— The greatly named Drink 182 band that plays the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night, Dec. 22, is more then a tribute to the actual Blink 182.
Let them tell you why:
“The 90s were strange times in the world of music,” the group’s members note. “Alternative bands roamed the Earth in flannels and vans, while hip-hop groups wore giant Adidas and tracksuits. Also, boy bands were a thing. We know it’s hard to remember who sang what. Toad the Wet Ezras? Hootie and the Gin Blossoms? Rage Against the Backstreet Boys? We get it.
“BUT.”
“We like the 90s. You like the 90s. Why don’t we get together and play some 90s music? It’s about time.”
So join them like, to coin a phrase, its the Gay 90s.
— They put the root in root beer. The Lift Bridge brewing company in Stillwater has rolled out its new bottled root beer drink, an offering that its worthy to note you might not find in Wisconsin, the actual brew capital of the known world.
Also, the Smilin’ Moose has for a while now added meat to the mix. Their root beer BBQ burger has apparently stood the test of time and can still be found amidst their specials.
— And as far as food, breakfast is always great, and this could be considered the culinary version of the two-point conversion, rather than the extra point (to make a football reference now that the postseason is near). The “2-fer” breakfast at the Willow River Inn in Burkhardt, offered on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon if you’re not too bleary eyed from the bands the night before, costs a mere $2 with purchase of a beverage and you get: Two eggs (fried or scrambled), two pieces of bacon, two sausage links, two slices of toast (white or wheat) and hashbrowns (singlely).