Hayes is not foggy about this. He wants you at ‘Hops, Grapes & History’ tomorrow night at the Grand

Hayes Scriven

NHS ED Hayes Scriven stopped by my table at GBM on Wed. morning to promo the Hops, Grapes & History event at Grand Event Center on Saturday.

I didn’t realize till later that my smartphone camera lens had gunk on it, making for a foggy photo.

His blog post says:

The evening includes a beer and wine tasting from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring a hand-selected variety of Minnesota craft beers and wines; hors d’oeuvres; and a silent auction with a chance to bid on numerous goods and services from local businesses. Then from 9 to 11:30 p.m., the event concludes with a not-to-be-missed performance of “Guaranteed Cash,” a tribute to the songs and sounds of Johnny Cash, performed by legendary guitarist Bob Wootten (lead guitarist for Johnny Cash’s band for over thirty years) and country rockers, Six Mile Grove. (Continued)

Mike Perry book reading Feb. 22 – Clodhopper Monologues Part II

When: February 22, 2013, 7:30 pm ? 10:00 pm

Where: Grand Event Center

Address: 316 Washington Street, Northfield, MN 55057

Screen-Shot-2012-09-04-at-11.20.49-AM-426x480“Armed with a truckload of new stories Mike Perry returns with an updated version of his popular Clodhopper Monologues. Mike takes to the stage with a microphone and a passel of stories that range well beyond the pages of this books. Whether discussing vicious chickens, homeless guinea pigs, long underwear for ladies, or getting your feelings hurt by the New York Times, Perry moves easily from the heartfelt to hilarious in an easygoing performance come have called “country stand-up.”

Tickets can be purchased locally at Monkey See Monkey Read, 425 Division Street South, Northfield, MN. Or you can buy tickets online with a credit card.

On Jan. 25, Rob Schanilec wants you to step out for Mr. Northfield, Dan Freeman

Rob SchanilecDan Freeman benefit posterDan Freeman

Rob Schanilec (By All Means Graphics) stopped by my office at the Spur last week with a copy of the January Entertainment Guide. He showed me his full-page ad on page 23 for the Jan. 25 fundraiser at the Grand Event Center that he’s helping to organize. The text from the Guide’s calendar:

A tribute to and fundraiser for Danny Freeman, aka Mr. Northfield. Silent and live auction, raffle, toast-and-roast and, of course, a lot of fun and hijinx – we are talking about Danny, after all.

I blogged about Dan’s health problems back in October. Rob wrote in his email:

Dan’s had some health setbacks of late that drew several of us together to organize a fundraiser for him. Please mark the date of January 25 and spread the word. We’ll be gathering at the Grand to honor and support our friend whose done so much to support Northfield over the years. There is no admission charge, but a silent auction, a live auction, and “donations” of storytelling at the microphone will bring in money to make his life easier this coming year.

Please consider giving an auction item — anything from merchandise to creative dinner offers to tickets for games or entertainment venues, gift certificates, to whatever you can think of — as well as bidding on and buying an auction item that evening. Susy Immel is the contact for auction items; she can take them right now or right up to the last minute: susyimmel@charter.net.

The Trashy Little Christmas Show returns to the Grand on Friday

Trailer Trash at the Grand 2011Jessica Paxton12.14.12 Trailer Trash by Rich Larson
Jessica Paxton, KYMN Radio host and Rich Larson, Left-Handed Entertainment have been doing the promo for Friday’s “Trashy Little Xmas Show” at the Grand.  Rich devotes his Positively Division Street column in the December 2012 Entertainment Guide to the show (I’ve extracted it here in a two-page PDF). And Jessica sent out the press release below.

See my photo album & video from last year’s A Trashy Little Xmas.

Trailer Trash 2012 xmas posterDecember 4, 2012

For immediate release

Honky-Tonk Legends Trailer Trash Bring Their “Trashy Little Xmas Show” Back to Northfield!

Northfield, Minn.—Honky-tonk legends Trailer Trash will bring their very popular “Trashy Little Xmas Show” back to Northfield’s Grand Event Center on Friday, Dec. 14. Doors open at 7 p.m. and music starts at 8 p.m. with an opening set by the Rice County All-stars. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door and can be purchased at the KYMN Radio Studios (200 Division Street) and online at www.kymnradio.net and at www.thegrandnorthfield.com.

One of Minnesota’s most popular bands, Trailer Trash has been performing their annual holiday revue for over 18 years to sold-out audiences in Minneapolis and Rochester. Last year marked the first time this popular holiday extravaganza came to Northfield and the band is pleased to continue the tradition again in 2012. “Northfield is a really fun place to play,” says Trailer Trash frontman Nate Dungan. “There are so many music fans down there that are hungry for some top quality entertainment.”

With their “Trashy Little Xmas Show,” Trailer Trash revamps the Christmas classics and mixes in some festive originals, for a holiday show that’s the perfect anecdote to this sometimes stressful time of year. “The Trashy Little Xmas Show is cheesy and sassy and will make even the grumpiest Grinch grin with glee. It’s the perfect anecdote to the holiday blues,” notes Jessica Paxton, KYMN Radio host.

“Audiences really love the show,” promises Dungan. “It’s an irreverent, fun and rockin’ take on Christmas.” Rich Larson of Left-Handed Entertainment agrees. “The show is equal parts holiday excess, honky-tonk schtick and tongue-in-cheek satire. This is a show guaranteed to make even the most stoic Norwegian Lutheran Minnesotan lose their inhibitions.”

“These guys are musical maestros – and a whole lot of fun,” says Paxton. “They consistently put on a fantastic show. I guarantee you’ll be tapping your toes and shaking your hips all night long. Combine great musicianship and a whole bunch of holiday razzle dazzle, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for celebrating the season.”

Since 1993, Trailer Trash has drawn enthusiastic crowds at the legendary Lee’s Liquor Lounge in downtown Minneapolis. Best known for playing country music, the band also swings, rocks and grooves with the many other styles from the American hit parade.

The members of Trailer Trash enjoy turning new generations on to the classic sound of American roots music, and they also know how to swing, rock and groove. Their contagious enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment onstage have earned Trailer Trash the reputation of being Minnesota’s premier honky-tonk band.

After eighteen years, Trailer Trash has achieved an important position in Minnesota musical history. They have performed at Jesse Ventura’s Inaugural Ball at the Target Center, played the opening of the new Guthrie Theater, and have entertained countless thousands at their annual Trashy Little Xmas Show. The band has provided the soundtrack to hundreds of Twin Cities courtships and wedding receptions. Somewhere during it all, the group has also racked up seven Minnesota Music Awards, appeared in two movies, and put out six albums. The band’s website can be found at www.trailertrashmusic.com.

The Grand Event Center is located at 316 Washington Street in Northfield, Minn. For more information on Northfield’s own “Trashy Little Xmas Show,” visit online at www.thegrandnorthfield.com or call Jessica Paxton at KYMN Radio at (507) 645-5695.

Patsy is 60 today; last Sunday, too. Probably tomorrow as well.

 Patsy Ophaug, 60th birthday at the Goodbye Blue Monday DSC07741 
The Boys of the Goodbye Blue Monday, 6 AM Edition, fattened up on scrumptious coffeecake last Sunday to help Patsy Ophaug celebrate her 60th birthday. Then earlier today I noticed the Grand Event Center‘s marquee proclaiming, "Believe it! Patsy is 60 today."   Same Patsy? I’ve no idea, but let’s assume so unless someone whines.

It was twenty years ago today, NCO’ers taught the town to… hey!

Yes, I’ve blogged this before, but it bears repeating since tonight is the night.

Our NCO/Northfield.org colleagues are having a big birthday partaaaaay tonight at the Grand Event Center.

NCO/Northfield.org birthday bash poster NCO/Northfield.org birthday bash banner

See:

Save the date: NCO/Northfield.org birthday bash, January 20th

Our NCO/Northfield.org colleagues are having a big birthday partaaaaay on Jan. 20th at the Grand Event Center.

NCO/Northfield.org birthday bash poster NCO/Northfield.org birthday bash banner

See:

Two weeks to go for Northfield’s very own Trashy Little Christmas

Trailer Trash at Rochester Civic CenterA Trashy Little Christmas - Northfield 2011 - Trailer TrashIt’s less than two weeks before one of the best and most popular honky tonk bands in Minnesota, Trailer Trash, returns to town. They’re bringing their celebrated holiday show, A Trashy Little Christmas, to the Grand Event Center here in Northfield on Thursday, December 15th.

For more than a decade, Trailer Trash has taken the holiday spirit and put a spin on it that is decidedly their own, performing a series of holiday shows in the Twin Cities and Rochester.

The band played a couple of very well received shows in Northfield this year, and they are really excited to share their own special brand of Christmas cheer with us. Combining original songs for the season with some reworked holiday favorites, these “honky tonk heroes” will have you laughing, singing and dancing your little humbug off.

Left-Handed Entertainment is proud to present this one-of-a-kind holiday classic, and we hope to make it another traditional holiday event in Northfield.

2011 Northfield Sponsors - A Trashy Little Christmas

We could not be doing this without the generous help of some local sponsors: Rob Schanilec at the Northfield Entertainment Guide, Jeff Johnson at KYMN Radio, John Thomas at Mr. JST Technology Consulting, Cate Vermeland Photography, Ross Currier at the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation, and of course, Griff Wigley here at Locally Grown Northfield.  We thank them for their support.

Tickets are $8.00 in advance or $10.00 at the door (A true bargain! Tickets for the sold-out show in Rochester were $17.50 and $22.50). You can order your tickets online at ATrashyLittleChristmas.com or by contacting either me, Rich Larson, at bgwg@charter.net or Jessica Paxton at Jessica@kymnradio.net.

Matt Arthur & The Bratlanders
Doors open at 6pm, and guests will be treated to a special holiday set by Matt Arthur & The Bratlanders at 7pm.

See you there!

A first: Northfield’s very own Trashy Little Christmas, coming to the Grand on Dec. 15, sponsored in part by LoGro

Jessica Paxton, Angie Ekern, Rich Larson A Trashy Little Xmas, Northfield poster, 2011TrailerTrash
Jessica Paxton, promoter of all-things downtown Northfield, is teaming up with Mr. music promoter Rich Larson to bring Trailer Trash, Minnesota’s premier honky-tonk band, to the Grand Event Center on Dec. 15 for the Northfield version of their annual holiday show, A Trashy Little Christmas. The evening will include an opening set by Matt Arthur and the Bratlanders.

I caught up with Jessica and Rich last night at the Contented Cow and coaxed Plum St. resident Angie Ekern to pose for a photo with them, holding up an article in the StarTribune from earlier this week that announced the details on the Trailer Trash series of Xmas shows:

Like the classic country songs they purvey year-round, Trailer Trash’s annual "Trashy Little X-Mas" marathon never seems to grow old. The Twin Cities honky-tonk kings have a stocking full of original novelty songs ("I’ve Shopped Everywhere," "Santa’s a Spy") to go with a bulging bag of covers and traditional holiday tunes, played in not-so-traditional and often rowdy ways. [See this StarTribune 2008 profile of Trailer Trash.]

Advance tickets for Northfield’s ‘Trashy Little Christmas’ show are available online via credit card or PayPal here for an amazingly cheap $8 (less than half the price for their show in Rochester).  Don’t wait, however. This show could sell out and then you’ll have to confess to your grandchildren someday that you could have been there for the inaugural show but sat around on your fat ass until it was too late.

And yes, trashy old Locally Grown Northfield has signed on to be one of the financial sponsors of the show, along with the NDDC, KYMN, and possibly others.  This could be an annual event that’s both great fun for locals and effective at bringing people from around the region to visit our fair city. Thanks to those of you who are LoGro members, LoGro advertisers, and who click on the Google ads. Your financial support is paying for our sponsorship of the show.

So what are you waiting for?

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Trailer Trash Dance Party, Friday Feb 11

Trailer Trash in NorthfieldJoin the Rotary Club of Northfield and the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) for a Winter Dance Party at the Grand Event Center with Trailer Trash, Minnesota’s premier Honky-Tonk Band!

  • Swing Dance Instruction begins at 8pm
  • Music starts at 8:30
  • ONLY $10 at the door
  • Be Local – Dance Local!

For more, see Ross Currier’s NDDC blog post: NDDC and Rotary Celebrate Our Community at The Grand.

The theme is “We (Heart) Northfield”.  We (Heart) our authentic downtown, our historic architecture, our wild and scenic river, our quality businesses and cultural institutions, and our fine schools and medical facilities.  The list could go on…and will go on, at our upcoming event at the Grand.

We’ll start it off by thanking our partners and members, and then we’ll open the doors to the entire community to celebrate Northfield.  It’ll be an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of the NDDC, the Rotary, and all of the community-based organizations in Northfield…and have a whole lot of fun in the process.

Trailer Trash in Northfield 2

Northfield to honor Myrna Johnson and Ray Jacobson as our first Living Treasures

Philip Spensley Myrna Johnson Ray Jacobson
Philip Spensley (left), chair of the Northfield Arts and Culture Commission, stopped by my corner office at the GBM this morning to remind me about Monday night’s big wingding at the Grand Event Center honoring  Myrna Johnson and Ray Jacobson, the first two recipients of the Northfield Living Treasures Award Program (PDF). Philip emailed me this info:

The Arts and Culture Commission wishes to invite everyone in the community to a celebration on Monday, Dec 13, at 7 pm, at the Grand, to honor the first two recipients of its newly created Northfield Living Treasure Award.  Mayor Mary Rossing will present the award to Ray Jacobson and Myrna Johnson for their generous, significant and lengthy contributions to art and culture in Northfield. 

Ray, an internationally renowned sculptor and former Art Professor at Carleton, notably designed and created the stunning and delightful bronze fountain in Bridge Square, as well as the recent "Harvest" sculpture along the riverwalk near the 5th St Bridge which celebrates Northfield’s sesquicentennial. 

Myrna was a founder of the Northfield Arts Guild, now 50 years young, which has given opportunity to generations of local professional and amateur artists and performers to showcase their work and to develop their skills.  For many years Myrna served as its director of theatre, as a fundraiser, and still continues to serve as its archivist.

The community is warmly invited to celebrate and honor Myrna’s and Ray’s outstanding achievements and service.

See the Northfield.org blog post by Jane McWilliams for more details on the event and the Oct 26 Northfield News article (pictured in the photo with Philip).

Photo redux: Girls Nite Out

Former members of the Shop Local dancers - put out to pastureRoss has the info in his blog post detailing Friday night’s Girls Nite Out (GNO) activities (PDF).

girls-nite-out-poster

What he fails to mention is that the veteran members of the Shop Local/Somewhat Full Monty routine at the Grand, he and I among them, have not been invited back. We’ve retained counsel.  Clearly age discrimination.

Hopefully, they’ll let <ahem> photojournalists in the Grand.

See the 2009, 2008, and 2007 GNO photo albums.

Gail and Ed stump for Sarah; the music begins Friday at 7 pm

IMG_6328Gail Moll and Ed Kuhlman stopped by my corner office at the IMG_6325GBM this week.

They each had flyers about the Sarah Henson benefit concert on Friday night at the Grand Event Center.  Sarah, mother of 4 teens, has a grade four glioblastoma brain tumor.

Sarah Henson and friendsBack in Nov. 2008, friends, family and the Northfield community held a big ‘house party’ for Sarah and enough money was raised to help pay her mortgage for a year. See the blog post with photo albums from the fundraiser. The photo on the left, with Sarah at the center doing a ‘thumbs up’,’ was from that event.

Continue reading Gail and Ed stump for Sarah; the music begins Friday at 7 pm

Would you sing for Haiti with this guy? How about just listen to singing?

Paul MillerSinging for Haiti - midGolf course architect Paul Miller (Paul Miller Design Inc) stopped by my morning office at GBM last week with the poster of Saturday’s Singing for Haiti fundraiser at The Grand Event Center.

Paul has been involved in peace and justice work in Haiti for over a decade and is the founder of the Haiti Justice Alliance of Northfield which is hosting the event. Money raised will go to the What If? Foundation, Feed My Starving Children, and Partners in Health.

Musical groups performing include The Brothers Frantzich, founders of Feed Them With Music; Carleton bluegrass band, Porch Collective; St. Olaf psychedelic/blues/jam band Archaic Revival; and Northfield High School‘s Madrigals.

Local sponsors include Carleton College, St. Olaf College, Labor Arbitration Institute, Schmitz, Ophaug, and Dowd, LLP, Buzz Salon, and Paul Miller Design Inc.

For more info, see 1) Carleton College’s Haiti Relief Gateway; 2) last week’s Nfld News article, Concert to benefit Haitians; 3) Jane McWilliams’ blog post on Northfield.org.

You can get tickets at Mary Rossing’s Present Perfect store on Division or at the door at the Grand on Saturday.

The Bridge Square beaver returns; stimulates local clothing economy

Bridge Square beaver Bridge Square beaver  Beaver hat
This beaver (same one from June 2007?) was making the rounds on 4th St early this morning by the Grand Event Center. It wasn’t happy about having me take its picture (grouchy about the early snowfall?) so I coaxed it into my raccoon cage and will place an order with Randy Malecha at Willie’s Shoe Repair for a new hat.

A tip of the blogger beaver hat to Felicity Enders for the alerting me to the creature’s presence.

Photo album and video: Butch Thompson

Butch Thompson and his All Stars performed at Northfield’s historic The Grand Event Center last night, launching the First Annual Northfield Jazz Festival.

See the album of a dozen photos, the large slideshow, or this small slideshow… and the 6 minute video below.

 

0-1:00 minutes: Butch on the piano

1-6:00 minutes: the entire band

6-6:45 minutes: the entire band plus Northfielder Steve Kelly

Butch Thompson: from Mendota’s Emporium of Jazz to Northfield’s Grand Event Center

Butch Thompson at the Emporium of Jazz Butch Thompson at the Emporium of Jazz  Hall Bros
I first experienced Butch Thompson’s piano and clarinet playing in 1966 when I was 17 years old and regularly sneaking into the Emporium of Jazz in Mendota to hear the Hall Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band and try out my moves on the tiny Funky Butt dance floor. (Above right photo thumbnail links to the MNHS collection photo of the Hall Brothers. Butch is 3rd from the right.) See his history page for more, as well as this ArtSwirl blog post on his trio’s performance tonight at The Grand, the launch of Northfield’s First Annual Jazz Festival. Here’s a YouTube video of his trio from 2007:

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