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Hammond brings to the stage at a fest this weekend everything from alternative-and-hair-band-included Side Hustle, even though their Heartland Days music shows its not just a side job … And there’s a Gospel-based-and-more gig prior to that on Friday night.

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.

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