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The blues get revved up at Muddy Waters in Prescott on Sunday, as the Reverend Raven brings his chain smokin act to town, with parallels to be drawn to all kinds of different bands, so after you get done saying Mass, give a listen to what’s singin

On Sunday late afternoon, which as you will see shortly is fitting, it’s the epitome of cool at Muddy Waters in Prescott with Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin Altar Boys. How so? Many different ways to bring the blues. So lets start from the top. Reverend Raven, the light versus dark theme harkens back to the day of the late blues-gone-metal legendary signer/songwriter Ronnie Jame Dio. Chain Smokin? How bout another hard rockin’ act, Motley Crue and Smokin’ in the Boys Room? An altar boys? How do you think Axl Rose, part of the reason for the name of Gun’s ‘N Roses, got his start, and in the choir too. And the spelling of altar? How about the quasi-Christian rock band, back to the premise in the lead line, Alter Bridge, which had to choose how to spell that lead word in their (disclaimer) band title. How do all these influences and inferences (even if I am the only one making them?) come together? Check them out from 4-8 p.m. to see and hear and say, as I’m assuming they/you have to get back to evening Mass! And then of course there is also, nationally, the Rev. Horton Heat …
And back to the days of Hudson, in the summer concert series in Lakefront Park, there is Ted Yoder (and not yodel, tonight) and The Toonies (and not the LeBron James movie version, on July 20 as a part of St. Croix Riverfest). Going back to days of yore, where I had to encounter again, in the same week, the creative spellings such as they were.

Of any weekend in summer, the one right after The Fourth is the one that traditionally tanks in Hudson. That is because both River Falls and New Richmond have their city festivals on that same weekend. But wait, this is an atypical year, as Fun Fest (did I accidentally type Fund Fest?) in New Richmond is the Friday-Sunday right after The Fourth, and River Falls Days, in of course River Falls, is the Friday-Sunday right, right after The Fourth, that being this weekend, starting July 16. (In either case, there might be some token Thirsty Thursday – wording intentionally chosen because of beer garden considerations — thrown in). For a bit more on River Falls Days, as in today, see the Picks of the Week page.
If Hudson can weather that storm, it has truly arrived, and the rest of the summer should be just balls to the wall. Mike’s Ride Share had told HudsonWiNightlife, it already has done just that.
Starting by taking by storm, the extreme heat for the last half of Booster Days, which reached almost 100 degrees. And in many cases humidity to match. On Sunday, the only people in the crowd for a name band – barely 100 fans — were all huddled under the shade of three tents. Simply no one else was there. The singer even said from stage, its 97 degrees, hang in there with us. But few did.
But by accounts I have heard, Friday business was spectacular. The only hope in the last two nights of Booster Days, was the band Rhino, which went on when temps were almost like those down in Africa, Doing The Things We’ve Never Had. But this band minus the horns – sorry — had the advantage of playing into the cooler side toward midnight, and for that reason I’m guessing that the best business of the fest on Saturday night, was quite late.
And Fridays will rarely be as good as Saturdays — which makes the Booster Days success really striking — as people typically are getting rested up for later in the (in this case long) weekend. There is always that ebb and flow to band attendance.

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