November 2022 Posts

The Institute for the Study of Light and Water: Another psychedelic weather report

Sunset a silent H-bomb

Now a burning Saturn, now an apricot pastel dab on slate. Sun zips the sky closed behind it as it goes, now dying, now resurrecting in orange creamsicle. Color cosmologies. Gold birch leaves rattle like paper coins. Leaves crunch, clatter, gather against curbs.

MN Moder – “Christ Air”

Duluth-based hip-hop artist Zachary Moder, aka MN Moder, hangs out with Jesus at Enger Tower in his new music video, produced by Montclair Media.

Almanac North: All Souls Night 2022

The 15th annual All Souls Night brought Duluthians together to remember those lost with poetry readings, fire dancing and Mary Plaster’s unique puppets. WDSE-TV Producer Megan McGarvey captured the scenes for this Almanac North feature.

PDD Quiz: Football

Are you ready for some football? Call up your best plays and tackle this week’s PDD quiz about football in the Twin Ports.

The PDD current events quiz comes your way on Nov. 27. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Nov. 23.

Ripped on Arrowhead Road on 2002

[Editor’s note: For this week’s essay we’ve once again pulled out a relic from the archive of Slim Goodbuzz, who served as Duluth’s “booze connoisseur” from 1999 to 2009. Twenty years ago the Sultan of Sot took a rare trip to Hermantown and wrote the article below for the Nov. 11, 2002 issue of the Ripsaw newspaper. Since then each of the drinking establishments mentioned have changed. The Afterburner Bar & Lounge was replaced by Arrowhead Tap House. The Runway Bar closed in 2011 and the site became home to the Kolar auto dealership. The Local Bar & Grill is now Foster’s Sports Bar & Grill.]

Laugh all you want, but on Election Day I like to be near the Duluth International Airport. I mean, you never know: We’re on the brink of destruction, and, in the event of a sudden military coup, I want to be the first to take off to another land. But, security being what it is these days, I’ve unfortunately had a bit of trouble just hanging out and getting drunk at the official airport bar, the Afterburner. I’d rather not go into the details.

The Runway

So I find myself a mile or two away from the airport at the Runway Bar and Grill, hunkering down, waiting for the inevitable and having a few beers in the process. I’ve got three problems with this place: 1) They use the kind of pitchers that have the “ice reservoir,” thus cheating the customer out of valuable pitcher space. 2) They’re not showing election coverage on TV. 3) The man/woman ratio in this room is at least 20:1.

The Bass Players of Low

The paper said the eulogy began: “Friends, family, and bass players, welcome.”

Developing Story

Rafe Carlson – “A Place to Fall”

The new single from Hermantown’s Rafe Carlson has been released on Veteran’s Day for a reason. He’s donating 1,000 percent of his streaming revenue to 23rd Veteran, an organization that helps military veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

One more tribute to Low

Rick Beato on Low.

Cruising the Great Lakes with Dan Kraker, MPR

Minnesota Public Radio’s Dan Kraker talks about the Great Lakes cruise ship industry.

A nice girl from Duluth on S.W.A.T.

The CBS network television drama S.W.A.T. has a reference to Duluth in its second episode, titled “Cuchillo.” The show aired five years ago today — Nov. 9, 2017.

In the scene, Sergeant “Hondo” pulls over a nice girl from Duluth who has been mixed up with a bad boy.

Postcard from a Night Scene of Fire in Superior Milling District

A flour mill fire in Superior caused more than $2.6 million in damage on Nov. 9, 1907 — 115 years ago today. The Duluth News Tribune referred to it as “the most disastrous fire in point of property loss, and probably the most spectacular blaze ever seen at the Head of the Lakes.”

The postcard shown above was mailed nine days after the fire. It was sent by someone named Frank to Master A. Pearson of Spokane, Wash. The photo apparently shows the smoldering remains of the Freeman Flour Mills and Elevator — Franks wrote “Fremon Mill” on the back of the card.

Duluth 2022 General Election Results

With 4,103 of 4,103 precincts reporting, here are the statewide numbers for races relevant to Duluth.
 
FEDERAL OFFICES

District 8 United States Representative
Pete Stauber | 188,070
Jen Schultz | 140,433
Write in | 325

Chuck Haavik – “I Hung a Cross in My Heart”

The fifth single from Duluth’s Chuck Haavik is a bit more Gospel leaning than his previous songs. “I Hung a Cross in My Heart,” features Dave Mehling keys and Taylor Donskey on string bass.

Farewell to Mimi Parker, from Slate

Slate senior editor Sam Adams on the life and death of Mimi Parker and the music of Low.