May 2010 Posts

Sound Unseen opening night approaching!

We can hardly believe our festival will begin a week from today! Eeep! We are buzzing with nervousness and excitement — we truly hope to see all of you out and about! If you haven’t visited our website yet, please do as our full schedule is up and you can download a PDF of our program and a quick music and film schedule to put right in your pocket!

Fractals Contact?

Who has contact info. for the Fractals? I’d like to get a hold of them about a potential gig. Thanks!

Three years of road rage (and wide open left lanes)?

Since we have to endure this “mega-project” for so long, we better all get on the same page.

I’m one of those who follows the signs that say USE BOTH LANES when backed up and TAKE TURNS AT THE MERGE, which means take turns at the merge to me. I’m pretty sure these signs, their positioning, and the whole setup have been thought out and planned to make the situation as easy as possible for everyone.

Despite those instructions, it seems a majority of people decide to fall in line to the right, maybe assuming they’re eventually going to have to merge anyway. This creates a very long backup in the right lane and a wide open left lane up to the merge, which leads to angry drivers in the right lane who see others cruising by them in the left lane. If a majority of us would actually drive through this the way I think it was intended, I think it would be a lot smoother, similar to the second merge going west from downtown, where traffic spreads out a little and left laners can seamlessly get right without anyone having to slow down at all.

I bring this up after seeing the attempts by some to take up both lanes and actually getting swerved at yesterday for using the wide open left lane. Thank goodness the kids weren’t in the car. Seriously who “fake swerves” their vehicle at another moving vehicle?

Am I wrong here? And if not, how do we get everyone through this as intended? I’ve seen letters to the DNT addressing this and basically saying the same thing I am, obviously without impact.

Experimental Music Fest and Workshop

Bent Fest

Who is interested in attending a short experimental music fest in Duluth? I’ve got interested performers and workshop presenters. I could probably wrangle some funding, too. I’m looking at some time in the fall for a Friday-Saturday kind of thing. Still need a venue, a couple of interested volunteers and a potential crowd of workshop participants and performance attendees. Express your desires here or contact me directly through my web site.

Clyde Park Historical Timeline

Clyde01

The Clyde Iron Works restaurant and event center at Clyde Park is now open at 29th Ave. W. & Michigan St. in Duluth’s Friendly West End. Here’s a little Clyde historical timeline.

Graffiti Artists Wanted

Looking for local graffiti artists for hire. If your work involves tagging and original art (not Disney characters or something silly like that) please give me a shoutola.

kramfriederichs @ gmail

Lost Weekend Presented by Turbo Rathvon

Turbo Rathvon presents “The Lost Weekend” May 28-29. Joining Turbo Rathvon on stage both nights will be local underground heroes the Real McCoys and the Twin Cities pop-punk circus Unexpected Guests. Friday night’s show starts at 9 p.m. at Hell Burgers in Canal Park, Saturday’s show starts at 10 p.m. at Norm’s in Superior. No Cover.

myspace.com/turborathvon

Movies in the Park 2010

After initially deciding to take a year off, Trent and Brita Edgerton, the amazing local couple that has produced MITP since 2006, sent me an email today telling me that the event is BACK on with a new sponsor, the Greater Downtown Council. Information about sponsorship opportunities and a TENTATIVE schedule is here.

That’s all I know.

Duluth Does the Opry tickets still available

Wednesday is the last day to buy advance tickets online.

Thursday, May 27, 2010, 7 p.m.
Sacred Heart Music Center

Uptown Boys at Teatro Zuccone

The Twin Ports’ only Billy Joel tribute band plays Teatro Zuccone on Friday, May 28, at 9 p.m. Stick around for Renegade Theater Co. Improv at 10:30 p.m. Cover charge: Five bucks.

DingWop Freedom Fest IV

Celebrate freedom in style with Duluth’s Ultimate Frisbee team, DingWop!

Saturday, June 12 @ Mont du Lac Ski Hill.
Charlie Parr, the Boomchucks, the Breeze
Music starts at 8pm
$5 at the door 21+
Please do not drink and drive.

Tournament play June 12-13 on Park Point 9am-5pm, come check out the action and soak up some rays on beautiful Park Point.

contact: dingwop @ gmail

The things men do for love

In a tragic follow-up story to Swan’s post from November, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has gotten rid of his mullet. Apparently his fiancé didn’t dig it.

What’s next? Will Frank Nichols shave his beard?

Locally made art tiles?

Does anyone have any suggestions for local artists or galleries that sell ceramic tiles? I am looking for just a few to accent a new bathroom wall tiling project. I have seen Liz Siverston’s set of otters, moose, fox, and bear (very cute and colorful!), and there are some really neat ones at the Art Dock in DeWitt Seitz that are black and cream colored with birds. Is there anywhere else you suggest I look?

2010 Minnesota Governor Race

You’ve got until Tuesday, June 1, to pick a running mate and file your candidacy for governor in Minnesota.

Your list of opponents will surely grow in the next week, but here’s the lineup so far:

Tom Emmer & Annette T. Meeks (Republican)
Ole Savior & Todd “Elvis” Anderson (Republican)
Margaret Anderson Kelliher & John Gunyou (DFL)
Mark Dayton & Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL)

Congratulations to Ole Savior for being more hilarious than ever this time around.  Elvis Anderson? Really? Wow.

By the way, in Wisconsin the list of candidates for governor is up to 20 already. Lieutenant governor candidates run separately in Wisconsin. There are 10 of them, including Superior Mayor David Ross.

And how about the crazy scramble to run for Prettner Solon’s Minnesota Senate District 7 seat now that she’s running for lieutenant governor? No one has filed yet, but that one is bound to get interesting.

Oh, and I apologize in advance for provoking a discussion of politics.

Murder House on a Foggy Day

MurderHousePic

Reading Duluth News Tribune reporter Brandon Stahl’s series of stories on problem properties in Duluth made me think of the Murder House.

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