PDD Video Lab: Edgewater, the Bellows and S.S. Meteor, 1976
For this edition of the PDD Video Lab we’ve taken yet another silent film from Dominic Chione’s Vimeo account. The clips here are from 1976, and they might make you weepy when you see them accompanied by the intro to the Manhattans’ 1976 hit “Kiss and Say Goodbye.” (more…)
Girl from the North Country … Duluth on Broadway!
The Broadway premiere of Girl from the North Country, set in Duluth and featuring the songs of Duluth native Bob Dylan, was held at the Belasco Theatre on March 5. (more…)
Video Archive: SatAn’s Residence for Sinner Citizens
Ten years ago today, the Colder by the Lake theater group opened “Older by the Lake, or the Colonoscopy Monologues” at the Zeitgeist Teatro. The show was a comedy about aging. The clip above, produced for the show, is a parody of television ads for St. Ann’s, an assisted-living facility in Duluth.
The Slice: The Embassy
For those who missed the Church Bazaar last weekend, here’s a quick look inside the former Holy Trinity Lutheran Church where a Duluth artist collective called the Embassy is envisioning a new space for collaboration and artistic expression.
In its series The Slice, WDSE-TV presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.
Searching for Descendants of the Duluth Tooth-puller Incident
Perfect Duluth Day readers might remember a post featuring an unusual story from 1903 about a crazed Finlander and unwanted dentistry. Minnesota filmmaker Joshua Carlon is exploring a short documentary about the event and is looking for any descendants of the parties involved who would be interested in being interviewed on camera regarding the incident.
The only named parties in the event are the Finlander John Simonson, Police Chief Troyer, Officer O’Neill and one victim, a Mrs. Elaison of 329 St. Croix Avenue.
If any PDD readers are related to this event or have connections to anyone who might be, please reach out to Josh at josh @ jcarlon.com.
Regret
A short film by Blake Lawrence, shot and cut by Manny Villanueva in Duluth, January 2017.
Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #44
Another trivia card from a board game purchased at Savers. (more…)
Mystery Photo #103: Girl with Curls
What’s the deal with this curly haired lass? Was she a Duluthian? (more…)
Minnesota All Hockey Hair Team 2020: The Flow Must Go On
Like a great hair band, John King keeps on goin’ with another edition of the Minnesota All Hockey Hair team.
Video Archive: Minnesota All Hockey Hair Team 2005
Last year John King announced he would end his annual series of videos reviewing the finest hair styles at the Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament. Well, he didn’t. But that’s no reason not to dig into the archives and feature the original Minnesota All Hockey Hair Team of 2005, created for the short-lived TV program The Show to be Named Later.
Cade Fairchild of Duluth East makes the team for his “Ogie Ogilthorpe look,” and East Head Coach Mike Randolph gets special recognition for his “Lloyd Christmas look.”
Ripped at the Kom-on-Inn in 2000
[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 he visited the Kom-on-Inn in West Duluth and published this report for the April 5, 2000 issue of the Ripsaw newspaper.]
Granted, it does not take much to amaze me, but when I entered the Kom-on-Inn my spine just about shot out of the top of my head. I had always been under the impression that the Kom-on-Inn was a boring bar that was empty most of the time. But nothing could be further from the truth. It was … I don’t even know where to begin, so let me just walk you through the place.
First of all, it is important to know that everyone—every last person in the bar—was smoking a cigarette. I am not exaggerating when I say it was difficult to see across the room. At the very back of the bar, where I came in, a bunch of Tommy Boys talked on cellular telephones and shot pool with heavily hair-sprayed and lip-linered girls drinking bottles of Mountain Dew. Apparently they were stationed there to give newcomers like me the wrong impression of the place, for just past them, everything became drastically different. (more…)
Selective Focus: Twin Ports Terror
If you’re into spooky stuff, horror, or Halloween, you may be interested in a new project, Twin Ports Terror: A Haunted Duluth publication. It may seem a bit out of season as Spring approaches, but organizer Brooke Zarn fills in the details, and explains that they’re hoping to gather written and visual material before Halloween.
What is it?
Twin Ports Terror is an effort by the curators of the Haunted Duluth website (Matt Rasmussen, Sean Zarn and Brooke Zarn) to provide a platform for local writers and artists to share their stories, poems, artwork and photography within the horror genre. These items will be published on the Haunted Duluth website starting on Half-Halloween (the end of April), and continuing on as the Halloween season approaches. We’ll also look to host some story-telling events and perhaps publish a printed zine if there’s enough interest.
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One Less Guest – “Come on Over”
Duluth band One Less Guest will release its debut album, Monochrome, on April 18 at Thirsty Pagan Brewing. The group also performs on March 7 at Bent Paddle and St. Patrick’s Day at Rex Bar. The music video above was shot by Caelan Mars.
PDD Video Lab: Lester Park, Skyline Drive and Twin Ponds, 1975
In this PDD Video Lab mashup we’ve taken another silent film from Dominic Chione’s Vimeo account and added music. This time the Duluth scenery includes Lester Park, views from Skyline Drive and Twin Ponds (with two slides going into the water). For music we’ve chosen “Sister Golden Hair,” a chart-topping single by America in 1975.
Monthly Grovel: March 2020 Edition
In the past year — from March 2019 through February 2020 — the PDD Calendar published 8,064 Duluth-area events. Each one was edited by a human being before the “publish” button was pushed.
It’s a tremendous amount of work to keep up with all the submissions from the more than 1,000 organizations that have sent us info about their concerts, plays, improv classes and lutefisk dinners. That’s why once a month we set our dignity aside and remind readers how much we appreciate their financial support. (more…)
“Own Mine” Cypher Mix
Duluth’s DanSan Creatives and video director Sandra Oyinloye bring together the talents of Natasha Lancour (Royalty), Corey Haynes (Young Casper), Diona Johnson (Di Jay), Jordan Moses (UrkelX), Jeremy Gardner (JayGee) and Seyi Oyinloye (Seyi) in this “musical cypher” produced as the fifth part of the MixTape Project Initiative. (more…)
Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #43
Another trivia card from a board game purchased at Savers. (more…)
Minnesota 2020 Presidential Primary Election Results
In the statewide race, with 4,110 of 4,110 precincts reporting, Joe Biden is the projected winner of Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor presidential primary.
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Nomination for President of the United States
Joseph Biden – 287,553
Bernie Sanders – 222,431
Elizabeth Warren – 114,674
Michael R. Bloomberg – 61,882
Amy Klobuchar – 41,530 (more…)
The Promethean, UW-Superior’s student newspaper, turns 100
Throughout the past century the University of Wisconsin-Superior’s student newspaper has seen changes and challenges. Despite funding cuts, scandals and a period of general distrust on campus, The Promethean has stood the test of time. (more…)
Postcard from Divers at Work Through the Ice in Duluth
There’s no explanation here as to what these “divers at work” were up to. The year of the postmark on this V.O. Hammon Publishing Company postcard is not legible and there is no caption on the back. All we know is M. B. Edwards sent the card from Duluth to William Begg of St. Paul. (more…)
My Partner is Starting a Cult
There’s a church revival going on in Lincoln Park, but it’s inspired by art, not God. My partner of nearly 25 years is one of the instigators of a self-proclaimed “cult.”
I guess you could say I drank the Kool-Aid a long time ago because I can’t say I was shocked when he announced his plans.
Life with Troy Rogers, aka Robot Rickshaw, is never dull. He builds musical robots so that he can cart them around Canal Park and the Lakewalk for pop-up performances while wearing a hazmat suit and gas mask with a teddy bear strapped to his chest.
“What have you been up to lately?” Troy’s aunt asked recently, trying to make conversation at a family event. “I’m starting a cult,” he deadpanned.
There were no follow up questions or small talk. Just a perplexed expression from the pious Catholic and an uncharacteristically quick end to the conversation as she escaped to the next room. (more…)
PDD Video Lab: Sandra’s Birthday Frolic in Duluth, 1973
For this PDD Video Lab mashup we’ve taken a silent film from 1973 that was recently uploaded to Dominic Chione’s Vimeo account and added Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” a track from his 1973 album Innervisions. The first minute of the video is kids frolicking in a yard; recognizable Duluth scenery kicks in after that.
But wait … there’s bonus footage. (more…)
Then and Now: Duluth’s Incline Railway
A video by Grandview Aerial Photography showing images of the Incline Railway during its operation (1891-1939), then modern-day drone footage following the path it took up the hill. Produced for the Duluth Preservation Alliance.
Climate>Duluth: Nicolette Slagle
Host Tone Lanzillo interviews Nicolette Slagle of Honor The Earth. This is show #8 in the Climate>Duluth series recorded at Duluth Public Access Community Television’s studio in City Hall.