The Surfactants — “Aussenseiter”

My son and I put this together at the last minute. As a result, it didn’t get shown at Zinema 2 last night during the Homegrown Music Video Festival and it won’t be shown at during the encore tonight … however, you can see it on Sunday at Chester Creek Cafe and you can watch the hell out of it on the web. Thanks to Annie Dugan for organizing another great event!

MusicVideosGeeky

Aaron Gall and the Likely Story – “White Boy Drunk”

This is Eric Dubnicka and Jessica Hall’s contribution to the Homegrown Music Video Festival. There is an encore presentation of the video festival Tuesday night at Teatro Zuccone and a double encore on Sunday at Chester Creek Cafe.

MusicVideosHomegrown Music Festival
Downtown Duluth: Movies in the Park
Lake Superior Harvest Festival

Volkswagen in Duluth

I am really thrilled that they were able to remodel and re-use the Saturn dealership by the mall as a Volkswagen dealership. According to local news reports, Volkswagen hasn’t had a presence around here for 20 years. Does anyone know who the last dealer in the area was? I’ve heard there was once a place on the hillside that sold Volkswagens. Does anyone recall that?

News and Current AffairsAutomobilesQueries

Advice along the way

We are hedging our bets that fuel will be down to under $3.00 a gallon come July, making a summer vacation affordable. All kidding aside, we are heading to Calgary for the big rodeo. We’ve got 3 weeks for the trip out and back. Could I get some advice from those of you who have been out that way?

(1) Thoughts on the route?
(2) Suggestions for campgrounds?
(3) Significant points of interest?

We’re pulling a tent-camper and do not need hookups. We can get by with primitive camp sites. Along with my wife, our two kids [6 and 8] will be making the trip.

OutdoorsRecommendations
Grandma\'s YAF MN Mile
Fond-du-Luth Casino: Wednesday Top it Off

Moving to Duluth – First Impressions

httpv://youtu.be/fx7PftneIMU

A video by Laura Prosser of UMD in which she interviews people about their first day in Duluth.

Videos

Homegrown 2012 on KUMD

It’s a busy Homegrown week on KUMD, 103.3. We’ll have Homegrown bands Live from Studio A every day, a four-band blitz on the Local Wednesday at 5, and a Local Music Download of the Day on our website. Find all the details at kumd.org.

EventsMusic
Downtown Duluth: Movies in the Park
Weis Eye Center

Quizzard. Slizzard. Gizzard.

MusicHomegrown Music FestivalWeird

Recommendations for a new gas hook up?

It’s still a couple weeks before I move back to town (second-time transplant) but I figured here would be a good place to get a recommendation for services.  I’m pretty handy around the house but when it comes to gas lines I’d rather leave it to the professionals.

I need to get a gas hook up for a stove put in (the house is on city gas lines, just doesn’t have a valve run for the stove).  The house currently has a broken electric stove, and if I have to replace it anyway, I’m going gas.  Sure I could look around online and make a list and just start calling for quotes … but I know there are a lot of knowledgeable people on here, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

Thanks in advance, all you helpful Duluthians!

Recommendations
Ashwabay Alliance / Big Top Chautauqua
Weis Eye Center

Dear Homegrown Diary

Sunday:

The mayor was late at Tycoons but, given his pre-proclamation speech involving the real/made-up story of Homegrown, which may or may not involve a story of fire-ring elves, makes sense and is forgiven.

Mr. Ness went on to win the Homegrown Pub Quiz at Carmody, leading to a who’s-who of wearing the chicken hat. Devon yelled well, and everyone got a prize.

For this old slag, the Repo Man-style back at Tycoons was worth an open-eyed listen after so many hemp-inspired ales.

There was much talk of slipping over to Luce, or back to Carmody. I’m sure readers can fill in.

Safe to say, it was a rowdy first night, leaving one to wonder if we all can hold out. I save my strength, it looks like Monday is here.

MusicHomegrown Music Festival

Duluth to California $40.22

From the Duluth News Tribune; Sept. 10, 1914 via The Oregonian Blog (pdf).

HistoryLost and Found
Pizza Luce: Dililio
Weis Eye Center

Willie the Warlock

Yesterday I was out at The Princess Bride with a couple of goslings and other uberfans at the Zinema for their excellent Saturday-morning-movies-for-the-whole-family series. That would have been awesome enough, but they threw in free juice boxes for the kids, but it got even better. In the place where we expected the opening previews, or maybe a video short to roll we were treated to this 2006 video, by Duluth’s Willie the Warlock

Willie the Warlock Youtube video

(more…)

ArtRecommendationsVideosGeekyMediaSappyWeird

Homegrown 2012 Resource Rundown

Today, ladies and gents, marks Day One of Homegrown: The Apocalypse. Homegrown banners are in rotation here at PDD, and you can still submit new ones if you’re so inclined. (more…)

MusicHomegrown Music Festival
Glensheen Lantern Tours 2026

Homegrown Band Count, 1999 to 2012

“Ten bands, then 25, then 40 and 50. It would be nice to see it plotted out.” — Homegrown Music Festival founder Scott Lunt in today’s Duluth News Tribune

Here it is, plotted out:

MusicHomegrown Music Festival

Duluth/Superior’s Best Fish Fry

Which restaurant has the best fish fry in Duluth and Superior? Include type of fish, type of breading, atmosphere … that sort of thing. Any help would be much appreciated.

RecommendationsRestaurantsFish and Fishing
Fond-du-Luth Casino: Wednesday Top it Off
Pizza Luce: Dililio

Private/semi-private ceramics lessons

Offering private (adult), semi-private lessons in ceramics (mom/child, dad/child), hand building, wheel throwing, extruding and hand building. Offering individual goals, with emphasis on techniques, ceramic art history, aesthetics, and just plain fun. $40 per hour plus materials and firing (which could be minimal). All with an outside view of Lake Superior, yes one can walk out and enjoy the view. Contact: lennilr @ hotmail.com

Birch Pottery by Lenni

Art

Open House at LDS

I spent part of Saturday at the Open House for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, just at the top of the hill. (more…)

Random
Pizza Luce: Dililio
Ashwabay Alliance / Big Top Chautauqua

Where In Duluth?

Where in Duluth?

Mont du Lac Snowboarding

SportsVideosMont du LacSkiing and Snowboarding
Pier B Resort: Rise and Dine
Glensheen Lantern Tours 2026

History of the Homegrown Chicken

We tracked down the origins of the Homegrown Music Festival chicken and interviewed the original artists.

Check out our photo slideshow and audio story at LakeVoice to see the evolution of the Chicken.

ArtEventsHistoryMusicBrian BarberChris MonroeCord DadaHomegrown Music FestivalLake Voice NewsZach Hammer

Where in Duluth?

Where in Duluth?
Pizza Luce: Dililio
Ashwabay Alliance / Big Top Chautauqua

Duluth’s job growth continues as Perfect Duluth Day adds half a position

As if recent news about AAR and Cirrus creating hundreds of jobs in Duluth’s aviation sector wasn’t enough, Perfect Duluth Day has announced the creation of one-half of a job in the important selling-square-boxes-on-the-right-column-of-websites sector. Yes, the Internet giant has launched a search for a part-time media sales representative.

Mayor Don Ness’ press conference regarding this major development is apparently still in the planning stages.

PDD Corporate President Paul Lundgren said the addition of this half job should put to rest any rumors that the popular website is considering leaving Duluth to take advantage of incentives offered by Hermantown and Esko.

“After months of working with city leaders, DEDA, APEX, the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, the West Duluth Business Club and for some reason the Duluth Amateur Hockey Association, we feel confident Duluth is the place to grow our business and add one half of a job,” Lundgren said, noting also that “interested candidates for the position can read a serious job description through the link embedded in this very sentence.”

The general public had no comment on the matter, because comments to this post are closed.

PDD Shop Talk

I wonder if Hibbing knows yet

MPR Story: Bob Dylan awarded National Medal of Freedom

“The release continues to describe Duluth native Dylan as…”

I’m waiting for a retraction but we’ll see what happens.

RandomBitchingBob Dylan
Glensheen Lantern Tours 2026
Vision Pro: Clear Vision

Duluth trails are now open

The city Parks and Recreation Dept. has determined trails are now dry enough for public use. Let the hiking and leashed dog walking commence.

Trail maps and info

Outdoors

TxT Tix

I’m wondering, why is Homegrown punishing Trampled by Turtles fans by making them pay an extra $20 to get in? Isn’t having to wait in line for 24+ hours going to be bad enough?

MusicBitchingHomegrown Music Festival
Pier B Resort: Rise and Dine
Glensheen Lantern Tours 2026

Haley Bonar with a *free EP download on NoiseTrade.com

Haley Bonar is giving away a sampler EP from her “Golder” album which came out last year. Haley claims MSP as her home these days but she has deep roots here in Duluth, too. If you want you can share some of those roots in the comments, I always love hearing that stuff. Especially after some folks have been doing so well on a larger stage lately. In fact, this seems like a fantastic week for music and acknowledgement for Duluth artists. We just became Duluth, MN home of Bob Dylan, Low AND Trampled by Turtles. Haley is another candidate for high pop culture level consciousness and success. This noisetrade promotion is good exposure for her, and us.

* Yes, she’s giving the EP away, but you can give her a tip if you want, also NoiseTrade will add you to their email list and they send out a lot of offers and opportunities (at least one a week). I don’t mind so much as a music lover, but you should know that going in.

MusicRecommendationsHaley Bonar