If the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t wear it. Instead
toss it into the nearest flower pot!
On a cold night a while back, I was given the task
to park the car when going out for a show, in this
case not rock but the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
They even had a valet or two in top hats and tails!
Job done, I had to walk back a few blocks, and was
weaving around the crosswalks to find my way to
return to the Ordway in St. Paul.
Damned if the sole of my shoe didn’t become completely
dislodged. And I was in a hurry, running late, so
the quick pace made the shoe flop entirely. So, ala
Jimmy Buffett, in “blew out my flip flop,” I tossed
the sole into a big sidewalk flower pot the size of a
speaker. I just wondered if this upper crust crowd
would look on in distain of a man with one shoe, or
at least just a shoe-and-a-half.
We did get seated without anyone complaining about
foot odor, and the orchestra soon was performing an
instrumental selection that often spun dangerously
out of control, than finally pulled it together
again. Much like Ozzy Osbourne’s old band taking on
a guitar solo that careens wildly on Over the
Mountain. And I did notice a power chord remarkably
like that plucked by Nirvana.

And, as the show progressed it amounted to a tutorial by

the conductor, and included similarities to old TV show themes

like Perry Mason, (could Ozzy pull off those things coherently?

Maybe one more than the other).

The sixth annual River Falls Roots and Bluegrass Music Festival returns with even more beers, wines and even ciders to sample at its yearly tasting event, and some new contests, that include one for complete bands that are new to forming, and other music-related activities. The fest runs April 8-10, although you can enjoy the bluegrass, Cajun and roots music that’s featured in its various forms — via the bands’ other lives performances and their CDs —  as well as the local wines, craft beers, ciders, meats and cheeses, at any time during the spring or rest of year. (See the full lineup in this web site’s Picks of the Week department).
Attendees at the beer and wine tasting, which is a third annual component of the fest, and kicks it off on Friday, will have the opportunity to sample local craft beer and wine, and to listen to live music by the Good Intentions. Participating vendors who you can continue to patronize are:
— Beers from Barley John’s Brewing Company, Fair State Brewing Cooperative, Fulton Brewing, Summit Brewing Company, Surly Brewing Co., Rush River Brewing Co. and Pitchfork Brewing.
— Wines from 65 Vines, Bella Vinez Winery, Dancing Dragonfly Winery, Maiden Rock Winery and Cidery, Wollersheim Winery and River Bend Vineyard and Winery
— Ciders from Crispin Hard Cider and Maiden Rock Winery and Cidery.
The tasting event is April 8 from 5-8 p.m. at Junior’s Bar and Restaurant. Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door. Tickets are available at the Chamber office, Dick’s Hometown Liquor and Junior’s. The premier sponsor is Fulton Brewing.
That company is from the Twin Cities, and is a key component to the tasting, as are some others from the metro. Also, cider has been added as a third category of drink, for those who don’t care for wine or beer, so try it going into spring
But it’s the local brands that have a starring role. “We are a Mecca for that,” said Judy Berg, tourism sales marketing manager with the River Falls Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau. Patrons from the Twin Cities can not only come here for the fest, but being just a short ride away can relive its experience created by new-favorite brews and wines, by just getting in the car.
When doing so, people can buy a bottle of their most-liked wine, for themselves or as a gift, if conducting such a re-creation. But not to get ahead of ourselves, they can purchase such items at local liquor stores, as well, on this weekend at the fest.
“It’s a heck of a deal,” Berg said, when it comes to the sheer amount of food and drink available for the money, and the variety of those options.
THE MUSIC MAKERS
The headliners in this free music weekend are Art Stevenson and High Water, Kind Country and Dead Horses. Scheduled are fifty-plus hours of foot-stompin’ bluegrass, Cajun and roots music, and it all can be done indoors, Berg said.
Whether it be the band contest, groups that are actually on the bill at the fest, or even event veteran Chris Silver’s own band, the Good Intentions, what’s prized is going back to the traditional roots of bluegrass, he said. There’s no secret to what the people who plan the fest are looking for in their acts. “We’re after polished musicians who are true to the craft,” Silver said, more-so than musicians who go off in their own direction, or just jam.
An example is where Silver’s band currently is at. (There have been different lineups of varying sizes). After delving into several styles, which in recent years leaned toward Americana with a lot of percussion included, the band is going back to what Silver valued in his younger days, the traditional bluegrass versions of the late ’70s and early ’80s.
Also of worth is originality and a strong, energetic stage presence, and thus the planners for both concerts and contests have looked at videos perhaps more-so than just regular recordings to gauge who they will invite to play the fest.
The new band contest, which is added to the annual singer/songwriter competition, is largely for groups that have not played much before an audience, but have the talent to be close to breaking into the forefront, Silver said. They can feature originals, but also cover versions of songs where the musicians have made it their own, not just redoing something that already exists.
The contest winner gets $300 and a recording session at Brickhouse Music in River Falls; second place gets $200 and third $100.
Silver also was behind an Emmy nominated video, demonstrating how-to-do-it-best from the past flatpicking contests. Some people come from all across the country, including a man from Maryland who has been here more then once, and even has placed in the music contests.
What else is looked for in bands? Look no further than Kind Country, which is Oshkosh based, making it actually regionally recognized. Berg said that, or being a local band and thus familiar, gets your foot in the door at the bluegrass fest. All of the acts involve the genre that promotes “footstomping,” somewhat broadly, as far as both musical style and audience participation, Berg said. Of course the groups can incorporate roots and Cajun music, as well, to please a patron if those are their favorites.
She notes these are free music offerings, unlike so many concerts in the Twin Cities, and all the parking is also at no cost. And, you can listen to an entire day of music on Saturday, going strong until 2 a.m., with lots of added events on the days on either side.
The Chamber bills this as a stay and play weekend, with lots of lodging options within a short distance of the downtown. A regularly attending Stillwater couple is pointed to by Berg as an example of making this a three-day extravaganza.
The fest is arranged so if you’re not sure if you like bluegrass, you can experience it firsthand, for a day or even more, in all its various forms before making a judgment. Younger fans have been drawn in, too, and the fest is family oriented.
“You can be doing something like going grocery shopping, and if you have a guitar in the car, join in a jam,” Berg said about the broad opportunities for participation.
“I was talking with a reporter from Chicago, and she kept asking, what is the price for this and what is it for that,” she said, underscoring that all events but the beer and wine tasting are free.
For more information, go to www.riverfallsbluegrass.com. To view a promotional video, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCp5JGIAMsA&feature=em-subs_digest. To see more from Riverwalk, visit “Attic Treasures Appraisals” at http://www.riverwalkartandantiques.com.

A new urban winery in downtown Hudson draws on a decades-old family tradition that started in Bogota, Colombia, then moved to the Midwest, and now is here along the St. Croix River, incorporating local grape varieties with the best of what’s available both worldwide and especially in Europe and the United States.

Even more exciting, the Negret Wine Company and owner Vincent Negret, a veteran of the winery business is inviting you to sample what they have to offer on April 7 with their 2016 Spring Fling, 5-course meal paired with 5 Negret wines, guided by winemaker Vincent and catered by top-notch River Valley Catering of River Falls (you can call email them at reservations@negretwinecompany.com to make your reservations). All Negret wines are made on site and there will be tours available to tour the production facility!

The store’s 8,500-square-foot Hudson headquarters, which opened last fall, features a state-of-the-art 3,000-square-foot production area, a semi-commercial kitchen and a 50-seat tasting room with several very large windows. Vintage photos from the old country adorn a hallway that takes guests in back, where they can watch Negret’s wines being made and ask questions.

Included is a warehouse that seats up to 140 people for special events, gourmet snacks to enhance the sensory experience and a patio that’s in sight of the St. Croix River and Lakefront Park, shared by next-door-neighbor Pudge’s Bar on Second Street.

Next year’s wines will be made with grapes raised this season at local vineyards owned by two of Negret’s 17 business partners. Those wines entered the picture through harvesting done too late last year to be brought into Negret’s mix immediately. The Negret Wine Company opened in late October 2015 and the grapes currently are being fermented and processed in the Hudson facility according to Negret’s specifications. The wine blends also are incorporating grapes from California and Washington State.

One of the new wines — a soft, aromatic, semi-sweet red — pays local homage, being called “The Hudsonite.”

Negret began with a couple of soft openings, held by invitation only. “We didn’t need to open with a bang,” he said. It’s now open to the public Wednesdays through Sundays, and other days by reservation.

There is a lot to offer. “We’re also in the entertainment business,” Negret explains, adding the hope is that wine-loving patrons will fall in love with his varieties and all the accompaniments, which include food to amplify the experience and a diverse range of live music. In particular, bands are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday evenings.

Special events include classes on wine tasting, private wine tastings for small to large groups, a Hudson Sips Happy Hour, deals on Sundays, birthdays and “best friends” Wednesdays.

The family tradition that started this all has gone on since 1937, and the style of winemaking done by the Negret family will continue to evolve, Negret said. Much of this evolution involves combining blends using grapes the world-over with those from the coastal USA, and also Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Local grapes are different, as they must grow in a seasonally colder and different climate than most wine-producing regions. “There are only about 30 varieties that are this hardy,” Negret said. The climate and soils, along with genetics, help determine a grape’s character. So, the best way to incorporate grapes from various areas is to develop hybrids, in many cases crossing ones from America with those from Europe and other places. (An area man, Elmer Swenson, was a leader in this area, and did his work through the University of Minnesota, Negret adds). Because the differences in genetics are so marked and important, there are differing families of scientific names given to various grape varieties.

WHERE THEY CAME FROM

The first notable wine-making-grapes were imported to this country in the 1930s, as varieties from all over, which had existed for thousands of years, made their way around the world. Europe was the best fit for the initial expansion, taking place over the last couple of hundred years, and then North America, South America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and China. This is important to Negret, since he is trying to literally, incorporate the best of all areas in making his wine blends.

Does he have a favorite self-produced wine? That would be too limiting, he said. “All of them are like my kids, so you can’t choose just one,” he noted, adding it’s all about how to make a patron happy.

Possible plans for a somewhat longer term include a dandelion wine, with ingredients picked locally, a sparkling wine particularly for special events, and a “Marina” series that would appeal to the St. Croix River’s boating community.

A goal is to pair their wines to individual customer’s palates, and simply wow them “by having a story behind the wines” and being in tune with the local culture — like offering a special gift to a friend, he said.

Negret says he fashions blends that no one else does, speaking with politeness, grace and humility and showing a love of people. “Every time I make a wine to drink, I want the experience to be different,” he said, a little like music played in-concert. And loving wines of all sorts is an acquired taste, much like learning to appreciate something like bleu cheese, he said.

“Like painting a picture, there is always something to add,” Negret said, with the key being to know when to stop tinkering. Still, he added, he will not rest until it’s right.

NEGRET’S VAST EXPERIENCE

Since 2000, Negret has worked at the Carlos Creek Winery in Alexandria and as the chief winemaker at the Cannon River Winery, both in Minnesota, with a stint at an Ohio vineyard between those, growing his experience in the industry. His two children – daughter Camila and son Mateo – are actively involved in the development and operation of the winery, despite holding fill-time jobs outside of the winery. The winery is very much a family and community affair. Meanwhile, Cannon River is now Minnesota’s largest winery. But it all started decades ago in Colombia.

“Our wine was the best in the country,” Negret says of his tenure there, which was cut short because of political unrest. His family launched the first sparkling wine ever in Colombia, and also was the first in the region to be served on the country’s flagship airline, AVIANCA. Negret used his study of enology at California State University, Fresno, to introduce innovations to their production facilities, bringing the family’s winemaking process into the modern age.

Now based in Hudson, he and his family can again get about the wine-making magic they know best, by having a somewhat urban shop in a smaller, neighboring city to Minneapolis-St. Paul. That was done when the Negret Wine Company opened Oct. 29 at 310 Second St. Negret developed a fondness for Hudson by driving through, and has compared it to the beauties of many European cities. “It is also much like the Riviera,” he added, noting Hudson has a gorgeous riverfront and active downtown.

Via the Hudson Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, he became acquainted with county Economic Development Director Bill Rubin, who helped him gain a $3,000 small-business grant used for writing a business plan and assisted in the three-year zoning process.

Meanwhile, after a micro-distillery planner bowed out, Pudge’s Bar owner Michael Murphy offered to lease the versatile building next-door to Negret’s team. There have been bureaucratic snafus. A few months ago, the state of Wisconsin denied their permit based on a Prohibition-era restriction on a bar owner leasing another alcohol-related business. But Negret worked through it, being a perfectionist and persistent, driven and passionate about what he does. The building was purchased outright, solving the difficulty.

For more information, stop in, go to the company website www.NegretWineCompany.com. You can also:

Email info@negretwinecompany.com or to make reservations, including for the April 7th event, write to reservations@negretwinecompany.com.

You can also follow NWCo on Facebook www.facebook.com/NegretWineCompany and Instagram: @NegretWineCo

NEGRET WINE COMPANY BLENDS

RED BLENDS

WHITE BLENDS

ROSE BLEND

On Irish funny money (can they buy green beer?) and other St. Patrick’s Day abnormalities, which become normal except for 364 days a year, (OK I know that Leap Year skewers it).
— A woman who won a local costume contest, in part because of her wee little bit of a green Irish top hat, smaller than an Irish clenched fist, was asked what she would do with her pot of gold, now that she’d won first prize? Even when combined with her funds leftover at the end of the night, that wee little bit would not get you far, she replied. The few bills she had remaining were Irish funny money that was white with no green tint whatsoever, clipped with a scissors and given to patrons.
— Another friend brought out to Green Mill karaoke on St. Patrick’s Day, after playing it heavily at home, a couple of CDs that included “28 Irish Pub Songs,” which if you can count that high for one drink per song, is fitting for singing — after all, this is a pub-like grill and bar. On this CD is a plinky instrumental of “Whiskey in a Jar-O,” (which was mentioned previously on this web page), not the rock-out version by Metallica. Those were the stylings sang by friend and former karaoke-meister Dave later at The Mill. The more traditional version was brought to mind later in the evening by someone I know who I swear has to be at least 120 percent Irish! He called late, better than never, about getting together for Irish song fests both here and down yonder in Milwaukee.
— A young guy (still wearing green) who was starting early — or continuing — early on the Friday after St. Patrick’s Day, said that on these holidays amongst his friends, this style of surrendering for a few days a sane schedule is so persistent it’s “straight through.” One of them (just green shoes) lended credence to that, he said, when buying another beer while the one she already had was only half empty. (Or half full?)
— Down the street at Emma’s in River Falls on St. Patrick’s Day, some off-sale liquor bottles still contained the cardboard tag of a “Christmas” special, with the price printed inside a picture of a circular wreath. I think that kind of “green” is the wrong holiday.

— A North Hudson bartender who has been on that job for a few months said that a prior stint was at an Irish Pub in the St. Paul area, adding that a longtime regular customer there had reached out and tried to renew acquaintances, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. When Irish Eyes are Smiling …
— Bartender Emma just got back from Daytona, and on the wall at her place of work is a tongue-in-cheek flyer that says Hurricane Evacuation plan, an exit that consists of two steps: Buy beer, then get the hell out of town. I’m assuming these things are related. And the Irish would be proud.
— Peyton Manning may or may not be Irish — his hair has become too thin to tell — but has retired, and likewise, I have not seen his lookalike who used to hangout at Guv’s Place since the days it was in Houlton. OK, the local guy looked a little older and thinner then the five-time MVP quarterback, but there still was a resemblance, especially earlier on, when it was Manning’s heyday.

(For even more local “flavor,” including pizza, on awards shows — but you’ll need the same attention span scrolling down as was required to get to the end of the Oscars — see reports on other events such as St. Patrick’s Day, Super Tuesday and Leap Year, in the Notes From The Beat and Picks Of The Week departments).

Grammy’s have changed, but they’re not granny’s, more like precocious kids on the red carpet, as these items head a list of what’s happened locally in recent days:
— An area private investigator has another interesting gig going, she’s with the Grammy’s, with a “membership” being the term that’s used, out of the Chicago district. That means, most importantly, that she gets to do some of the voting on who gets what award. I first met her a few years ago at Dick’s Bar and Grill, when she gave me a few details, and coincidentally enough, I came across her business card again just hours before the Big Music Show was slated to start. She declined to comment at length when I called, saying that some of the ways the Grammy’s does their procedures has changed and she is not as much in the loop as formerly, and although still a member, they hesitate to publicize that status too much. Better to call a colleague of hers in L.A. or more locally, attend one of the seminars offered by Jimmy Jam. Would she be watching the show anyway? “Well of course.”
— Speaking of such shows, a local tavern patron said recently that a family he knows, with a Disney patriarch, had two daughters who were prominently featured strutting down the Oscar red carpet. Ah how fast they grow up.
— The PI is not the only one with another gig; one of which you’d want to be more involved with than the other. One of the workers at Dick’s serves in two very different ways: He pours drinks and as a side job, also serves court papers on people.
— The attendees were shoulder to shoulder when GB Leighton played the anniversary celebration at Pier 500 that found a huge tent completely packed. A friend, Jackie, said they arrived at about 9 p.m. Saturday and it just got busier through the 10 O’clock hour, and they later left and could only imagine how full the tent would have been by midnight. There were heaters everywhere on this very cold night, making it somewhat balmy inside, but some still said their feet got cold. Was Jackie surprised that such a big name was pulled in for such as event? “Hey, this is Pier’s tenth anniversary,” she countered. A lighted sign with letters about three feet high that swirled on the roof of the tent reinforced that stance.
— Attendance also was very good at the ’50s themed, Valentine’s Day party at the Village Inn in North Hudson, although it trickled off as the hour got later and the temps got colder. However, once karaoke was done, the nostalgic music continued on via the jukebox and was played well into the night.
— And once more on attendance, the servers at Buffalo Wild Wings say that combined with the Hot Air Affair traffic, and youth hockey tournaments in both Hudson and River Falls, they had a very busy Saturday recently, virtually from open to close, as people staying at surrounding motels became patrons.
— A brown metal statue downtown that shows a hunting dog wielding a shotgun reminds me of a similar looking animal in a North Hudson yard near Kozy Korner that seems to be waiting for someone to, with apologies to Aerosmith, get Back in the Saddle Again, even though that saddle is sagging low. The creature is not actually part of a tree stump, as said earlier, but part of a swing hanging from a tree limb with horse head, tether and bowed limbs. Wanna Go For a Ride after a night out?
— A nearby sign at Village Liquor in North Hudson continues, after several weeks, to say that Christmas gifts from there are never regifted. I don’t doubt that a bit, because if that bit of boughten holiday cheer has been hanging around that long, it in one way or another is sure to have been — to use a shopping term — consumed. Meanwhile, a flower shop in downtown River Falls still reminded men on Wednesday what’s best to get for Valentine’s Day , and although this belated gift suggestion might be better late then never … well not so much.
— With weather warming, a downtown patron in River Falls was seen walking on the main drag wearing only a muscle shirt, which showed off his tattoos. But like so many young people, he did have a hat on.

You can guess that a restaurant that specializes in all different kinds of walleye would be a go-to place for the soon-to-be celebrated Friday fish fry, carrying on a North Hudson tradition at the same venue that dates back to the 1950s.

You can paint a picture of, or while, ballooning, or as Carole King would sing, you can have the tapestry woven through music.
There is plenty of both in the 27th annual Hudson Hot Air Affair, which has as its theme Paint the Sky — to the point where that is even one of the prize categories in its annual torchlight parade.
There is much more to this affair than balloon launching, as music is offered early and often each night.
The longtime ballooning extravaganza running from Feb. 5-7 also is sponsoring the Taste of Hot Air Affair as a fundraiser. It features sampling of spirits, wine and beer, along with appetizers, decadent chocolates and artisan cheeses from providers from all over the St. Croix and Missisippi River valleys. The charitable event will feature the music of Boondoggle, members of which come from the Roberts area.
The five-member country, rock and blues band covers songs from more than 50 years, going beyond the usual ’70s, ’80’s and ’90s that are the staples for many groups. Members are Brent Ackley, Dawn Budrow, Jim Ehlers, John Wolf and Nate Dahl. “We play music by Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones, Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Dwight Yoakam, and anything and everything around and in-between,” according to their online bio.
The tasting event is set for Saturday from 7:30-10 p.m. in the Chateau Room of the Hudson House Grand Hotel, 1616 Crestview Drive. Proceeds from the Taste, in its fourth year, will go to the Hudson High School Mental Health Program.
Pre-sale tickets for The Taste can be purchased for $20 (or $25 at the door) at event sponsors Hudson WESTconsin Credit Union, the Hudson House, or Linda White Family Hair Care. All other festival activities are free for spectators.
Urban Olive and Vine will again feature a pair of very different bands. Jazz Savvy takes the stage on Friday and the duo of Kiersty and Nathan Santos on Saturday. Both start at 7 p.m.
— You’ll want to tap your toes and snap your fingers to start the weekend, but it’s still savvy, not your usual jazz band. With what’s called a fresh and innovative sound, Jazz Savvy is a unique trio with songs you might not expect to hear locally, even though they have built a following at a number of Twin Cities area venues. There’s no pabulum radio sound, no smooth jazz, or “canned” standard tunes, and every time Jazz Savvy gives a performance, they give the audience a new jazz experience, they say.
Drums, percussion, and other erstwhile rhythmic offerings are provided by Joe Steinger. From Kansas City, Joe migrated to the Twin Cites, and soon hooked up with a number of groups including his current mainstay, Café Accordion Orchestra, but others too. Joe provides a solid and liquid rhythmic addition that his peers say you will want to hear again.
Rounding out the trio is bassist Terry Bailey, probably best described as a serous journeyman. Terry has played the Twin City area with a number of groups and at numerous venues.
— Nathan and Kiersty Santos are an acoustic duet who have been heard and seen a lot around the Twin Cities, doing a variety of original and cover tunes, in what Urban Olive and Vine call a perfect pairing with the dinner and wine hours.
Nathan Santos is the lead singer, writer and producer from the American rock band, “The Hard Luck.” Nathan’s intimate acoustic performances blend his form of rhythmic guitar with swooning vocals. The group’s most noted accomplishments include winning the Cities 97 Battle of the Bands competition and making live feature television appearances.
As far as Kiersty, she has a powerful voice with a style all her own, as shown in her online rendition of Journey.
— The Negret Wine company’s downtown south store, renovation for which allowed it to begin business a few months ago just to the north of Pudge’s Bar as a part of that building complex, are new to the music scene for the Hot Air Affair, having a duo of brothers, Matt and Max, playing on Friday and Saturday nights.
In sessions at Negret, Matt plays a toned down style that allows people to converse or even read a book, and not be hampered by a loud guitar. When pinned down after a recent performance there, he cited as influences the Beatles and thus the music of two Johns, that being Lennon and Denver, the latter of whom you don’t often hear referenced.
Both Matt and his brother go to college in the Twin Cities, studying music, and also have day jobs, but plan to squeeze in as many gigs as possible, including Thursdays at Negret and over the summer. They start earlier than is typical, around 7 p.m., as they will during the Friday and Saturday of the Hot Air Affair.
“I play a lot of acoustic indie singer-songwriter music and mix in some 60’s oldies,” Matt said, adding that his style incorporates soft rock and folk, and a mix of the old and new. Some of the tunes are just offbeat enough to blaze a trail away from the overplayed classics.
“That’s a decently broad category to pull from: Stu Larsen, Passenger, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Jack Johnson, Nick Mulvey, Neil Diamond, John Denver, Bob Dylan, the Oh Hellos, Good Old War, George Ezra, Joshua Radin, Cage The Elephant, Coldplay, Harry Connick Jr. and Johnny Cash are all prominent influences,” Matt said.
These days, he has short and carefully coffed hair, while in photos from his not-too-long-ago playing days, he looks just a bit edgier, so you know you’ll be getting a variety when listening to him.
Matt’s format stays the same when he plays with his brother, who he says does accompaniment much in the style of the Lumineers or the Oh Hellos.
— Rounding out the music options connected with the Hot Air Affair are these acts at two of the other participating sponsors, both featuring relatively new band leaders. There is deejay dance music downtown at Dick’s Bar and Grill on Friday and Saturday starting at about 10 p.m., which gives a chance to mingle with the pilots, especially after the adjacent Torchlight Parade and following fireworks starting at 7 p.m. Friday. Also, there is karaoke in an intimate setting at the bar at the Plaza Lounge/Hudson Bowling Center on both nights, a venue not far from the Moonglow or Field of Fire that is set for Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Other noteworthy Hot Air Affair events are balloon launches at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and at 3 p.m. on Saturday, all weather permitting, and smoosh boarding at 1 p.m. Saturday. All are at the Rock Elementary School grounds.
The Hot Air Affair has as its corporate sponsor the WESTconsin Credit Union.
Visit www.hudsonhotairaffair.com for more information.

Like the differences in population, what Jahnna Randall has accomplished in Los Angeles has been magnified many times, and taken many different forms, from what her already stellar fetes were when living back in northwest St. Croix County.
The model and actress had gotten started here several years ago when working mostly in the Twin Cities and gaining a prime role in a MTV reality series, where she traded places with a model from New York for a week — all in front of the cameras.
Since then she has gotten behind the camera as well to be a prolific filmmaker, all in a few short years.
“We are now doing the festival run for my military short film Lost in Time. We have been accepted into three film festivals so far,” she said recently, adding that she won the best acting award at Hollywood & Vine film festival and was ready to go to the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema, for which Lost in Time is nominated for six awards: Best Actress, Indie Spirit Award, Mary Austin Excellence in Directing, Mary Austin Excellence in Producing, Mary Austin Excellence in Screenwriting and The Marshall Hawkins Awards for Best Musical Score.
“Fingers crossed we win a couple of those. The Mary Austin awards are only for women, which is really cool!” said the energetic Jahnna, who frequently punctuates her email messages with exclamation points. The film can be viewed at https://youtube/G4as8sWSuUE.
Her role on the military drama was workmanlike, as she wrote and directed it, and did the filming and editing last fall. “My inspiration for the film came from my two older brothers who served in the Iraq war. I wanted to create a story that showcased the other side when soldiers went off to war,” Jahnna said.
She also has released a new YouTube web series called Girl Problems. See https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrkxB2ZBXOtyo_B7a7WSVgSIkSc8ZKlTF. There are five episodes already online and more are being filmed.
Of all her varied work, which includes filming puppies in tiaras, her favorite likely is an award-winning web series created two years ago called 2Fur1. But Lost in Time brought her into new territory. “I am actually working on writing the feature script right now,” she said of this added dimension to the series, adding the first draft should be finished right about now. “I’m hoping to be able to pitch that later this year.”
Among adorable animals, demystified soldiers and people with dating difficulties on a reality show of her making, what topics motivate her to the greatest degree?
“Ooh that’s a tough question, which have I enjoyed the most. I love acting and that was the reason I moved to LA, but then I fell in love with writing,” Jahnna said. “Then directing came shortly after when I got to bring the story from paper to screen. I have always been writing, since I was a kid, but never realized I could actually do it as a career. I did it more for fun when I was younger, not really thinking about it.”
But after living two years in LA, she was getting bored with auditioning for films where the scripts were really bad. “So I decided to write my own characters and then realized I actually wanted to write scripts, so I created my film company Why Wait Productions.”
And wait, she did not, as soon to follow were three short films, two music videos, four web series, four commercials and multiple comedy sketches, all within four years. “The project I enjoyed the most doing would be Lost in Time, because the story is so close to my heart, and the fact of how much I have learned from all the previous projects,” Jahnna said. “That’s the thing I love about filmmaking: Each project you will evolve over time, because with practice you just keep getting better and better.”

(For the initial story on Jahnna’s work, written at the midway part of her time in LA, see this web site’s Blast From the Past department).

The vanquished Vikings show up (or don’t) to be even as much of a vice as Powerball, but the Packers are nice and some people even cancel their theater plans because of them. Rather go to the sports bar instead, and spend your cash there, not on those $2 tickets, as that isn’t enough to get you inside to to see the musical revue anyway.
— Between taking care of a fairly busy bar for a Monday in late afternoon, (and it turns out for good reason), the bartender at Woody’s in Bayport said there were still people bemoaning the last-minute Viking loss in a less than PC way. Again, it seemed like the Minnesota football find-a-way-to-lose debacle had staying power beyond Sunday. Some Hudson patrons said it was just more of the same, and they saw it coming even partway through the game, and others added that it would have been even more upsetting if occurring later in the playoffs, after a win or two were under their belts, giving hope.
— There also may have been other ways to know what was coming as far as that loss — and the need to deal with it any which way you can. Lots of people were striving to win enough Powerball money so they could, if wanted, buy their own NFL team. To the point that people in a cashier line were talking about one local person who allegedly took out a loan so he could play more Powerball, but he’ll still have to worry when it comes time for any balloon payment, because the eventual winner was from LA, where they don’t even have a football team. So what’s the solution for More Powerball? “More cowbell,” an audience participation staple with the Jeff Loven one-man-band show, might have been a better weekend answer to get over the defeat dished out by Seattle.
— The sign outside of Kozy Korner in North Hudson said it all: “K-Fan is going to be great in the morning.” The message was still up as of Wednesday night. Again, the Viking stunning-style defeats having their staying power. The sentiment on the Agave Kitchen sign didn’t stay up as long, but was just as poignant, referencing as many have the football laces pointing toward kicker Blair Walsh to give the final blow. It makes the Agave message sound simply “blaring.”
— The above-mentioned Minnesota musician Loven, who was seen on the air with his kids while taking in a Minnesota Twins game last year, now will not have the chance for a repeat with a Minnesota Vikings game. Jeff is noteworthy enough for his guitar, but that clip gave him another 15 minutes or so of fame, which could have doubled to 30 when considering that its been that many years since he won his first really prominent guitar competition. The anniversary of that winning solo is noted by the Kahler instrument company, and also has him paired with the musicians from Ratt on a national music magazine cover, in what’s shown on Jeff’s most recent and glitzy gig-announcing placard. Ah, in all those cases, the company you keep. Jeff used some Kahler equipment to claim victory and the firm cited his versatility, range and originality.
— Apparently the Packers, at least in some people’s minds, trump the Phipps Center, as there were still a small number of tickets left as of Thursday for the special White Sidewalls revue on Saturday night. The reason? Some people had thought better of the live show in Hudson and opted to return those tickets so they could watch Green Bay play on TV instead. There was even a guy who had been on the waiting list for the White Sidewalls for quite some time, who when contacted recently passed on it because of the Green and Gold, the receptionist said. It would be better to get all your heads together and plan these things in advance, but that’s hard to do because it involves that pesky Washington team that chimed in by losing to the Pack in the first round.
— I poked a little fun at the end of the Picks of the Week department about Miller Beer, on a Wisconsin product that still could be a bit big and corporate, but maybe hold your horses. (OK that would be Budweiser). While at Buffalo Wild Wings, a man a few empty seats down offered to buy for me the beer I had just ordered, but there was somewhat of a condition: He was a Miller sales rep and had noted the variety that just moments ago had verbally flowed from my lips toward the bartender and now would be replaced by liquid going the other direction. Yes I had ordered a Miller Lite.

The holiday season brought out both the multitudes of the beautiful and the ugly, and the biggest (and the smallest) and brightest.

— The entire downtown Hudson area was hopping on New Year’s Eve, a bit more so than at times in North Hudson, and the Smilin’ Moose reportedly for more than an hour had to turn away patrons because it was at capacity, to the extent that a line formed outside. The exception might have been their specially erected smoking tent on the back patio, which drew only a few people at a time.
— I don’t know if this tie was ugly, as in holiday sweater contests, or just bright. Shane wore one that was positively glowing, with dozens of little lights, and at the bottom an icon that resembled either an upside-down Pac Man or a turned on its ear Packer helmet. Of similar brightness were the ruby-red sparkling pants worn by a female patron, which would have been glowing even for a rock star.
— There were tiaras to be seen all over that proclaimed the new year, and they were of various heights on heads. A woman at Ellie’s took it to another level and had a feather on top that reached another several inches high. Similar headgear was sported at Pudge’s, but in this case it was setting alone on a table, along with a couple of mostly empty glasses and another couple of popcorn containers, with kernels scattered about.
— Also at Ellie’s was the shortest and tiniest skirt I’ve ever seen, enabled to be so by the woman’s very slim hips. It was the size of a dinner napkin, (as in unfolded halfway, not to its full fourfold extent).
— Ellie’s also gets the nod for the coolest holiday hairdo, sported not by a patron, but someone who was cleaning up in the kitchen that was open late enough that revelers might see double and take-in two of this guy. He had bright green hair that in some places was well down his back, but on the sides a toned-down color complete with crewcut.
— One local bartender with strong Minneapolis ties had to work quite late in North Hudson, not knowing when she would be cut. Still, she made plans for after-hours to trek to The Cities to get with some friends, who have a music studio in their abode. So no problem here with having to conform to a closing time. This would seem to be role reversal, as it has the ones from The Cities rather than Wisconsin going the latest.
— Bartender Matt had a new gig (said tongue-in-cheek). He was standing outside a shop just up the street from Agave Kitchen having a smoke, and right in back of him was a sign in a store window for a sofa — 20 percent off. We joked that he was guarding it from the wandering New Year’s Eve people that might have had a few too many and do something dumb. Did that discount mean his bantered-about “commission” was reduced by one-fifth?
— The longest party bus I’ve ever seen was outside the Smilin’ Moose around 2 a.m., being about the length of a typical front-end more than the next biggest to visit.
— At Pudge’s, the renovation had progressed to the point that the entire north wall was now showcasing its original stone. In what was fast becoming a tradition, there wasn’t a New Year’s Eve ball-drop at Pudge’s, at least this time around, because of the placement of some windows as part of their on-going refurbishing, according to owner Michael.
— The north side of North Hudson Party Triangle of bars lived up to its name, as rows of footprints could be seen all through the new snow connecting the three places. Late in the evening, there also was the distinct, burning smell of fireworks throughout that area, as people toasted the new year with something other than champagne.
— Speaking of one of those three bars, the Village Inn, a new friend I encountered there in the wee hours of The Eve, and it was noted that she was wearing very comfortable boots rather than the high heels that were chosen by many others wearing that Little Black Dress. Screw that idea, she said. If going to be up until near dawn, she wanted to put a premium on comfort.
— Some of the latest action was on the gridiron. Woody’s in Bayport had what had to be the most over-the-top, hearty football fare to chow down on during the big Packer-Viking game: Three pounds of buffalo wings for the price of 1.5 pounds. Being a Viking bar, they must have known what was coming as far as an outcome to put out such an offer, and make it stick (to your ribs).
— Dick’s Bar and Grill offered yet another new event, this time a New Year’s Day pajama party from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for those who weren’t so sleepy from the night before that they couldn’t make it in. Two costumes stood out because they were full-body length and could still be seen later in the day. Alice wore what was “supposed to be an owl,” and a cohort sported Superman PJs, complete with a Superman T-shirt underneath. Alice also was in costume, at least as far as headgear, the night before at the Village Inn in North Hudson with a pope-like hat made out of a newspaper. She also helped a friend deck out in a similar way, although he had a Minnesota Wild cap underneath.
— Over the Christmas weekend, dancers at Dick’s were tossing around a big wrapped package as they strutted their stuff. When opened, it was revealed that the box was for a whiskey brand. Might want to save the contents for New Year’s Eve.