No gas of any sort, leaded or otherwise, is to be found here. (Photo by Matthew James)
Some small part of the business history of Duluth remains written in the landscape. Names painted on the sides of buildings and logos atop poles on the edges of vacant lots promote businesses that saw their last customer some years ago.
[Editor’s note: For this week’s essay we’ve once again pulled out a relic from the archive of Slim Goodbuzz, who served as Duluth’s “booze connoisseur” from 1999 to 2009. Twenty years ago the Sultan of Sot paid a visit to Shotz Bar in Gary-New Duluth and composed this article for the July 2004 issue of the Ripsaw magazine. Shotz closed in April 2023.]
I refer to Commonwealth Avenue as the region’s Karaoke Belt not because there’s more karaoke in Gary than in the rest of Duluth and Superior, but rather because there’s the best karaoke there. If you want to hear people who can actually sing, go to the Alpine Bar. If you want to hear people who can’t sing well at all, but still bring a touch of art to their performance, go to Shotz.
There are a lot of pictures of bikers lining the walls of Shotz, which might make you think it’s a biker bar. A quick look around the room tonight, however, reveals only two patrons dressed like members of the Black Widows. The rest are wearing CSI Las Vegas caps, warm-up pants and various articles of clothing earned by collecting UPC symbols on cigarette cartons.
The wolves of Voyageurs National Park have a new hit single, captured during a live performance last winter. The two segments of this video offer sights and sounds of the howlin’ Minnesota wolves.
This trail-camera footage is from the Voyageurs Wolf Project, which is focused on understanding the summer ecology of wolves in the park.
This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — July 18, 1914. It shows a scene along Tischer Creek in Congdon Park.
MPR News reports MiigWitches Brew, a new Native-owned drive-thru coffee kiosk, opened in June at 1810 Big Lake Road on the Fond du Lac reservation, about 15 miles east of Duluth.
Duluth musician Alan Sparhawk has released the first track from his upcoming album White Roses, My God, scheduled for release Sept. 27 on Sub Pop Records. The video was directed by Rick Alverson.
The photo of a painting above comes to Perfect Duluth Day via Dean M. Brickson, who wondered why there was no information online about the artist J. W. Perry.
Dive into this edition of the PDD Quiz, which tests knowledge of local beach (and beach-adjacent) trivia.
The next PDD quiz, scheduled for July 28, will look back at this month’s headlines. Please submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by July 24.
Twenty years ago today — July 13, 2004 — President George W. Bush spoke at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Arena to a crowd of about 8,000. He was campaigning against Democratic challenger John Kerry. In reference to Minnesota’s Iron Range, the President mistakenly said he appreciated “the good folks from Minnesota and the Iron Ridge.”
On April 29, 1909, the Adella Shores was bound for Duluth with a cargo of 9,200 barrels of salt. The ship never arrived. Disappearing in a gale off Whitefish Point, Michigan, the location of the 195-foot wreck remained one of the lake’s unsolved mysteries. But the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has found it.
This undated postcard from Kreiman’s Lyceum News & Book Store sports an illustration of Park Point in the vicinity of South Tenth Street, referred to as “Tenth Ave.” on the front of the card. The 72-degree temperature is cited as proof Duluth is “the air-conditioned city.”
While I often avoid politics in my public writings, I want to take a few minutes to explain the life of someone different from most people, in a small way, that may reveal the complexities of some recent legislation proposed at the federal level.
The third video from Cloud Cult‘s upcoming album Alchemy Creek is for the song “The Universe Woke Up as You.” The album is set for release Aug. 8.
The video was directed by Chad Amour of Motion 117 Productions.
I’ll call him John.
He lives in a doorway near Chum, which is apparently where he obtains enough nutrients to survive. If John is not in his doorway, he’s usually circling the neighborhood yelling at the invisible people who are yelling at him. They must be saying terrible things, because he is always telling them how it is they who are the worthless fucking motherfuckers, not him.
The Native American news website Buffalo’s Fire reports on Duluth artist Moira Villiard’s new project, “Waiting for Beds,” which looks at what happens to people who have to wait for a bed during a crisis, such as domestic violence, homelessness or addiction. The exhibit is on display at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth’s church at 835 W. College St. through September.
