Fire up the Fourth, and give it a boost with the colorful tapestry of sight and sound of a local festival:
— On the Fourth of July itself, all kinds of people came out dressed stylishly in red, white and blue, dozens of them women sporting much more-so than other colors, the stripes of red and white. In fact, I only saw one such person dressed without these kinds of stripes.
— During fireworks on The Fourth, being viewed from the parking area of Guv’s Place in Houlton, there was a host of patriotic music being played from a single boom box, crossing all different genres. Later, about a flagstaff distance away, a man attracted attention for twirling Old Glory around at about the height of his midsection. As a side note, Guv’s has not been able to renew its lease, (a big boo to the owner of the property), and will close its doors later in July, workers said.
— A patriotic biker was like many vehicle drivers over the Fourth, propping up even bigger flags that waved in the back of their ride. Only this guy was just going about 23 mph, in spurts, through the Hudson to North Hudson crawl. He had slogans posted just below the flag, along the lines of Live and Ride Free. It’s just that at that speed, the breeze isn’t exactly going to blow through your hair.
— A Hudson Booster Days welcome sign was erected on the sidewalk in front of a Second Street boutique. The placard was so wide, about three feet, did it leave room for possibly tipsy people to make their way past?
— Near the band area, one guy was insistent on hitching a ride with the beer delivery cart, both on its front and back hoods. It’s unclear whether he had success in his quest for a lift. (After this web item was published, it came to light that there had been an altercation between a Booster official and others about allegedly unauthorized use of such a cart, called a Gator, near the end of a late-night concert. Ouch! I guess that puts some teeth it it, concerning the Gator.)
— A Booster beer tent bartender had stars sprouting from the antenni on her forehead, and had star-shaped lens on her glasses, to boot. Does this “starry eyed” look mean she might not quite see well enough to gauge whether people are over 21?
— The band Arch Allies was being talked up all over town on Friday night after the beer tents closed. Most thought they were great, with a qualification or two about the relatively new lead singer, and some patrons recalled the days of the band playing (many times) at the former Dibbo’s. At least one listener added the same accolades (mostly) about Uncle Chunk, Saturday’s headliner, and its new lead singer.
— Just a block-or-so up the street, the Dogg Haus eatery had on its sign announcing hours of operation that it would be open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. After Booster Days, the closing time listed reverted to 10 p.m. I guess that the Booster Days change was not registered in Dog Years.
— On the Thursday of Booster Days, more than a dozen costumed people from the St. Paul Winter Carnival, from the likely local Klondike Kate to guys dressed up like Mexicans and Cowboys, descended on Buffalo Wild Wings, just to spice it up even a bit more.
— Ryan Nelson of Kozy Korner in North Hudson and some of his comrades attended a World Cup soccer game, sitting in wouldn’t you know it, the front row, and were pictured on TV several times. Ryan said that they couldn’t see the main action as well as if they’d had similar seating up front and center in the upper deck, but they were up close and personal with athletes stretching out on the sidelines, for example. He added that it was a hoot when the USA team was on their side of the field for one half of the game, but then not the other half, and that it was the most interesting time they’ve had at any sporting event, and some of them have been prominent. Kozy held a viewing party for the Women’s World Cup final, and patrons were in for a treat, as USA raced to a 4-0 lead and went on to beat Japan, Ryan noted later while still sporting a string of beads.
In related news, a sign across the street from Kozy at the Village Inn said earlier in the week, prior to Booster Days kicking it up, “Hey Ryan Nelson, where’s UR bracelet? #BFFS.” Is there some inside joke that I’m not getting?
— News just in regarding American Sky Brewery in Hudson is that it has been bought by a brew company from Minnesota, and some facets, mostly in production, may be relocating. However, Sky employees assure us that the changes locally as far as entertainment will be minimal. The Hangar Taproom and bar will continue to operate and live music will continue on weekends, as the new management has scant experience with this part of the business, and band bookings are full through September and they also are always looking for new acts, workers said.
— Patrons going from such places, and others on the eastern end of The Hill, may find themselves negotiating the new 70 mph speed limit on Interstate 94. Just a word to the wise: Better drink about 5 ounces less alcohol than you formerly did in being under the legal limit, to compensate for what that extra 5 mph does to your reaction time.
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The Fourth’s party finery includes flags and much else, among the fireworks
July 11th, 2015Tavern porches are added left and right to the tried and true, and that’s not trivia
July 11th, 2015
The deck at Dick’s leads the way as far as finishing projects, and you could do worse than to bet on “Duh” and “Dodo” when dealing with trivia answers.
— The three major renovation projects at downtown bars, (more or less centered on porches), at Pudges and Dick’s — which finished first well before The Fourth — and also the Moose, continued forward as summer has started to beckon.
Pudge’s has its huge and I must say stellar streetside patio of tables, firepots and flora reduced in size but not in style, in part because of city regulations, as a large-scale, multi-faceted and multi-floored remodeling project continues. The new Dick’s patio room on the east end is done, keeping the best of the old as far as design, but shoring things up a bit in Room Four and making it more roomy, at least as far as appearance seems, and adding to the brick look. And at The Moose, the much-talked-about — including at length at city government meetings — and large deck that is on a second level and faces the St. Croix River now has more than half its flooring laid down.
(In related happenings, the latter venue around Memorial Day weekend had its patio windows that link to the inside open for the first time of the season. Is it fair to say that with the often cold temps around that time of year, it got a somewhat cool reception? Even if it did, that amenity still contributed to the place being hopping at times earlier in June, depending on the weather, and especially at many later hours when Hudson Booster Days bands let out).
And sometimes you need to let it out with a mind game, even if it requires a moniker. Success at TV trivia at Buffalo Wild Wings also can be foreshadowed by the code names chosen by the participants. A case in point most recently is the winning ways of “shark,” who just might also be a successful contestant on the reality show Shark Tank.
A man who goes by the simple moniker, “Duh,” gained mention on the leader board for having a temporary score of well, you guessed it, zero, although he redeemed himself later. (Well duh, he better). However, one of the more successful players, ranking as many as nine times in the top 10 at one point, goes by the name of “Dodo,” which perhaps goes to show that the flightless bird is not extinct after all. A bit later, there was “Bobo,” not Dodo, who got a question right about the number of ridges on the diameter of a dime. Apparently he has time to count such things when not playing BuzzTime.
And of course their is the player named “Badazz,” which is possibly intentionally misspelled because after all, this is a family establishment.
RF Days has the best music this side of Vegas, in ‘Viva La Kinni’
July 9th, 2015They’ll roll out the rock and country at River Falls Days, taking the name “Viva La Kinni,” from July 10-12.
Sushi Roll plays on Friday from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Formed in 2012, the band quickly perfected their own blend of high-energy dance music and rock n’ roll swagger, their bio says. They seamlessly transition between revved-up versions of pop and rock hits by artists like Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, AC/DC, P!nk, Madonna and the Jackson 5, connecting them into a non-stop musical journey.
Country bands Rural Route 5 and Lost Highway perform on Saturday, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., respectively.
Rural Route 5 is known for the clarity of their country sound, even though its loud like rock n’ roll, and for doing two-part harmonies to songs where you normally don’t hear it. This band is up-and-coming even though made up almost entirely of youngsters. They hail from New Richmond and will have you stomping your boots and singing along to Reba, Jason Aldean and everything in-between.
Since their inception in 2009, Lost Highway has proven to be one of the Upper Midwest’s top country bands. Their commitment to the genre and to electrifying crowds is evident every time they hit the stage, their bio says.
Opening the show on Saturday, at Veteran’s Park from 3-5 p.m., are the rockers that get a lot of local gigs, Trouble Maker, and feature “extreme variety music” across various genres and a regularly changing set list.
The first three bands are at the Heritage Park lot, in the main stage tent, and cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12, with gate fees starting at 6:30 p.m.
Also musically on Friday is a supervised deejay teen dance, from 9-11 p.m. at the City Hall plaza, hosted by Showtime Entertainment, which includes contests and a variety of DJ flair.
Rounding out the weekend’s bill, the Martell All Stars, consisting of a slate of guitarists and singers, takes the main stage from 1-4 p.m. Sunday at Heritage Park.
There is other music at downtown bars, and the most original is at Bo’s n’ Mine on Saturday night, the seven-piece band License to Thrill, which is described as a performance dance band that is “witty and cleancut” and has more Green Day on its play list than any other cover. On Friday night at Bo’s, it’s the country sounds of Farmer’s Daughter.
Johnnie’s Bar has three popular bands, Chimney Fish on Thursday, Old School on Friday and the Rhythm Roosters on Saturday. At Maverick’s on Friday is Mitch Gordon and the Unleaded Band, and on Saturday is DJ Tyco. Shooter’s on Friday features a return engagement of the Bad Habits Brass. All are evening performances.
Rural Route 5 also can be seen under the tent by West Wind Supper Club on Friday, and Still Runnin’ on Saturday. Both shows start at 8:30 p.m.
There also is a variety of other entertainment all weekend long at River Falls Days. For information, see their Facebook page.
July 2nd, 2015
Just in case you needed another Booster Days band primer, and you might need a reminder to keep things straight, considering there are, count ’em, nine bands at the annual festival playing from July 2-4 at Lakefront Park. Here goes:
— On Thursday, it’s the internationally prominent guitar wizardry of one-man-band Jeff Loven from 5:30-8:15 p.m.; and a late-teen country phenom from Minneapolis, Devon Worley, from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
— Friday brings more of the rock sound with Alive, a complete-list Pearl Jam tribute band, playing from 3:30-6 p.m.; the heavy strains from the ’80s and other periods of Rock Brigade from 6:30-8:30 p.m.; and the locally-popular Arch Allies as a tribute band to Styx, Journey and REO Speedwagon from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Opening on Friday is 23rd Hour, a female duo that says they like to go beyond the constraints of a full band, from 1-3 p.m.
— On Saturday, it’s a bit more diverse, with the cranked up, Texas blues of Armadillo Jump from 1:30-4:30 p.m.; the horn-section driven Ponzi Scheme from 5:15-8:15 p.m.; and the popular rock, pop and country of top cover band Uncle Chunk from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Sponsors include the Hudson Boosters (two bands), Uncle Mike’s Em Pour E-Yum, Luther Hudson Chevrolet GMC (one of the headliner bands), Chad Carlson as a financial representative, Hudson Ford (a headliner), Pita Pit, Family Fresh Market, and Croix Gear and Machining (a headliner). There is no cover charge for any of the bands, including headliners.
— As an added accoutrement, there is all-out acoustic music starting with “August” at Mallard’s in Bayport this Fourth of July weekend.Things started with a well-attended contemporary acoustic show by August Blues on Friday, followed by a band doing a similar style, Joel Katchel, on Saturday and the interactive acoustic performance by Riverside, Dave Burkhart on Sunday. The shows typically start at 7 p.m.
With nine decades-diverse bands, Booster Days will strike a chord with everyone
June 30th, 2015Hudson Booster Days has a little bit of every sound, and is certain to strike a chord with virtually every listener, in its diverse nine-band musical lineup that will be the heart and soul of the annual festival.
The fest’s music, from the rock of the ’80s to many other genres, runs from July 2-4 at the Lakefront Park band shell.
These are bios, in order of appearance, of the Booster Days acts:
— Jeff Loven bills himself as Minnesota’s top “one man band” and has backed up that claim by winning two prominent international guitar competitions, inserting extra fills into even the toughest solos, a skill that gained him an almost successful bid by fans to get him on stage with Eddie Van Halen. He also has a voice that seems to match up with every tune he sings. Loven said that for this show, what the heck, he might even continue his practice of giving away classic Matchbox cars as part of his trademark name-that-tune contest. But don’t expect his usual guest appearances by other singers,
— Devon Worley is a Minneapolis country singer in her late teens with a huge voice and stage presence, and even auditioned for The Voice. She is backed by veteran musicians in this seven-or-so piece band who have had connections with some big names, from widely differing genres. It only took until the band’s second album, which came out a while back, to solidify their reputation as one of the Midwest’s top country acts.
— 23rd Hour, a female rock and soul duo, says online that they are “authentically fearless” in their “naked vulnerability of sound and soul” that lets them leave everything on stage and move beyond being a multi-member band and just being a standard acoustic duo.
— Alive, taking time away from their Moondance Jam gig, does as a tribute band what is called the “entire catalog” of Pearl Jam hit songs and re-creates the in-concert experience of the seminal grunge-era band.
— A Rock Brigade web site urges that when listeners are not seeing them perform, be sure to check out Arch Allies. Which makes sense, since they play back-to-back at Booster Days. Rock Brigade has some of the same tunes, and their 64-song set list features diverse numbers such as Everybody Wants You, Immigrant Song and even a couple from Lita Ford. And harkening back to the days when Tommy Tutone used to perform in Hudson, there is also on the list his classic, Jenny 867-5309.
— Arch Allies, a tribute band to Styx, Journey and REO Speedwagon, has a history of playing prominent local festivals around St. Croix County. They are one of the Friday bands that pay tribute to the Old School ’80s rock scene, complete with the soaring guitar riffs and vocals, and of course the big hair! The band members invite listeners to triple their pleasure with the trio of bands covered, as they from an early age have been honing their skills, which have been on display in gigs not only across the country, but all of North America.
— The Armadillo Jump band will play their cranked up, rockin’ blues and the band shell will be alive with Texas-style attitude, according to the band’s web site. The five-piece group is a mix of men and women even features a sax player.
— Ponzi Scheme cranks out tunes from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s and vows to “bring back horn section” music with a six-piece lineup that includes two keyboardists, and trumpet and trombone.
— Uncle Chunk has long been regarded as one of the best cover bands coming out of the Twin Cities area, and they have a prominent and storied history of playing in Hudson, usually drawing a big crowd. They give quality, spot-on treatment to lots of broadbased pop, mainstream rock and country songs, and churn out hit after hit, redefining what a cover band should be about. Uncle Chunk has on YouTube their video renditions of Enter Sandman by Metallica and Rockstar by Nickelback.
Sponsors include the Hudson Boosters (two bands), Uncle Mike’s Em Pour E-Yum, Luther Hudson Chevrolet GMC (one of the headliner bands), Chad Carlson as a financial representative, Hudson Ford (a headliner), Pita Pit, Family Fresh Market, and Croix Gear and Machining (a headliner). There is no cover charge for any of the bands, including headliners.
For a day-by-day breakdown of the festival lineup:
— On Thursday, it’s the guitar wizardry of Jeff Loven from 5:30-8:15 p.m., and teen country phenom Devon Worley from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
— Friday brings more of the rock sound with Alive, a Pearl Jam tribute band, playing from 3:30-6 p.m., Rock Brigade from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and Arch Allies as a three-act tribute band from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Opening up on Friday is 23rd Hour, a female duo, from 1-3 p.m.
— On Saturday, it’s a bit more diverse, with Armadillo Jump from 1:30-4:30 p.m., Ponzi Scheme from 5:15-8:15 p.m., and popular mainstream rockers Uncle Chunk from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
June 27th, 2015
You can go fast, or just bop and fiddle around with entertainment offerings on this weekend before the Fourth:
— Clubs that are just opening or have recently opened can opt to open with events particular to them, in Saturday’s case the E-Rat-Icate Cancer Cruise, which starts at Not Justa Bar in Bayport and travels throughout the day through the scenic St. Croix and Mississippi River Valleys, down to Wabasha, Minn. and back. The event, which benefits the fight against adult and childhood cancer, has among its more than a dozen regional co-sponsors the just opening Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse north of Hudson. The cruise honors the lives of former Valley residents Donald Johnson and Mike Quast. At 8 a.m. is registration and breakfast at Not Justa Bar, followed by the cruise itself — which can include rat rods, hot rods, bikes, classics and customs — at 10 a.m.
— The Tin Pan Alley Cats, founded by Doug Johnson who is a professor emeritus of art at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, plays 8 p.m. to closing on Friday, June 26 at Juniors in River Falls. The group offers “swinging jazz music from western Wisconsin” that includes trumpet and tenor sax, as well as the styles of Bossa, blues and be-bop.
— Even though this is not a county fair or street dance, which the country-leaning band Smokescreen says are their favorite venue types, they will be bringing the “fiddle into overdrive” when they play the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night. And that fiddle-playin’ band is more than just tapping into Charlie Daniels, based on their play list, they may even kick it with some Metallica!
Booster Days gets a lot of country, rock, and heavy dose of the ’80s
June 24th, 2015
Hudson Booster Days gets a real lift from the nine diverse bands that play the annual festival, from July 2-4 at the Lakefront Park band shell.
On Thursday, it’s the guitar wizardry of One-Man-Band Jeff Loven from 5:30-8:15 p.m., and teen country phenom Devon Worley from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. There is no cover charge.
Friday brings more of the old school ’80s rock with Arena playing from 3:30-6 p.m., Rock Brigade from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and Arch Allies, a Styx, Journey and REO Speedwagon tribute band from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Opening up on Friday is 23rd Hour, a female duo, from 1-3 p.m. Again, there is no cover charge.
On Saturday, it’s more diverse, with country rock group Armadillo Jump from 1:30-4:30 p.m., Ponzi Scheme from 5:15-8:15 p.m., and popular mainstream rockers Uncle Chunk from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Deep blues and bloody reds keep the black of night at Bay
June 18th, 2015Often a Bloody Mary can be just the ticket for selling out:
— Sometimes a ten-spot will get you a lot. The new “fully loaded” Bloody Mary at Woody’s in Bayport comes with a complete-with-toppings burger attached to the top of the glass, along with all the usual enhancements, all for $10. Included is a tall glass of Miller Lite as a chaser. One would think that is ironic, a lite beer combined with a drink having enough carbs to allow you to die happy.
— Perhaps the signature blues act for the summer at Bayport BBQ, the Reverend Dead-eye, drew a full and appreciative crowd to its intimate setting for a special Tuesday evening show. But there are many other shows each week to be attended at The BBQ, which is a self-described deep blues juke joint, for the rest of the summer, so you don’t have to sing the blues if you couldn’t squeeze into that performance. A caution, though: The place can sell-out.
— On that note, a return engagement of Sell Out Stereo at the Smilin’ Moose featured some spirited percussion on Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran, and some stellar work on the fast-paced vocals on Walk This Way and Funky Cold Medina. See them again soon.
— Mystic Funk, which plays at the Village Inn in North Hudson on Saturday, June 20, says it taps into six or seven styles of music, “plus a splash of other genres.” (If you consider “groove” a genre). They perform “old school dance party music,” (now that sounds like a genre). Oh yeah, there are current hits played, as well.
June 11th, 2015
The music to be found in the area this weekend is “Purdy” special, (and now truly funky).
— Guitarist Dave Purdy for the classic rock band Bullseye, which was initially scheduled to play the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Saturday, June 13, was written up in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and according to his bio was even briefly with Hammond’s Rokker Chic. The band’s drummer has for many years toured in a five-state area, and has shared the stage with members of bands that have provided instrumental for some big names. But these long established players aren’t geezers, they also delve into some of the newest of music. (Editor’s note: Due to a late rescheduling, the band that will play Willow River Saloon on Saturday has been changed to Funkwire, a soul revue out of the Twin Cities. If you want to see Bullseye, you’ll have to wait a bit).
— The Erin Lee and Elijah Adam Band, which plays Shooter’s Pub in River Falls on Friday night, June 12, is called online a “Blazing Infusion of Rock, Groove, Country & Power Rockin’ Blues!”
And they’ve been linked in concert billings to dozens of top national acts.
The band has been well-established in the Upper Midwest for ten-plus years, and its size and instrumentation is modified to match the entertainment needs of the venue. The group has performed “Along Side Of,” “Opened Up,” or “Concert Events,” with and for acts such as — take a breath — Buddy Guy, Jeff Healey, 38 Special, Night Ranger, Black Oak Arkansas, C.C.R. (Revisited), The Little River Band, Dierks Bentley, Dwight Yoakam, Sara Evans, Josh Thompson, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, Stone Temple Pilots, Eddie Money, Great White, Candlebox, Burton Cummings, Paul Rodgers, KISS, Poison, Heart, Alice Cooper, The Doobie Brothers, Ted Nugent, The Outlaws, Steve Miller, The Guess Who and The Coasters.
“They sound like a melting pot of all the excellent groups you love with a blistering horn section and phenomenal score of originals and covers,” the band’s web site says. “E.E.B. also features several extremely talented up and coming artists.”
— The flyer at Dick’s Bar and Grill says it will have live music on Fridays (plural). So the performance on June 12 will not be a one-time thing. The venue has started its summer music schedule, which in past years has been on Wednesdays, with shows that will be each Friday, not just selected dates. The first one from 6-9 p.m. on June 12 will be by Jambo Jones, whose trop rock is the perfect way to kick off a summer, (Jambo will also be at Shiner’s in Lakeland on Thursday, also starting at 6 p.m.) Also announced at Dick’s are the TC Cats on June 19 and July 3, and the Ella and Wade duo on June 26. Speaking of return engagements, Ella and Wade also will make their regular monthly appearance at Guv’s this weekend.
‘Parade’ of both beer and braces drawn has people ‘Smilin.’ Just don’t bank on bumps
June 8th, 2015When hawking beer and whiskey, is it all really just a bump in the road?
— A Hudson man was among those featured in the annual “how much do you make” lead story in the Parade magazine that accompanies Sunday metro newspapers. Rick Mayer, 60, who it said works as a draft (or would that be craft) beer quality specialist, makes over $53,000 a year. Now that’s the job to have.
— A few months after their removal, the two speed bumps are back in the primary route that leads from the Citizens State Bank parking lot to the Buffalo Wild Wings lot.
They are in the B-Dubs signature colors, yellow and black, no less. But in recent days, and nights, the stop sign onto the main road has been bent over, apparently bumped into by a (possibly tipsy?) driver. That stop sign a few days later was bent back the other direction, and a few days later had been removed all-together. Two days later still, it was back in position, totally upright, “Stop” the madness!
— At the risk of beating a dead (or should I say red) horse, there is more news on the sign the size of a pie plate in the men’s bathroom at the Smilin’ Moose, specifically the one featuring the two Irish lasses going by the name of 2 Gingers and hawking whiskey. Over the last few months, their faces have been doctored many times with something like a mustache or braces. But for a bit now in place of those red-haired women, there is a sign for Redd’s apple ale. Apparently someone saw red over that low-key, although somewhat entertaining, vandalism.
— On Earth Day, a deejay at KQRS said he was observing the holiday by playing 100 percent “recycled music.” I’m sorry, but that’s just “garbage,” even though the plants and trees have greened out with summer here! A woman then called in, and chimed in, that she specializes in “recycling boys.”
— Traffic from Hudson to Guv’s Place in Houlton, and continuing across the river to Stillwater nightspots, for a while now has faced the same one-lane-road weaving around because of bridge construction as was earlier experienced on the Minnesota side for months. The colored barrels are out in force on Wisconsin Hwy. 35 for a full quarter-mile, meaning as Sammy Hagar so famously sang, “I can’t drive 55.” More like 25 mph.
— With the whole Tom Brady suspension over Deflategate that’s been playing out in sports bars, it makes me wonder if I should take that old volleyball in my garage — you know, the one everybody has that’s lacking air — and throw it in the St. Croix River. That way, I could get rid of it before the summer outdoor season and avoid accusations. Speaking of that, it also appears that those footballs ended up looking much like floppy rib eye steaks ready for grilling, whether in the BBQ cooker, or in the press.
— Recently on band night at the Smilin’ Moose, there was Elvis in all his glory, which in this case meant a bright red silk suit, of all things, rather than a white jumpsuit. That wardrobe choice was only topped by the servers wearing cowboy boots, which is fitting because the band playing there was again the frequent act Hitchville, and all-out country. (On the video screen the other night, there was a band member decked out in a pink three-piece suit, just a bit more pale then that paraded by the patron). And, in the Baldwin June Bug Days held recently, there was yet another Elvis impersonator, this time in an official capacity.
— A guy who looks just like the drummer for AC/DC has been the deejay at the Smilin’ Moose on a recurring basis. Is that the heavy metal drummer who has had the major legal troubles of late involving an alleged murder for hire — shall I invoke the term “death metal?” A Twin Cities radio jock recently announced the latest court news, and noted that this guy with the drumsticks just might be ethically following the “Highway to Hell.” I guess will have to wait until his sentencing, which should happen soon, to find out.
— On a recent weekend, it was more than hightime to lay claim to your own personal ladle drink at the Smilin’ Moose, as servers brought these oversize bowls-on-a-handle back and forth to birthday lushes at a greater than usual pace. Several stashes of these big dippers, which feature one of four multi-shot concoctions all with a Moose theme, hang from hooks above the bar, but one server said it was so high volume they even “ran out.”