May 2015 Posts

This Week: pickin’, politics, paintings and more

May 11, 2015 No Comments

Untitled design
Here’s a bit of what you’ll find on this week’s PDD Calendar:

Guitar wizard Jimi Cooper hits the Brewhouse, the Chamber Campaign Camp aims to help potential political candidates find their footing, writers meet at Amazing Grace, Duluth’s Life House holds its second Night to Shine event, a new Cheng-Khee Chee show opens at the Tweed with a reception and Grammy-winner Pat Donahue lands at Sacred Heart.

The owner of the Duluth Huskies baseball team discusses the team’s history, the Duluth Art Institute celebrates three solo exhibitions, the latest Wise Fool Shakespeare production opens, the Duluth Playhouse holds its casino night fundraiser and Portrait of a Drowned Man releases its vinyl soundtrack to Mike Scholtz’ Wicker Kittens.


Events

Dude, don’t do it! You’ve got something to live for!

May 10, 2015 1 Comment

SuicideTurtle

Don’t worry, after contemplating his life at great length he eventually wandered off the railroad track.


Outdoors, Photos ,

Lovit Soft Drinks from Fitger’s

May 09, 2015 4 Comments

DSC05263DSC05260

I read that Fitger’s made soft drinks during prohibition, but this wooden case I found doesn’t look all that old. Does anyone know when they stopped making soda?


History , ,

Homegrown 2015 Slideshow Retrospective

May 09, 2015 No Comments

View the full set of 124 images from Homegrown 2015 on Flickr.

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Music, Photos

Selective Focus: Homegrown

May 08, 2015 No Comments
Starfire

Starfire, untitled

I was warned what a wrecking ball of mirth this Homegrown fest can be, so I should count myself fortunate to have emerged merely psychologically disfigured. Hope you’ve all managed to retain some vestige of the life that pre-existed this marathon, and god willing we’ll see y’all next year.

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Art, Photos ,

Here is my entire eight days of Homegrown 2015 in one video

May 07, 2015 2 Comments

Art, Events, Music, Photos

Natural Discoveries: A Portrait of Travis Melin

May 07, 2015 3 Comments

Nature photographer Travis Melin died on Wednesday, May 6, after failing to recover from an April 21 heart attack. He was a 1991 graduate of Hermantown High School, a former resident of Washington Studios Artist Cooperative and lived his final years in Ely. The documentary above was produced by Mike Jandl in 2013.

A tremendous spirit and body of work lives on …

Travis Melin 2013


R.I.P., Videos

Northern Waters Smokehaus will open Woodland Avenue location

May 07, 2015 5 Comments

Northern Waters Smokehaus announced today a second location will open in the Mount Royal Shopping Center in Duluth’s Chester Park – UMD neighborhood, near the UMD campus. The space at 1608 Woodland Ave. was previously occupied by Bixby’s Café, which operated there from 1997 to the end of 2014.

northern waters smokehaus crew
Smokehaus announcement

Founded in 1998, Northern Waters specializes in smoked fish. Its tiny shop in the DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace has won numerous awards over the years, including PDD’s Perfect Lunch Restaurant. The new location at Mount Royal is expected to open in the fall.


Restaurants

Cute Baby Chicks Fighting Over a Worm to “Dueling Banjos” (UPDATED)

May 06, 2015 No Comments

Hillside Duluth.

(UPDATE: Now with slomo technopop remix.)


Outdoors, Videos

Apparently the mayor was too focused on sharks

May 06, 2015 No Comments
Photo by Ken Greshowak

Photo by Ken Greshowak

Last we heard, someone was dressed in a bear suit in front of City Hall, trying to coax this poor critter down from the tree.


News and Current Affairs

Starling of Athens – “The Lord is Not My Real Dad”

May 06, 2015 No Comments

This video by Brian Barber was part of the 2015 Homegrown Music Video Festival. Click that fancy link to view more videos from this year’s festival.


Music, Videos , ,

Options for Duluth Zoo?

May 05, 2015 31 Comments

Various recommendations have been made for the revamping of the Lake Superior Zoo. This was reported on in today’s DNT, but I was unable to include the link here. I am curious to hear about the opinions of the PDD community.


Random

Duluth Concrete Contractor Recommendations

May 05, 2015 1 Comment

I need someone to bust up and remove some sidewalk and then pour a new sidewalk/patio. This isn’t a massive project, but I don’t have the stomach for a DIY. Who can I call to trust to do good, fast work here in our fair city?


Recommendations

Lester Park Waterfall Time Lapse

May 05, 2015 No Comments

Video by Douglas Feltman.


Outdoors, Videos , ,

The Rosewood Wonder

May 05, 2015 No Comments
Photos by Jamie Merideth

Photos by Jamie Merideth

The view from the fourth floor of DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace is amazing. Outside the windows are the icons of Duluth: Lake Superior and the Aerial Lift Bridge. On the inside sits Mike Furo, quietly bringing new life to old musical instruments as the owner of Rosewood Music.

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Music ,