The weekend starts on Wednesday, and after a lull on Thursday really gets going again, kicked off by the back-to-our-roots very late afternoon and into early evening music on the patio at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday and Saturday, as part of their summer-long series, to wrap up July. It features a pair of acoustic soloists with longtime Hudson ties, Dave Burkhart and Chris Lawrence, respectively.
— But winding back to Wednesdays, they can have wicked wit. That’s the day when Buffalo Wild Wings has its “is this the smartest bar” trivia contest with its signature Buzztime brand. It does, however, ask you to “prove it” for prizes. And you will want the approval of the hot babe with the librarian glasses who appears in the in-restaurant ad. You’ll also have to beat out the guy at the local BDubs who goes by the dyslexic game-name DubB.
There was a trivia question there that piqued my attention, about a decades-ago dictator in Africa who was atrocity-addled. It was in the country Chad. I asked my bartender by that name if he’d ever do such things to a fellow human being. His somewhat joking response: Only if he doesn’t pay his tab.
— Hudson’s own singer and songwriter Garret seems to have an affinity for playing resort-type venues, which started with performances at Afton Alps. To that end, this Friday evening, July 29, he will be at Troy Burne for a solo show, which is a members-only gig. However, if you want to catch him in a more public way, you can venture to Ole’s in Maiden Rock the next evening, on Saturday. Maiden Rock is a lot like Boardman near Hudson, where there also are a lot of bands, but both are only a two-horse (or bar) town, with the pair of places being across the street from one another. Garret says that “90 percent” of people agree that his vocal stylings are distinctive, which surprises him, but only a bit.
— This hopper is really hepped up. At Pudge’s, the 96-ounce blender-look-alike contraption has not only the $19 and $24 options for being filled with the more standard beers, but for $28 you can get the more upscale brews of Bell’s, Deschutes and Goose Island, which are also available as regular-size specials. And, if you hurry, you can still order them from the gradually departing Kirsten, who has glasses and hair much like the smokin’ brunette librarian in the Buffalo Wild Wings ad.