December 2020 Posts

Postcard from Drill’s Arena Marina

This undated postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography appears to be circa 1971.

Dance Attic “At Christmas Time” Special

Jimi and Suzi of the guitar/accordion duo Dance Attic partake in holiday hijinks with music from their 2020 Christmas song collection (featured in the PDD Gift Guide).

Video produced by Andrew Stern.

Aerial Transfer Bridge circa 1905

This image of Duluth’s Aerial Bridge, from Detroit Publishing Company, appears to have been shot during one of the first ferry-car transfers across the canal. The Library of Congress dates the images as 1905 … with a question mark.

Tanner Zahn – “Little Things”

Hermantown native Tanner Zahn, now of the Los Angeles group FuturePop, has released this Christmas music video. Locals will remember him as Tanner Zahn Hagen, performer in Duluth Playhouse productions and son of Jennifer Madill Hagen and Dusty Hagen, former owners of Madill Performing Arts Center in Duluth.

What’s the deal with the stairway at Birchwood Park that leads down into a ravine?

On the edge of Birchwood Park, a small playground park at 222 W. Heard St. in the New Duluth neighborhood, is an old stairway down to a ravine that I’m guessing runs into Sargent Creek. The existence of this stairway is probably common knowledge in New Duluth, but it is kind of tucked away so that others visiting the park are unlikely to notice. And it raises the question of what used to be down there.

Duluth You & Me: Famous Places Crossword Puzzle

Use the link below for a printable PDF for your coloring and drawing pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Famous Places

Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.

More of My Indie Rock Guitar Goddess She-roes

There is a vein of singer-songwriters I refer to jokingly as “weepy folk.”

Video Archive: Gap ad with Low’s “Little Drummer Boy”

Few would expect Perfect Duluth Day to present a Gap television commercial as content, but it’s pretty Duluthy. Twenty years ago the global clothing and accessories retailer featured music by Duluth band Low in its holiday ad. The song appeared on Low’s Christmas EP, released a year prior.

Mystery Photo #127: Miss Victoria Benson

Often we don’t know who is the subject of these old studio photos, but this time it’s written on the back. So we know this is Marie Victoria Benson of 2801 W. Second St. in Duluth’s friendly West End. (Or is it 2301?) She later became Mrs. Edward Cluett.

Duluth East Choralaires – “Carol of the Bells”

Gaelynn Lea – “In the Bleak Midwinter”

Duluth’s Gaelynn Lea performs the Christmas carol “In the Bleak Midwinter” in this video shot live in her home. The song is on Gaelynn’s 2016 Christmas album Deepest Darkness Brightest Dawn, which features live-looped versions of traditional Christmas carols.

The Most Read Saturday Essays of 2020

Saturday Essay logo genericWe thought we were so artsy and sophisticated with our little essay series on Perfect Duluth Day. But we all know sensationalism sells. Which essays were the most read in 2020 according to Google Analytics? Well, the topics included a wet T-shirt contest, reckless behavior involving musical watercraft, flat-out fake news, a cult taking over a Lincoln Park church and a murderous dog. Readers, we hope you’re proud of yourselves.

PDD’s annual tradition of wrapping up each year of the “Saturday Essay” series with lazy top-five lists instead of arduously prepared compositions continues next week when the samplings will be less of a popularity contest and more about one person’s snobby opinion of what you should have been reading if you weren’t all heathens.

Rich Mattson and the Northstars – “In Flight”

Rich Mattson and the Northstars have a new album set for release on Feb. 5. This homespun video, produced by Reggie Pype, is for the first single, “In Flight.”

The upcoming album, Skylights, can be preordered at spartasound.bandcamp.com.

Selective Focus: Kitties

From household pets to wildcats, a look at Duluth-area kitty cats via Instagram.

Video: Bobcats on the St. Louis River

Duluth’s Mike Mayou captured video of three bobcats on the ice along the St. Louis River on Wednesday. “I happened to spot them from afar,” he wrote on the YouTube description. “After flying a drone over to investigate, I discovered that the three cats were very comfortable being up close and personal with the camera, thus this footage. Enjoy!”