Nothing is as “country” as corn and chicken, and you don’t even need to know Waylon or Willy to dig in, as everyone with every different kind of taste is welcome:
— Feeding country music fans and many others for 45 years. That’s the duration of the annual chicken and corn feed at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt that’s held again on Sunday, and some people have made it a point to pop in all of those years. “It’s a tradition … You know, it’s just good. It’s just chicken, but if depends a lot on the way its prepared,” said owner Chris, adding there is all-you-can-eat corn on the cob. So you might want to prepare to get there early, as there might be a crowd. The event typically gets going right before lunch, then goes on for a few hours until right before supper. All proceeds will benefit the St. Joseph Fire Department.
— It helps to have friends in (low) places on your scorecard. A bartender friend has another friend who is a dancer at The Seville gentlemen’s club, and she in turn has even more friends who are also co-workers. The bartender said that Mariah, (not my sister-in-law of the same name, heaven forbid), and her crew had made arrangements to be at a golf tournament in River Falls this weekend and grace this different kind of club with their presence. I asked, which golf club and is it a charitable event, or sponsored by your nightclub, but my bartender buddy had turned away to wait on someone else. So, if you want to do a little “research,” it might be worth your while to pop into a few golf courses, as there are only so many to be found in RF. On that note, it’s worth noting that the nightclub of his employ has featured the band Dog Leg Left. Do we see a theme here? — This is more than you can even fantasize about. Pick up a 2016 fantasy draft kit at Buffalo Wild Wings for a chance to “host” next year’s draft at NFL headquarters. Your entire draft “league” of friends gets a hotel stay and air transportation and party cash. And also a gazillion BDub bucks worth of wings. (Just kidding on that last one).

The weekend starts on Wednesday, and after a lull on Thursday really gets going again, kicked off by the back-to-our-roots very late afternoon and into early evening music on the patio at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday and Saturday, as part of their summer-long series, to wrap up July. It features a pair of acoustic soloists with longtime Hudson ties, Dave Burkhart and Chris Lawrence, respectively.
— But winding back to Wednesdays, they can have wicked wit. That’s the day when Buffalo Wild Wings has its “is this the smartest bar” trivia contest with its signature Buzztime brand. It does, however, ask you to “prove it” for prizes. And you will want the approval of the hot babe with the librarian glasses who appears in the in-restaurant ad. You’ll also have to beat out the guy at the local BDubs who goes by the dyslexic game-name DubB.
There was a trivia question there that piqued my attention, about a decades-ago dictator in Africa who was atrocity-addled. It was in the country Chad. I asked my bartender by that name if he’d ever do such things to a fellow human being. His somewhat joking response: Only if he doesn’t pay his tab.
— Hudson’s own singer and songwriter Garret seems to have an affinity for playing resort-type venues, which started with performances at Afton Alps. To that end, this Friday evening, July 29, he will be at Troy Burne for a solo show, which is a members-only gig. However, if you want to catch him in a more public way, you can venture to Ole’s in Maiden Rock the next evening, on Saturday. Maiden Rock is a lot like Boardman near Hudson, where there also are a lot of bands, but both are only a two-horse (or bar) town, with the pair of places being across the street from one another. Garret says that “90 percent” of people agree that his vocal stylings are distinctive, which surprises him, but only a bit.
— This hopper is really hepped up. At Pudge’s, the 96-ounce blender-look-alike contraption has not only the $19 and $24 options for being filled with the more standard beers, but for $28 you can get the more upscale brews of Bell’s, Deschutes and Goose Island, which are also available as regular-size specials. And, if you hurry, you can still order them from the gradually departing Kirsten, who has glasses and hair much like the smokin’ brunette librarian in the Buffalo Wild Wings ad.

Give fair warning, there is plenty of music around the perimeter of Hudson that you’ll be missing out on if you don’t hit the road for a few extra miles:

— In addition to the St. Croix County Fair, (see the home page), there is more music on the other side of the county. Featuring modern country (a bit more than half their play list), and rock and pop music (the other 40 percent), Shotgun Wedding is a female and male fronted band featuring some top Twin Cities’ musicians, hailing from other local bands such as Under the Covers, The Bad Animals, Playback, Shane Wyatt, Shadowstone and The Hootenanny. They play the Willow River Saloon on Friday, July 22. This combination of talent and experience makes Shotgun Wedding one of the best shows in town, they say. Its members, some of whom you may have seen before in their previous bands, are Jimmy Fromm on vocals, guitar and mandolin, Troy Hommerding on drums and vocals, Wendy Miller on vocals, Jules Olson on bass guitar and vocals, and Greg Vall on guitar.
— They may be well established, but still are shiny and new. The Sonshine festival of Christian music of all sorts hits the Somerset ampitheater all this weekend. The more than 80 bands and speakers across multiple stages include Grammy Award winning artists (and in this case rockers) Switchfoot, For King & Country and Michael W. Smith. Camping is available, as well, for the fest running July 21-23. More information is available online at their web site.
— A horse is a horse, of course, of course … While that may not be one of the songs they played, the members of the River Falls-based band Triad, reunited during River Falls Days after more than 30 years, say its like getting on a horse again — or riding a bike. You pick up where you left off with the Old School songs. Casey Killmann came from South Dakota, and Peter Radd from the fertile music ground of Las Vegas, to join to River Falls residents Tom Pechacek and Greg Brown and play a show downtown.

— While they are mostly earthy save the St. Croix types, all this weekend is RiverFest, with a slogan you might not expect from them, “Party with a Purpose.” There was but one music offering, a community band, but Saturday still has six separate family-friendly activities and Sunday two.

Who better to crank out four decades of hits than Hitfaced? You should be all ears, or else take it on the chin:
— When was the last time you heard everything from crossover country to disco? Well you can at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Friday evening, July 15. While celebrating 40 years of hits in a single night, a show by the band Hitfaced features songs anyone who loves popular music will recognize. They cover material from the most recent pop to classic rock, but also more than a dozen “crossover country” artists, dance/funk and even some disco, as Hitfaced features both a male and female sharing lead vocals. (That allows, for example, five different songs by Pink). “Finally you can hire a band that is as musically diverse as your audience. Old, young, dancers, pop music fans, cowboys and rockers and even headbangers will all find something to enjoy spread throughout the show,” says the band’s bio.
— Saturday’s re-grand opening of the Kozy Korner in North Hudson will have not only the expected things such as a bean bag tournament, but also the music of an artist who, again, is relatively new as one of the village people, Pete Elkin.
— How often before have you heard a band listed as a “well oiled machine?” That is the case for Doug Otto and the Getaways, who have been likened to Robert Johnson, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy, and will be playing Junior’s bar and grill in River Falls on Friday evening.
— On the patio at the Smilin’ Moose this weekend are Ken Valdez on Friday and Michael Handler on Saturday, both from 5-8 p.m., and George Scot McKelvey on Sunday from 2-5 p.m.

He’s not been legal age long, so he’s not been on the local music scene long, but Nashville still came calling for his musical talents.
— Levi Pelzer is an up-and-coming very young musician born in central Minnesota, who is trekking to Burkhardt to play the Willow River Saloon on Friday night. After playing in bar bands since age 15, he has embarked on a solo career that was kickstarted by an offer from a producer in Nashville to record his debut album. In 2015, Levi traveled down to Nashville to work with some of the top producers, engineers, studio musicians and song writers that Music City has to offer. On Feb. 27, 2015, Levi’s 21st birthday, he released his debut single, “I Can Love You with my Eyes Closed,” to iTunes. After returning from Nashville, Levi put together a lineup consisting of both veteran musicians and rookies to the music scene. Levi and his band played their debut show on June 26, 2015, to a sold-out crowd. A year later, the band is capturing the attention of fans and venues across the country, with a high level of energy and captivating performances that showcase his guitar playing skills. In January, Levi released his self titled album to iTunes and digital download, and the band embarked on their first regional tour, trekking across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and of course Wisconsin.
— You can avoid the crowds and stay in on fight night, except to go grab some takeout, as for the upcoming weekend of the big bout of the moment, Buffalo Wild Wings will let you “do it right.” From July 8-10 there is the come-and-get-it food special of 60 wings and more, with a Mexican twist.
These days, there have been more and more people coming across the length of the establishment to pick-up their takeout wings and such, and bellying up to the bar temporarily as the server went to the kitchen to get it. On one recent fight night, the man next to me was weighing in on the different styles of martial arts, and which was most expedient for a particular opponent. He looked like a young James Spader, (a future Blacklist star talking about Black Belts?)
— The Village Inn in North Hudson again has its karaoke night, as has been done on the second Saturday of every month since late winter, and you can be crowned the king of such an offering, as some of the drink specials are Crown Royal and Crown Apple. I’d like to coronate the second to last duo that sang last month, a boisterous version of Proud Mary that was fueled by a guy who stepped in partway through and rolled out backup vocal support “on bass.”
— A sign above the bar at Dick’s Bar and Grill, meant to look like a street sign, reads “Jack Daniels Rd., drink responsibly,” which I’m assuming would mean not actually drinking Jack Daniels while driving down the road that it’s named after.

With summer in full gear, it might be time to rock the Kinni.
The theme for this year’s River Falls Days is Adventures on the Kinni, referring to the noted local trout stream, from July 7-10.
The festival is in its 42nd year and is seen as something that people from a wide area make it a point to see and hear, and is viewed as a Homecoming of sorts, especially former students of UW-River Falls.
Each year, the community celebration is held in Heritage Park on the banks of the scenic Kinnickinnic River. This free, family-friendly event has a carnival-like atmosphere (a few roadies included) with tons of food and entertainment that includes a few batches of country bands. Festivities include a 6:30 p.m. Friday parade from Main to Second streets with floats having the river-based theme in mind, Saturday morning 10-K and two-mile races and Kid’s Fun Run, live music acts and outdoor dancing, food vendors and Miller Beer Garden, Sunday fireworks at dusk at Hoffman Park, carnival rides and more. The tradition is seem as a great event to celebrate the city of River Falls.
The live Music in Heritage Park includes the pop, rock and country sounds of Uncle Chunk on Friday, July 8 from 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m. (with no cover charge), and then it steers more to country in particular with Rural Route 5 on Saturday from 7-9:30 p.m., and then Lost Highway from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. There is also other live music to be found around town during River Falls Days.
Also incorporated into the fest is a Sunday Car Cruze-In, which is hoped to draw some of the many fans who go from such car show to such car show and exhibit or spectate all through the summer, as well as some new lovers of classic cars. They can then also go from event to event and take in the duration of the fest.

Want to get some cool gear and taste some spicy but smooth rum during your Fourth of July? Consider taking in the offerings from a relatively new liquor company based in Hudson, Demon Rum, at different venues around town during the holiday weekend, some in close proximity to the Hudson Booster Days grounds.
That is where they will have a booth and be distributing apparel starting at about 4 p.m. Friday, then going all weekend, largely patterned around the music times, which are on-going throughout the three days of the festival. The local people who are fixtures in the company will march in the Booster Days downtown parade starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, then go from there around the downtown giving away samples of their rum and its accessories at several establishments such as the Postmark Grille, Stone Tap and Dick’s Bar and Grill, all within a couple of blocks of each other.
At those times, if you want more, patrons to the Hudson Green Mill on the hill can receive a dollar off any Demon Rum drink with the coupon being handed out on the grounds.
Wayne Karls, one of the principles of the company, said most people at samplings are surprised at the sheer quality of their rum products, which have all-natural flavors and ingredients. “They is made with a blend of real rum imported from the Virgin Islands, and also barrel aged from the West Indies. People are always trying to figure out where (all the ingredients) came from. It is complex, beautiful and smooth.”
This makes for good summer sipping (like over the Fourth) and winter cocktails (such as during the holiday season), Wayne said. “People find it is so good they even have it on the rocks, and it is the best rum they’ve ever tasted, is what we often hear said.”
And, available at many local liquor stores and taverns, it is the best premium rum on the market for the price, Wayne said. You can get a standard size bottle for $19.99 at those places.
And their stalwarts who staff the tastings are friendly people who can shoot the breeze with you about not only their rum, but other topics that might come up. And that ambience is provided for a reason: “This is about our love of our products, and we want people to love them as much as we do,” Wayne said.
“We want this to be a spirit everyone can enjoy, so we price it affordably.”
Demon Rum is also the lead sponsor of two bands at Booster Days, Cadillac Kolstad & The Flats at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday and Paisan at 9 p.m. Saturday.
— One of the most touted aspects of Hudson Booster Days is the food, and heading the list is the Willow River Saloon-Carbone’s Pizza in Burkhardt, with their longtime landmark stand of eats. What’s so special about it, among the raft of complete meals offered? “It’s the broasted chicken. That’s our specialty. That’s the biggie,” said the bartender at The Willow who answered the phone.
Also providing signature food are Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse, (although much newer to the scene), and the local Boy Scouts. The food stands operate from 4 p.m. to midnight on Friday at Lakefront Park, and from noon to midnight on Friday and Saturday. (So you can check out the music while you munch on hearty food).
— For more all-out gonzo, check out Saturday’s Goliath Challenge and its pair of accompanying road races at the Badlands recreation center east of Hudson, which this year features a new and more demanding obstacle course. For more information or to register, go to their site online. Things get going soon into the day for the event, which also serves as a fundraiser for the Feed My Starving Children group, so get there early.

The music acts at the annual Hudson Booster Days celebration have been largely changed up from many previous years, giving listeners a wider range of entertainment to revel in.

There is no cover charge for any of the live music during the festival at Lakefront Park, which runs June 30-July 3.
These are the bands and other selected entertainment activities among the dozens available for people to enjoy at Booster Days:
Friday, July 1 — 5-8:15 p.m., Alex Rossi Trio; 9-12:30 p.m., Chris Lawrence Band, (a Hudson native).
Saturday, July 2 — 1:30-4:30 p.m., Kingsview; 1:30-3:30 p.m., kids’ tractor pedal pull; 5:15-8:15 p.m., Cadillac Kolstad & The Flats; 9-12:30 p.m., Paisan, (which will reprise its act at Pepper Fest).
Sunday, July 3 — noon, bean bag toss tourney, register from 11:15-11:45 a.m., ($20 per person, double elimination); 1:30–4:30 p.m., The Sixes; 3-7 p.m., Booster Days car show; 4:30-5 p.m., Acme Magic Factory magician, (new this year); 5:15-8:15 p.m., Ross William Perry; 8:15-8:45 p.m., Acme Magic Factory magician; 9-12:30 p.m., Uncle Chunk, (always a favorite headliner at local festivals); at dusk, fireworks over the St. Croix River, sponsored by the city of Hudson.
— This weekend at the Willow River Saloon you can get a steady dose of Steve, a fixture in Burkhardt, as one of his main bands Strangers plays there on Saturday night, June 25, and another group that he has his (guitar-picking) fingers in, Country Outlaws, is on the night before. This on top of running the sound board regularly at The Willow, and operating the convenience store across the street that bears his name. Strangers is heavy on ’70s classic rock, and Country Outlaws steers more toward, you guessed it, outlaw country.

An off-shoot of a venerable and longtime local music group means that if you’re thirsty for some Thirsty Camel, you have more options to see its mainstays playing in the St. Croix Valley than just in North Hudson. This is part of this weekend’s slate of veteran area musicians, who even play a lot of originals:
— Tom Wavra of that band will play Mallard’s in Bayport on Saturday evening, June 18. He started playing guitar at age 13 in his hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota, far from North Hudson. As a vocalist his first solo performance came at six. By the mid-1980s, Tom was performing around the region in several bands, singing everything from Johnny Cash and Elvis to Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest.
In 1991, he moved to Minneapolis and knew he had to get back to what he loved — and that was music, as part of a progression that helped him develop North Hudson ties. In 1992, he joined an area band called Myth. The band changed the name to Thirsty Camel and been together with the same four members — which include Brad who is the owner of Seasons Tavern in North Hudson and is the site of many Thirsty Camel shows — for over 20 years.
Besides having a CD of originals, the band played classic rock from the ’70s and ’80s. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rush and AC/DC are just some of the bands covered. Clubs they played over the years include The Fineline Music Cafe, O’Gara’s, Dibbo’s in Hudson, Mirage, Iron Horse, Amelia’s, Pepper Corns, McGovern’s and many smaller clubs around the metro region. They also played at Grand Old Days in St. Paul and other community events. Thirsty Camel continues to perform throughout the Twin Cities, as well as North Hudson.
Tom is performing solo acoustic shows virtually every weekend and has for the last five years. Starting with his ’60s and ’70s rock roots, Tom has added a wide range of crowd favorites like Bob Seger, Neil Diamond, Doobie Brothers, Tom Petty and more. With nearly 400 songs he covers something for nearly everyone. It takes a big vocal range to go from Johnny Cash to Led Zeppelin, and other many musical surprises, he says.
— In an another facet that helps constitute the rare opportunity of being able to see bands on back-to-back nights that are relatively new to the Hudson area, Jose James plays Mallards on Friday evening, June 17, having won a best Minnesota Music Award for brass and reed instrument back in 1994. He performs R&B, electronic music, contemporary jazz and neo-soul.
— In their next foray into the new offering at Season’s Tavern in North Hudson, (that being live music every other Thursday evening, at least throughout the summer, in this case June 23), Sarah and Eric Van Valkenburg who form the duo Practical Goods will take the stage. Being a married couple, they both even take their guitars with them on work (she’s a first-grade teacher and he’s a pilot). What also makes them a bit different is that — depending on the needs of the venue and how well the crowd knows them and clamors for what they play — the band performs plenty of their original songs as part of their Americana and other styles. Sarah says their music mix goes back to the ’60s and tends to incorporate many genres and decades. And at Season’s, the fit is there to allow them wide rein to play their original music, she says. “It’s about having something to say, or a story to tell.”
— And you thought you didn’t know Jack. “The perfect wingman,” reads a sign hawking liquor at the Village Inn in North Hudson, is none other than Apple Jack Cider. Might that wingman be the apple of your eye? OK, that’s going too far.

You won’t end up empty, as their are plenty of bands and other forms of music on deck for this weekend:
— Empty Arms will as of Friday night, June 10, do something that is rare at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt — being a new act to grace their stage for a second time in just over two months. The band plays traditional and Texas blues, rock and rockabilly, and their sound has a synergy with some noteworthy national acts, which makes even their cover songs diverse and original in style.
In much the same vein, as far as frequency, the relatively new band Stagecoach is on again on June 18. (They before had played The Willow for their second time this spring, but there had been a hiatus prior to that). Goes to show what a loyal following can do. Like their name, the band has visual and musical imagery that relates to the Old West, with skull-and-crossbones type fare added in.
— The grand opening party of the patio facing the St. Croix River at the Smilin’ Moose, a facet that opened late last year and has two very different styles on two different levels, will be Friday night. Tim Sigler is the featured country music act for the party, (even though he will be playing indoors, not on either level of the patio).
— And of course, Dick’s Bar and Grill has a beer of the month special worth highlighting. That would be the Coors Stubby, billed as being made with 100 percent Rocky Mountain water. (Despite that claim, being from the state of Colorado, I wonder if there might be something else in that water).
— And the Village Inn in North Hudson, featuring karaoke on the second Saturday of every month, will be at it again on June 11. Being an avid singer who once got a tentative offer to front a heavy metal band, as an aside, the owner recently praised my rendition there of Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath, and a patron of my take on Turbo Lover by Judas Priest. Check out some other class acts that are fast becoming regulars there come Saturday.