Cup size, with photos and signatures, proves to be important, as is remembering those who serve our country.
Patrons at Buffalo Wild Wings are invited to take a photo with a nearly lifesize — that is in human not trophy terms — cardboard replica of the Stanley Cup and get it on social media to qualify for a trip and tickets to the 2016 Finals. It seems that good things come to those who wait. It should be noted that on the B-Dubs cutout advertisement it’s noted The Cup is a trademark, (more on that in a minute). Patrons are advised to watch as many of the hockey games as possible at BWW to aid their chances of being a winner; not to mention that their own cup just might runneth over. There are more details on the four-step photo application process at the local branch.
This all brings to mind Al, the North Hudson resident who before there were the LA Kings used to be the King of sports-themed viewing parties. They were at his house that had a big addition and basement and “going yard” sports bars built for those purposes, not to mention fitting, homemade food. But Al was more than a homebody, he somehow managed to obtain a metal, not cardboard, copy of the Stanley Cup that was the size of the BWW current version. He took it on the road to hockey cities — and to all the Hudson area bars — to get so many signatures/messages from fans that it was almost as black and blue in color as silver. It remains to be seen if such a cup will show at the 2016 version of the Finals.
— A memorial poker run in honor of Nicholas Spehar and the total of 17 Navy Seals and 14 U.S. servicemen who gave their lives on Aug. 6, 2011, while serving over in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom is Sunday.
The motorcyle rally is set for May 24 and starts and finishes at Chisago Roadhouse Tavern with stops at Wolf Creek Bar, Py’s Bar, Somerset American Legion and Big Game. Registration is from 10-11:15 a.m., with riders taking off at 11:30-11:45 a.m.
Cost is $15 per bike, $10 per passenger. There will be prizes for top poker hands and door prize drawings, and cash boards and spaghetti dinner with donation at the end of the run. Cash donations and items for silent auction will be appreciatively accepted.
Another local connection is that one of the main organizers, Shalice who bartends at Guv’s Place in Houlton, has been working very hard — as is her style — to get things together for the run. She and others note the importance of looking after needs of veterans. For more information or to donate, contact her at (651) 210-3989, or Bob at (651) 329-5527.
A memorial fund for Spehar has been set up at US Bank in Chisago City, Minn.

Hard-edged Wood and Hayseeds will be all the rage this weekend:
— Ragin’ Wood will be live at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Friday, May 15. The lead singer, as well as other band members who chime in on lead vocals for some numbers, have added to their collection of songs. Their often high-volume, guitar-driven classic rock is shown by clips online of them playing tunes by Bad Company, Foghat and AC/DC.
— The Killer Hayseeds, one of the leading and longest-set playing country bands coming out of the Twin Cities, will play at Maverick’s Corner Saloon in downtown River Falls on Saturday, May 16. The band leader did extensive auditions in 2011 to come up with a formitable lineup. The result was a group that does something you rarely see, two 105-minute sets.
— The Mill City Hot Club will bring its music based on the tradition of gypsy jazz, pioneered in the 1920s by artists based in Belgium and France, to Juniors restaurant and bar in downtown River Falls on Friday, May 15. The style is seeing a resurgence in the United States, and generally consists of two acoustic gypsy guitars, upright string bass and violin. As is typical of this genre, the Hot Club brings in other styles of music and instrumentation, in their case modern jazz, Latin jazz and blues. These musicians, billed as being prominent both locally and nationally, also bring in an electric format similar to the swing and jazz bands of the 1950s and 1960s, and specialize in improvisation.

Man of the Year, and almost midnight with its Shadows on the Wall.
— The group Six to Midnight stresses its diverse play list, which is designed to include “the lightest dance tunes to the heaviest hard rock hits,” and brings its act to the Smilin’ Moose on Friday, May 8. The 100-plus song set list, which is heaven and hell to an old metalhead like myself, has songs from the past and present from the likes of Ace of Spades, Godsmack, The Ramones, My Darkest Days and Volbeat. Also on a personal note, the band is also known for their You Tube version of Cupid Shuffle, which is a popular dance number at The Moose, getting dozens of people out on the floor. (On a couple of occasions, I was an observer close to getting my back pushed up against the wall as the crowd moved forward, then back). Six to Midnight, which could just be an Iron Maiden reference, has played alongside acts such as Seether, Saliva, Saving Abel, Good Charlotte and GB Leighton, who also has ties to The Moose.
— Soon, come the end of May, a North Hudson man of the year will be selected by the principals at Kozy Korner. The event, one part charitable event and another part good-natured humor that can be self-deprecating, sees a field of several dozen people gradually eliminated until a winner is named.
The low-key event is in its fifth year. The voting runs six weeks and helps charitable causes. In this just-for-frivolous-fun event, contestants go head-to-head at Kozy each time around, and it costs $1 to vote. There is no limit on how many times you can cast your ballot, and since this is for charity, that’s all the better.
This year, the charitable recipients are the Koller family from Seventh St. North in North Hudson. They lost their home in a fire.
— It was the less-than-obvious retro choices when the band Shadows on the Wall played the Village Inn in North Hudson, as they went back-to-back-to-back from Prince, to Steelers Wheel, to You Can’t Always Get What You Want by the Stones. The quintet features four guitarists, one of whom was formerly with The New Skinny, a group of local guys.

Bloody good ol’ Bloody Mary’s and bloody expensive (bloody) fight.
— So, you think you bloody well have the best Bloody Mary in town? Well then prove it. Pack up all your best vegies, meats, cheeses, tomato juices — and don’t forget liquors — and head down to Dick’s Bar and Grill at 2 p.m. Sunday to compete in the best Bloody Mary contest. There is a $5 entry fee, which will get the chance for cash prizes, gift cards, booze baskets and “tons of fun.” See staffers at Dick’s for more information and entry forms to test the merit of your Mary.
— It turns out that the best place to watch “The Fight of the Century” might be your place! Based on the outrageous prices being asked for sports bars to host the bout, based on occupancy, few that normally have big fights are electing to air it, so as one Green Mill patron suggested, plunk down the $100 or so that it costs to see it at home and split it about 10 ways with about 10 friends, just to pick a number. Local sports bars from Buffalo Wild Wings to the Village Inn in North Hudson say that their phones have been ringing off the hook with questions about whether they will have the Saturday evening bout between Pac Man and Mayweather, which they will not. It turns out that virtually no BWW in Minnesota will air it, either. And here I thought it might be one of those nights where it was such a full house that you’d have to plant one butt cheek on the stool to the left of you, and one to the right, to be able to belly up to the bar. Or, as I joked with a bartender friend, it might be better to charge only $10 a head — do we see a theme here? — and have a pre-fight party based on Friday night’s weigh-in.

— It appears Tim Sigler is not only a favorite country act, and perhaps the most popular fave of all, at the Smilin’ Moose in Hudson, but also is having regular gigs in River Falls. Most recently, Sigler will perform at Maverick’s Corner Saloon in downtown River Falls on Saturday, reprising his gig that was held at Juniors in River Falls on Thursday. Staffers at Maverick’s say that Sigler brings in more the townies than the college crowd, and that is all right by them.

Bringing back Bob, and a bonanza where they both bestow their best, after being around the world:
— They tour widely and prolifically and even more than the most prominent of rock stars, but the male-female duo Firefly played plenty in the region, too, in their 2012-13 tour, and now is bringing their act to Season’s Tavern in North Hudson on Saturday night, April 25. The duo met while doing their trademark globetrotting at about that time. I first met one of the members, Nici Peper, outside a place just up the road, the Village Inn, about three years ago, (I still have her business card somewhere), and it was clear from our conversation that their act would be popular. Along with musical partner Chris Snyder, they played almost 300 shows in a year across almost all of the 50 states, (including Alaska), and were on the main stage or headliners for very prominent festivals. They have opened for the likes of Bret Michaels of Poison fame, and also Hobo Jim and Elvis Monroe, among others. They include both covers and “well-written, soulful originals,” according to their online profile.
— Hey baby, Bob is Back! That’s vocalist and lead guitarist Schillinger, who with his band Full Tilt will play the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Friday night. I’ve known Bob from back in the 1990s through open mic nights at the old Sandbar and then weekly performances at Dick’s Bar and Grill. They followed that up with similar stints in Stillwater and other places, but Full Tilt has now — where has the time gone — been originally formed as a classic and southern rock group since 1995. They’ve played many clubs and biker-oriented events in a two-state area and specialize in Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Allman Brothers Band and Molly Hatchet. I recall their guitar-driven style from back in the open mic days, where I, most notably in my memory, asked Bob if we could collaborate on Rock ‘N Roll by Led Zeppelin, to which he asked, “you can handle that?” These guys can handle a lot in their realm, and by the way, the other band members are Rick Lombardo on vocals and guitar, Rick Gates on vocals and bass, and Don (Deeg) Olson on drums.
— The simply stylish “Kyle” as he is known, will play at Guv’s Place in Houlton on Friday night. He might be the second coming of “The Gloved One,” as I’ll tend to forget for the moment about Michael Jackson and focus on the fact that Kyle has been known to frequently wear such an accessory on his hand/wrist. He’s also been known to give that up lately, and when I saw him the other night, he was one of a crew playing a video game and had his arms crossed, making it hard to see if his glove was back on. Check about his wardrobe status on Friday at Guv’s.

Spring is here, and has sprung into some crazy activities in which you might want to participate.
— Dick’s Bar and Grill is following their pattern of providing off-beat activities to patrons that go beyond dancing. They suggest you might want to forego the motorcycle Flood Run and ride instead at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Hot Wheels and Matchbox races, which have been linked up to Nascar racing and whatever other mode you want to include. Just know that the car must finish to be eligible for prizes including the fastest race, first, second and third places, and best decorated car and most creative design. As they point out, your car may not be the fastest, but it likely looks fantastic. Verbage of the flyers at Dick’s say things such as “test your childhood skills on our Hot Wheels racetrack! Feel free to tweak and design your car or truck any way you like (stock or modified).” There will also be cash prizes, door prizes and a drink token for everyone (just not any youngsters) who bring a car. You might even stay for Jeff Loven’s one-man-band show in the evening and perhaps win an even faster car by guessing the name of a tune.
— Beers on tap at Guv’s Place in Houlton are Fat Tire and Farm Girl, from Lift Bridge Brewing locally. The gal on the picture for the latter is quite skinny, so the overall concept of excess girth does not run concurrently, despite what you might order. This brings to mind a couple of other specialty drinks that might not be served universally, depending on the bartender: A breakfast-based concoction at the Green Mill, with not only orange juice, pancake and syrup, but also a (small) side of bacon on top; and a beer at the Village Inn in North Hudson, with a cherry floated on top, just because.
— Guv’s Place is among those with a NHL playoff hockey beer special. A sign said that their Wild Game Special is $2.50 domestic beers, although we think that could be a better name for a venison offering.
— When Uncle Chunk played the Smilin’ Moose, the new lead singer wore a Star Wars Death Star T-shirt that is a look-alike for that regularly sported by a shall-I-say regular downtown patron. Likewise, the lead singer for Cherry Gun, Amy M., drank her drink from a Mason jar while there, which is the house variety, but also harkens back to a song from a few decades ago. These are two of the four bands this month who are regulars at the Moose, and will almost certainly be back again soon. Although slated are Rhino (April 17) and favorite Tim Sigler (April 24).
— Stone Tap held a “Welcome to Wisconsin” beer tasting party featuring the Fulton Brewery from Minnesota on Friday evening. On tap were four of the company’s beers, plus a couple of other highly welcomed mystery brews, from this brew crew who bill themselves as a bunch of ordinary guys making extraordinary beer. Even though this party is now passed, there promise to be many more sampling events like this in the future.
— Monday is the infamous 4-20 day, and we assume you know what that means, and the Smokedale locations in places such as the hill in Hudson are marking the date by opening at 4:20 a.m. with prizes for early arrivals and other specials, for those who have not already indulged and could be too sleepy to partake.
— When Smokin’ Whiskey played at Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt earlier in the month, they may have considered fan favorite The Ocean by Led Zeppelin if going deep into their play list. When I sang with Jeff Loven a night or two later, The Ocean was the winning “name that tune” song for a free drink, which prompted me to ad lib and break into the song’s refrain, with Jeff picking up the guitar riffs. And wouldn’t you know it, twice in the next few nights I heard The Ocean played on the jukebox. I guess it’s played from sea to shining sea. The previous Sunday, I had conducted the same ad lib treatment after winning the free drink by guessing Breaking the Law by Judas Priest. Jeff sometimes makes me sing for my supper, so to speak.

And you might have thought that touring summer rock shows have an extensive list of bands. The following is the formidable lineup, 17 diverse music acts in all as well as workshops and other attractions, that make up the Roots and Bluegrass Music Festival, which will be held in River Falls from April 9-12:
— Thursday, 7-10 p.m., Walter Croll and Friends, at Juniors Bar and Restaurant.
— Friday, 5-8 p.m., Pushing Chain as part of the beer and wine tasting event; 6-9 p.m., King Wilkie’s Dream, Johnnie’s Bar; 8-11 p.m., Barley Jack’s, Juniors; 10 p.m.-2 p.m., Dead Horses, Shooter’s Pub.
— Saturday, 9-11 a.m., Rush River Ramblers, South Fork Cafe; 10-10:45 a.m., Snap, Tap and Clap, Brickhouse Music; 10 a.m.-noon, open jam with Fish Heads, Family Fresh Market; 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Paint the Town, Funktion Junktion; 10 a.m.-1 p.m., ukulele workshop, Brickhouse music; 11 a.m.- 1:30 p.m., flatpick guitar competition, Juniors; noon-12:45 p.m., Banjo 101, Brickhouse Music; 1-1:45 p.m., Percussion Petting Zoo, Brickhouse Music; 2-4 p.m., Attic Treasure Appraisal, Riverwalk Art and Antiques; 2:30-4:30 p.m., singer-songwriter competition, Juniors; 3-4 p.m., Paint the Town, Best Western lobby; 3-5 p.m., open jam with Fish Heads, Funktion Junktion; 3-6 p.m., Blue Hazard, Bo’s ‘N Mine; 4-6 p.m., open mic with Pushing Chain, Dish ‘N the Spoon Cafe; 4:30-7:30 p.m., Cousin Dad, Lazy River; 6-9 p.m., Fish Heads, Johnnie’s; 8-11 p.m., Art Stevenson and High Water, Junior’s; 10 p.m.-2 a.m., Kind Country, Shooter’s Pub; and 11 p.m.-2 a.m., Sans Souci Quartet, Maverick’s Corner Saloon.
— Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Good Intentions, West Wind Supper Club; 2-3 p.m., Paint the Town, Funktion Junktion.
— For a different type of spring foray, check out the beach party at Dick’s Bar and Grill on Saturday, with hauled in sand, sand and more sand. The band Puzzle Piece will play at 6 p.m., but you don’t have to wait until then to celebrate, as there are food and drink specials all day. As they say at Dick’s, “Life’s a beach. Party like a beach.”

Fan food and some Floyd with Easter as a followup to Friday:
— Buffalo Wild Wings is promoting themselves as a fan’s headquarters for March Madness, which at this time of year may find the “Beat the Buzzer” food as appealing as the nightlife at bar and grill places. Across the street, Green Mill is doing much of the same, and across the freeway, I’m sure the quite similar-styled Applebee’s has a say in it, as well. But at B-Dubs, they have Madness appetizers that go beyond the usual mozzarella sticks, such as the coastal sampler and batter fried pickles. And Dick’s is one of many to have a seasonal shrimp special, (see below), but what is possibly more noticeable is their appetizer of the month for March, garlic infused mussels.
— This year, the Easter buffet theme seems to be shrimp with marinade, as both the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt and Green Mill will have this in addition to traditional meats such as ham. These venues also add, respectively, beef brisket and salmon, and Green Mill also boasts literally dozens of other buffet choices that are offered both for brunch and also later in the day. Now that’s a happy hour.
— If you like music, rather than meat on the grill, that’s smoking, you can get it by patronizing just before Easter the Willow River Saloon and hearing the band Smokin’ Whiskey rev it up. Their song list includes a number of tunes each by Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Thin Lizzy and to really change up the genre, several by Pink Floyd. They are the featured band on Friday night.
— And if you find you need some fruit glaze up-front, may we suggest that from the Cherry Gun band at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night. They just may play some of their You Tube songs, such as What’s Up from Four Non-Blondes, Mary Jane from Tom Petty and Eruption/You Really Got Me Now from Van Halen.

Raise your darts to beer drinkers and hell raisers:
— The first annual Randy Westling Luck of the Draw Doubles Dart Tournament, which is a mouthful, is on at the Village Inn in North Hudson on Saturday, March 28. Speaking of mouthfuls, there are two quotes on the flyer advertising the event. “You don’t have to be a beer drinker to play darts, but it helps,” by author unknown. And then there’s one from Randy himself, “Jagger-bombs work too,” although I’m not sure whether that refers to the drink or the rock singer. In any case, signup is from 11 a.m. to noon, with shooting starting at 12:15 p.m. Entrance fee is $10 per person, with a whopping 200 percent payback, Chicago style. The rock band Rizer (not the Stones) will play Saturday evening.
— Downtown River Falls will have two bands that go beyond the normally seen on Saturday night, and both are known to play at rodeos. The Farmers Daughters are at Shooters, and are billed as a five- or six-piece band, with/depending on keyboard, that sounds like Miranda Lambert, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Carrie Underwood. Iron Horse plays Maverick’s Corner Saloon, featuring three lead singers with both sexes represented, with their modern country and classic rock.
— For something a bit more unusual for this area than classic rock or country, check out the Ghetto Superstars at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night. They specialize in being a GFunk Era tribute to hip-hop, rap and rhythm and blues.
— And now that spring has finally sprung, officially, I’m continuing to announce that bands will play in a prominent indoor spring event — at least 12 of them doing more than 50 total hours of free foot stompin’ music at 13 different venues — at the Roots and Bluegrass Music Festival in River Falls on April 9-12.

Believe me, not to Badger you, but the Final Four best quest and other bar biz beckons.

— The Badger mens basketball team begins its bid for a Final Four berth in the NCAA tournament on Friday, March 20, with an 8:20 p.m. contest against Coastal Carolina in the regional quarterfinals.
It’s the first-seeded Badgers against a No. 16 squad, but as staffers at Kozy Korner in North Hudson always say, you never know when the score might get tight when it comes to March Madness. So, even though Wisconsin is one of the heaviest favorites listed, you won’t want to miss what could possibly happen, making it a good idea to make a trip over to Kozy to cover all bases the way the Badger defense covers the lane.
If that weren’t enough, there was a rumor that was considered a “90 percent” certainty as of bar time the previous night that the Badger band would again play at Kozy on Friday, possibly even during the basketball game. The marquee at that time said they were slated in for noon, but that was subject to change. (Sources at Kozy confirmed an 8 p.m. band arrival in a phone interview early Friday afternoon, and said it would be imperative to get their early for a seat). So since this is the third band appearance this March Madness, get ready to order up a Miller beer, as you listen to the horn section do their version of the Steve Miller Band, which if you know anything about Madison is always a favorite. All this was made possible by the weekend women’s hockey Frozen Four games at the Twin Cities Ridder Arena.
— Bands that won’t play in the lane and alleys and byways, but indoors in a prominent spring event — at least 12 of them performing more than 50 total hours of free music — will be at the Roots and Bluegrass Music Festival in River Falls on April 9-12. At least twelve is the operative term, as that many local wineries and breweries, six of them each, will be part of a high-profile but still down-to-earth tasting event to accompany the music weekend.
The fifth annual event has all of its scores of bands all inside, as well as things like one-of-a-kind, high-quality “picking” music contest. Much of the music featured is acoustic and will allow patrons to converse as well as listen.
— Speaking of listening, two of the bands at the Smilin’ Moose, which are favorites there and will almost certainly return soon, gave specialized treatment to cover songs in recent performances. Pop-oriented Good For Gary, which is said to be one of the Moose’s most prized bands and just a notch below the likes of GB Leighton and Tim Sigler, gave a lengthy sax-driven rendition of Eminem. Along those same lines, country band Hitchville covered The Devil Went Down to Georgia and gave the solos an instrumental much like that of Dazed and Confused and No Quarter on Led Zeppelin live albums. There was even musical resemblance to Jimmy Page shredding a violin bow on guitar strings.
— From another group picking up traction locally, the slightly-snarled-sounding vocals of the band Off the Record were perfect for the raw emotions pervading Wish You were Here by Pink Floyd. They played the Village Inn recently.
— What’s better than bowling and bar biz? Sunday Funday will be taken to a new level when Dick’s Bar and Grill teams with the Hudson Bowling Center for their annual Bowlarama, starting at 1:30 p.m. on, of course, Sunday. They suggest that you start the day with breakfast at Dick’s downtown, then move up the hill.