Videos
A Love Letter to Duluth
Video illustrated and animated by Dave and Jean Kirwan; song by Al Trace and the Revelers.
Creating Apart: Sarah Brokke
Sarah Brokke is one of the artists featured in the Tweed Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, “Creating Apart: Local Artists Respond to a Global Pandemic.” She’s a painter and an associate professor at the College of St. Scholastica. In this video by documentary filmmaker Mike Scholtz, Sarah talks about her work and how the pandemic is like an expanding bubble that’s pushing longstanding issues to the surface in our society. (more…)
Earth Rider Fest 2020
The pandemic being what it is, live music has been rare in 2020 and festivals have been rarer. On Sept. 12, Earth Rider Brewery in Superior held its third anniversary event on its spacious festival grounds with limited admission, a few masks here and there, and a bit of distancing. (Originally this post featured a recap video, but it has since been removed from YouTube.)
Creating Apart: Ivy Vainio
Ivy Vainio is one of the artists featured in the Tweed Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, “Creating Apart: Local Artists Respond to a Global Pandemic.” She’s a digital photographer who works at the American Indian Community Housing Organization. In this video by documentary filmmaker Mike Scholtz, Ivy talks about her artistic struggles during the pandemic. (more…)
PDD Video Lab: Invasive Jumping Worm
In this edition of the PDD Video Lab we’ve taken three seconds of video of an invasive jumping worm, shot by Carly Ziter, and looped it a few times with the most obvious music possible. (more…)
The History All Around Us
The Duluth Library Foundation has made a video history tour available as part of its virtual “Learning & Libations” event.
The video features authors Tom Peacock and Tony Dierckins telling stories of life at the western tip of Lake Superior before the city existed and how it came to be 150 years ago.
Nate J. Mattson – “Moon Racer”
This experimental music video by Duluth’s Nate J. Mattson features Shereé doing her “Original Tiger Dance.”
Heely Tricks with JamesG: August 2020
Another monthly installment of wheeled-sneaker stunts from former Duluthian James Geisler, also known as the hip-hop artist JamesG.
Lake Superior Aquaman: Trench Lyfe
Things the camera saw looking out of a Lake Superior trench.
Richard G. Hofacre – “City Lights of Duluth”
This song by Richard Gary Hofacre, which hit YouTube in 2012, has roots going back about 60 years. (more…)
Raina Costello: Tick and Mosquito Researcher
In this video Raina Costello talks about her work researching ticks and mosquitos at the Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center, about 15 miles north of Duluth.
Selective Focus: Creating Apart
The Tweed Museum of Art will be hosting an exhibition, “Creating Apart: Local Artists Respond to a Global Pandemic” with work by Ivy Vainio, Moira Villiard, Sarah Brokke Erickson, Karen Savage-Blue, Joe Klander and Brian Barber. Annie Dugan curated the exhibition and worked with local documentary filmmaker Mike Scholtz to create a series of short films about each of the artists involved.
The exhibition was originally scheduled to open on Aug. 31 in the Court Gallery of the Tweed. Shifting plans for colleges and gatherings have already affected the actual schedule. In the meantime, the Tweed has released the brief teaser above featuring the artists who were interviewed. Profiles of each artist will be released on a regular schedule in the coming days and weeks, and we will be posting them here on Perfect Duluth Day as they are available. (more…)
Mary Bue – “The World is Your Lover”
Former Duluthian Mary Bue has a new 14-track album out. Above is the video for the title track, produced by Kate Harrison and featuring Brittany Rae Broman.
Charlie Parr – “On Stealing a Sailboat”
Duluth’s Charlie Parr has released a new video for this track from his 2019 self-titled album. The video is directed by Lance Lindahl.
The Brothers Burn Mountain – “The Dark Exchange”
The second video release from the Brothers Burn Mountain‘s new album The Dark Exchange features Dawn King joining the Dermody brothers at the homestead. And the brothers are joined musically by Alan Sparhawk on electric guitar and vocals, and Brooke Anderson on vocals.
The Brothers Burn Mountain – “I Won’t Wait for a Ride”
The Brothers Burn Mountain are releasing a new album, The Dark Exchange, in early September. It’s a collaboration with Alan Sparhawk of Low and several other musicians, including Rich Mattson and Germaine Gemberling. The video for “I Won’t Wait For A Ride” is directed by Roger D. Feldhans.
Thomas X featuring Brandon Graves – “I’m Anishinaabe”
From the Red Lake Reservation, about 100 miles northwest of Duluth, comes this musical celebration of Anishinaabe Ojibwe culture.
Thomas Barrett, aka Thomas X, leads a group of Red Lake Boys and Girls Club members who sing and dance along to Barrett’s original song, “I’m Anishinaabe.”
Redhead Mountain Bike Park Overview
Red Head Mountain Bike Park opened this summer on former Iron Range mineland near the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm. (more…)
Duluth Eye Candy: An Aerial Voyage
Why we live here.
Discover all-new views of our home in this series of my favorite drone footage shot in 2020.
Three Minnesota women who paved way for women suffrage
To mark a century of women voting, Minnesota Public Radio took a look back at the work of three Minnesota women who helped break down barriers and paved the way for women’s suffrage. The trio includes Duluthian Sarah Burger Stearns. (more…)
Ingeborg von Agassiz – “Slow Motion Lullaby”
Another new music composition and video by Duluth’s Ingeborg von Agassiz.
Lake Superior Aquaman: Drone Footage of Placing Fish Cam
I enlisted drone pilot videographer Riley Goss for help on this one. I knew the water was crystal clear and he would be able to see me underwater from above. I place the fish cam in 15 feet of water or so, in a trench between two outcrops, and then make a couple short dives to adjust it. Best part: the amazing tracking shot @1:10, where you can see what a beautiful underwater playground there is here at the Ledges. (No audio.)
Dave Mehling – “Garden”
Duluth native Dave Mehling has released another video for a track from his upcoming album — Beach Boy.
Ingeborg von Agassiz – “Lone Bird Waltz”
Duluth’s Ingeborg von Agassiz composed this “waltz for a little lone bird.”


