R.I.P. Charlie Bell
Eyewitness News: Duluth businessman Charlie Bell dies
Northland’s NewsCenter: Well-known Duluth business leader Charlie Bell dies
Duluth News Tribune: Duluth businessman, former mayoral candidate Charlie Bell dead at 64
(more…)Duluth Band Profile: Vivielle
Duluth’s Vivielle blends two-part vocal harmony with the lo-fi approach of Sebadoh. The four-piece is made up of brothers Lino and Joe Rauzi, Rosalie Uggla and primary songwriter Nat Harvie. The band just released the single “Time Falls Apart.”
Click the image above to hear an exclusive interview with Vivielle’s Nate Harvie as he describes performing in Duluth.
New Seed Math album “Four Three Five”
Attenzione!
Ten years back, I put out four albums of electronic-type stuff as “Seed Math,” and, today, I’m releasing the fifth album by that project. It’s available as a pay-what-you-want deal over at Bandcamp. Click the link to acquire!
Perfect Play or Musical of 2013: Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre’s Cats
It was a big year for Duluth theater in 2013, with eight productions receiving a significant number of votes for the honor of best play or musical. In the end, the Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre production of Cats emerged as the favorite.
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Whole Foods Co-op in West Duluth, a/k/a WFC – Denfeld
Here’s how the Whole Foods Co-op broke the news about its new store on Feb. 24:
The future location of Duluth’s second Whole Foods Co-op will be 4426 Grand Ave. It will be a 7,000-square-foot store.
Duluth reference in Best Man Down
The majority of the 2013 film Best Man Down is set in Lutsen, though none of it was shot north of Forest Lake. In this scene, Duluth is referenced briefly in the dialogue while the Northland’s NewsCenter’s Michelle Lee is on the television in the background.
This week: hockey, sailing and poetry
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Dug out yet?
Everything’s going to be shiny at Zinema 2 tonight with the launch of Browncoat Mondays. See all of Joss Whedon’s Firefly for free with related presentations by local scholars and enthusiasts.
Duluth Pack continues its Outdoor Adventure Series on Tuesday with Katya and Mark Gordon talking about sailing with their small daughters for months at a time on the ocean.
It’s championship high school hockey time with Hermantown vs. Marshall on Wednesday and Duluth East vs. Elk River on Thursday at Amsoil Arena.
Nerd Nite is back after months in mothballs with a return to its original venue, Teatro Zuccone, on Wednesday with nerdy presentations on 007, Sherlock Holmes and Star Wars collectibles.
Need to get away from winter in Duluth? Go celebrate winter in Bayfield! The Bayfield Winter Festival runs Friday through Sunday.
Spirit Lake Poetry presents its annual St. David’s Day Open Reading at The Underground this Saturday.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
Duluth Mystery Photo #6: Snowdrift Family
This image seems timely considering recent weather in Duluth, but it’s actually from 1935. It’s an “Illustrated Current News” poster, published by the Marlin Co. The website bonanza.com is selling it for twenty bucks under the headline “1935 news poster: Duluth Minnesota snowstorm; Farnam family ice home.”
The caption on the poster reads something like: “The family of Clinton Farnam was completely isolated during a recent snowstorm … (then it gets hard to read) … they had to dig a tunnel from the doorway to the roadway, which (blurry again) … Photo shows family with friends just after they had evacuated themselves.”
So, this week’s mystery is less of a mystery than usual, but can anyone fill in the blurry parts of the caption and tell us more about Clinton Farnam, his family, and the snowstorm of 1935?
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Painting in the BWCA
Duluth artist Ken Marunowski describes the process of making a wilderness landscape painting.
Duluth Humans of New York
Somehow I missed that Duluth was mentioned on the popular Facebook Page, Humans of New York. Presently 3.2 million are fans of the page, which inspired a bestselling book of the same name. What can we learn about Duluthians in this post? We’re hardworkers who care about the women in our lives.
Fun While it Lasted
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xNo5Vne07o
People’s Free Duluth Skate Rink now closed for the season, obliterated by snowpacalypse. Here we see it in its heyday, as well as its ignominious conclusion.
“I’ve been to Duluth” in The Great Outdoors
Here is another Duluth-in-the-movies sighting. From the 1988 film The Great Outdoors, starring John Candy and Dan Aykroyd. This shirt is worn by the camp host at the beginning of the movie.
Snow Swimming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSoT5R4bnXQ
Shanesaw and Scuba Steve have a little fun during today’s snow day.
It’s not the snowfall, it’s the snowdrifts
“It’s not the snowfall, it’s the snowdrifts.” I just realized that’s kind of a northcountry version of “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.”
I give yesterday’s storm about a 6 out of 10 for Duluth snowstorms in terms of intensity and general nastiness. However, I think this might be the biggest drift I’ve encountered in the 12 years I’ve been at this house.
httpv://youtu.be/1V4tdVVVYO8
Diorama-rama – March 29
Sarah Heimer says: “Hello all! Getting the word out that the Diorama-rama is happening this year on March 29 at Sacred Heart! This a call out to anyone/everyone interested in making a diorama for a super fun one night show. (For those of you who don’t know … a diorama is a box with a scene inside it.) Anyone is welcome to make and show one, the more the merrier! They can be any shape, size, theme that you want. It will be a night of music and art and fun and it only happens once every two years. Feel free to contact me for more info. Tell your friends!”
Duluth Band Profile: Wolf Blood
Duluth’s Wolf Blood combines heavy riffs with thrashy doom. Consisting of bassist Brian Wells, guitarists Mike Messina and Mindy Johnson, and drummer Jake Paulsrud, the band has just released a 7-track cassette. With songs ranging from “Witch” to “Dancing on Your Grave,” listeners should be prepared for a wall of sound.
Click the image above to hear an exclusive interview with Wolf Blood members as they describe the band’s sound.
Video Archive: 1989 Denfeld Hockey
It’s been 25 years since Denfeld played in the 1989 Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. Through the miracle of shaky old VHS tapes, we take a look back. Above is the gloriously cheesy video profiling the school, produced for between-period entertainment.
Below are local TV news highlights of Denfeld’s route to the tournament. (more…)
Best Play or Musical of 2013 (Final Ballot)
Of the 18 plays or musicals originally nominated for this poll, three have advanced to the final ballot — Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Cats and The Pillowman. Now it’s time to pick the winner.
[poll id=”64″]
This poll is now closed. The results were:
Cats (Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre) – 42.3 percent
The Pillowman (Renegade Theater Co.) – 33.3 percent
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Renegade Theater Co.) – 24.4 percent
Ideology and Ambivalent Ethics and More
I was lucky enough this week to attend the Pervert’s Guide to Ideology at the Zinema2 on Tuesday. It was a frustratingly joyous experience.
Fly Fishing Movie – Rivers of a Lost Coast extended trailer
If any of you are like me and love the art of fly fishing, this new movie (Rivers of a Lost Coast) may interest you. There is something about grabbing your fly rod and box of flies in search of the illusive North Shore steelhead or casting dries for that beautiful trout on your favorite stream or lake. Fly fishing truly does have a unique way of connecting us to nature as evident in this new film. Tight lines!
At the turn of the 20th Century, a handful of pioneers carried their fly rods into California’s remote north coast and gave birth to a culture that would revolutionize their sport. For a select few, steelhead fly fishing became an obsessive pursuit without compromise.
Rivers of a Lost Coast is a new documentary that looks at our relationship to nature through the eyes of the most fabled angling community in American history. This surprisingly touching film was recently labeled a must see by the San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Times.
Fish fry Fridays???
I see Tycoons has a new Friday Fish Fry. What are the other Fish Fry Fridays in the Duluth / Superior / South Shore / North Shore area? I’m willing to drive a while if the fish is good … any suggestions?
Ice Dam Cam
The shovel cam has been repurposed into the ice dam cam. It’s not nearly as fun as the shovel cam, it’s frustratingly hard to use, depressing and doesn’t get much done.
Poll: Best Play or Musical of 2013
This poll is now closed. The three plays advancing to the final ballot are:
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson – Renegade Theater Co.
Cats – Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre
The Pillowman – Renegade Theater Co.
The other nominees were:
Almost, Maine – Duluth Playhouse
Burnt Part Boys – Renegade Theater Co.
Collected Stories – Duluth Playhouse at the Underground
Everything You’ve Done That Hurt Me – one-man performance by Jonathan Manchester
Frozen – Duluth Playhouse at the Underground
God of Carnage – Duluth Playhouse
Godspell – Duluth Playhouse
How the Grinch Shut Down Christmas, or, I Saw Rudolph Twerking Santa Claus – Rubber Chicken Theater
Last Summer at Bluefish Cove – UMD Theater
Merry Wives of Windsor – Wise Fool Shakespeare
Metamophoses – Duluth Playhouse
The Princess Bride (live read) – Rubber Chicken Theater
Seussical the Musical – St. Scholastica Theatre
Tuesdays With Morrie – Duluth Playhouse at the Play Ground
Getting to the Bottom of the Proposed Polymet Mine Part 2, Winona LaDuke
After much, much hand wringing and editing and processing and sweating and arguing with myself, here is a passable video of the lecture by Winona LaDuke that was delivered on Feb. 8 at the College of St. Scholastica. I think that the message she is sharing is important to hear and try to understand, whether or not you agree with her conclusions. One of her central theses seems is that people have been living and thriving in this region for thousands of years and in the past 100 or 200 years there have been significant and undesirable, even toxic, changes to the land, the waters, and the creatures and people who populate this region.
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