They bring to the stage So Many Ways That You Thought Area Rock Had Abandoned You.
The band Side Hustle says they can accommodate everything from small clubs to moderate-capacity nightclubs to festivals of all sizes, with their take that includes hair bands and alternative, not just the traditional “classics” and pop. Side Hustle will show all these sides when they play a Hammond fest this weekend, presenting their “rock ‘n roll machine.” So it’s not impossible Machinehead and Rage against The Machine could be among the musical-style-driven-genres they play and pay homage to on Saturday evening, Aug. 7, in this little ‘ol town from western Wisconsin that could (present great rock) via its Heartland Days, aptly named due to its location.
And maybe something extra on the set list, as they update frequently and will try out your request, and this gives more musical leeway to their lead singer sporting her orange locks to lyrically accompany the four men in the band. All five are pictured in multiple poses on their website, so can see what you’re getting when you come this way.
There is more music in the park, and more events, slated for Friday evening and times to come, and the lead group is going on as an early headliner after playing an opening-act role at Hudson’s Booster Days about a month ago. That is the Firewater Gospel Choir, and its four-tiered members in harmony simply burn up the stage vocally and even on instruments — in a good way — come Friday when the sun goes down. The group’s Gospel gusto should really make this a good Friday in what is the first full weekend in August, a festival-slate date that’s farther forward than most years. The group also is a well-attended fixture in Roberts, River Falls, Houlton and yes, downtown Hudson, looking like the site of a revival.
Curtain call for these pair of diverse bands is at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. respectively. And don’t forget the tractor pull at 7 p.m. Saturday, which is one of only a handful around the country that are officially association sanctioned, so you know its prime.

One of my readers chimed in that it is great to have a source for what is happening in the St. Croix Valley. As you regulars have noticed, the website has branched off into a number of separate but related topics, all since the Covid virus changed our lives. But now the music is coming back, as I have told so many people, formally or informally. Some of the old-standby clubs have continued to roll into it slowly, but one approach when active with live bands is lining up newer groups and keeping things fresh — if only because getting name acts booked doesn’t happen overnight. So the clubs along the lines of Ziggy’s and Urban Olive and Vine just down the road, and Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt, are pulling in new names almost as often as the ones with which we are very familiar, for many of their Friday-Saturday regular gigs. Hop ‘N Barrel is picking it up too, sometimes on Thursday evenings. But the point I wish to make is that so many are seeing a niche in the market and are for the first time going full bore with bookings, such as all-weekend rock at Meister’s in Boardman and piano music at Ziggy’s by Tim Grady on more than half of the days of the week, starting early. Karaoke also is coming back, but open mic is harder to find, except on Wednesday nights at Juniors in River Falls. You might want to ring up Jeff Loven on a slow night, as he will let a one-man-band-show become a two-man gig — that’s you singing — if you pester him just a bit. And it might take showing up a second time. Loven’s gigs are all over The Valley, but most noticeably Sunday nights at Dick’s Bar and Grill, and once or twice a month at Meister’s on a Sunday afternoon — right before he bolts for Dick’s.

The sign still today, online and at the Mallalieu Inn first stop in in North Hudson, could be the sign of the times, reflecting both ways: You can come on in and have a drink and not have to deal with a doorman. A block up the side street toward the St. Croix River, it’s a different story. (More on that further down).
As the rules for bars and the crowd and its nature came and went, the numbers of bouncers (and that could be plural and therefore bringing kudos for having enough staff on duty) employed by various clubs, if only on weekends, has ebbed and flowed. It is still present a bit despite the lifting of virtually all restrictions, because there still is remnants of That Minnesota Show, a bit like the lawless local days of the ‘70s – think Street Fighting Man, and not only the stellar Stones song.
The key players with this bouncer approach that seemed to be very effective in toning things down, are the clubs directly in downtown Hudson, mostly on the west side of the main drag that fittingly, is closest to Minnesota, and a couple in North Hudson. (Starr’s Bar in particular has been far more likely to add a second bartender to deal with on-and-off rule-driven overflow). Another creative strategy that provides a worker perk and still benefits all: A bouncer or doorman might not even have to be brought in from the outside, rather a cook or server who wants a few extra hours and knows the scene at his place of employment. And sorry ladies, this appears to be a guy’s realm.
But that was now, and the mandatory mask mandate never was really followed. Right off the bat, guys noticed that you could not drink a beer through a cloth mask, especially it is one of those grainy ones with “character.” At first there were the signs on the doors of virtually every bar and grill, or grill and bar, you can take your pick, but they were hardly ever enforced, even when there is this flood of people in the door, which you can understand if they end up being more than one person deep on occasion when bellying up to the bar for a drink. Eventually as the severity started to ween, even staffers flipped off their masks as they ran to serve customers and take orders that require much back-and-forth verbal communication, and all through this process, if someone came inside sporting such facewear, it was a dead ringer that they were from The Cities. Hey, boosts the Hudson economy, which has a central focus like few other cities that spills directly from the bar and grill scene, and related service and tourism and river recreation industries. Back a couple of springs ago, it was noted in the press that the Hudson economy was hit like virtually none other due to the at lack of diversification. We all needed a day-spring, and it came a few months ago via rule changes, as the signs that in some situations barred people from the hitting the bar, that were on almost all the doors, came down completely.
It had been that venues were almost discouraging the oncoming customer traffic, even if they had live music and you know there has to be a few hundred dollars to the band, to meet a 25 percent capacity rule. If you would be the one to go 30 percent, go home, as the joint might be risking sanction. Forget trying to hit them up for a cheap ad. The optimum, obviously, would be to have only a handful of the normal-size crowd of people and have them be big spenders.
And there were workers at such businesses who had contracted Covid at some point, and you might not have been aware of that fact. After all, nobody sent out a press release to do what, frighten away most patrons even further? It was mostly dealt with quietly, one could say on a need to know basis, although these workers who in most cases were under-the-weather for just a few days and then took off enough time to meet the quarantine requirement, would be up front with you after the fact, when they were back.
The bar scene has a fly in the ointment for spread of things like the virus, for a particular reason – the clog spaces in many a tavern where people almost brush against each other trying to amble through. Often it is at a spot where one room with a specific purpose leads to another with a differing service component, and what there is for a doorway would be workable in pre-virus days, but these days there is little such margin for error. Add a horseshoe-shaped area for bar service within that magic social distancing number and also the shoulder-to-shoulder-based spread of impact that follows, or even a bar-rail itself that edges up to a clog space, and things ebb further. Too many tables, even if small, don’t help. And you don’t want to mix in things like a popcorn machine (in often- cases taken down long ago) or an ATM, even if they are single units. One that is harder to help is the presence gaming machines, where a bar is legally allowed five and everyone takes full advantage. Three ways this battle has been won, other than just taking stuff down that could be seen as peripheral to the business, are to move the machines around creatively and in essence add space, have bouncers take their positions from which they survey the scene to several feet away and rely more on movement – with their hand signals over their heads to convey that The Kids Are All Right — that includes limited walks through the clog areas, and put the ATM machine outside the door!

First in the death-defying, and that’s speaking symbolically, news of late was again the status of Zach Parise – but others follow the bouncing ball, or should I say rolling puck, as various celebs in this post today are third-party friends of friends.
First: It looks like a cool store will be no more. There were online headlines that Francesco will be closing this year. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that the fashionable Mall of America boutique that took the given name for Heidi Rayder, the supermodel who grew up in River Falls, moved to the Twin Cities right away and then went worldwide. She now is on the west coast
As it pertains to cash, with that closure consideration and the fact that Heidi is well past her prime years of earning power as a model – even though about a decade ago, she made a comeback at age 38 worthy of her crosstown neighbors, the Los Angeles Raiders — Heidi might want to give it another go. But this time it might not be the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and years-running as a Victoria’s Secret runway darling, but just maybe the likes of Lane Bryant, as her net worth as listed online could use some bolstering.
And some of those models wore winged dresses.(But now I must say, and must say “former”) that Wild winger Parise looks striking like a longtime Hudson hockey coach, Mike Stoskopf, during the days when the Raiders were terrors in Mad Town with their state titles, coming around the turn of the millennium. (More on facial similarities, or the lack of them, later down in this post). Also, both have been said to have lost their touch just a bit, at about the same age.
So where will Zach end up? The Islanders out in the Big Apple have seen the fruit that still can be born, and the rumors that come with the annual bout with free agency – signing can start near the end of the month – that might be too tempting for Zach to fully let go, since it could be argued that he could use some hockey cash and maybe even more, the endorsements that flow from being in a city that doesn’t sleep.
Zach’s net worth isn’t bad, at about $8 million when last announced online, (more on that below), but he has a Minneapolis mansion to keep up and a family to support. So maybe the buyout that could lead to the Islanders isn’t that bad after all for him.
The Twin Cities will always be home to Zach, but with that last scenario, a question for his many diehard fans might be if he keeps a second home elsewhere – as in a residence – and remains a presence on the local scene.. And money talks, even if in a reverse way, as the prices at Tom Reid’s hockey bar in St. Paul, and many other venues like it in that version of the Deer District outside The Xcel Energy Center, are far lower than anything in New York City.
That net worth number could mean Zach’s financial status runs a bit low, for someone who along with Ryan Suter inked twin $98 million contracts to come back this way. To compare, there are 20 current and (mostly) former NHL players who have a net worth of $50 million or more. Not all of them have crazy-high hockey stats, but one who does is a household name around these parts, Mike Modano. The Great One is doing just great, pulling in at $200 million.
Those online reports note that one thing making it hard to keep up with a current number, is it’s hard to factor in the nuances of current and future spending.
But Zach, who was still listed as being on the “American professional ice hockey team left winger” that is the Minnesota Wild by Wikipedia even days after the buyout, comes from good skater stock. But in recent days, regarding what’s more prominently seen on the internet, if you look hard at the mug shot of the late J.P. Parise, Zach’s pro hockey father – and we are certain about this – one might wonder at the whole switched at birth thing. But again, highly doubt it. Twin Cities medical clinics are better than that.
And the media can be fawning for a hometown hero brought back, at least until they are about to be released from the team, and that was shown over and over when Zach’s goal numbers first started waning, but it was dealt with by using kid gloves until more brash analysis became unavoidable. Why is it only now, for instance, that we hear the point made about Zach asking the hockey brass to move the team to Minneapolis, closer to Zach’s suburban home?
Now closer to Hudson, and the tie-ins are well-chronicled, if only here, so I won’t dive into them again. Just safe to say the lives of these movie and music icons live on, via filming and recordings – and industry magazines. Two covers I saw on a newsstand, right next to each other, were about the current F9 movie and the deceased star of the franchise, and then the rebirth, if only in Photoshop magic, of the REAL Van Halen after Eddie’s death.
Starting from the left rack, longtime actor Vin Diesel, who has a younger lookalike in Hudson who also does film (think of his name as Karenson, to borrow from the Scandinavians), talked inside the mag’s pages about the late Paul Walker, who is also grieved by a local friend who played his son in a breakout flick. But Diesel’s face after years of frequent working and wear and tear does not look like the one we see on the Silver Screen, and he’s a bit scruffy too. Meanwhile, his latest Fast and Furious movie has had great success, mostly, at the box office, leading some to say it may be the greatest franchise in movie history. OK, but Stars Wars anyone?
On the right on the newsstand, was a great big photo of EARLY Van Halen. How so? The lead singer, posed front and center, was David Lee Roth, not Sammy Hagar. Apparently, he could not drive 55 fast enough to get to the shoot! But Eddie was there, as if from beyond the grave, smiling like always.

Sitting in the sports bar, watching the human drama of being mauled on occasion.
And those were the point guards who never caught a break – except maybe of a bone.
Yes, the Milwaukee Bucks won four-straight to take the NBA crown, but it was an uphill battle, and we’re not talking about just the not-so-sunny Phoenix Suns.
A blue collar, small market vs. a team that has been in the upper echelon but for almost decades could never quite make it to what Milwaukee just did. And also, the Suns are home to a bigtime retirement location and as such a big tourist area, and that means money or you wouldn’t be living there. But I do feel for players like Chris Paul, who now must try a 17th time for a title. He says retirement is not an option.
Yes, money makes the NBA world, all around the world, go “round. So who you gonna pick with your foul calls? The team with a bit more star power, or a foreseen need to build to such levels again. (Note that it had been 50 years since an NBA title in Brew Town. Most NBA execs were not in the work force yet. So no cred).
You could see the difference when That Big Greek Guy picked up a slowly rolling, inbounded ball uncontested in the backcourt – he was the only player in that half of the floor — but was called for travelling for taking an extra step. Compare that to all the times he was the victim of a new and arguably more brutal form of Hack a Shaq, where there was no attempt to make a blocked shot whatsoever, just virtually tackle him and most of his upper body, starting with the length of his arms I must allow, and send him to the line to make him beat you from there and give the southwestern fans a reason to count. (More later on another end of that practice, this time in Madison).
Also blatantly, I have never liked it when moving picks are allowed, you know the ones where the picker moves slightly to the side as a defender fights through it, then hook him a bit with an elbow. It’s even worse when a seven-footer out at the three-point line gets completely stood up by an elbows up and leaning-forward picker. Again, no call, but you can’t say no blood. Just like that high school hockey winger from Hudson who suffered from the exact same situation, but this time with only two ticks left on the clock and the game in hand, so that was pure bush.
When Bucks shooting guard Khris Middleton, who is said to be the Rodney Dangerfield of basketball for his lack of respect from the officials, drove the lane very late in a crucial Game 5, he was simply mauled by not one but two defenders. First, an arm was wrapped all the way around his lower back like an eager guy trying to get too much from his prom date. Then another joined the rough dance and together they raked him along both arms near the elbow, and there was body contact too. What, no free throws, very much less a non-shooting foul?
There’s more, but you get it. Just like a Buck gets a bloody nose.
Let’s call it what it is, based on observations from the smack ‘em up 70s in the NBA and most badly affecting the Bucks. You ever notice that while being a somewhat awkward plodder who couldn’t move his feet quickly, Larry Bird never fouled out? There was a reason for that, as the NBA as an organization knew that if their big stars from big markets were sitting on the bench, TV ratings go down, as television was reaching new heights of popularity. Switch the channel. I doubt there ever was a memo, but the refs knew who signs their paychecks, even if they are not nearly as big as the stars that were being coddled. So its lucky center Bob Lanier had such a big body that he could take a few hits. As far as much thinner counterpart on the other side of the lane, Mickey Johnson, I pity the fool. Why didn’t he find a personnel-based way out of Milwaukee, to a team where he could play small forward? But that was before the era when players moved much, except to the trainer’s room (and yes they did not have exactly an office).
Drop this down to the high school level. Hudson fielded teams that had a new athleticism, and not just the bull-in-a-china-shop blundering forward into the lane by the big girls. But Hudson was new to the state tournament thing (notice I did not say thang) and had no street credit or rep built up at all. Milwaukee was the unofficial sponsor of these tourneys held in rival Madison, and it showed bigtime.
And I as a sports reporter back in those days was kinda naively brash at pointing it out. Much like the thing that got going, in reverse, with that Big Bad Buck at the free throw line. When Hudson put on its feared full-court press, the Southeast Siders struggled. But it seemed no one could count, even though this was a call that is not shirked, and the discrepancy was even more unavoidably obvious. I thought it was original when from my perch beneath the Hudson basket, I started to count, and took care not to go too fast, unlike the Buck’s opponents. And in some cases it’s so clear you don’t need a stop watch. One, Two. Three … Seven. Eight. Nine … Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen … And only then did the opposition cross midcourt, an obvious foul of what is, what’s it called? The ten-second rule. An even at that point the ref a few feet away flashed me a cheesy smile. And this is not a separated instance.
Then on to ice hockey, another sport where there is a certain amount of being subjective. A Hudson skater had a breakaway with the puck and a defender approached from DIRECTLY BEHIND. There is no mistaking angles here, except to the point where the skates could not be right one in back of the other, in tandem, and cause an obvious trip. So what to do? Make like football and tackle him. Just short of a full arm-tackle. Reach around but do not grab, and take him to the ice. And again, no call as the players continued sliding on their hips toward the goalie, still intermingled. And on, and on, and on …
At what point does this become a matter of good vs. evil? Again, this time at the state level, once it finally came to the final blow, it was softened because the state title was won. The Hudson parents, known for their typical wealth, still remained gracious. Maybe that’s because they often have had wealth on their side. Or maybe that fact is how they got there.
Morality plays aside, why is all this important? It’s only a game right? So what if Milwaukee needs to again cry in its collective beer? Sorta that way. But as gladiators knew, what we let slide as far as justice in the sports arena, and who we let it slide for, trickles down to the culture and economics and politics as a whole. Look what happened with Gangsta Rap and its various perils and parallels?
Now we move to a whole different breed of favoritism. And more brashness on my part. I again will not be asked to sing the Star Spangled Banner before games.
I will now take you back to my hometown, where “your breeding” meant just about everything, and even caused parents to apologize to their wannabee athletes about not being of the desired socio-economic strata, although there was that off-chance that prior to senior year they would catch a big windfall. Thus move straight outa the bench, bypass the off-guard position and become the sole person for whom a decidedly non-productive offense is designed. Thus a roundball cager — and not a maker of cages in a local factory – -but the caper of being son of a town bigshot comes back from preseason injury and without even practicing is inserted into the starting lineup. And makes one basket all season. And being neither tall or quick, ain’t no defender either. Thus an oblong ball quarterback, and sophomore son of the man who coached what sport? … Is the season-long starter for an offense that manages one touchdown in a season.
Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel didn’t need to visit Merrill to see that Glory Days and Allentown were no longer. Many of the splinter factories had turned to dust. But maybe there would now be other industries, which were “discouraged” back in the day.
More soon on these themes and boatloads of other Bucks blather from the Deer District.

On Sunday late afternoon, which as you will see shortly is fitting, it’s the epitome of cool at Muddy Waters in Prescott with Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin Altar Boys. How so? Many different ways to bring the blues. So lets start from the top. Reverend Raven, the light versus dark theme harkens back to the day of the late blues-gone-metal legendary signer/songwriter Ronnie Jame Dio. Chain Smokin? How bout another hard rockin’ act, Motley Crue and Smokin’ in the Boys Room? An altar boys? How do you think Axl Rose, part of the reason for the name of Gun’s ‘N Roses, got his start, and in the choir too. And the spelling of altar? How about the quasi-Christian rock band, back to the premise in the lead line, Alter Bridge, which had to choose how to spell that lead word in their (disclaimer) band title. How do all these influences and inferences (even if I am the only one making them?) come together? Check them out from 4-8 p.m. to see and hear and say, as I’m assuming they/you have to get back to evening Mass! And then of course there is also, nationally, the Rev. Horton Heat …
And back to the days of Hudson, in the summer concert series in Lakefront Park, there is Ted Yoder (and not yodel, tonight) and The Toonies (and not the LeBron James movie version, on July 20 as a part of St. Croix Riverfest). Going back to days of yore, where I had to encounter again, in the same week, the creative spellings such as they were.

Of any weekend in summer, the one right after The Fourth is the one that traditionally tanks in Hudson. That is because both River Falls and New Richmond have their city festivals on that same weekend. But wait, this is an atypical year, as Fun Fest (did I accidentally type Fund Fest?) in New Richmond is the Friday-Sunday right after The Fourth, and River Falls Days, in of course River Falls, is the Friday-Sunday right, right after The Fourth, that being this weekend, starting July 16. (In either case, there might be some token Thirsty Thursday – wording intentionally chosen because of beer garden considerations — thrown in). For a bit more on River Falls Days, as in today, see the Picks of the Week page.
If Hudson can weather that storm, it has truly arrived, and the rest of the summer should be just balls to the wall. Mike’s Ride Share had told HudsonWiNightlife, it already has done just that.
Starting by taking by storm, the extreme heat for the last half of Booster Days, which reached almost 100 degrees. And in many cases humidity to match. On Sunday, the only people in the crowd for a name band – barely 100 fans — were all huddled under the shade of three tents. Simply no one else was there. The singer even said from stage, its 97 degrees, hang in there with us. But few did.
But by accounts I have heard, Friday business was spectacular. The only hope in the last two nights of Booster Days, was the band Rhino, which went on when temps were almost like those down in Africa, Doing The Things We’ve Never Had. But this band minus the horns – sorry — had the advantage of playing into the cooler side toward midnight, and for that reason I’m guessing that the best business of the fest on Saturday night, was quite late.
And Fridays will rarely be as good as Saturdays — which makes the Booster Days success really striking — as people typically are getting rested up for later in the (in this case long) weekend. There is always that ebb and flow to band attendance.

The Fourth had come to the fore, but there still are U.S. Flags galore. And what follows is how they today wave, as banners.
Some are up and down propositions, like the fingers of Jimi Hendrix all along his guitar neck while ripping through a new wave of The Star Spangled Banner. Or like the team of two guys living in a small condo that is even more decked out with the Red, White and Blue come this last holiday, and back when there was Memorial Day, as they had their almost two dozen out in the front of the floral-fantasy garden that is right at the edge of the right-of-way. Between celebrations they were taken down en mass and yes, Flag Day got missed even though it’s, indeed as the song says, “An Emblem Of The Land I Love.”
Things were showing up big in places you might not expect, like way big, way atop a flag poles sprouting from the middle of nowhere — or at least only the convergence of strip malls. Moving out toward Eau Claire, bookends became the new normal for flags, when it came to things like small garden carts, both ends of a mailbox, and especially the Hudson Post Office, on either side of a series of three counters. Or like post-its on those postal mailboxes.

— News break: This post can lead you into a virtual Street of Dreams! See how the spinning Greek god for the Bucks was seen taking the lead in the four different scenes of an actual dream, chronicled in the Uncategorized department that’s a title befitting all good dreams, on his predicted ‘half-Chamberlain’ —

Other new, go-to flag places sported tri-colored board strips, were hung in front of an old dingy window and really upstaged it, took up the full frame of a door-frame, and adorned a big ol’ Trump For President billboard-become semi-trailer that could be argued for or against, had outlived its usefulness. But don’t try to box that in, as that could never be said of a group of small flags in a very small yard, with a big Old Glory reaching upward from their midst. And even bigger, if not in the height typical of a flagpole, was the short-and-squat silo the size and roughly the shape of a flying saucer that stored a bit smaller Stars and Stripes.
Some neighborhoods took up the slack for their counterparts, by having like-minded patriots boast a full-fledged flag regimen in an entire block, or just maybe two, and the greatest notice could be taken when of ten houses around a big circle and then moving toward a busier street, eight of them flew Old Glory. To wrap up this big roundup, there were flags that took differing approaches to the display of the 13 colonies, one in a great big circle that was like a clock with its hands, plus one.
More soon on other Star Spangled Striped Banner supplements that remain in the air even as July progresses forward.

For the lovers of summer festivals, Hudson Booster Days in the park is back after a hiatus in 2020, and although this year has a scaled back lineup, it still pulls its weight in band names, with the likes of Rhino and The Chubs and Bigly, which still rock out with high energy despite sometimes being a bit on the portly side, as classic rockers.
Rhino, as the lead headliner for the fest at 9 p.m. Saturday, is part of what could’ve been characterized as The New Wave Of Metro Cover Bands. And with that outback band name, you gotta give a whole lotta love to the Aussie style hat.
And more to love is in their song list. Included are the old and new of what combines for quite a bit of sampling, All Summer Long and Sweet Home Alabama – indeed both of the bookends are on their play list — and Angel is a Centerfold by the J. Giels Band. This choice is as refreshing a change as that fresh-faced siren herself.
The light and sound show for Rhino, a danceable and broadly speaking Top 40 cover band that encompasses all styles, is something to see, as is the sheer size of their stage – and the band shell can accommodate it — for this big band.
The other two headliner acts are the Shalo Lee Band, (she’s an Americana and southern rocker from River Falls who also includes All Summer Long to set the stage for Rhino), from 9 p.m. to 12:30 on Friday, and Bigly, (they throw in soul and funk and maybe even a little rap and vox), from 7:30-11 p.m. on Sunday.
Opening acts for all three evenings are: The Chubs on Friday and the Fire Water Gospel Choir on Saturday, both starting at 5 p.m., and Audio Circus, at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Noteworthy of the openers are that the Chubs have held their weight as a “premier variety band” for more than 30 years and that means they’ve seen all kinds of variety to pull from, Audio Circus has been a fixture at Ziggy’s and Smilin’ Moose even before this latest gig, and even more variety of themes is added to the fest because the Fire Water Gospel Choir is just one more act in the new revival of live music.

— News break: As The Fourth of July weekend is now here, and on its heels Father’s Day, things can get a little hairy … so for a lighter look at the holiday(s), see The Notes From The Beat department. Or the end of this post down below. You get to choose. Because you are an American, God Bless Us All —

For another musical avenue, Bridget Kelly brings her blues, rhythm and blues and Broadway talents as a (defining voice) singer/songwriter — and having collaborated as a writer with some lofty names — to Muddy Waters Saloon in Prescott on The Fourth itself, from 4-8 p.m.

But before then, people are said by every Tom and Dick and Harry on the TV News to be Heading Out On The Highway like never before on a U.S. holiday, as the grand old reopening opens further. Even the said-to-be-higher gas prices cannot stop Patriotic Americans from doing what they do. And we are not just talking about going up north to the cabin, or parts beyond, although there is definitely that also. Ask my new buddy Mike, and he’ll tell you, with just the right amount of detail, that his more-and-more popular ride share business saw a brief hit on the Friday before the weekend of the Fourth. Simply put, everyone did their cabin thang then, when they could, so they would have the whole next weekend free for Booster Days. Hudson has expanded its always-on-the-Fourth fireworks to July 3, which used to be just the realm of the newly departed Stillwater, so with little of such to be seen in western Wisconsin during the whole shebang — you would have to travel to the likes of Woodbury — Hudson is again, again, the only game in town(s). And to ye not yet road-weary travelers, the next weekend is when River Falls and New Richmond make up for their fireworks deficit with THEIR big summer festivals, and Hudson is annually the victim of these north-and-south bookends. So we will not be stepping on the gas until mid-July or later. And you can see “Rhino” without bolting across continents (see above).

The owner of Mike’s Ride Share wants you to have a plan to get home. And don’t wait until last call. (Don’t just zig and zag when leaving Ziggy’s. But be sure to untap The Tap this weekend, so see the post below, tacked on the bottom of this one).
Then call or text Mike for reservations, beforehand if you wish, at (763) 242-5685. And to aid the process of getting to a motel, don’t be afraid to ask your bartender, as Mike knows them well. Or just call from home.
To Mike this is more than a business, it’s a widespread community need for safety. Mike was “driven” to establish his rideshare service by seeing that people have a good time –in and out of his vehicle — then arrive home safely, not endangering themselves and others. That may entail a ride to one of the several hotels in Hudson and Stillwater, Mike’s base, that consider his service their primo pick for transport, and have him set up to be people’s “personal driver,” and tell their customers so. That’s whether they are from western Wisconsin or the Twin Cities, or outstate Minnesota, or wherever. Recent groups served by Mike’s Ride Share in the Nissan Altima were all the way from Owatonna, and a wedding party from Michigan. Aiding public safety and leading by example knows no state or geographical boundaries. The essence of the job is to get referrals – from going above and beyond to build repeat business and shout-outs from the people driven, or especially the hotels — and take care of the needs of those like you and, if you choose, friends and family. Even that nice, and/or partying, couple you met and you share the lift to the hotel on the hill. This really rivals Lyft, say the repeat customers of Mike’s Ride Share.

— News break: Mike gives plenty of ladies a lift, and he also lifts the spirits of those at Hudson Tap, five lovely ladies (read about them below) behind the bar while he does networking with mutual customers in this, what he calls his second home. But for more of this theme, see Luck Be A Lady Tonight and the band on Saturday night at the Wild Badger in New Richmond. In the Picks of the Week department —

There’s fantastic flexibility here, and everybody wins. Mike is passionate about constantly networking and communicating, building rapport and relationships – gaining referrals 101 – and this is person by person, fare by fare, group by group. It’s something like this: Unlike many of those who are cabbies, and for them conversation and making the ride interesting is the industry equivalent of cartoonish engineers Wally and Dilbert, Mike can tell tales from being on the scene much longer than most, in what can be an in-and-out employment game. Safely said, any banter that a rider might engage in can go beyond the depth of Packers and Vikings, although at Mike’s Ride Share that is fair game, too, if you wish.
Without Lyft or Uber, many people are as much a fish out of water as a walleye angler in California. But wait a minute, that would be Mike. ”If you want to talk fishing, I guess that would be OK.” Or more than just OK, with apologies to Lynyrd Skynyrd . He’ll wow you with stories about 30-incher trophies on his wall, while bearing the true colors of being a uniformed driver, these days also fulltime with FedEx Express. And then he’ll pop back at you, tell me your experience of the Sky Blue Waters…
“I don’t cancel rides have reservations and keep people updated on my status. It’s a worry-free, no-hassle experience. I will give you all the insight and recommendations in the area … Leave it to Mike,” says Mike.
He loves to pump his referral base using local clubs, chiefly Hudson Tap – say longtime server Amanda sent you – and that shows how personal it can be, in a good way. And The Tales Grow Taller On Down The Line, as Mike will talk with riders about his fave ’80 bands, Def Leppard, AC/DC, and even Heart, which few people know got a start right in Wisconsin, and not the Milwaukee end. And then there is that Motley Crue connection, for a later time.
But for now, call Mike’s Ride Share, who is fast becoming a friend of HudsonWiNightlife, at (763) 242-5685.
But wait. Mike’s Ride Share is all about being thorough. So here are some added things he wants you to know.
He re-emphasizes that he’s all about communication and relationships, and making a plan before the 2 a.m. witching hour. And also know that there is no Uber or Lyft in the area, partly due to what’s been ordained by the City Fathers. “You can’t just get a ride at a moment’s notice,” he says. ”Mike is the main driver in the area and you have to call or text him at least 30 minutes in advance, at least 30 minutes notice.”
It is in the best interest of all to avoid ASAP requests. “I want to reduce the 2 a.m. people who are looking for a ride with no Uber or Lyft around,” Mike says, and cabs are way too pricy. With that said about the Johnnie Come Lately drivers, Mike is one of few who would do late-night rides to places like the St. Paul, Hastings or Cottage Grove areas. Woodbury is one of his hubs. Plan ahead for those extra rides.
And those connections … “Mike recommends the number one place to eat and drink is Hudson Tap. Go see Amanda, Liz, Casey, Sidney and Baily. The Hudson Tap staff makes the place like a family environment,” says Mike, who considers The Tap his second home.
Hours are Friday from 5 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. and Saturday 3 p.m. to bar close, although they may be expanding. Stay tuned …
Again, plan ahead, be safe and make reservations with Mike. At (763) 242-5685. That’s the trifecta of listing phone numbers, or should I say power trio. Or quartet. So read below …

(NEWS FLASH)! There’s a favorite band Mike of Mike’s Ride Share loves to twist and shout about, and he might need a megaphone now that Booster Days is fast upon us. The story starts with another fave of his, five bartenders over, Hudson Tap, then moves from there.
Long before The Tap was tapped, but there was still Hudson veteran Amanda serving at a bar, but across the way, there was Ellie’s, the first bar and grill at that location in the downtown. It had housed many ventures at what’s now the completely redesigned Hudson Tap, where I used to spend some of my nights with beautiful blonde Kara doing weekly killer karaoke – I also stand in on lead locals with a rock band and am actually on-stage next to that smokin’ lead guitar, not just that scribe sitting in the back. Anyway The Crue was our crew, and you don’t know how good their lyrics are until they pop up on screen. Want the real lowdown on Shout At The Devil, or other (possibly misunderstood) songs? Since the scene has long since lost track of Kara, you might – and here’s the point behind this bit of long-wind – ask Mike and he’ll surely have something to say, if a fun yet insightful way. Also as far as The Crue, have Mike give you a ride up to North Hudson and Guv’s Place to confer with the not so Motley stalwart Jess, the wife of Guv, who considers herself not only the band’s biggest fan in the area, but indeed the known world!! Unless she’s on the Night-Train to see Nikki!
But for now, its Booster Days and check out the way Ellie’s of long ago, followed by other ventures, has morphed its design into Hudson Tap; this is like comparing the Old School field of those Vikings, to the Metrodome and beyond. And of course, especially for this weekend, check out the rest of the story — of music and where to see it.

Cherry Event Decor, based out of Stillwater, serves the St. Croix Valley by helping you get your graduation and birthday parties, wedding and other special events and milestone celebrations done up just right with visual appeal.
The flyer they mail to potential customers like you shows creative things from a big arch over a big pool, almost like what you might see in St. Louis, to another with balloons by the hundreds over a large festive space, and another formed completely by star-shaped balloons. One other takes a similar approach but features three curves of an S-shaped pattern. Lastly, there was a multi-level light show worthy of a small rock concert. So Cherry truly provides cheer.
Owner and operator Nick Cherry notes that they are a family-run company, and he is taking over most of the reins from his father, Robert Cherry, a name you are likely to recognize. The company has been in business for decades, since 1989, garnering experience on how best to do these things in a way that transcends the fickle whims of fashion and style.
There is a second part of the business, Cherry Visual, which can supplement the first, with photography and videography to enhance the above-listed functions, and also personal shoots, family photos, promotional videos, and most anything else you might want recorded. As they say, “Where your vision becomes reality.”
You can reach Nick at (651) 233-3700 or at nick@cherryeventdecor.com. See their website at cherryeventdecor.com.

This finally now is the time of the season for grilling, since we have Father’s Day, graduations galore and then the Fourth of July
So what is a dad to do to really stand out from the crowd? Grill like you mean it, and dad means it.
He just might need a little help.
So here goes: Get all the things that go into a Chicago style hot dog, and dress it up with brats instead of the basic frank, and that can range to Italian and Polish sausage, or both on the same bun if it’s big enough and the Wisconsin’s Best, Cheddar-wurst. That leads into other cheeses by the boatload, and I recommend Pepperjack. Why? It also lends itself to hot peppers, per se, of all sorts, such as red hots and sweeter ones, to go in with the mix and match of other types of which you typically think. Even a bit of favorite, bell pepper – take full advantage of the four colors –which can add a nice presentation and new taste twist, especially with hot peppers of a similar overall flavor. Like the wine that pairs best with a given entrée? OK, that’s overextending the metaphor. Or to back up, a pinch or two of parmesan or Romano, just don’t overdo it. And there are more types of mustard out there than even craft beers, on or off the brat.
But of course, dad is more than dogs. He loves his steak, and while we don’t want to ruin a porterhouse by killing it with sauce, there is that sirloin factor. So in comes BBQ sauce, but which one? You don’t have to choose! Put two or three together in separate but equal strips, or in the form of a target. But then you have to choose a Bullseye! Get it The rub here is that you can make your own, as I have said before.

— News break: Hey, even dad loves (sorta) certain sultry styles. See the post below for a primer, and actually only a starter, on what styles have re-risen to prevalence during the pandemic —

What’s sitting in the bowels of your fridge, and not fudge, just might mean you can thusly afford a more expensive cut of meat, and still save a buck. This can take you from your ketchup base – yeah, you read that right – and add brown sugar or regular sucrose, or both, depending on the level of tang vs. tart, smoky vs. spicy, that you desire. You can also add in, just a bit, of worchestershire sauce, or vegetable oil, or dark corn syrup. Spice it up with things like mustard seed, garlic, maybe even a bit of chili powder for the brave dad. Try things out and when you hit a home run, add a bowl of it on the side for good measure, use by those measuring your success – and spoken or not, they do.
And for cuts that dweedle down toward the level of your basic burger, you can dress that up, too. Carve an inch-thick cut like prime rib, or thin layers like roast beef. The merits of texture anyone?
And for what is needed that is not lurking in the back or your fridge and hiding behind the OJ, we recommend Family Fresh Market in River Falls and New Richmond and other locations. So let’s go to The Market, to evoke an Old School term a Greek friend of mine used to throw out for consumption There is meat and there is meat, but the particular specials listed in the Family Fresh shopper that expires at Two Minutes To Midnight before Father’s Day are unlike those anywhere else in a two-county area. To wit: Boneless beef top sirloin steak, or boneless beef tenderloin for $6.99 a pound; pork baby back ribs, or fresh whole boneless pork tenderloin, $3.99 a pound. And drizzle some of your leftover homemade BBQ sauce over in-husk, bi-color sweet corn for a whopping lack of dollars, eight for two bucks. And there is $5 off rotisserie chicken, for a sauce/butter combo on the brown skin.
You can make this a late one-stop dad’s day shop with sales on lawn chairs and such, sun care items and bug spray. And to really get at the meat of things, so to speak, there is a Price Freeze special through July 17 on sauces, or sauce ingredients galore.