— Along the lines of inexpensive beer, (see below), there is a $2 special at Seasons Tavern in North Hudson on select brands, during the football season through the playoffs. And there is one other option, but you might, (or might not), have to hurry. The special also is good during Brewer playoff games, and since their current series in tied at three, now could be the time. The deciding game is tonight (Saturday) at 7:30 p.m. And we don’t want to throw cold water on it, (rather cold beer), but if they move on, you could even indulge in it a couple of more times.

Smile! Its Audio Circus playing, and although its too late for Aldo, you can still be chronically into Chronic Trio:
— With the fall now here, the Smilin’ Moose is in the second week of its post-summer full-band schedule, and invites the group Audio Circus to its stage on Friday, Oct. 19. The band is known for its party rock but also brings several other musical styles to its mix.
— You no doubt at this point missed the solo act Aldo, which played Thursday, when coming to Urban Olive and Vine — sorry about that late notice — but you can still triple your pleasure to boot with Chronic Trio on Saturday, bringing on a trifecta of sorts.
— If you can wait until Wednesday for your musical adventure, it might be well worth it. Spice up your Wednesday night, and jump start it early, with live music at Pedro’s del Este, by the flamenco master himself of the area, Mateo Davis, playing with another musician friend to bolster the sound from 7-10 p.m. They’ve already had a successful run of several straight Wednesdays at Pedro del Este to build on, during the course of the summer.
— Football specials abound, but we really like this one. Any time when there is an NFL game playing at Dick’s Bar and Grill, and that can be Thursday, Sunday, Monday or (in some cases late in the season) Saturday, you can get a Corona for only $2.25. There are some food specials too, but the Mexican beer offering — also invoking the internationally favored soccer kind of football? — stands out.

Go for broke and go see Brooke, and get a pitcher and some grub for a price that won’t break you:
— Brook Elizabeth, only 19 and from a small town in Wisconsin, has released her debut EP, Welcome To My World, telling the stories of a small-town girl going through the rollercoaster of teenage love and heartbreak. “These days I have been bringing out a different side to my music, with lots of R&B/soul influences, as well as influences from an Indie side of the playing field,” she writes online. Check out the combination of these things at Urban Olive and Vine on Thursday, Oct. 11, from 6-8 p.m.
— Football is great when you save money too! At Maverick’s Corner Saloon in River Falls, you can enjoy a burger (even a cheeseburger) and fries for only $3.50. Domestic pitchers are only $5. Enjoy them both while watching some Thursday Night Football.

— The football game day at Buffalo Wild Wings is living on through their specials of pitchers of beer for only $5, not their only special, but the best one. It looks like a similar offering at Maverick’s Corner Saloon in River Falls, some weekdays, is not the only game in town.
— It looks like this new musical offering in places around Hudson is taking hold. Tony Hauser’s 40-year concert career spans flamenco, classical, Latin American and Brazilian guitar, and compositions in all these genres, and he now brings it to Urban Olive and Vine on Friday evening. His concerto for flamenco guitar and chamber orchestra recently premiered with the noteworthy Minnesota Sinfonia. The accompanying Laura Horn, (“La Gatita”), began dancing at a very young age. She has trained extensively with Susana Di Palma and has performed in several Zorongo Flamenco productions as well as with Michael Hauser’s flamenco group “Touch of Spain”.

Get that moose some decent clothing, even it its not Minneapolis:
— These are advantages of being a lodge bar in Hudson and foresaking the Warehouse District, as was the topic of a blatant on-line plug: “No need to tuck in that shirt or take off that sweatshirt when you go to Smilin’ Moose in Hudson.” And if you are in a band and want to play there, joining the lineup on a Friday night, as they are looking for new talent, the dress limitations are even less.
— The hashtag in a sign at the Kozy Korner sports bar in North Hudson, as the Brewers move toward the postseason, is ThisIsMyCrew, rather than, but referring to, the slogan This Is My Team. Even if its sometimes a Motley Crue, watch them there while having your favorite Wisconsin beer.
— Overheard at Village Liquor in North Hudson, the recommended shot was half 1800 Cuervo and half Goldschlager. It will get you juiced fast, in the vein of “have four and you’re on the floor,” it was said. And not just dancing,
— And at the Village Inn in North Hudson, the beer of the month for September, which was gone in a flash, was advertised as Buschhhhh Light, but it was gone in a flashhhhh, and now replaced by Buddddd Light. It it an coincidence that a film maker friend of mine in L.A., Jahnna Randall, recently emailed me and wrote verbatim: Awwwww you think I’m a great actress! Yesssss.

In the beginning there was Dibbo’s. Following suit has been Stone Tap, and also Swing Bridge and Cracked Barrel.
— Originally Dibbo’s rocked, then came Stone Tap, and now there may be condos. The public is invited, as an introduction, to get in touch with the condominium project being proposed for that whole building, through the age-old tour of a happy hour to be held there Thursday late afternoon and evening, Sept. 27. It could be mentioned that the developers who put in Stone Tap made a point of including century-old stone from the original building in their design, As another old Dibbo’s aside, I recently met a St. Paul cabbie and also a Lyft driver who were VERY familiar with the old rock club — perhaps TOO familiar. One was even in a rock band that played there decades ago.
— Beer and wine makers combine. Local Swinging Bridge beer products are featured at sampling benefit for a veteran’s care group.at the Cracked Barrel winery between Hudson and River Falls from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29.
— The Wild are not the only game in town. The Hudson Havoc semi-pro hockey team plays its home games here, at the hockey center in the south part of town. That fact was just seen popping up all over flyers and schedules, newly posted on various bulletin boards at bars in downtown Hudson. The forerunner to The Havoc were the Hudson Crusaders, who were a fixture at the arena for several years in the early 2000s. One thing that made these squads different is they are in a league that allows and tolerates fighting between players. So why not take in a potential on-ice fight, then go to Buffalo Wild Wings for UFC fights to wrap up your night?

— Speaking of BWW, you know all those full-page flyers, front and back, and not just a half-page, that go in the free Saturday circulars? They typically are for buy one and get half-price on another, or get $5 off when spending $25. Usually they are for fast food or convenience stores. But BWW has jumped into the fray by stuffing its flyer with bountiful wings offers, etc., so you maybe want to take the whole family after one of their local games, or round up all those guys who you said who’d call …

— My sister-in-law Anni from the North Metro often visits Hudson area venues and their festivals and stopped by the house last Saturday — only scant minutes after she had given a get-down-here phone call — and said there was cool music to be found  at the local bandshell that was more intriguing than the norm and we should hightail it there. All were bands that had over years built a following and thusly a crowd. It was the Spirit of St. Croix and music festival, and the music acts playing were acoustic guitarist and singer Nikki Peper, the acclaimed bluegrass of Barley Johns with Brian Wicklund, For All Brazil, Good Time Willy, the hard picking country of Mark Stary, and Living Statue, which will also be putting on a display. Try to catch one or more of them in- concert next time around.

It’s on a Saturday, and the regular crowd (and more) shuffle in to hear a variety of music:

— Although its officially been around since 1952, the Village Inn in North Hudson is celebrating 13 years under the current ownership with a party of three different types of music, food and drink on Saturday afternoon and evening, Sept. 22. The musicians playing are Jillian Gurnoe, Kyle Kohila and a full band in the form of Rock Hard. Two other stalwart Hudson venues, Kozy Korner in the village and The Agave Kitchen/Bullpen Cantina in the downtown, marked similar anniversaries earlier in the summer.
— Maverick’s Corner Saloon in River Falls continues with the offerings for back-to-school students with local deejay Robbie Flom on Sept. 23, but like all good things, you have to wait. He does not take the booth until 11 p.m.
— This might be a novel way for adventure seekers to enjoy what’s left of the summer. As far as rock climbing and taking in sights over and above what’s at the area nightclubs, the falls at Willow River State Park have been tabbed in the top 10 by a prominent publication. It notes that there even is an opportunity to be inverted, like a kid on the monkey bars. And you thought that the only prominent “Monkey” to be found was in a hip-hop band.

Spice up your Wednesday night, and jump start it early, with live music at Pedro’s del Este, by the flamenco master himself of the area, Mateo Davis, playing with another musician friend to bolster the sound from 7-10 p.m. They’ve already had a successful run of several straight Wednesdays at Pedro del Este to build on, during the course of the summer.

As the drama in pro football unfolds, and the shift of power in the conference North Division unfolds, we have a primer on where to see the Big Game on Sunday.
Of course a lot of that drama goes from whether Aaron Rodgers will start and/or play, and you can see it for yourself at the following venues.
But first things first, we have an Aaron Rodgers siting locally, even though we’re far from Lambeau Field, the host of the applicable Viking/Packer matchup and whether he will show on the field, or just the sidelines, or just in a State Farm commercial. (OK, here in Hudson its just his occasionally seen look-alike, who was seen at Dick’s Bar and Grill last weekend taking in the revelry after NFL Season One was mostly done).
With that said, here’s where to watch the Purple go against the Green at noon on Sunday.
— We’ve got to start with the Village Inn in North Hudson, where there are 20-plus screens to show singularly, this one game. It is sure to be full, even though this is not a blackout game, but owner Leigh lays it thusly on the line: “We are a Packer Bar, not a sports bar.” And there are rumors of jello shots, were guessing green, to be offered.
Across the street at Kozy Korner, which is heavier on the Badgers not the pros, they say they will offer a free drink to everyone who shows up by kickoff. And for purposes of that special, they consider every team your home team, (within reason), regardless of your personal preference.
Shifting to the downtown, there are bars that are very Viking friendly, the closer you move to Exit One or Exit Two coming into Hudson, to go to The Hill or to Hudson proper. Think Buffalo Wild Wings, Pudge’s and the aforementioned Dicks.
On the north end of the downtown, at the Smilin’ Moose they really do Sunday Funday with the Pack being Back. The specials are valid during “all Wisconsin home games,” $3 shots when the Packers score, quarterfly drawings, and HDTVs on which to view the game from every angle, including on the patio.
Last to note, Green Mill on The Hill now offers expanded delivery of its noted pizza and flatbread, in case your football party is at your house. They spell out in detail online about where the cutoff is, and — make note of this college students — the range of delivery now includes River Falls. But the time is ticking to get that delivery, as it closes at 2 p.m. So when it starts getting closer to the third quarter …

Bands at the annual Bacon Bash in River Falls are bringing home both the bacon, in ways that are heavy on the pastry end, and the tunes. Still to come on Sunday Funday are the longtime favorite rockers the Tommy Bentz Band and the folksy Hunyuks, as well as Woodshed to close out the night. On the day prior to that, there was new blood in the form of the Black Channel Blues Band, as well as a longtime stalwart, the Everett Smith Band.

It’s hometown, as far as fests go, but still has local acts delivering rock ‘n roll:
— It’s sponsored by a church and is family friendly, but it still can rock out. The Hudson Hometown Music Festival features local bands including the return of Boondoggle, The Buck Tucker Band, Laura & the Lagerheads, Trandy Blue, Dog of Roq Denny Cooper and Truth & Rumors. The music schedule goes all day Saturday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and includes country, blues, folk, Christian Rock, classic and current rock ‘n roll. In addition to the free music shows, the fest will offer food and beer and wine for sale.
— As the summer scene unofficially comes to a close, the Smilin’ Moose has a featured entertainer — one of three this weekend — offering live music on the patio, in the form of Roger Huerta. His one-man-show will be on from 2-6 p.m. Sunday.
— Its called a southern gentleman burger, and its ingredients are just as novel as its name. A monthly feature, this being September, at Season’s Tavern in North Hudson, is just that burger, complete with housemade pimento cheese and green fried tomato and their Blackstrap BBQ sauce. Nothing gentile about it.

— With THAT season here, there will be a Vikings Kickoff Party at Buffalo Wild Wings, where you can enter for a chance to win a free jersey valued at, get this, $150. That could seem to put you in the Kirk Cousins category. The prize period is already underway, and there will be a random draw on Sept. 9. There is a proviso: You must correctly answer a skill-testing question without assistance. What might that be about, say making a comparison of who is more the elite among wideouts, Randy Moss or the current era of Thielen and Diggs.

— Nobody out-pizzas The Hut. Or out-salads Pizza Hut. A late night visit revealed that the place, in something you don’t normally see, had a separate well in their buffet for both iceberg and romaine salad. Just right to calm your stomach, if you call it an early night, after an evening out. To continue referencing something other than the usual procedure, there are toothpicks in the tip jar.