Painting Charlie Parr’s guitar, and who the heck is Dave Hundrieser?
My wife, Shawna Gilmore, has an interesting job. Today, for example, she painted the back of Charlie Parr’s amazing guitar. The instrument is a phenomenal work of art, both front and back. Next Tuesday is a great opportunity to come out and hear Charlie make music with it alongside his good buddy, Dave Hundrieser. Read more about Charlie and Dave, and see the garage they recorded in together previously, at Ed’s Big Adventure.
By the way, Teague Alexy, Tin Can Gin, Don Ness, Emily Larson, a stunning tap dancer, and I, will also be participating in Cornucopia at the Red Herring Lounge. Check out this amazing event on Facebook/a> and the PDD Calendar.
Jim Hall – “Beast in the Yard”
When Jim Hall was at my house I asked him if I could record his song “Beast in the Yard.” It’s sort of a meditation on consumerism with some great imagery nude celebs in the lyrics. Hall plays at Tycoons Supper Club this Saturday at 9 p.m.
Sports on Traditional Duluth Radio
Where can one get a regular and accurate list of the location “on the dial” of live sports on radio? I have found the Duluth News Tribune sports page wanting.
PDD Gift Guide 2015
’Tis the season for the seventh annual PDD Gift Guide — a list of holiday gift ideas with a local connection. We present 15 ideas to get things started, and invite everyone to add their own suggestions and links in the comments below. (more…)
Training with Silent Sam
“Silent” Sam Olson rides quickly and silently through Duluth. Video by Max Fierek.
This Week: Santa, denim, undergarment-centered theater and more
Here’s a bit of what you’ll find on this week’s PDD Calendar:
Take it With You comes back to the Underground for their latest shenanigans, a denim-centric party goes down at the Red Herring, the one-act comic opera Trial By Jury is performed at UWS, the Heritage Center holds a skating event called the Gobbler Glide, country-rapper Big Smo plays the Sports Garden and a bunch of people named Watson become one at the Dudley Experimental Theatre.
The Christmas season truly gets underway with the arrival of Santa during the Christmas City of the North Parade, the Duluth Gingerbread City opens at the Nordic Center, the play The Underpants opens at UWS, Bentleyville is officially a-twinklin’ and it’s the Festival of the Season at the Duluth Farmers’ Market.
Images of Spirit Mountain piping project on St. Louis River
More videos and images below and in the Google gallery linked here.
Spirit Mountain’s piping project will draw water from the St. Louis River and pipe it to the lower chalet area where another pumping station will send it into the snow gun system. There are two pumping stations: one at the lower chalet area, the other right next to Tallas Island Bay on the Western Waterfront Trail in the Riverside neighborhood. That is the area these photos were taken. (more…)
R.I.P. Nick Bockwinkel
Professional wrestling great Nick Bockwinkel died Nov. 14 at age 80. The image above is from what was probably his last appearance in Duluth, as special referee during a World Wrestling Federation card at the Duluth Arena in 1987. (WWF is now World Wrestling Entertainment; Duluth Arena is now the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Arena.) (more…)
Duluth All Souls Night 2015
Video by Frank Sander.
The Next Bite: Lake Superior Walleyes
Gary Parsons of The Next Bite, along with Josh Teigen and Chris Meyer, troll Lake Superior’s South Shore for walleyes.
Video Archive: Christopher Halverson – “Yakety Yak”
Yet another clip captured by UWS Studio II at R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon during an open mic on Sept. 16, 1995.
Lost cat in Chester Park area
Moses is a white cat with a grey patch on the top of his head. He is missing the tips of his ears.
He was last seen on Oct. 31 in the area of 20th Avenue East and Eighth Street, across from the Central Little League baseball fields. Moses is unfamiliar with this area and is likely hiding under a deck, shed, low-hanging hedge, wood pile or something similar.
If you find Moses, contact the owner at 763-458-3388 or email helpfindmosescat@gmail.com. Do not attempt to catch him. He is shy and terrified of new people.
Reward: $500.
Selective Focus: Bliss
Tyler Johnson, untitled
Bliss is seldom of an epiphanic nature; it often just slowly suffuses us, when after years or moments prior we’d barely thought it possible that matters could just placidly align. But a surfeit of joy can be just as intolerable as an abundance of grief. Neither can be sustained, and each will evanesce, then quietly, someday, return. (more…)
Jade Fountain closed; Gannucci’s expansion planned
Within six months of acquiring the Jade Fountain, Bill Kalligher locked the big red doors to the iconic Chinese restaurant. He reached the decision in September, fed up with a dirty kitchen he says he’s still trying to clean, alleged poor product quality from food suppliers and a box filled with bounced checks from customers. (more…)
Missing Person: Jonathan Beckman
Update: Jonathan Beckman and two other young males who ran from the Northwood Children’s Services West Campus last night were located and brought back to Northwoods by Duluth Police today.
The Mystery of Chuck’s TV
I have a mystery on my hands. About a year ago while driving over West Ninth Street, just before the intersection of North Eighth Avenue and East Orange Street, something caught my eye — what appeared to be an old car in the woods. After a couple passes, I could see that it was indeed an old car. Curious, once home I started some research. On the newly updated Google maps this past spring, I could see the car in question. Checking the DNR Historical Airphotos, I found that up to 1961 there are what appears to be two buildings, houses or perhaps a house and some other type of building on that very corner. Sometime between 1961 and 1972 they were torn down, as they no longer appear on the 1972 imagery.
The Fitz: 40 Years Later
Eyewitness News‘ Darren Danielson looks back at the fateful events of Nov. 10, 1975.
Where in Duluth? #136
This might be the most difficult “Where in Duluth?” ever. Ask questions in the comments for clues. You’ll need them.
Social Disaster: Dark Side of the Roller Rink
Ryan Nelson and Rachel Phoenix from the Social Disaster explain the magic behind the band’s debut Dark Side of the Roller Rink. The group kicks into high gear on Friday, Nov. 13, with a record release show at Rex Bar. Click on the image above to hear the podcast.
This Week: the Edmund Fitzgerald at 40, Veterans Day, Orson Welles and more
Here’s a bit of what you’ll find on this week’s PDD Calendar:
Tuesday is the 40th anniversary of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald and there are several events to mark the occasion, a painter is remembered through a show of his work, the DSSO begins their Chamber Music Series, the last Union soldier to die (Albert Woolson, a Duluthian) is remembered, the crazy goofs in Putnam County are putting on their Spelling Bee and it’s time to Give to the Max.
Comedian Justin Caesar returns to Duluth to do some stand-up and show some films, Sage Francis lands at the Red Herring, the Social Disaster releases its first album with a Rex blowout, the latest contender for “best worst movie” opens at the Zinema, godlike genius Orson Welles is celebrated, skateboard decks are sold to raise money for skateboard parks and Gramma’s Boyfriend is in town.
Guide to Duluth-related Blogs in 2015
The craft of writing personal blogs probably hit its stride in Duluth around 2005 and started dying out around 2010. It’s been a long time since the days PDD carried a feed of local blogs, which became unnecessary once subscription news-aggregator applications became available. There is still a strong set of Duluth-area writers and photographers dedicated to kicking out text on a regular basis, however, and we profile them here so you can check them out and add them to your feeds as you wish. (more…)
Minnesota Deer Hunting Opener 2015
No luck yet for me, hunting in Kelsey, but a couple fresh rubs nearby. Anyone else having luck?
You know the feeling. You just sat down on your bucket in your stand, it’s at little after 6 a.m. It’s still dark but you can see a sliver of light starting to climb in the southeastern horizon. Your heart is beating from your walk in and you feel so warm your thinking there is no way it is 28 degrees.
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Glen’s Neighbor – “Help Me”
New video from Duluth band Glen’s Neighbor for the second single from the album Behind the Door. The video was directed by Shane Nelson and shot during the recording process at Winterland Studios in New Hope.
The big, fat EIS
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Forest Service have released the final environmental analysis of Minnesota’s first proposed copper-nickel mine. It’s 3,576 pages long. Click here for an overview on the DNR website and to find links to download the full 263 MB of wholesome review process. A 30-day public review period begins Nov. 13 and ends Dec. 14. Update: Deadline for submitting comments has been extended to Dec. 21.
PolyMet proposes to develop an open-pit mine and processing facilities for the extraction of copper, nickel and platinum elements, with an estimated 20-year lifespan for mine operations. The proposed mine would be located in the St. Louis River watershed on the eastern edge of the Mesabi Iron Range, about 6 miles south of Babbitt and about 1 mile south of the existing iron-ore Northshore Mine. Processing of the ore would take place at a former industrial site, the LTV steel plant in Hoyt Lakes. (more…)
Selective Focus: November
Hugh Reitan, untitled
Limbs (of trees) stripped near to bare, firewood cribbed, quilts at hand, larders stocked. This is the month that Maslow’s hierarchy seems tangibly real, unless you’re an artist and thus inclined to invert the pyramid. Many diverse takes this week, despite my dread that a theme so prospectively barren would go unchallenged. Credit a strain of Scandanavian fatalism? Anyhow, thanks. (more…)