This week: Liars, Cloud Cult and a fest of awesomeness
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Doomtree: Team the Best Team, a music documentary about the Minneapolis hip hop group, plays at Zinema 2 on Tuesday.
The Underground continues its Song Interrupted series with Rich Mattson singing and talking about what he’s singing and why on Wednesday.
Chester Chat is a series of TED talk-like presentations at Glensheen. This Thursday the focus is on regional arts with presentations by Sarah Brokke, Anne Dugan and Jennifer Webb.
Cloud Cult returns to Duluth to play Clyde Iron on Friday.
The Liar, a play by Pierre Corneille and translated by David Ives opens, opens at St. Scholastica on Friday and runs two weekends.
Awesome Fest, a fest of awesomeness, runs Friday through Sunday at Mont du Lac with outdoor winter sports, indoor winter drinking, music, a costume contest and more.
The DECC will be a great place for people watching on Saturday as the refined DSSO crowd going to their concert of Bach, Barber and Brahms at Symphony Hall meets up with the Justin Moore fans going to Amsoil Arena. Post pics.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
Lake Superior: Ice in Motion
Video by Dawn M. LaPointe, shot at Brighton Beach in Duluth.
Bobcats and Trapping and a Happy Ending
Five weeks ago, a couple in northern Minnesota noticed that a bobcat on their property seemed to have part of a snare around his neck. They wanted to help, but weren’t sure what to do.
Duluth Mystery Photo: Family Outing
This photo is for sale on eBay under the headline “Vintage 1905 Cabinet Photo Duluth Minnesota Family Outing Woods Photograph 1052.” So what family is this? Where are they?
Wicked Divas
So I walked, as apparently hundreds do, across the skywalk over I35 from Downtown Duluth to see the DSSO tonight. The “Wicked Divas” program featured Julie Reiber and Laura Woyasz, two vocalists who have performed in “Wicked” on Broadway, along with selections from Carmen and from Gloria Estefan, for example, by the Orchestra sans vocalists.
(more…)
Call for Art: My Funny Valentine
Washington Gallery is looking for funny, silly, sappy, quirky, corny, odd, goofy and peculiar musings on love and romance in the form of visual, written or fine art for a show opening Feb. 14 entitled “My Funny Valentine.” The deadline is Feb. 7.
(more…)
Where to donate for homeless
Cold weather has many people wondering what they can do to help the growing number of Duluthians experiencing homelessness. Obviously we need systems change and more housing. In the meantime, the Duluth Street Outreach Team is making sure people are accounted for, connected to housing resources and as warm as possible. If you are homeless or have tips on people who may be homeless, please call our 24-hour hotline at 218-461-8505.
(more…)
Video Archive: Christopher Halverson – “Brave Captain”
“Brave Captain” is an old Firehose song.
The Halverson version was recorded by UWS Studio II at R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon on Sept. 16, 1995. Produced by Brandon Leno. Edited by Brandon Leno and Margo Abramson. Audio engineering by Eric Swanson. Production assistance by Renee Hudacek, Melissa Long, Paul Lundgren, Dinelli Seneviratne and Nathan Steigman.
Water Film Fest at UWS – send in an entry
We will be having a Water Film Fest – films about water, life in water, importance of water, etc. Any season (winter through summer topics) would be fine. There will be local films, national, and international. We’d like the films to be under 10 minutes. The event will run from 6-8:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 at Swenson Hall Room 1012 (next to Yellowjacket Union). It’s free. If you’d like to submit an entry email grethenw @ ci.superior.wi.us. The film fest is sponsored by the City of Superior Environmental Services and the Lake Superior Research Institute. We love clean and healthy water.
This thread’s for you, Mr. Black Lab
After skiing the Lester, I was pretty cold and a little wet, but decided to go down and check the ice structures at Brighton Beach anyway. The few people there sat in their cars but I walked out and gave them something to look at — a guy walking around looking at the lake. Then I witnessed an improperly dressed dude walking his Labrador turn back abruptly to the safety of his car. Black Lab you ask? Hell no! The cold didn’t bother him one god damned second. He was living in the moment. Happy as can be.
This thread buds for you, Mr. Black Lab.
Battery of a police officer or excessive force arrest? Here we go again.
Natasha Lancour was arrested in the parking lot of the Keyport Lounge on Jan. 5 for allegedly striking Superior Police Officer George Gothner. Above is the unedited dashboard-cam video; below is a report from WDIO-TV.
Park Point Beach Party
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfr4AJi7vG8
Duluth reference in The Cutting Edge
Yes, the 1992 movie The Cutting Edge is utterly cheesy, but we’re nothing if not thorough at PDD, so we must include it with the other references to Duluth in the realm of major motion pictures.
D. B. Sweeney plays the part of Doug Dorsey, a hockey player from the fictional town of Mayhorn, Minn., which is apparently supposed to be near Duluth. When Sweeney’s career is cut short, he goes back to Minnesota. It is unclear whether he is in Mayhorn or Duluth, but the radio station he listens to broadcasts out of Duluth.
(more…)
Duluth Superior Film Festival
I was able to attend a recent Duluth-Superior Film Festival party. At the risk of turning PDD into a celebrity gossip sheet — can you spot the local arts personalities?
Created Equal at the Zinema
Yesterday, I spent five hours at the Created Equal event at Zinema 2. Below, I have links to the videos, if you want to watch from home.
(more…)
Vacant city council seat up for grabs
The Duluth City Council is accepting applications for the recently vacated Second District council seat previously held by Patrick Boyle, who recently was elected to the St. Louis County Board.
(more…)
Set lists for Low @ Brewhouse
While I’d be very happy to get to the Brewhouse every Thursday for Low’s play-it-all sessions, I just can’t do it … but it would be great to know what they played so far. Any fans out there who happened to record the set list from 1.16.14? If you’d care to share it (maybe even each week?), I’d guess that there is more than one fan in PDD-Land who would appreciate your effort. Thanks!
This week: sled dogs, mermaids and divas
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so it’s likely you aren’t at work. There’s a march that starts at Washington center and ends at the DECC where there’s a rally. Later this afternoon there are films and discussion at Zeitgeist.
Sen. Franken and Rep. Nolan will be at the Radisson on Tuesday for a little chat moderated by Mayor Ness.
On the theater scene there are all sorts of people. Renegade‘s All New People opens at the Teatro Zuccone on Thursday while Good People continues at The Underground. Meanwhile, there are mer-people when the Playhouse Children’s Theater presents Disney’s Little Mermaid at Marshall.
On Saturday the DSSO continues its season with a DECC concert featuring Wicked Divas while Charlie Parr releases his new album, Hollandale, at Sacred Heart with a concert.
The on again, off again John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is set to start on Sunday at East High School. Looks like there’s enough snow and apparently they’ve raised enough money.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
Call Me Mental
Tomorrow I will be embarking on a story-telling campaign to break the stigma of mental illness. The project, ‘Call Me Mental,’ is a partnership between the Human Development Center and Lola Visuals. Stories will be released in episodes online along the trip and a feature length documentary will follow later this year.
We are also asking people to submit their stories, in any format, to our website. If you choose to remain anonymous, that is absolutely okay. You can also check out our Kickstarter if you would like to help support this project.
Mystery Photo: Chester Bowl
This photo was purportedly shot at Chester Bowl in 1936. Who are these gals? What were they doing that day? Who shot the photo?
(more…)
McKnight Exhibit of the work of Duluth Artist Catherine Meier
Congrats to Duluth artist Catherine Meier. I drove 160 miles to see her opening at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design — and it was worth it.

(Catherine Meier, “I could hear voices on the wind, Sage Creek Rim Road” (right panel), Graphite on paper)
(more…)
Chinese Lantern Restaurant Fire of 1994

(Duluth News Tribune photo of Jan. 16, 1994, Chinese Lantern fire)
Back in the 1980s we lived in Silver Bay, and my parents used to make special trips down to Duluth just to go to this place. Now they drive up from the cities to visit and we’ll take them out to eat at many of the fine restaurants we have, and they’ll always comment about how great the Chinese Lantern was and how there’s nothing else like it. Even when my wife worked at the Duluth Athletic Club, before the flooding closed it, she would always hear comments like, “This place is great, but it’s no Chinese Lantern.”
So what was it about that place that people still lament its passing 20 years later?
Photography
I was in the Duluth Photography Institute last night. The current exhibit was a little spicy (about bondage) — but that’s what art institutions give us — something spicy to challenge the mind, right?
Duluth Spotify
I made a Spotify list with Duluth bands. Check it out if you want and let me know of any bands that I may have missed. Hope you enjoy!

















