Appreciating a Recent Movie at Zinema 2
I forget how lucky we are to have the locally operated Zinema, especially on its $5 days. Last night I saw Colossal, a movie starring and co-produced by Anne Hathaway. (Spoilers)
I’ve seen nearly every Godzilla movie, so the idea that every morning, when Gloria (Hathaway) is hung over, a Kaiju Monster attacks Seoul seemed interesting — a metaphor for the unintended consequences of alcoholism, I figured. Pretty straightforward, low-brain energy attempt to be deep, but with Kaiju!
The opening scene shows Gloria’s boyfriend throwing her out, telling her he can’t be with her when she’s out of control like this. It’s designed to communicate to the audience: Gloria’s addiction is the problem.
(more…)Duluth Street Railway Trolley Barns
Duluth Street Railway trolley barns on the upper side of Superior Street between 26th and 27th avenues west. Photo dated May 10, 1927.
Duluth Folk School on The PlayList
The May 4 episode of WDSE-TV‘s The Playlist featured this segment about Duluth Folk School and how it plans to teach skills in the community. Co-founder Bryan French explains the purpose and many options for students in this interview with Karen Sunderman.
Mystery Photo #51: Lakeside Reunion
Usually with the “Mystery Photos” series we know very little about the featured image at the start and learn a variety of details after publishing it. In this case we know a lot going in, but one detail is missing. (more…)
Postcard from the Bellows restaurant in Duluth
The Bellows was a fine dining restaurant and cocktail lounge that operated at 2230 London Road from 1969 to 1997. It was founded by Don M. and Verna Bellows, and the round-shaped design came from architect Robert W. Prestidge. (more…)
Duluth native Ham moves to fullback position with Vikings
Minnesota Vikings running back C.J. Ham has been lining up at fullback during the team’s 2017 rookie mini-camp. The Duluth native broke into the NFL last season as a tailback.
Ham was on the Vikings practice squad in 2016 and was briefly on the active roster but did not play in a regular season game, making him eligible to participate in this season’s rookie camp. Vikings Team Reporter Eric Smith wrote on Vikings.com today that during team drills Ham “lined up as a fullback in front of Vikings rookie Dalvin Cook.” (more…)
North Country from Above
[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]
Brooklyn, N.Y.-based filmmaker and cinematographer Andrew Cagle recently shot this aerial footage in the Duluth area and along the North Shore of Lake Superior. He’s working on a documentary project, but compiled some of his favorite shots for this video, with Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash singing “Girl From the North Country” as the sound bed.
Video Montage: Homegrown Music Festival 2017
Clips from Duluth’s 19th annual Homegrown Music Festival, featuring Kat Fox, the Latelys, the Unlikelys, the Black-eyed Snakes, the Social Disaster, Low Forms, Father Hennepin, Robot Rickshaw, Willie Diction, the Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League and Fred Tyson.
Tribe Games at the Minnecade at GlitchCon
While at GlitchCon, a gaming convention bringing experts in video game design, educational theory, and inclusivity, I ran into one of Duluth’s video game designers. Charles McGregor runs Tribe Games, and as Charles says on his website …
I am the programmer, musician, and artist for the all of in house games. I am also the guy in charge of the social media and marketing. I have always wanted to make games and feel like I can express myself the most through this medium. I have loved games since the first time that I played them.
I want to make games that I personally would play and feel passionate about. I have been given the opportunity to work with very talented people in the past and hope that I can continue collaborating with others as well as work on my own creations.
The con was at the Soap Factory, a long-standing vacant hulk of a building used for art and alternative culture events in Minneapolis. It was cool to be 175 miles away and still see one of Duluth’s own represented.
30 Years of Comics, Sports Cards, and Games
Today is Tim Broman’s 30th anniversary at Collector’s Connection. In honor of this anniversary, a number of local small businesspeople and professionals nominated the shop for a Labovitz Award, in the “mature entrepreneur” category. I tease him so hard about the category. But really, what Tim does is more that sell things, more than run a business. (more…)
Homegrown Kickball Classic: Friday shuts out Saturday
Team Friday celebrates after winning the 2017 Homegrown Kickball Classic.
DULUTH, Minn. – The Friday bands shut out Saturday to win 2017’s high-stakes Homegrown Kickball Classic 8-0, tying up the overall series at 9-9. (more…)
Oh, America
“I say we better look our nation searchingly in the face, like a physician diagnosing some deep disease.” — Walt Whitman
Sit down, America, we need to talk. But first take off those jackboots, you look ridiculous. And lose that tricorn hat. It’s cutting off your circulation. Besides, we don’t do history here, America, funny hats or no, and attention deficit aside, you’re a mere adolescent of a nation, slow to learn what goes around comes ’round.
These wars have been going on too long, America. The paper flags have faded in the windows, and folks just plain forget. But we are mired in the quag, so what do you say we shutter Empire Incorporated and retrofit some swords into plowshares, some drones into solar panels, retrain some bombers into builders of durable goods? Enough of bankers, spooks, and missiles, always in that order. Enough raining high-tech holy hell on any brown-skins shunning your benevolent intentions. If you were a super hero what would your super powers be, America? I can think of two: blowing shit up, and manufacturing dreams in Hollywood, not to be confused with reality TV out of North Waziristan. (more…)
A pair of songs from the cast of the new Bob Dylan musical
The two tracks in sound embeds above — “Sweetheart Like You / True Love” and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” — were recorded as part of a workshop for a new musical play written and directed by Conor McPherson with music and lyrics by Bob Dylan. Girl From The North Country will open at the Vic Theater in London in July.
The voices featured on both tracks are Bronagh Gallagher, Claudia Jolly, Debbie Kurup and Jack Shalloo.
The Making of “Your Unknown”
In this 10-minute video, director Shane Rock Nelson documents Duluth band Glen’s Neighbor recording its second album, Your Unknown. The album was recorded at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls in October and released in April.
Glen’s Neighbor plays Saturday night at 11 p.m. at Blacklist Artisan Ales during the Homegrown Music Festival.
Selective Focus: Art on the Planet
Art on the Planet is a relatively new gallery on Tower Avenue in Superior, offering an eclectic collection of local artists as well as a number of classes. Managers Nancy and Kat fill us in on how they got to their current location, and what they hope to create in that space.
AOTP: “Art on the Planet” is managed by Nancy Senn of Superior Candles and Kat Senn of katsingerArt and we assumed management of the shop when Twin Ports Stage announced intentions to close “Art on the Plaza” (which was a project of the John D. Munsell Legacy Fund), initiated in October of 2015 and formerly located in the Belknap Plaza of Superior. (more…)
Denfeld Lip Dub 2017: “24K Magic”
The fourth annual Denfeld High School lip dub video features the Bruno Mars song “24K Magic,” plus the school fight song and four minutes of credits and bloopers. The video was shot and edited by Nick Olson with additional camera work by Jake Hillton.
Uber, Lyft approved for pickups at Duluth International Airport
The Duluth Airport Authority announced agreements with Uber and Lyft today, permitting drivers for the companies to accept requests for rides at the Duluth International Airport. The agreement was approved at the authority board meeting on April 18. Transportation network companies, or “ridesharing” businesses, were approved for operating in Duluth beginning April 27 under regulations outlined in a Duluth City Council ordinance. Lyft launched service that day, Uber followed on May 1.
As of this week, both Uber and Lyft signed and returned their operating agreements to the airport authority. Under the agreements, drivers are authorized to operate at DLH for passenger pick-ups for pre-arranged fares. Passengers can access Uber or Lyft services by opening the ride-sharing app on their phone and choosing a car. The staging lot for the vehicles will be located in the West parking lot adjacent to the arrival end of the passenger terminal. Wayfinding signage is expected to be in place by the end of this month to help direct passengers to the different commercial vehicle options at DLH. All passenger drop-offs will occur curbside in front of the terminal building.
Duluth’s Mark Sertich: World’s Oldest Hockey Player
Duluth’s Mark Sertich has no intention of slowing down at age 95. He still plays hockey several times a week in a league consisting mostly of firefighters. This video is part of the Really Great Big Stories series — a yearlong celebration of storytelling and documentary film.
“World’s Smallest Record Store” opens in Bovey
Business North reports Tim “Edwards” Verthein, morning host and chief engineer at 1320 AM KOZY radio in Grand Rapids, has opened a new record shop in Bovey, about 80 miles northwest of Duluth. The occasional store opened on April 22 in recognition of Record Store Day.
The Business North story notes Edwards launched his own radio station three years ago and is using the same 8-by-10-foot storefront to retail his collection of 40,000 records. He calls it “The World’s Smallest Record Store” or KEBS Records and Radio.
The Dames – “Head of State”
Here’s another selection from this year’s Homegrown Music Video Festival. The song is from an upcoming release of rarities by the Dames, scheduled to drop with the fall leaves. The video is by Brian Barber.
Gopher Lounge Photos Circa 1995
Take a step back in time and view some of the friendly faces at West Duluth’s Gopher Lounge during the mid 1990s. Some of these folks are long departed; others still prowl the area of Ramsey Street and Central Avenue in search of porcupine meatballs. (more…)
Tour Duluth MakerSpace with The PlayList
The April 27 episode of WDSE-TV‘s The PlayList features this segment with host Karen Sunderman getting a guided tour of Duluth MakerSpace from Miranda Durbin, a shop manager.
The Black Labels – “Sex Train”
One of the seven videos in the Homegrown Music Video Festival is this piece featuring archival footage of the Black Labels performing at Duluth’s Red Lion Lounge at least 10 years ago. The bar closed in 2007 and the space was repurposed for the Zeitgeist Arts Café. The video was edited by Emily Norton.
Video Archive: Paul Connolly cuts a 2007 Homegrown promo
Ten years ago the Homegrown Music Festival was in its ninth year — second year as a nonprofit. Don Ness was festival director at the time, but steering committee member Paul Connolly was called on to make an appearance on WDSE-TV’s Almanac North to talk with hosts Julie Zenner and Eric Olson. Connolly went on to serve as festival director for the 2008 and 2009 festivals.
Following the conversation, the band Cars & Trucks performs “Over the Moon.”