“36 Hours in Duluth, Minn”
New York Times, Aug. 5, 2005

9) Theater of the Variegated

You never know what to expect at the Historic NorShor Theater (211 East Superior Street, 218-733-0072), an oasis of culture in a scruffy section of downtown. Opened as the Orpheum in 1910 and later remodeled in Art Deco style, the timeworn Norshor is part movie theater, part concert hall, part performance space, part art exhibit hall and part whatever whim strikes the management. One July weekend featured a showcase of local and Twin Cities bands; the next included all-day showings of “Dr. Strangelove.”

The article has pictures from Steve Burmeister (he came out and photographed a show by Boku Frequency for the article but those pictures didn’t make the piece unfortunately). It also includes raves on the Huskies wood bats, Amazing Grace Cafe, and the Electric Fetus, plus other historical gems like Glensheen and our wonderful railway museum at the Depot.

The date 08.05.05 is important because on 08.04.05 the Duluth Fire Marshall dropped a note in the mail, well, make that an “order” that effectively closed the building until Spring of 2006, when it re-opened under the name “NorShor Experience” and a decidedly different management strategy. We all know how that turned out tragic on several fronts.