April 2019 Posts

Duluth Band Profile: Nudecolors

Nudecolors uses tight harmonies with catchy melodies on Paradise. Yet, Steve Hamlin and Nic Hanson explain the deceptive nature of the record. Click on the image above to hear the podcast.

Upcoming gig:

May 3 at Rex Bar at Fitger’s during Homegrown Music Festival 

Duluth Flag Redesign Project

The city of Duluth is holding an initiative to redesign the city flag. All members of the public are encouraged to participate regardless of skill. The purpose of the project is to create a new symbol that all Duluthians can identify with. Submit ideas for the flag contest before Friday, April 12, at 5 p.m.

duluthmn.gov/duluthflagproject

Gaelynn Lea – “Breathe, You are Alive!”

This is the official music video for Gaelynn Lea‘s original poem, “Breathe, You are Alive!” from her 2016 EP The Songs We Sing Along the Way. The video was shot in 2018 and was released earlier this week.

First Tick of the Year: 2019 Edition

 

It’s a bit of a tradition on Perfect Duluth Day to note the discovery of the first tick of the season. PDD’s tech director, Cory Fechner, supplied the video above of a wood tick he discovered today in far western Minnesota. We should be hearing soon about the first Duluth tick of the season.

Some years they show up as early as March. And sometimes they stick around into October. Mostly it’s a May/June problem.

U.S. Administrator of Standards

The middle of Donald Trump’s presidency might be a strange time to make a pitch for establishing a new cabinet position. Or it might be the perfect time. Either way, I have little to lose by suggesting the new job is needed and insisting I’m the best person to fill it. A more rational and reputation-conscious president might not give my ideas serious consideration. The Trump Administration is likely the best hope I have for acquiring short-term autocratic power.

I’m not interested in any of the existing cabinet positions. Those jobs are pretty much filled anyway, although some are “acting” cabinet members — and it’s understood the door is figuratively revolving at the White House and heavily treated with WD-40.

The various secretaries, directors, ambassadors and administrators who serve at the pleasure of the president are already busy at work to make America as great as it was at some undefined point in the past, and they aren’t really clamouring for my help, but I do have a few simple ideas that could improve America and the whole planet Earth for that matter, and I feel like it would really only take me until noon on my first day at work to sort those things out. That would leave plenty of time for cleaning out my already empty desk after hearing on the news about the tweet announcing the termination of my employment.

Shooting with Sparky: Canada Lynx Jinx Broken

Sparky Stensaas had a rare Canada Lynx encounter in the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota on March 21.

“As I came over a rise, there it was,” Stensaas wrote on his blog, the Photonaturalist. “It saw me and bounded off the road and into the 3-foot deep snow. I stayed put thinking that it might come my way via the pine woods. And after a few tense minutes of me second-guessing my intuition, it did!”

Wild State Cider opening April 16

Andrew Price and Adam Ruhland - Photo by Lissa Maki

Andrew Price and Adam Ruhland – Photo by Lissa Maki

Cider seekers will soon have another Duluth option to swoon over. Owners of Wild State Cider say opening day will be April 16. A grand opening event is planned for the weekend of April 26-27.

Annual reminder: Stay off muddy trails in spring

Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Division has put forth its annual reminder that all natural-surface trails are closed until further notice due to wet soil conditions from the annual spring thaw.

So, where should people hike in April?

The Mysterious and Ferocious Serpent Monster of Lake Superior

Duluth politicians can keep bragging about keeping Lake Superior free of sharks, but what about the “enigmatic lake monster”?

What about the “giant and ferocious serpent”? The “underwater panther”? The “lizard like fish around 10 feet long” with “a head like a turtle”? The “hideous” thing “cruising through the water with a 15-foot long neck and a huge jaw”? The “immense humped creature” with “huge horse shaped head and large dark left eye” with a nose bearing “a visible catfish type whisker, maybe two feet in length and wiggling”? The “gigantic serpent with 3 to 5 humps” rising out of the water?

Well, for those into myths, legends and stories short on attribution but with the words “supposedly” and “apparently” repeated throughout, there’s a new article that has it all.

Selective Focus: @fatherfigures

We all know living on Lake Superior is epic, but these images from @fathersfigures take landscape photography to a whole other galaxy. Be sure to check out the behind-the-scenes Instagram stories.

Monthly Grovel: Bonus tip about PDD Calendar map view

Before delving into this month’s pitch for donations to keep the PDD Calendar chugging along, we’re taking a moment to offer a little tip on a different way to use it.

There are numerous ways to sort, filter, view and search events on the PDD Calendar. By default the calendar shows a list view in chronological order. That’s obviously the best way to look at what’s happening in the moment and scroll to the future. But there are three other view options — day, map and photo. We’ve never taken time to explain that before, because it’s always seemed obvious to us that list view is the best option. But our traffic statistics are starting to show more and more people using map view, so perhaps it’s time to mention it.

Duluth Band Profile: Attom

Kyle Stern’s first show wasn’t at a VFW or an empty coffeehouse. It just happened to be Bonnaroo Music Festival. Under the moniker Attom, Kyle explains how he fits into the changing world of electronic music. Click on the image above to hear the podcast.

Upcoming gig: 
May 3 at Rex Bar at Fitger’s during Homegrown Music Festival 

Postcards from Duluth Motel

According to this postcard, Duluth Motel sat in some mysterious forest, perhaps offering the only toilet available for miles and miles. In reality, “Northwest’s Most Luxurious Motel” was near Denfeld High School and surrounded by West Duluth homes and businesses. A lush, undeveloped hillside was indeed in the distance, though not very similar looking to the illustration on the postcard.

2019 Duluth Homegrown Mix Tape

2019 Duluth Homegrown Mix Tape Curated By: Gaelynn Lea by Duluth Homegrown Music Festival

Duluth’s Lodging & Dining … circa 1979-’82

This promotional pamphlet is from roughly 1980. Within the text might be clues that narrow down a specific year.