Homegrown Music Festival
Homegrown Band and Musician Registration for 2011
Band and musician registration for the music festival with the most impressive ratio of big:cheap begins Jan. 15 and ends Feb. 15. If that seems early, it’s ’cause we moved it up after suddenly realizing no one was gonna stop us. (more…)
Thank you all, good fucking night.
Well, Bone Appetit played it’s last show ever last weekend, and it ended just like it began — sloppy, drunken, and unpredictable.
Thanks to everyone throughout the years that supported us, and thanks even more to the people who took time out of their lives to rip on us, thus giving us even more press than our supporters. I wish I could take the time to individually thank everyone, but I refuse to do that knowing I’d forget someone. We may have never sang about “what’s cool,” and never really fit in with the whole Duluth scene, but to those that embraced us for doing whatever the fuck we wanted, I thank you!
I have more good and funny memories from that band than most any other thing in life, and even though some of us don’t really get along in the band anymore, I will still say that I love each and every one of those guys. We’ll never get the accolades that some bands in that town get, but there isn’t one fucking person who deny that we fucking rocked that town over the years. In the end, I like to think we left a nice big skid mark on certain parts of that music scene that can’t be wiped off.
To everyone I’ve had a beer/smoke/laugh with over the last 11 years in this band, I have nothing but thanks for you. I love you all, and Good Fucking Night.
Love always,
Cory “Hotrod” Ahlm
P.S. Special thanks to Starfire, Adam Guggemos, Paul Lundgren/Barrett Chase, Christa Lawler, Rick Boo, Eric Swanson, Slim Goodbuzz, Jason Cork, and Chris Whittier. Anyone else I forgot, hit me up for a beer.
Homegrown Kickball Classic 2010
Ryan from theduluthscene.org presents an 8-second montage from the infamous Friday Rawkers vs. Saturday Rollers Kickball game.
Playback issues? Turn off HD playback.
Best of Homegrown 2010
Well, now that the booze has worn off, let’s take a moment to reflect on the great Homegrown moments. What were some of the best acts you saw? Biggest surprises?
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.
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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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.
Homegrown Wizard
Last night Old Knifey, Walt Dizzo, and I won the Homegrown Quiz at Carmody. The prize? This wizard.
The wizard (who needs a name) spent the afternoon in the Mayor’s office reviewing the Homegrown Guide (and the City budget). He’s now ready for the complete Homegrown experience, he’ll need hosts to bring him around to various shows. If you see him around, feel free to take him elsewhere. Post your pictures of the wizard to the flicker account.
Homegrown 2010 Photo Retrospective
View the full set of 787 images from Homegrown 2010 on Flickr. (more…)
Homegrown 2010 on KUMD
Once again KUMD 103.3 will feature Homegrown artists Live from Studio A all week long. If you miss a session they’ll be archived at kumd.org.
Monday: North Shore Trio (will be archived shortly)
Tuesday: Shaunna Heckman 2:30pm
Wednesday: Kip Jones 2pm
Thursday: The Bitter Spills 2pm
Friday: TBA
Mark Lindquist has also kindly allowed us to offer an mp3 download of an unreleased Little Black Books track, “True Religion,” on our website during the week of Homegrown.
Happy Homegrown, y’all!
2010 Homegrown Tags (UPDATED)

Once again, Homegrown has begun, and once again, all you numbskulls will be out there flashing your fancy digicams and/or tapping at your mobile devices, cataloging all the craziness as it happens. And as always, it’s important to properly tag your stuff so that everyone else knows that it exists.
Keeping with the tradition of years past, let’s all use the following tags:
Homegrown Twitter hashtag: #HG10 #HGMF10
Homegrown Flickr tag: homegrownmusicfestival2010
I would also recommend tagging your Flickr photos with HG10 since it’s easy to do and it doesn’t hurt to apply an additional layer of taggish re-enforcement.
I’ll post here again tomorrow with the ever-growing Flickr slideshow of everyone’s shots. Here are links to slideshows from previous years, to get you excited: 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009
A Homegrown Story
I always get a kick out of some of the band names in Duluth’s huge music family. After looking at this year’s lineup, came up with this little tale, using every single name listed for Fri./Sat. and pitting them against each other:
It was the battle of Rawk vs. Roll. Electric vs. Acoustic. And it all started at a park in Duluth one day in early May, Circa A.M.
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The PlayList features Tim Kaiser, Coyote and Homegrown!
Check it out Thursday at 9 on WDSE/WRPT, local PBS. Tim’s instruments are amazing! And, there’s theplaylistonline.org to watch the show at your convenience.
Roast of Rick Boo
Roasters include: Mark Lindquist, Carolyn Reisberg, Cory “Hot Rod” Ahlm, John Lee, Chad Lyons, Devin McKinnon, Blaise Taylor, plus special surprise guests.
Tickets are on sale at Pizza Lucé now. There is a limited number of tickets – once they’re gone, they’re gone, so get yours quick. To reiterate: the Roast costs $10 and requires attendees to have either a weeklong Homegrown wristband or a band pass. No weeklong wristband / band pass, no entry.
I’m locking this thread so none of you jackaninnies can use up your good material ahead of time.
The Automaton Records Media Conglomerate Presents the Twin Ports: A Compilation for Homegrown
Well, I know that pretty much everyone in the area already knows all about this project because I’m such a big deal around here and everyone talks about everything I do and whatnot, but the Automaton Records Media Conglomerate is proud to be offering up for this year’s Homegrowners a very special compilation.
It’s a limited edition and handmade production — 39 songs on two CDs, all generously donated by the artists for use with this generously special compilation. The cost is $6! It includes a 4-color hand screen printed 100% recycled cardboard double sleeve! Holy cripes! This is a limited edition of only 200 copies.
The profits from this compilation go to the festival. So, you know, it’s good to support that too.
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Happy Homegrown!
The Homegrown Field Guide is in town and will be distributed over the next few days to all of your favorite hotspots and local businesses. Cover art by the lovely Bridget Riversmith. They are currently in stock at the Fetus, Pizza Lucé, Teatro Zuccone and Carmody.















