Rick McLean – “St. James”
New video from Duluth’s Rick McLean for a song from his recent EP Coupla Focal. Directed and edited by McLean, with camera help from Ian Vincent and Jacob Swanson.
This Week: MLK, Mike Mictlan, pond hockey and more
Here’s a bit of what you’ll find in this week’s PDD Calendar:
Martin Luther King Day is celebrated with a community breakfast and a march to the DECC, local photogs talk shop, the WorkForce Center Job Fair gets underway, the DSSO is having an After Hours event at Black Water Lounge and there’s a public meeting to talk Lake Superior Zoo and Fairmont Park.
The public is invited to find out how much their antiques are worth, TED Talk-ers are talkin’ at the Teatro, the Duluth Art Institute is holding their 2016 Membership Exhibition, there’s a mini-Homegrown going down on Friday, Mike Mictlan is rapping at the Red Herring and it’s pond hockey all weekend in Superior.
PDD Quiz: Cold enough for ya?
Next week’s theme, as we near the 135th anniversary of J. Proctor Knott’s famous speech, will be “The Untold Delights of Duluth.” Send your suggested quiz questions (and answers) to lawrence @ perfectduluthday.com by noon on Wednesday, Jan. 20.
Video Archive: “Fly High Duluth”
It’s been ten years since Saturday Night Live aired its skit about a local band, led by Jack Daniels-guzzling Wally Hamrlik and his wife Char, who overstay their welcome while performing “Fly High Duluth,” the theme song for morning show Duluth Live. The sketch originally aired on Jan. 14, 2006, and was first posted to Perfect Duluth Day on on Jan. 16, 2006. Happy Saturday.
Sadly, there is no longer an embeddable version of the video online, but it is available on nbc.com.
One Man, One River, Many Stories
Mike Simonson had a project planned for his retirement. That was the type of guy he was. I’d never heard him talk about retiring, and then the first time he mentions it he’s laying out a plan to produce an epic radio documentary about the St. Louis River … for fun.
I wasn’t surprised Mike had no intention of slowing down after four decades in journalism — a journey he started at the Denfeld Criterion in the mid-1970s, continued at various commercial radio stations during the 1980s, and concluded with a 24-year stint as Wisconsin Public Radio’s northwestern region correspondent at KUWS-FM in Superior. And maybe the topic of the St. Louis River shouldn’t have surprised me either. Mike lived on the river for most of his life, and routinely swam across Stryker Bay for fitness and pleasure.
Still, I was blown away by the idea. Mike had chosen documentary topics in the past that seemed broad, but by comparison were quite specific — Forever Ace: The Richard Bong Story (2012) and We Are Holding Our Own: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald (1995).
Now the St. Louis River? That’s basically the entire history of Duluth, Superior and all the communities that line the 192-mile waterway. It would take an episode to cover the geology alone. The early Anishinaabe-Ojibwe history could be a multi-part documentary by itself. The fur trade, shipping and shipbuilding, the formation of Duluth’s western neighborhoods, industries too numerous to mention, environmental degradation, cleanup efforts, revitalization, wild-rice restoration, fishing and recreation and on and on — there’s just too much story. I was in awe of the idea while flabbergasted at the notion of even Mike Simonson attempting to pull it off. (more…)
Selective Focus: Gelid
Frank Sander, untitled
It is hard to not feel a bit inadequate when a friend will schlep 4 miles for groceries when it’s 15 below, and my biggest concerns are where’s my Zhivago DVD, and do I have enough cloves to stud a lemon for a hot whiskey. That said, Winter is my favorite season — not as some endurance test, but as a time to heed nature’s insistence that we “lie low to the wall until the bitter weather passes over” (John O’Donohue). (more…)
Duluth ups its caffeination with opening of Grand World Coffee
West Duluth welcomed another neighborhood coffee shop on Jan. 4. Grand World Coffee opened in the former Subway sandwich shop space at 4918 Grand Ave., next to Vision-Pro Optical. (more…)
Rob Wittig and UMD Writing Studies students nominated for New Media Writing Prize
Visit “I Work for the Web” and learn about the New Media Writing Prize award nomination received by Rob Wittig and students in the Writing Studies majors and minors at UMD.
I am very proud of my students and colleagues.
Kilgour wins NewSong Contest at Lincoln Center
Duluth’s Rachael Kilgour was named the grand prize winner of the 2015 NewSong Contest during a music showcase and competition held Jan. 7 at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium in New York City. She will receive a performance slot at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival’s ASCAP Music Café in Park City, Utah, later this month; an opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center later this year; and a recording session at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC, produced by Gar Ragland, NewSong Music’s executive director, for an album to be released under the NewSong Recordings label.
Kilgour also was the winner of the 2015 LEAF Newsong Contest in North Carolina and a finalist in last year’s Telluride Troubadour Competition. Noted singer-songwriter Catie Curtis is producing Kilgour’s crowd-funded album, which is set for release later this year.
Dizzo stepping down; Homegrown looking for new director
After the 2016 Homegrown Music Festival, Walt Dizzo will be retiring from the executive director role. The board of directors is looking for someone to take over!
If you think you might fit the bill, check out the description and application. Deadline is Feb. 15.
Poll: Best Play or Musical of 2015
Which Duluth-area theater production made your little Greek mask laugh or weep the most last year?
This poll has closed. The results were:
Renegade Theater Company’s Eastland – 44 percent
Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre’s Shrek – 31 percent
Duluth Playhouse’s Mary Poppins – 25 percent
Myers-Wilkins and Lincoln Park Experiences
My family and I are currently considering a home in the Myers-Wilkins / Lincoln Park / Denfeld school boundary and are looking for some first-hand experiences. We definitely do not want to open enroll. We like the idea of our daughter going to school with her neighbors and I don’t want to be driving her to and from school every day.
I have heard mixed things about Myers-Wilkins, but as of right now, we feel OK about potentially sending our daughter there (she is 1, so it’ll be a few years). Same for Denfeld, but I would love to hear some first-hand experiences.
My mom used to work at Lincoln Park Middle School about 15 or so years ago and her experience left much to be desired. I have heard recently of some people pulling their kids out of Lincoln Park (all second hand stories) because of bullying problems. We are of the mentality that if she has good parents at home, she will do fine anywhere; however, we don’t want to send her somewhere we know could cause problems during middle school, and we all know how awesome middle school is…
I am hoping to hear of some positive experiences, since I have pretty much only come across negative opinions (none of them first hand), but any and all opinions are welcome and appreciated!
Cider in Duluth?
Although off the beaten path, I enjoy Endion Station‘s cider selection. Is there anywhere else in town with a comparable cider menu?
Video Archive: Osa and Elmo Are in Love
Video from 2005 by Starfire. Music by Elmo and Bjork.
The Plays of 2015
Before we launch PDD’s poll to determine the best play or musical of 2015, we present this list of every play or musical from the past year we could track down, with the hope that you’ll let us know in the comments if we’ve forgotten any.
Avenue Q – The Underground
Banning Around the Christmas Tree, or, The Last Noel of Don Ness – Rubber Chicken Theater
The Barber of Seville – Lyric Opera of the North
Behind the Shining Star – Duluth Playhouse Theatre for Young Audiences
The Birds – Renegade Theater Company
Blithe Spirit – St. Scholastica Theatre (more…)
This Week: Cannons, Cowbell and more
Here’s a bit of what you’ll find on this week’s PDD Calendar:
The 38th Atmore Memorial Ski Race is happening at Spirit Mountain, Dance Attic is at Papa Charlie’s at Lutsen, the Northern Lights Foundation raises money by asking for More Cowbell, the All Black Zine is having a release show at Prove Gallery and a bunch of noisy rock bands are playing to benefit a future festival.
The Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre brings James and his giant peach to the stage, Loose Cannons are still loose after all these years, Bayfront Park is the place for fire, hot chocolate and skating, it’s art for and by musicians at Studio 15, rapper Dem Atlas slings the verses at the Red Herring and Guerilla Girls bring their gorilla-masked selves to town.
PDD Quiz: Mayors of Duluth
[This quiz was embedded from a platform that is no longer available.]
As we transition from the Don Ness era to the Emily Larson era, this edition of the PDD Quiz focuses on Duluth mayoral history.
Thanks to Jake La Jeunesse and Paul Lundgren for contributing to this week’s quiz.
Video Archive: Megadeth in the DECC Auditorium, June 21, 1998
This post originally contained an hour and a half of grainy video of Megadeth in Duluth, shot by Ronaldo Rodrigues Paravani. At some point the video was removed from YouTube.
Selective Focus: Cabin Fever
Aaron Reichow, untitled
While it has been too warm to be stuck inside contracting the negative strain of cabin fever (Winter will no doubt find us), this week we can emphasize the phrase’s positive connotations. Such retreats represent our desires to simplify, to get away from the dissonance and clutter of what we ordinarily deem important. They foreground necessity and diminish the superfluous, and manifest our plainest requirements for dwelling; heat, light, a water source, a welcoming entry, maybe a window to gaze from or peer into. (more…)
Video: Duluth Inauguration 2016
01:00 – Duluth’s Chief Administrative Officer David Montgomery recognizes outgoing city councilors Sharla Gardner, Jennifer Julsrud and Linda Krug.
04:09 – Sixth District Judge Leslie E. Beiers swears in newly elected councilors Joel Sipress, Gary Anderson, Em Westerlund, Elissa Hansen and Noah Hobbs.
07:40 – Former Duluth Poet Laureate Deborah Cooper reads “We All Wake to the Same Sun.”
11:08 – Outgoing Duluth Mayor Don Ness’ exit speech.
18:22 – Mayor Emily Larson recites the oath of office.
21:35 – Mayor Larson’s speech.
OMC Smokehouse anticipates November opening
Duluth Grill owner Tom Hanson stands in the gutted 1886 structure that will house his next restaurant venture.
If all goes as planned, the nascent commercial stretch of the Lincoln Park neighborhood — home to Bent Paddle Brewing, Damage Boardshop and Frost River Trading — will gain a distinctive new restaurant before the end of 2016.
OMC Smokehouse is Duluth Grill owner Tom Hanson’s latest project. OMC stands for oink, moo, cluck. The aptly named eatery will cater to carnivores with its smoked meats and cured sausages, but Hanson promises there will be menu items aimed at vegetarians, too. (more…)
Perfect Album of 2015: Low’s Ones and Sixes
The latest evidence of the ubiquity of Alan Sparhawk: Not only did his band Low gain the most votes in PDD’s poll to determine the best local album of 2015 for its release Ones and Sixes, Sparhawk also produced the Social Disaster album Dark Side of the Roller Rink, which finished a close second in the voting.
But that’s kind of what we expect from the icon of Duluth’s music scene.
For Low’s 11th studio album — its fourth on the Seattle-based Sub Pop Records label — the band teamed with producer BJ Burton and recorded at April Base Studios in Eau Claire. As usual, Sparhawk handles the guitar work and shares vocals with his wife, drummer Mimi Parker. It’s their third album with bassist Steve Garrington.
Ones and Sixes is perhaps the band’s most spiritual-sounding music yet, though not in a denominational sort of way. The songs are filled with soul and strain. Like every Low album, critics have labeled it a departure, while at the same time noting it’s unmistakably Low. Perhaps therein lies the soul and strain. When music critics have a tough time putting a finger on it, it’s usually a great thing that’s happening in the headphones. (more…)
The story of Duluth’s Best Bread: Sourdough in lieu of a PhD
I recently spent a day trying out the role of assistant baker for Duluth’s Best Bread. The amount of time and effort that goes into their scrumptious goodness defies belief. Furthermore, the simple ingredients that go into a traditional sourdough are completely unimpressive. The real feat is accomplished by the wild yeast and lactobacilli that run wild in a symbiotic relationship through Michael Lillegard’s time-tested method of cold fermentation. (more…)