(See more things that are new in the Notes From the Beat Department, where there’s a party everywhere, such as during spring break — and you don’t even have to be going to Ireland).
Even on a holiday steeped in tradition, there are new ways to be Irish:
— One of them is via the green-suited men of Ghostbusters, which are led by the Bill Murray character that is prominently displayed in two different ways at Dick’s Bar and Grill. Let me explain. Murray is a good friend of the late former owner of Dick’s, Fred Kremer, and would drop in for dinner whenever he was in town to take care of business with the St. Paul Saints, of which he is a part-owner. Dick’s has added a new pinball machine, Ghostbusters themed, and the front-and-center display of Murray’s face doesn’t end there. There is the old, oversized and framed photo of Murray that was taken on one of his stops here, and it is positioned right behind the pinball machine, although you can only see the top of Murray’s head because the machine is too high. Add to this the photo of Sigourney Weaver’s character on the machine, dressed all evil and with a striking silver dress that looks remarkably like the one a Pudge’s bartender wore out on Halloween night. And to add to the Irish theme via pinball, there is a photo of a bright green Slimer in the corner, being shot with a green ray by, you guessed it, Murray as Veckman.
— As far as veritable local musicians, St. Patrick’s evening marked the inaugural appearance of Garret with the longtime Jawsy band at the Village Inn, where he teamed with longtime songstress Amanda, who also is a manager at the North Hudson venue. Also, you could catch Garret in a solo performance at Dick’s Bar and Grill on Friday evening, March 24. A few nights afterward, he could be seen dancing in a flurry that reminds me of James Brown as he was shooting darts, and was more than a little giddy about the comparison being made. (It’s more the vocal gyrations than the dance moves he is known for).
— A server at Green Mill, who was off duty on St. Patrick’s Day, said that she and friends celebrated in their
own way at one of their houses, with chicken dinner, no less. (But not that mega-chicken video just going viral).
By the way, that crew did top it off in a more Irish way, having Shamrock cookies for dessert.
— There were a lot of, largely new, people shooting pool at the new Pudge’s who just looked Irish. One, sporting
reddish beard and hair and a Flogging Molly T-shirt, was giving tips to another green-clad player on how to put
backspin on a cue ball. The informal tutorial went on for the length of a typical Irish drinking song. The
result was less than spectacular, the cue ball bounced over the end of the bumper.
— This is different than just Jameson and Guiness. Pudge’s had on special during the applicable day their
Teeling Irish Whiskey Manhatten. Not for tee-tollers.
— At least three different venues I visited on the holiday were showing on at least one of their TV screens a
syfy-type Tom Cruise movie that night, aired by the TBS network. He is Irish, isn’t he?
— Irish indeed they are. During the St. Patrick’s day-after party at Bobtown Brewhouse in Roberts, the play
list of the duo The Hunyuks was heavy on music of the American Irish, remembering what things were left behind
in the old country once coming here.
— It all depends on what twist you put on the ties that spring from your head. Late-night cashiers at the
Freedom store in North Hudson were sporting the holiday green antenni, but couldn’t agree what to call them.
Antlers were suggested, since this is Wisconsin, then a long phrase of a description ending in “sparkly
things.” We settled on just calling them “hairpieces.”
— The Irish were even taking it to the streets, as evidenced by a car with dozens of decals all along the side
of bigger-than-usual Shamrocks.
— Lastly, a bartender friend tried to emulate the multiple moves made by a point guard during the well-aired
NCAA tournament initial round. His point was that the guy with the ball faked sideways in each direction so
quickly and so many times that the defender, not keeping up, was still positioned were he’d been the previous
pair of fakes. The result might have been stealing the ball. Love to see the bartenders that set you up, and
display their hoops set-ups, hump it in that way.