For the kiddos!

I just wanted to share with you all a book my wife and I published called Elephant and Hare. She wrote the story based a Maasai folk tale her grandmother told her when she was a little girl growing up in Kenya. I drew the pictures.

It went on sale this morning at our website: LetsGoSafariKids.com

Cheers!
=Hans Johnson (former Duluthian)

Sound Unseen Duluth Film+Music Festival Opening Night is Wednesday, June 2

The staff at Sound Unseen are both very anxious, nervous and incredibly excited to kick-off Duluth’s inaugural international film + music festival at Sacred Heart Music Center! If you are still on the fence about what to do Wednesday night, let us remind you that we’re premiering two films at our Opening Night: locally produced Google Goes to Twin Ports and Feed the Fish!

Tommy, can you hear me?

Tommy Poster

Presented by Renegade Theater Company, with the Cartier Insurance Agency, 95.7 the Bridge and 102.5 the Northland’s Classic Rock FM
Music and Lyrics by Pete Townshend
Book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff
Directed by Andy Bennett

The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The original Broadway production was nominated for 10 Tony awards. Now, Northland audiences will experience the original rock opera like never before. Local performers join forces with area rock group Cars & Trucks to present one of the greatest albums of all time on stage in a new, thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime production.

Follow Tommy as he changes from a deaf, dumb and blind boy to a pinball champion to a modern messiah. Packed with dazzling spectacle, show-stopping choreography and high-energy rock and roll, this is a production that will astound every last one of your senses. You’ve never seen or heard Tommy like this before.

Memorial Day, the real deal.

I spent the holiday getting my tires/tie rods/alignment replaced/done. If that doesn’t say holiday, I don’t know what does. It was hours upon hours at the service center, me without my laptop and not much to do.

Guy comes in with a combat wounded plate. Service shop is finishing up his transaction and employee says, “Thanks for your service, were you in Nam?”

Turns out he was. Turns out the customer service guy was as well. They talk about locations/dates and it turns out that it is highly possible the guy selling tires once upon a time flew the customer in a helicopter someplace over the jungle in Vietnam. Wow, they can’t make this up. Pair of them tell a few stories, shake hands. Thank each other for their service.

A 20-something woman waiting in line behind the Vietnam vet is waiting less than patiently. Vet leaves. Woman says something like, “What’s all the fuss?”

Just another day at the auto repair shop.

Geography of National Geographic

Tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Duluth Art Institute Depot galleries: A tour and talk with Pat Farrell, Geography professor at UMD on the new exhibit: “National Geographic Greatest Portraits.”

Emergency Protest against Flotilla Murders 5pm Tuesday

On Tuesday, June 1, at 5 p.m., peace and justice activists in Duluth will gather at the Federal Building to denounce the Israeli government’s assault on the Gaza Freedom Convoy and call for an end to U.S. aid for Israel.

A Winter Downpour + Atlas Mts. + Hotel Coral Essex Saturday!

A Winter Downpour | Sat. June 5th @ Thirsty Pagan Brewing

A Winter Downpour made its Duluth debut this past May at “New Band Night” during the Homegrown Music Festival. Now we take the second step in becoming a certified Twin Ports band by crossing the bridge for our second show and playing at Thirsty Pagan. Hope to see you there. This is a free show. Plus our friends Atlas Mts. and The Hotel Coral Essex are joining us.

Sat. June 5th @ Thirsty Pagan
10pm | 21+ | Free
A Winter Downpour | Atlas Mts. | Hotel Coral Essex

The Hold Steady in Hayward July 2

We’re so excited, we’re doing back flips here! Of course, this is leading to serious injuries and skyrocketing group insurance rates, but here’s the skinny:

Community radio station WOJB is presenting The Hold Steady with special guests The Whigs from Athens GA and Milwaukee’s best kept secret, Jaill in concert July 2 at the Lac Courte Oreilles Convention Center, four miles east of Hayward at the junction of County Highways B & K.

And only 20 bucks in advance! Tickets are available at www.wojb.org or by Visa/MC over the phone at 800-776-3689.

Bill and Ted’s Oil Drilling Adventure

Stupid stupid stupid oil industry! If you thought all this crap was bad today, it was equally bad in 1979 (“equally bad” as in “the exact same fucking problem”).

That was Then, This is Then

Historic Duluth Armory photos

Historic Duluth Armory featured Paul Metsa and Danny Fox, the 2008 winner of the Hibbing Dylan Days singer/songwriter contest for the May 30 open house.

Click for more photos

Rubber #@$! Chicken presents David #$@%! Mamet’s “American $#&*!@# Buffalo”

May was a great time for homegrown music. June is shaping up to be the month for homegrown theater.

Rubber Chicken Theater presents
“American Buffalo” by David Mamet
June 3-5, 10-12, 17-19
7pm at The Venue at Mohaupt Block.
Directed by Minden Anderson
Featuring Tony Barrett, Brian Matuszak and Tate Haglund-Pagel
218-213-2780, rubberchickentheater.com

Beating a very dead horse

Confederate grave, Holly Springs, Mississippi, June 2007.

The News-Tribune had a nice editorial Sunday encouraging people to take time out to remember that Memorial Day was intended to include an element of solemnity, paying homage to those who have died in the service of the United States. I’m no jingo, but I generally embrace those sentiments. The editorial board erred in citing the nonprofit usmemorialday.org’s characterization of the origins of the tradition, however: “That inaugural Decoration Day, on May 30, 1868, drew some 5,000 Americans who helped place flowers and flags on the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery,” the group claims, imagining a scene of national reconciliation.

Things to Do Memorial Day Weekend

Big weekend ahead. Got plans? Here are some suggestions, assuming that you’re not heading off to hibernate at your cabin on the lake … though if you are reading this now, you really should be outside.

Dad’s Day Perfect Present

Mugs for sale via Etsy.com. The perfect Dad’s Day gift.

Ceramic Art by Lenni

WTF?!? (Puppy Edition)

A warning to all dog owners out there: some asshole is going around Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood poisoning dogs (DPD, DNT, Strib, Fox21, MPR). Unlike the dog-napper rumors, this appears to be real.

Watch your doggies, bring them to the vet if you notice symptoms, and keep an eye out for suspicious people giving your pets “treats.”

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!