Spring is here, and has sprung into some crazy activities in which you might want to participate.
— Dick’s Bar and Grill is following their pattern of providing off-beat activities to patrons that go beyond dancing. They suggest you might want to forego the motorcycle Flood Run and ride instead at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Hot Wheels and Matchbox races, which have been linked up to Nascar racing and whatever other mode you want to include. Just know that the car must finish to be eligible for prizes including the fastest race, first, second and third places, and best decorated car and most creative design. As they point out, your car may not be the fastest, but it likely looks fantastic. Verbage of the flyers at Dick’s say things such as “test your childhood skills on our Hot Wheels racetrack! Feel free to tweak and design your car or truck any way you like (stock or modified).” There will also be cash prizes, door prizes and a drink token for everyone (just not any youngsters) who bring a car. You might even stay for Jeff Loven’s one-man-band show in the evening and perhaps win an even faster car by guessing the name of a tune.
— Beers on tap at Guv’s Place in Houlton are Fat Tire and Farm Girl, from Lift Bridge Brewing locally. The gal on the picture for the latter is quite skinny, so the overall concept of excess girth does not run concurrently, despite what you might order. This brings to mind a couple of other specialty drinks that might not be served universally, depending on the bartender: A breakfast-based concoction at the Green Mill, with not only orange juice, pancake and syrup, but also a (small) side of bacon on top; and a beer at the Village Inn in North Hudson, with a cherry floated on top, just because.
— Guv’s Place is among those with a NHL playoff hockey beer special. A sign said that their Wild Game Special is $2.50 domestic beers, although we think that could be a better name for a venison offering.
— When Uncle Chunk played the Smilin’ Moose, the new lead singer wore a Star Wars Death Star T-shirt that is a look-alike for that regularly sported by a shall-I-say regular downtown patron. Likewise, the lead singer for Cherry Gun, Amy M., drank her drink from a Mason jar while there, which is the house variety, but also harkens back to a song from a few decades ago. These are two of the four bands this month who are regulars at the Moose, and will almost certainly be back again soon. Although slated are Rhino (April 17) and favorite Tim Sigler (April 24).
— Stone Tap held a “Welcome to Wisconsin” beer tasting party featuring the Fulton Brewery from Minnesota on Friday evening. On tap were four of the company’s beers, plus a couple of other highly welcomed mystery brews, from this brew crew who bill themselves as a bunch of ordinary guys making extraordinary beer. Even though this party is now passed, there promise to be many more sampling events like this in the future.
— Monday is the infamous 4-20 day, and we assume you know what that means, and the Smokedale locations in places such as the hill in Hudson are marking the date by opening at 4:20 a.m. with prizes for early arrivals and other specials, for those who have not already indulged and could be too sleepy to partake.
— When Smokin’ Whiskey played at Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt earlier in the month, they may have considered fan favorite The Ocean by Led Zeppelin if going deep into their play list. When I sang with Jeff Loven a night or two later, The Ocean was the winning “name that tune” song for a free drink, which prompted me to ad lib and break into the song’s refrain, with Jeff picking up the guitar riffs. And wouldn’t you know it, twice in the next few nights I heard The Ocean played on the jukebox. I guess it’s played from sea to shining sea. The previous Sunday, I had conducted the same ad lib treatment after winning the free drink by guessing Breaking the Law by Judas Priest. Jeff sometimes makes me sing for my supper, so to speak.