Student Productions, New Works

As a faculty member, I get word of lots of student productions. Here are two worth thinking about.
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ArtRandom

R.I.P. Frankie’s Tavern

Frankie's Pool Table

The Tower Avenue bar known for karaoke and bloody Mary’s is winding down operations. Owner Frank Rozowski Jr. is retiring and selling the building. (more…)

R.I.P.Bars / Drinking EstablishmentsSuperior
Fond-du-Luth Casino: Friday
Casey Carbert

Where in Duluth? #125

MysteriousTurtle

PhotosWhere in Duluth?

PhTSD

West Duluth Pizza Hut

So I’m on the way home two weeks ago and sitting at the traffic light in on Central and Grand thinking I’m having some strange wish sandwich, déjà vu flashback episode. I know the post-traumatic Pizza Hut syndrome can be resurgent, but I swear they took the sign down months ago. Am I crazy?

News and Current AffairsQueriesWest Duluth
Pizza Luce: The Stelvio
Grandma\'s YAF Wednesday Races

6.5-million Bottles of Beer on the Wall: A tally of annual craft brew production in the Duluth area

Schlemiel Schlimazel

The Arrowhead region of northeastern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin boasts 15 craft breweries and brewpubs, producing nearly 20,000 barrels of convivial suds annually. For perspective, that’s about 600,000 gallons or 40,000 kegs or 5 million pints or 6.5 million 12-ounce bottles and cans. (more…)

News and Current AffairsBeer and Breweries

Mickey Smith – Harboured

[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]

Duluth native Mickey Smith discusses her art exhibit, Harboured, which was on display in February at the Enjoy Public Art Gallery in Wellington, New Zealand. (more…)

ArtVideos
Downtown Duluth: Movies in the Park
Pier B Resort: Courtside Concerts

Selective Focus: Sanctuary

Kip Praslowicz

Kip Praslowicz, “Basement- Silver City”

I would have found this week’s theme of sanctuary difficult, because to me the idea involves something more comprehensive. How do you take an image of an intangible concept like a community, comprised of myriad people and places where you feel secure and able to be your best self, and supported even when you occasionally fall shy of that measure? (more…)

ArtPhotosSelective Focus

In case anyone is wondering how we do things around here …

How we do things at Duluth

HistoryPostcards
Downtown Duluth: Movies in the Park
Fond-du-Luth Casino: Friday

Duluth Band Profile: Feeding LeRoy

Feeding Leroy PPD ThumnailFeeding LeRoy mixes the songwriting and vocal abilities of Lee Martin and Sonja Bjordal. They explain how traveling across the country lays the foundation for the song “Desert Air” and their future plans. Click on the image above to hear the interview.

MusicBand ProfilesFeeding LeRoy

Superior Siren – “Leone”

The new video from Superior Siren is produced by Killy Kay. The track “Leone” appears on the 2014 EP Lotus in the Muck.

MusicVideosIlly KillySuperior Siren
Casey Carbert
Fond-du-Luth Casino: Friday

Jeff Galloway run/walk/run training group in Duluth

If you’re looking at running Grandma’s and/or Whistlestop half or full marathons this year, there’s a new training program available for both races. It’s a group using the Jeff Galloway method of run/walk/run. This is a great method for beginning runners as well as people who are injury prone but want to continue to run the longer races. Visit active.com to register and find more information and details. (more…)

SportsRunning

What happened to that poster from R.T. Quinlan’s men’s room?

Having spent several hours at R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon on Sunday, I was reminded of the framed poster that used to hang outside the toilet stall in the men’s room, next to the urinal. I thought there was a good chance an image of it might be available on the Internet somewhere, but my searches for “classic bathtubs, breasts” yielded only distractions. (more…)

HistoryMysteriesQueriesR.T. Quinlan's Saloon
Vision Pro: Clear Vision
Grandma\'s YAF Wednesday Races

Tenancy Questions: Pets, etc.

A friend of mine is in a state of post-graduation flux. He’s been asked to renew his lease. He has days to decide. He might be relocating, so renewing is committing before he knows what his job prospects are.

1. He may know within a few weeks. How does one sweet-talk a landlord into extending a lease for a few months? (more…)

RandomPetsQueries

Duluth Band Profile: Superior Siren

Superior SirenLaura Sellner works under the alias Superior Siren. In this interview she opens up about the story behind her song “Leone” and her plans to take Superior Siren into bolder directions. Click on the image above to hear the interview.

MusicBand ProfilesSuperior Siren
Downtown Duluth: Movies in the Park

The hunt for a wireless provider in Duluth

We’re ready to ditch Dish and are looking to go wireless-only at our house (no cable package). Are there any good companies providing wireless (besides Clearwire) in Duluth these days?

RandomInternet Service ProvidersQueries

This Week: Bigfoot, Little Big Town and more

Untitled design
Here’s a bit of what you’ll find on this week’s PDD Calendar:

The Zodiac Trio hits Mitchell Auditorium, the Duluth Public Library is throwing a Lego party, Duluth MakerSpace wants to introduce you to the Electric Imp, Bigfoot may or may not be out there, the famous modern-country act Little Big Town is at the Amsoil and Love, Loss, and What I Wore opens at the Underground.

As if that wasn’t enough, Mason Jennings is at Sacred Heart, Sleeping Beauty is at the DECC, there are derbies of the roller and puzzle variety and Mentor Duluth is throwing a music festival.

Events
Vision Pro: Clear Vision
Weis Eye Center

2015 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship

2015 NCAA Division Men’s Hockey Championship

The UMD Bulldogs drew the Minnesota Gophers in the first round of the NCAA National Hockey Championship Playoffs. The ‘Dogs have faced the Gophers four times this season, winning three and losing one. They play 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 27, at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H., on ESPNU/WatchESPN.  Go Bulldogs! (more…)

SportsHockeyUMD

The Boomchucks – “Antidote”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=868D_e4nCw0

Presenting the title track from the new album by Duluth band the Boomchucks, set for release later in 2015.

MusicVideosThe Boomchucks
Barrel Room Smokehouse
Fond-du-Luth Casino: Friday

“I thought I got this at a wrestling convention in Duluth”

The Duluth reference here is likely intended to be Duluth, Ga., since the Chris Stevens character on Northern Exposure is a native of Wheeling, W.Va., and any wrestling convention he attended would probably have been during his years at Wheeling Central Catholic High School. (Assuming “convention” means “tournament” — it could also mean a gathering of popular wrestlers signing autographs or some other thing.) The distance from Wheeling is great in either direction, however — 650 miles to Duluth, Ga., and 950 miles to Duluth, Minn.

VideosReferences to Duluth in Film/TV or Other Media

Duluth ranks among “Best College Towns to Live in Forever”

College Ranker has sorted the nation’s college towns based on how “things like community, neighborhoods, schools” and other aspects create a place that is “attractive in retaining students who graduate from local colleges.” Duluth came in at #22. For some reason, UMD is the only one of the handful of colleges in the area that receives a mention in the text.

22 - Duluth MN

News and Current AffairsUMD
Pier B Resort: Courtside Concerts
Fond-du-Luth Casino: Friday

Anthony Bennett – “Natural Disaster” (live on The PlayList)

Anthony Bennett performs “Natural Disaster” from his album Hello Cruel World on the March 19 episode of WDSE-TV’s The PlayList.

MusicVideosAnthony BennettThe PlayList

A little spring frolic on the North Shore

Video shot and produced by Buchholz Media.

OutdoorsVideosGooseberry FallsNorth Shore of Lake Superior
Weis Eye Center
Pier B Resort: Courtside Concerts

Selective Focus: Spring

aaron

Aaron Reichow, untitled

Well that was abrupt. Two weeks ago I was freezing in Two Harbors, knee-deep in snow. This week there is an impromptu river running down 3rd West, and I sunned like a seal on the rocks of Observation Hill. Truthfully, it has made me immoderately crazy; grateful, but yes, kinda unhinged (bonus points this week to Aaron, whose image featured above includes a meta-Narum). (more…)

ArtPhotosSelective Focus

Banner Photo Info: Where’s the Party?

pdd-banner_21

I found the graphic of all the banner photos, which was great fun to look at.  But I want to know: what’s going on in this photo?  Obviously a somber gathering, but what are the details? Of course, apologies if I just didn’t search well enough.

HistoryPhotosLincoln Park Neighborhood / The Friendly West EndQueries
Vision Pro: Clear Vision

Northern Lights!

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The aurora borealis started off early last night as soon as the sun had set. I captured this image just outside of the Duluth city limits. Enjoy!

OutdoorsPhotosNorthern Lights