Homegrown 2014 – Biochemical Characters
The Biochemical Characters lit up Amazing Grace with their blazing set of Boreal Spirituals Friday night. I believe.
Homegrown Kickball Classic 2014
As a cold wind blew heavy gusts across Observation Hill, Homegrown musicians representing the Friday-night bands blew their game-long lead, losing the 2014 Homegrown Kickball Classic to the Saturday team in extra innings by a score of 6-4.
That’s one version of the story, at least. By the time it was over, no one seemed to truly understand what happened out there.
For the second year in a row, cruel and unusual weather conditions forced the kickball game away from its traditional location at Chester Bowl Park. The alternate venue, a shabby baseball field at Observation Park, had its fair share of environmental hazards, including a 20-foot-wide, ankle-deep mud puddle in between third base and home plate. If anyone was going to score, they were going to have to pay the price.
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Fred Tyson Sex Workshop
Duluth’s own father of sex, Fred Tyson, presented his Sex Workshop Friday night during Homegrown at the Rex Bar. His fast footwork, velvety voice and magical smile brought concert goers on a sexual journey not soon to be forgotten. (more…)
The Polar Bear Challenge
A few days ago, I arrived home to find my 17-year-old son in a swimsuit waiting for two friends to arrive. One was coming to film, the other was coming to join my son in a dunk in the water.
Not just dumb teenage behavior! The two had been “challenged” by other friends to do this, and those friends had already done the dunk. My son got to pick his own two people to challenge, and so it goes.
Since then, I’ve seen at least four pairs of swimsuit-clad young people desperately searching for open water. Generally there’s another person with a video camera, because as you know, if it isn’t filmed and posted on social media, well it didn’t really happen. I’ve seen them on Park Point near the S-Curve, and just today at the Cribs off the Lakewalk.
If everyone who does this challenges two more people to do it, well watch out because the challenge is coming to you.
Anyone else seen or experienced this?
Smokehaus on Wheels
Beginning May 5, Northern Waters Smokehaus sandwiches will be available by bike. We began developing this fantasy years ago, spurred by intense store congestion and the problematic nature of (car) delivery from dead center in Canal Park, where not much speed is possible during the summer months because of the bridge and the gawkers.
Reactions to this plan have ranged from a scale of “awesome” to “that’s hilarious.” While most people seem to really dig the green aspects of ped-powered delivery, many feel that biking in Duluth (in general) is risky. Sometimes it seems that, perhaps due to the lack of bike lanes/awareness, the mere sight of a biker in the traffic lane pisses drivers off. Our bikers are very experienced and bike in Duluth nearly year-round. They know the rules, the dangers, and the potential for road-rage. But this kind of delivery is still an experiment here. As is our policy at the Smokehaus, we hope we mostly delight the public.
What do you think, PDDers? Is rapid-fire bike delivery a viable venture in our frosty little luge track? And speaking of frosty, how insane would it be to offer it year-round?
Homegrown Music Video Fest 2014
Year #6: Back in February, participants picked a band/song out of Walt Dizzo’s bucket, and 13 people followed through by delivering videos before April 21. Here’s a page with all the video links that were sent to PDD, in the order that they played Monday and Tuesday nights. If any of the participants have others posted to YouTube or Vimeo and want to send us the link, we’ll add them to the list.
There will be one more screening Sunday, May 4, 2 pm at Chester Creek Cafe.
Happy 60th anniversary, Sammy’s Pizza
It all began 60 years ago. Sam and Louise Perrella moved their small cafe from Keewatin to Hibbing. And with that move, expanded the menu with pizza. Sam had learned about the Italian item from the men who worked in the mines.
Homegrown Kickball
The 2014 Homegrown kickball game is officially being relocated to Observation Park.
Tim Kaiser CD Release at Homegrown
Holy Water – Myths for Man is the latest release by Tim Kaiser. Having been out on tour, it was too late to get into the Field Guide, so here it is on PDD. Super limited edition in custom-made case. Available during Homegrown Friday, May 2, at Teatro. Enjoy in the privacy of your own home. We won’t tell.
An open letter to Mayor Ness and the Duluth City Council
Home sweet home? photo: Deb Holman
April 27, 2014
TO: Duluth Mayor Don Ness
Duluth City Council
FROM: Concerned people of Duluth
At its first meeting of the year, the Duluth City Council, with the support of Mayor Ness, unanimously passed a resolution supporting a Homeless Bill of Rights and committing the City to take bold action to end homelessness.
Three months later, the city has not appointed a single person to the Human Rights Commission, the body tasked with implementing the resolution. In recent days, Mayor Ness has been quoted by the Duluth News-Tribune calling housing projects for the chronically homeless a “distraction,” and urging Duluth to “stay focused on market-rate housing.”
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Homegrown 2014 on KUMD
As always KUMD, Duluth Public Radio, will feature performers from Duluth’s Homegrown Music Festival Live from Studio A all week long. We’ll also feature a two-hour edition of the Local, Wednesday from 5-7pm, featuring Mary Bue, the Crunchy Bunch, and maybe more.
Homegrown Live from Studio A Schedule:
Monday: 2pm Steve Johnson [Listen]
Tuesday: 2pm Tin Can Gin [Listen]
Wednesday: noon Thunder Brothers [Listen], 2pm Wood Blind [Listen]
Thursday: noon Brother George [Listen], 2pm Timothy Martin and the New Norm [Listen]
Friday: noon Silk Sheiks, 1pm Getarounds, 2pm Amy Abts of Extinct Gingers
This week: tastes like chicken
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Blah blah blah Homegrown. Blah blah all week blah over 200 bands blah blah. Blah blah PDD Chicken app. Yadda yadda yadda.
Believe it or not, there are other things going on in town, too!
Emily Woster (inventor of the PDD Bingo Sheet) is presenting on Anne of Green Gables at the Nordic Center on Tuesday. And speaking of that feisty fictional red head, Wise Fool opens its production of Anne of Green Gables at the UWS Manion Theater on Friday.
And that’s not the only theater going on! Much Ado About Nothing opens at East High School on Thursday and All in the Timing opens at Marshall on Friday while Pride & Prejudice continues at Harbor City and Damn Yankees continues at UMD.
For the outdoorsy types, Hartley Nature Center is having an Outdoor Expo on Saturday and Camp Miller is having an open house on Sunday with all sorts of activities.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
The Figures
Happy Homegrown Duluth! I had to send a contribution from afar. I wanted to premiere my first short film on PDD. It’s a spooky little thing filmed in Duluth during a brief visit I made in 2014. The soundtrack is by myself and Eric Lyman, we record as Pale Wall. This film may be best viewed around 3 a.m. with a warm blanket. Cheers.
If you want this in your collection I have artfully packaged DVDs available. Contact jhuntzinger @ gmail.com
World Book Night 2014 in Duluth
Every year since 2012, on April 23, which is William Shakespeare’s birthday, volunteers across the country spread out and give away special editions of books to unsuspecting citizens. It’s a campaign to promote literacy and the importance of people having access to books, no matter their circumstances.
This year, I gave away copies of Peter Geye’s The Lighthouse Road, which is a novel set in early 20th-century Duluth and on the North Shore. I figured it would resonate with anyone who lives here or would like to live here. As I’ve done since this initiative was launched, I blogged about my experiences for Publishers Weekly magazine. Did anyone else give out books on World Book Night this year? If so, I’d love to hear your stories!
Bear
In early spring, bear moms often “park” their tiny cubs in or next to a tall “refuge tree” while they go off to forage. The cubs can climb to safety if they feel threatened, and can sleep up in the branches, out of harm’s way, while they wait for mom to return. Mom may be gone for a while. Read more about “refuge trees” here.
Wildwoods got a call yesterday morning about a small cub all by herself. After touching base with Dr. Rogers at the Bear Center, we’ve asked the folks who called about the cub to keep an eye on her from a distance, while keeping curious onlookers, dogs, etc., away. We want to give mom every chance to come back and reclaim her cub. (more…)
Net neutrality under attack
The Federal Communications Commission is once again planning to put an end to net neutrality. I can’t weigh in on the geek end of this issue, but it is surely a bad idea, considering that print and broadcast media are so tightly controlled, with six corporations owning 90 percent of U.S. media. Big Money should not be able to control internet traffic. What to do?
Homegrown Music Festival 2014 Primer
Duluth’s 16th annual showcase of devil music is upon us. We present here the final rundown of tidbits you need to know to maximize your ability to navigate the eight-day 200-band shitshow. Have fun, and don’t eat the brown lutefisk.
The URL for PDD’s Homegrown Chicken App for mobile devices is … calendar.perfectduluthday.com/homegrown.
The official Homegrown website should have everything else you need, and of course, there are Field Guides all over town. At the bottom of this post is an online version of the Field Guide.
There are a couple schedule changes to report:
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Roller Derby Victory!
Harbor City Roller Dames were victorious all around Saturday night! The HCRD Shipwreckers won their bout against Forx Roller Derby 295-112; I missed most of this bout, catching dinner with friends beforehand.
The HCRD Nautikills won their bout against Mid State Sisters of Skate 223-129! It was close in the beginning; the SOS seemed masterful at luring the dames into the penalty box, and they were skillful at keeping control of the lead jammer.
But no one is as flexible as the Dames, no team can adjust the way the dames can adjust, you know?
Special goodbye to the person who introduced me to local derby through a Nerd Nite presentation years ago, I think it was: Killer Cletah. This was her retirement bout, and I will miss her terribly, despite being greeted with “Good to see you, Sir.”
Video Archive: Homegrown Kickball 2004
Ahhh … the fresh spring air, clogged lungs and diseased livers. Scenes from the Homegrown Music Festival Kickball Classic of a decade ago, and the after-party at the Shaky Ray. The song is Bone Appetit’s “Drive Away.” Video shot and edited by Barrett Chase.
Homegrown Banners
We’re looking for new Homegrown photo banners to run across the top of PDD during the festival. Photos shot at last year’s festival are the best candidates, but if there are compelling images of preparations for this year, I suppose that’s fair game too. For full details on banner submissions, click here. The basic info is the image must be 960 pixels wide by 167 pixels high. The Perfect Duluth Day logo will be added by PDD’s art department. Send them to banners @ perfectduluthday.com.
The Homegrown banners will replace the regular banner photos at the top of the page starting Sunday.
Duluth Band Profile: Dad’s Acid
Dad’s Acid mixes the surf-rock of the 1960s with the swagger of the Cramps. Nikki Moeller and Jake Swanson mention how the song “Surf’s Up Minnesota” cornerstones the EP First Trip. Click on the link above to hear the interview and click on the link for the band’s video “Red Surf.”
Calling Out
Based on a silly little piece of literature by Paul Lundgren. Directed by Pat Fischer and Collin Goodspeed. Starring Rob Larson.
Thanks to the folks at the PlayList for arranging this weird dream.