is quite busty, fitting the part, for the event that’s scheduled to start at noon Sunday, leaving the ample parking lot at Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse. Other stop-in places locally include the Village Inn in North Hudson and Uncle Mike’s Em Pour E Yum in the town of Hudson near the truck stop.
Also now jumping into that game is Season’s Tavern in North Hudson, where they expect 15 to 30 patrons from the run, depending on weather conditions — expect it to be warm and dry — and they can enjoy the number of the usual day-time specials that cater to the Bloody Mary crowd. These patrons also, like most stops on the route, are eligible to win gift cards via a raffle drawing. Last year’s attendance at Season’s was on the upper end of that couple-dozen range. The cyclists usually stay for an hour or two at such places, then venture on to the next stop. This rally is different than many because the participating stops are all within a few miles of each other, with the Season’s south end of North Hudson being an apex, and are scooter and moped friendly for the main drag. The run nears a conclusion, again, over at Big Guys BBQ and those venturing late to Dick’s Bar and Grill get various food and drink specials.
All profits are donated to charity, and entry shirts are $75 on the day of the rally.