December 2019 Posts

2019: The Year in Duluth Gig Posters

Here it is, Perfect Duluth Day’s annual collection of things that were stapled to telephone polls, taped to lavatory walls, pinned to bulletin boards and uploaded to websites. As usual, by no means is this a comprehensive collection of local rock posters, nor is it a carefully curated archive of the best. It’s just a bunch of them we noticed and didn’t lose in 2019.

Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #34

Another trivia card from a board game purchased at Savers.

Snow-Fort City Build/Sledding Party

WDIO covered the event which happened on the solstice, Dec. 21. Thanks to all. #snowfortcity has suffered from the recent rains etc but all great cities have been destroyed at least once.

Richard Lee Armstrong – “Landlord of Duluth”

Ten years ago today — Dec. 30, 2009 — Richard Lee Armstrong released the album Pretty Dream Woman, featuring the track “Landlord of Duluth.” The song tells the story of Armstrong’s claim that he technically owns part of Downtown Duluth.

PDD Quiz: 2019 in Review

Test your memory of 2019 headlines and happenings with PDD’s year-in-review quiz!

The next PDD quiz, previewing 2020’s coming attractions, will be published on Jan. 12. Please submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Jan. 9.

Saturday Essay: Select gems from 2019

Saturday Essay logo genericLast week we highlighted the five most-read pieces from the fourth year of Perfect Duluth Day’s “Saturday Essay” series. This week we ignore the numbers and look back at a few select essays of similar quality that might have been missed by non-compulsive followers.

In the past four years PDD has published 185 essays showcasing the work of 29 different writers, and we’re always looking to expand that roster. Anyone who has an original piece of literary excellence that seems to fit (or appropriately defy) the established format should email paul @ perfectduluthday.com to get involved.

And now, links to a few select gems from season four …

Selective Focus: Sid Boyum

Sid Boyum was born in Duluth in 1914, and lived most of his life in Madison, WI. He was an industrial photographer, graphic artist, folk artist, and sculptor.

Owner looking to sell Shorty’s Pizza and Smoked Meat

Fargo Duluth Montage

The first season of the comedic crime-drama television series Fargo is peppered with references to Duluth, a few of which are collected in the montage above. No part of the series was shot in Duluth, though one scene has the Aerial Lift Bridge inserted into it and has a sort of Garfield Avenue feel.

Duluth’s Christmas of 1889 was finer than ever

This Christmas card from Duluth jeweler Andrew Jackson promotes a special holiday sale 130 years ago, featuring “greatly reduced prices.”

Merry Christmas from Northern Drug Company of Duluth

Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #33

Another trivia card from a board game purchased at Savers.

Video: Grace Holden dances with Lizzo on SNL

The second song by Minneapolis-based pop star Lizzo on Saturday Night Live, “Good as Hell,” featured Grace Holden of Duluth/Bemidji. Among the four dancers on the floor, she is third from the left in the opening minute, before the rotation.

Another rare find at the CSS Book Sale

I have invited Michael Fedo to talk to my classes several times. He is in some ways an old-fashioned freelancer, following the story where the market will take him. He is, in some ways, an old fashioned humorist.

Mystery Photo #102: Three Dudes in Fake Car

A recurring source of confusion in the Mystery Photo series is whether particular images that share the stamp of the Post Card Shop in Minneapolis and the Penny Arcade in Duluth were shot in Minneapolis or Duluth. Here is another such image.