Snow!? Plan ahead…
Friday’s snow and today’s run reminded me that we — Positive Energy Outdoor (ed)Ventures — are looking for dog enthusiasts to help with training, care, and projects connected to our friendly team of Alaskan Huskies. Options range from just helping with care to four-wheeler training, cart and scooter training, sled runs, event help, guiding local day trips, overnights, and a two-week arctic trip next March. We look for volunteers, paid staff, and even the option where you pay us (trips, tours, lease a team for the winter). Learn more about us at outdooredventures.org or call 218-428-5990. All our adult adventure offerings help us serve local youth.
Tales of the Road: More Stories of Hwy 61

Cathy Wurzer, author of Tales of the Road: Highway 61
Thursday, May 13, 2010 | 5:30-6:30p.m.
Great Lakes Aquarium
Admission: free
Cathy Wurzer, host of Morning Edition on MPR and co-host of Almanac on Minnesota Public Television, will be May’s Voice of the Lake Speaker Series presenter at Great Lakes Aquarium. Join us as she prepares for a sequel to her book and shares more stories of her travels to familiar historic sites on Minnesota Highway 61. Uncover lost bits of highway history and hear some of the history that she has found in the Duluth region.
Homegrown musing
Having been at this since last Friday, I must say the feeling of Woodstock was all around it. Tried to be somewhere when the music started and it was all good. What a talented bunch. More to come. Kickball. If any of you kids have anything left, an appropriate spot would be Hells Burgers Sunday night 6 to 10 for reminiscing. I think there’s music.
Introducing Duluth’s first international film + music festival!
Introducing Sound Unseen, Duluth’s inaugural international film, music and art festival! Our music headquarters will be at Pizza Lucé where a slew of some much anticipated bands will make their debut to Duluth!
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The Quizzard is dead! Long live the Quizzard!
Dear reader, as I sit down to write this obit, I still cannot believe the debauchery I have witnessed this eve. A poor, young virgin, probably, icon of the fair festival we have undertaken, only minutes ago, laid upon his deathbed, while a group of Brats, of the Wurst kind, danced around in glee as he snuffed it. He appeared on stage to give blessing to the Brats, and was slaughtered in front of a cheering mob. Oh, woe are we who expected to see him appear at every stage during this and every coming festival. I feel I cannot go on … but I must, if only to warn future generations of the TINY TWAT who wrenched him from my grasp, promised to free him, and then returned him to the entrail encrusted demons on stage to be rendered, to their delight. May the giant chicken have mercy on our souls.
Perfect Duluth Intersection
I would like to nominate the intersection of 19th Ave E and 8th St for Most Courteous and Cordial to go through (unless it is freezing rain and a skating rink – cue video;). Among all the other intersections or four way stops in Duluth it is the best. Could it be a macrocosm of people who actually remember driver’s ed and training? I will leave it up to the masses to comment on the worst intersection.
The Bitter Spills — “The Old Clyde Road”
Here’s another video from Monday night’s Homegrown Music Video Festival, in case you weren’t there. It’s Josh Carlon’s fantastic animated video for “The Old Clyde Road” by The Bitter Spills.
UMD Students Engage Chancellor Martin About Race Relations
At Monday’s race relations rally, my friend, local videographer, solar power activist and occasional political candidate Jay Cole of Youth Video Quest captured video of the remarkable and very emotional exchange between UMD students and Chancellor Martin.
The conversation will no doubt continue here and elsewhere. It must.
Related: Minnesota Public Radio has apparently been hosting an ongoing dialog about race relations and on Friday May 7th, 2010 they will have an online chat about race relations including a discussion about Duluth both on and off the UMD campus. As far as I know, any reasonable person can participate in the chat. Here is the link they sent me: How do we talk about race relations?
Duluth Does Doggystyle
Seriously, this would be the best “Duluth Does” event ever. I’m willing to tackle any of the fine tracks from Snoop’s classic album.
I want to carpool from Superior to Duluth.
Starting June 1st I will be a resident of Superior. I am working up at UMD full time. I would love to find someone or some people to carpool with. I am willing to drive if they want to kick in some money, or I’m willing to ride and kick in the cash. My schedule is M-F with flexible start (7:30 – 8:30ish) and end times (4:00 – 5:00ish). Does anyone know someone or a good website to use? Thanks for the help!
Tour De Scene
Happy Homegrown everyone! Just a quick note to let you know I will be playing the radio documentary Tour De Scene that was produced by The Current. It is a one hour show about Duluth and our wonderful music community. So tune into KUMD at 5pm if you haven’t heard it already.
Bone Appetit’s Last Temptation of Duluth
This Friday, at the Rex Bar in the Fitger’s Complex – roughly 60 hours from now, maybe more, depending on where SuddendEATH is – Bone Appetit will play its last show ever. Bone Appetit: Duluth’s Worst, then Sexiest, then Greatest Band, forever laid to rest after over a decade of service to you, the citizens of Duluth. As of last glance, there are 85 confirmed guests for this show, which [using mathematical extrapolation, as well as consulting my trick knee] means the room will be filled well beyond the fire marshal’s stated capacity.
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Roast of Rick Boo (and dinner) tonight!
Tickets are still available, and will be on sale at the door.
Don Ness reading a proclamation, Chad Lyons vs. Carolyn Reisberg, and fond tales of New Year’s Eve Soirées, Halloween parties, ex-girlfriends, Morose Christmases, Tonya VanCamp breaking things, first times, last times and that one time…
Informal cocktail hour at the Owl’s Club around 6-ish.
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The Boomchucks – “Good News / Bad News”
Directed by Rich Narum. Digital animation by Saša Kološnjaj.
Homegrown Schedule Changes
If you’re using the Homegrown Music Festival Field Guide to chart your course, please note the following changes:
Wednesday, May 5 – Although it’s referred to as “Lakewalk Night,” you might not want to use the Lakewalk to get from the Canal Park venues to Fitger’s or vice versa. The part of the Lakewalk between Endion Depot and Fitger’s will be closed to allow workers to repave it. The Homegrown steering committee didn’t see that coming.
Thursday, May 6 – The Fractals are not playing at the Brewhouse at 11 p.m. The What Four will be playing. These bands were switched after the schedule was printed.
Friday, May 7 – Dead Man Winter had to cancel its gig. Consequently, the Keep Aways will be playing at 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. at Twins Bar.
Jeffrey James O’Laughlin and Ashley Northey have switched slots for Friday night. So O’Laughlin will be playing at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake at 11 p.m. and Northey will be playing at Carmody Irish Pub at 10:15. Also, Northey has been playing with a band lately, and that band has a name now — the Sweet Virginias.
As referenced above, the What Four is not playing at Roscoe’s Pioneer Bar at 11 p.m. on Friday. The Fractals have moved to that slot.
The Penetration of Homegrown
Denied or not, you’ll see me play a short set Tuesday night at Chester Creek Cafe/At Sara’s Table. A friend of mine who is playing there tonight (Rory James) has decided to give up some time from his Homegrown slot to allow a few musicians to, well, “get up there and show their stuff.” Come see my roommate, Avery (Slave Dog) and I get a little ‘experimental’. Hahahahahaha. And no, this penetration will NOT be a safe procedure 😉
Tail Between Legs
I went astray, I admit it. I uprooted the Party Store Minnows from our cozy Central Hillside home and left for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Some nights I dream that Wisconsin doesn’t exist and that the shoreline of Marquette and the shoreline of Duluth are within walking distance. Of course, those are usually the same nights I wake up with hamstring cramps. But alas, I’m finally coming back to Duluth for Homegrown with a new band, Rusty Borealis. We’re playing Friday night at Teatro Zuccone at 7:45 p.m., right after Bill Reichelt. Also, we’ve got a new album — Fell Down Pretty — out on Spinout Records and it’s available for download at all the usual spots.
Paddles Up!
The Duluth Boat Club’s Dragon Boat Team, the Invincible Dragons, is looking for a few good men and women. We need to round out our team with some power and style. A dragon boat requires 20 paddlers, a steersperson and a drummer (like a coxswain in rowing) and we have space on our roster.
The team will race in the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival on Aug. 28 as well as two other festivals in the area. We are a friendly group of paddlers and athletes, new and seasoned, that take our competition seriously and take our fun even more seriously. Skill, fitness, sportsmanship, and friendship are some of our key values on the team. We meet roughly once a week for practice and usually will kill any beneficial workout with a couple of beers following. Anybody is welcome and we’ll teach you how to paddle the dragon boat stroke.
For more info send an email to megankress at gmail dot com.










