SCENE FEBRUARY 2023

Editor Philip Weyhe - 507-931-8579 scene@apgsomn.com WANT

Because I’m single and haven’t been on a date in several decades, I consider myself kind of an expert on romance.

I have the perfect outsiders view of the ever-changing playing field of love. I’ve watched all my friends go through dating, breakups, marriages, divorces, as well as late-night covert missions of dating revenge.

Romance was different when I was young. Most of us were obsessed with looks and had this idea in our minds of what our perfect mate should look like. My first love (Bruce “Bucey” Graham) lived across the street, and he gifted me a ‘gold’ bracelet to seal our budding relationship. But alas, things went downhill quickly when he refused to invite me to his birthday party because, “I talked too much.” I bet ol’ Bucey spent years regretting that decision, as obviously, I’m the life of any party.

As a teen, I was never one of those girls who expected the whole Cinderella/White Knight-sorta fairytale. I grew up in snowy Upper Michigan and mostly just wanted a guy who would warm up my car in the winter and brush the snow off for me. I had a couple dates in high school, just because there was

one really tall guy who needed to be fixed up, and I was the tallest girl. All of his pals had dates to the dances, so I was called into action a couple times a year. Usually, we both went our separate ways as soon as we arrived at an event, although he was easy to spot as he was 6’6” and wearing a birch bark-patterned tuxedo with brown velvet trim. Ah, memories.

Most of my pals have been coupled for decades and are in the sweatpants and stained concert t-shirt stage of their romances. There aren’t any more surprises. No one is getting up early to do their hair and put on makeup to go back to bed and awake next to their sweetie looking fresh and pretty. Now they’re just excited if their partner showers on occasion and doesn’t wear their pajamas to Menard’s.

Dating at my current age (58) is, oh, what’s the word I’m looking for? Horrific.

I mean, I do like my men a little “broken,” so they’re kinda tired and willing to overlook more of my red flags, but most of the possible candidates have been there, done that. They don’t have much fight left in ‘em. They usually have at least one bad knee or a hip that has to be replaced, so they can’t run fast and can’t ever find their car keys, so basically, they’re not going anywhere.

I asked my 17-year-old nephew what romance meant to him. He introduced me to

a great gal he was hanging out with. I asked him if the two of them were “officially” a couple. He told me about his recent suave move to answer that question and secure his position. He told his galpal, “I didn’t get everything I wanted for Christmas. The only thing missing from my list was a sweet girlfriend. Is that you?” She agreed, and I guess the titles are now secure among his classmates. They hold hands and talk about basketball and eat a lot of pizza. That’s pretty much my idea of a perfect relationship.

When I asked my mom about her early romantic life, she told me about the time a boy “tried to get fresh” in the car. Mom pushed in the cigarette lighter, got it nice and hot (this is an old school reference that no one under 30 will understand) and then put it out on his roaming hand. That was the last time they went out. Mom said she often chose her partners based on their ability to dance. These days, I tend more toward whether or not they have full medical, dental and eye insurance.

Even my father fell prey to the grievous error of ignoring romance after many years of marriage. He gave Mom a lovely gift of a chainsaw and sawhorses one year. We were stunned that he wasn’t smarter than that after all their time together. She just smiled and thanked him profusely. When he left for work the next day, she went directly to the car deal-

ership. She left with a fully-loaded convertible sports car and said, “My husband will be back later to pay for this.” He never made that mistake again.

I’m not saying romance is dead after 50, I’m just saying that most men at this age come with at least one ex-wife, a cabin that needs a good amount of work, a lumpy senior dog and a CPAP machine. Nothing says romance like the elephant snorkel machine that wheezes through the night. It makes a nice combo with the bite guard and compression socks. It’s a wonder we women can even keep our hands off those men.

So, the romantic gestures of our youth have to be adjusted a tad. Now the flowers come from the gas station and the handwritten poems and mix tapes are more likely a text. The spontaneous weekend away has been replaced by the security of knowing you have someone to drive you to your colonoscopy. And the stuffed animals and perfume for Valentine’s Day are now nowhere near the excitement brought on by the installation of a new water heater.

If you need any advice about your romantic relationship, just give me a call. I’m kind of an expert. 

Mary Closner lives in Northfield, making bad decisions so you don’t have to. Reach her at 1964minx@gmail.com.

(Denise Johnson/Unsplash)

SOUTHERN MINN CHECK

YOUR GUIDE FOR PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO.

Bold & Cold - Owatonna-- Owatonna. Sculpture building contest through Jan. 29 - check out what the artists build. Bold & Cold deals with participating businesses. Carry-out soup supper at the Steele County Historical Society. Winter Weekend Out at various locations, with activities, like snowshoeing, luminary hike and more. Open swim and log rolling at middle school pool. Rock on ice at Morehouse Park. Snowmobile at Rice Lake State Park and on the Steele County trail system. Festivities run Jan. 26-29. See more at visitowatonna.org/boldandcold.

Convocation with Scott Dikkers - Northfield-- 10:50-11:50 a.m., Skinner Memorial Chapel, 405 1st St. E., Northfield. With The Onion, Scott Dikkers created the original “fake news” platform and grew it into one of today’s most recognized comedy brands. He periences in how ted to a unique standing firm of seemingly challenges and translate into differentiation and robust brand equity for any organization.

Grand Opening - Faribault-- 11 a.m., Lodge on the Lake Mazaska, 7170 153rd St. W., Faribault. Register to win a prime rib dinner for twoone entry per person. Receive a free raffle ticket with every drink purchased to win any number of prizes throughout the day. Enjoy food and drink specials and musical entertainment. 507334-1756 for reservations.

Smokescreen - St.Peter-- 9 p.m., Blue Moon, Kasota. Smokescreen takes the stage, playing a variety of rock and country music.

Paradise Gallery - Faribault-- 12-5 p.m., Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave N, Faribault. Wild Lands, Wild Horses by Deb Lee Carson in the Carlander Gallery; Bethlehem Academy students in the Corey Lyn Creger Memorial Gallery; the Members Show in the Lois Vranesh Boardroom Gallery and the K&M Gallery. Open during regular Paradise hours through Feb. 11.

Spring Book Preview - Waseca-- 6 p.m., Waseca Public Library, 408 N. State ST. A preview of the most anticipated books of the spring. Staff will help you load up your TO BE READ piles with steamy romances, unforgettable characters, Minnesotabased stories, and pulse-pounding thrillers. Light refreshments will be served. Geared for adults.

FRIDAY, JAN 27

Sleigh and Cutter - Waseca-- Waseca.

Sleigh and Cutter runs from January and into March, with events each weekend. Jan. 27-29 events include the Sleigh and Cutter Pageant, an Ice Golf Benefit for Logan Nesset at Boathouse Bar & Grill, and the Boys Mite Jockey Jamboree at the Waseca Community Arena. See more at sleighandcutterfestival.org.

Andy Hughes - Owatonna-- 6-8 p.m., Mineral Springs Brewery, 111 N Walnut Ave, Owatonna. Andy Hughes

songwriter.

Jesse Norell - Owatonna-- 1 p.m., Foremost Brewing Cooperative, 131 W. Broadway St, Owatonna. Jesse Norell is an indie rock singersongwriter and guitar teacher from Minneapolis, MN.

Adrian Barnett & The Questet - St. Peter-4-7 p.m., Patrick’s on Third, 125 S. Third St., St. Peter. Award winning baritone saxophonist Adrian Barnett backed by some of Southern Minnesota’s premier talent.

Traveled Ground - St. Peter-- 7-9 p.m., Grand Center for Arts & Culture, 210 N Minnesota St, New Ulm. Offering a unique combination of Folk, Blues, Roots Rock and Americana styles, Traveled Ground’s music crosses the spectrum of the Roots Music scene.

SATURDAY, JAN 28

Chase your blues away - Northfield-- 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Grand Event Center, 316 Washington St., Northfield. Chase your blues away with a little bit of shopping.

Andrew Salgado - Faribault-7:30 p.m., Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave N, Faribault. Andrew Salgado has been performing live for over two years. Today’s performance features Andrew Salgado, Paul Cicciarelli and Charles Wims representing a sampling of original and cover songs, which the whole band performs when on tour. The country tunes are mixed with some pop and Latin sounds creating a unique genre mix experience. Tickets from $15-$25.

Ruby Namdar - Northfield-- 8 p.m., Carleton College, 1 N College St., Northfield. Forkosh Family Lecture in Judaic Studies: Between Manhattan and the Holy Temple in Jerusalem with Ruby Namdar, author of THE RUINED HOUSE.

SEE VALENTINE’S DAY EVENTS page 7

THURSDAY, JAN 26

is an award-winning

As a live performer, he has been a staple of the Midwest music scene for over 20 years. Andy is a difficult artist/performer to categorize. He is a member of many acts/groups. Although the styles of music have a wide range, one thing is consistent; MUSIC is Andy’s life source. No matter the delivery or vehicle, the music leads and drives the way.

Annual Chili Cook Off - Owatonna-- 4-8 p.m., Minnesota Army National Guard, 3000 W. Airport Drive, Faribault. This event has been organized to raising funds for the Andrew Lawrence Memorial Scholarship Fund benefiting college scholarships. Almost 40 chilies’, Red & white and sometimes there is something in between. Have 4 restaurants and around 36 individuals that think their chili is the best in town.

SUNDAY, JAN 29

MONDAY, JAN 30

TUESDAY, JAN 31

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 5 p.m., at the Chamber (101 S. Front St.) – Winterfest Opening Ceremony (all free) with bonfire, hot chocolate, s’mores, search for Joe Rolette’s missing paperwork that would have made Saint Peter the Capital, and reading of the first Medallion Hunt clue—Prize - $1000 Chamber Bucks!

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 6:01 p.m. on Facebook –Posting of the first Medallion Hunt clue

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 11:30 a.m. sign up and noon start – Cornhole Fundraiser Tournament for Royal Family Kids Camp at the St. Peter Community

Center. Come and support a local summer camp dedicated to building positive memories for kids in the foster care system! More information at https://fb.me/ e/2nwwAJ7Yy.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 7 to 9 p.m. at Veterans Park Ice Rinks for Ages 21 plus – Minnesota Nice Night. Flannel. Friday. Fun. Fire. Food. Favorite drink. Friends/family. Uff da, that’s a lot of great things happening on this adult special event night. There will be skating (bring your own skates), snowshoes, bonfire and fun! *You don’t have to skate to attend this event.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 12 p.m. – Polar Plunge at Johnson Hall—Nicollet County Fairgrounds.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Veterans Park Ice Rinks – Family Fun. Snow Day in the Park. Frisbee golf in the snow?! Yes please! We will have snowshoes you can try, bonfire, music and a fun.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 11 a.m. – River’s Edge Hospital is hosting a Winter Walk (approximately 1 mile) around the healthcare campus. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to meet inside the hospital – using the Emergency/Main entrance on Sunrise Drive & head out on the walk at 11 a.m. Cookies and Hot Chocolate will be served. This will be held snow or shine. If temps fall and/or windchills fall below 0o that day, participants will skip the walk and gather for visiting, cookies and hot chocolate.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, Noon to 1 p.m. registration and beginning at 1 p.m. – Poker Walk through Saint Peter establishments.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dad’s Belgian Waffle Breakfast – Lion’s Club at St. Peter American Legion Post 37 – Celebrate winter with all you can eat waffles, sausage, juice, and coffee. This is a fundraiser with all proceeds benefiting the Friends of Learning Back to School Project.

***Visit the Chamber website for more additions to Winterfest 2023 and/or updates***

Comedy Under the Bridge - Faribault-7:45-8:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 10,000 Drops, 28 4th St NE, Faribault. Hosting the show is comedian Drew Hehir. Featuring comedians include Cal Murata and Nathan Fulsebakke. Robert Baril is a standup comedian and radio talk-show host from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released two albums on Stand Up! Records, ‘Sex and Politics’ and ‘TMI,’ both produced by Grammy winner Dan Schlissel. He was the host of Laughing Matters on AM 950 in Minneapolis. Tickets online.

Miller Denn MusicOwatonna-- 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, Owatonna Elks, 126 E Vine St. Music, food and drinks to celebrate Valentine’s weekend in a laid-back, casual setting.

Valentine’s Dinner - Janesville-- 5-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, Indian Island Winery, 18010 631st Ave, Janesville.

A 1960s themed Valentine’s dinner. The cost is $150 per couple, including wine tastings, two glasses of wine, two 3-course dinners, entertainment from Generation Gap, a rose and multiple gifts.

Midnight at the Masquerade - Kasota-- 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery and Distillery, 1179 E. Pearl St., Kasota. A murder mystery dinner. Attend the Billionaires’ Club Annual Masquerade Ball and help get this soiree back on track by trading clues with your guests, gathering information, and solving the crime before the masked menace gets away. Tickets are $40. Hors d’oeuvres included.

The Ericksons - St. Peter-- 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, Arts Center of Saint Peter, 315 S. Minnesota Ave., St. Peter. The Ericksons, a duo known for stunning harmonies and powerful live performances, will perform a ticketed show. The Ericksons are sisters Bethany Valentini and Jenny Kapernick, who launched their performing career in 2006 at venues in and around New York City. Now based in St. Peter and Henderson, the duo has been featured on The Current 89.3 FM, and the Twin Cities Public Television series MN Original. After a seven-year break from recording, The Ericksons are planning to record a fifth album in 2023. Tickets are $20.

Mollywood BLVD

Back in the 90s and into the early 2000s tabloid magazines were super popular, and without “smartphones,” it was how a lot of Americans got their daily celebrity gossip.

I am a self-proclaimed recovering tabloid junky, so I kept my fingers on the pulse of who was dating who. A decade prior, everyone was obsessed with Prince Charles and Princess Di, by the 90’s we were watching their marriage collapse into ruin.

Some memorable celebrity couples to make tabloids around the turn of the new century included Tom Greene and Drew Barrymore, Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger whose brief marriage was annulled with the actress citing “fraud” as the reason, and the inseparable Ben Affleck and J-Lo, dubbed “Bennifer.” But how did these romances pan out? Who are still together and who couldn’t make the cut? In celebration of celebrity coupledom and the tinsel town divorce carousel and in theme with our February “love” issue, let’s take a stroll back at some famous couples and find out: Where are they now?

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore were Hollywood sweethearts who tied the knot in

lover that read: ‘Winona Forever.’

When the couple split after three years of steady dating, Depp had the tattoo altered to read: ‘Wino forever.’ Unfortunately, there was a lot of truth behind the new tattoo statement. A year after splitting from Winona, Depp started dating “heroin chic” model Kate Moss. If you recall, the pairing was tumultuous. Depp was arrested for causing almost $10,000 worth of damage to a hotel room amid an alcohol fueled fight with Moss.

The couple split after four years, and he eventually found another long-term love, French singer Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children. The couple is no longer

MOLLY PENNY

Gwen Stefani of the ska punk band No Doubt and country music artist Blake Shelton, who met while coaching on NBC’s The Voice back in 2014, are all over the internet, television, and magazines now, but back in my hey-

1987 and went on to become one of the most famous couples on the planet, having three children together before divorcing in October of 2000. Both remarried, but Demi’s 3rd marriage (she had been married to musician Freddy Moore prior to Willis) was a paparazzi favorite: In 2005 Demi Moore married Ashton Kutcher, who was 15 years her junior. It was a controversial relationship, mostly due to the age difference, but spanned eight years before they called it quits. Kutcher is now married to his “That 70’s Show” co-star, Mila Kunis, a pairing that delighted the public.

Demi has a boyfriend, Daniel Humm, but has not remarried since ending things with Kutcher, and Bruce Willis has been married to Emma Heming Willis since 2009. The Die Hard star was just diagnosed with aphasia last year, and when Willis made his announcement both his current wife, Emma, and ex Demi, along with his five daughters from both respective mothers (the ultimate “girl dad”) were by his side to show support.

Before his divorce to Amber Heard made headlines, Johnny Depp was undoubtedly a one of Hollywood’s most sought-after celebs and he had his share of high-profile relationships throughout the 90s; most notably, his relationship with Winona Ryder. Depp even got a tattoo to honor his pale faced, dark featured

together but remained friends as Paradis has made public statements dispelling allegations of abuse that Amber Heard made against Depp stating, “Throughout the years, I’ve known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous and non-violent person and father.” Depp was briefly dating Joelle Rich, the lawyer who represented him during his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Heard, but the couple has since split.

Tom Cruise was a leading heartthrob throughout the 80’s despite a 3-year marriage to Mimi Rogers but when he met AustralianAmerican beauty, Nicole Kidman, on the set of the 1990 film Days of Thunder, he officially became off the market again. The couple married by the end of that year and adopted two children during their 11-year marriage.

They divorced bitterly in 2001, a factor the tabloids loved to emphasize was that Tom had become a devoted member of the Church of Scientology and Kidman refused. In April of 2005, Tom met Katie Holmes and fell madly in love. You may remember an episode of Oprah where Tom excitedly jumped on a couch professing his love for Katie. The couple married only seven weeks after meeting, but the marriage, although producing a daughter, Suri, born exactly one year from their first date, ended in August 2012.

Tom is not currently remarried, but Nicole is happily married to a musician with roots from “down under,” Keith Urban. It is worth noting that, at 5’11”, Nicole towered over both her husbands in the height arena, especially donning heels on the red carpet.

day, it was Gwen’s relationship with Gavin Rossdale, front man of the rock band Bush that had the press steaming.

They were the alternative “it” couple back then, but the marriage crumbled after almost 13 years and 3 children together when Gavin Rossdale cheated on Gwen with their blonde Australian and Gwen look-alike nanny, Minday Mann. Blake on the other hand had a 4-year marriage to fellow country artist Miranda Lambert. There was heavy speculation that someone in the relationship had cheated, and whether or not it was true, the infidelity rumors definitely put a strain on their often long-distance relationship.

Sheldon announced that he will be leaving The Voice after its 23rd season this spring, but the most recent season of The Voice saw the couple share coaches seats again and their onscreen antics were nothing short of adorable or obnoxious- depending on who you ask.

Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thorton were the 90s-early 2000s version of Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly, allt he way down to wearing a vial of each other’s blood to an immense amount of PDA. Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thorton were married for two years from May 2000 to May 2003.

Meanwhile, Brad Pitt was (seemingly) hap-

pily married to the hairstyle icon of the 90s, Friends star Jennifer Aniston who were married from 2000 to 2005. They were a true Hollywood “power couple” and you could not escape the insane amount of press that circulated when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie met and fell in love on set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

The world, which was now becoming pretty internet savvy, split into two camps: Team “Brangelina” or Team Jen. Part of the reason Pitt’s marriage to Aniston dissolved, apart from his apparent infidelity, was that Aniston did not want children. Between adoption and bio-kids, “Brangelina” touted six children before their split in 2016 after 12 years of marriage.

There are a few celebrity couples who have stood the test of time, like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward who defied the Hollywood revolving door of divorce by staying married for 50 years before Newman’s death in 2008. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill married in 1996 and are still going strong, so just breathe.

David Bowie and model wife Iman married in 1992 and stayed together until his death in 2016. Iman says she will never remarry. She said, “Someone a few years ago referred to David as my husband and I said: ‘No, he’s not my late husband. He’s my husband.’” These faithful brides and grooms are not nearly as fun to gush about as the juicy excounterparts.

I thought that Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins would take it all the way, but even they split after 23 years together, never married. Shout out to “Bennifer 2.0” though. After everything that went down between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, I had mixed feelings when Ben Affleck went back to his former flame, Jennifer Lopez: How could he be so undesirable a husband to J-Gar but the perfect match for J-Lo?

But at the end of the day, you just have to wish them the best and pray that they never, ever, under any circumstances, make a sequel to Gigli.

Molly Penny is a local radio personality and MNSU alum. It was her love of pop culture that got her interested in doing a radio show for KOWZ 100.9, and she is now the music and promotions director at KOWZ & KRUE Radio in Owatonna. She resides in Mankato with her movie buff husband and YouTube obsessed children. Catch her on Twitter at @ mollyhoodUSA.

ages?

Experiencing everyday love, everywhere

What words would you choose to define love? Which im-

In the month of February, we lean into romantic love—towards red roses and dark chocolate and poetic greeting cards. Towards and dinner out. Towards love that fits a happily-ever-after ending. But love is so much more than a romanticized version of Valentine’s Day. Love is a complicated emotion. Love is about caring. Love is about kindness.

Love is about selflessness. Love is about listening. Love is about connecting. Love is about embracing one another in words and actions which encourage and uplift.

Love exists in the ever y day of life. In the small things like the weekly Sunday brunches my husband of 40 years cooks for the two of us. In the hugs and refrigerator artwork of my two young grandchildren. In supportive texts from caring family and friends. There’s so much love to be experienced. And given.

I obser ve that love, too, when I’m out and about. Sometimes in words, like those on a doorstep frog-themed plaque in Waterville. Love is in the air. Love is in art, too. In a Northfield Union of Youth mural of an astronaut kneeling before a trio of flowers against a backdrop night sky.

There’s something lovingly tender in that scene. There’s tenderness, too, in a couple dancing to the bluegrass music of Steam Machine inside a machine shed at the Rice County Steam & Gas Engine Show, rural Dundas.

Love dances into our days when we allow it to do so, when we welcome it. I’ve witnessed such welcome in a lone white duck mingling in a flock along river’s edge at Riverside Lions Park in Northfield. I’ve seen love also in generational connections. With my own grandchildren, love comes in time together, in not caring if the preschooler overloads a frosted homemade carrot cupcake with too much hot pink sugar.

Love brings sweetness into our lives. Yet, love can feel sometimes elusive. But, in the end, if we open our hearts and minds to love, it will find us. 

Originally from southwestern Minnesota, Audrey Kletscher Helbling has lived in Faribault for 40 years. She loves this area, which she documents in images and words on her Minnesota Prairie Roots blog. Follow her work at www.mnprairieroots.com. Contact her at audrey@mnprairieroots.com

Craig Kotasek’s “Jolly Green Giant” print was among his art exhibited at the Arts & Heritage Center in Montgomery. Tin Can Valley Printing is based in LeSueur.

My granddaughter shares her love in refrigerator art.

Love in cupcakes, baked by Grandma, decorated by the grandkids.

Love proclaimed on a doorstep in downtown Waterville.

Love blooms on this mural gracing a downtown Northfield youth center.

A dish towel hangs in the kitchen of an historic house on the Rice County Steam & Gas Engines showgrounds, Dundas, reflecting love found in the home.

A universal

Ducks gather along the Cannon River at Riverside Lions Park in Northfield.

PAT GARRY

Bayside Tap & Steakhouse for you and the

Looking for a Valentine’s Day dinner destination? Look no further than Red Wing and plan a visit to Bayside Tap & Steakhouse. Featuring delicious steaks and seafood, Minnesota’s best martinis and award winning service, Bayside will have your table ready.

Owners Glen and Christy Witham have enjoyed the restaurant business for 35 years.

“ My chef is Jenney Esterby Morrell. She, along with my daughter Jenn Holtz, Mindy Keller, and Vee Baker, make up my management team,” said Glen Witham.

Bayside is a casual dining restaurant, featuring American cuisine for lunch and dinner. The Withams boast what they believe is the best steak in town — with their in-house, hand-cut choice ribeyes and strips. Another top item is the steak and blue salad, featuring Bayside’s own house blue cheese dressing.

One of the popular mainstay items is the ahi tuna steak, served rare with a special imported Japanese ginger wasabi glaze. This is also used on the house dragon wings, which is the Witham’s most popular wing item.

“Our burgers are a ½ pound, and our shrimp cocktail is the biggest U8-10 black tiger shrimp available on the market. We offer a bone-in porterhouse pork chop and a catch-of-the-month seafood item

that changes every 30 days,” Witham explained.

Maybe the most requested dish is the potato bacon soup. It’s the house soup, made daily and available year-round.

Voted “Best Restaurant in Red Wing” last year, Witham credits his employees for the accolade.

“They are an awesome group that sincerely cares about customers’ dining experiences. They are proud of what they do, and I am very proud of them,” Glen added.

Bayside’s uniqueness is warranted in a number of ways. They are located in Red Wing, a beautiful town tucked in the bluffs along the Mississippi River. The venue offers outdoor seating, including a roof top deck that overlooks the river, the iconic Red Wing boat houses, Barns Bluff, Eisenhower Bridge and more. Along with the awesome views, the Withams offer a large selection of martinis: some include the caramel apple, the salted nut roll, the lemon drop, the traditional “James Bond dirty shaken, not stirred.”

The Withams’ most popular event is their Saturday afternoon meat raffle, which goes on through the winter months. It starts at 3 p.m. and is usually a full house. It is sponsored by the local Elks Club, so

the money stays in Red Wing. The meat comes from an independent grocer in Red Wing (Koplin’s Market). There is usually a little something else going on, with a trivia T-shirt giveaway, or, occasionally, a guest wheel spinner might show up. It’s a fun time for all that attend, and it helps with the mid-winter cabin fever blues.

In 2023, the Withams are looking forward to a great year at Bayside. There is a whole new look on Old W. Main Street, including a brand new pedestrian bridge that ties the river walkway to the Mississippi.

“The area has evolved into a beautiful, river-friendly community, and we invite everyone to come check us out,” said Glen Witham.

Bayside Tap & Steakhouse is located at 1516 Old W. Main St., Red Wing. Call 651-388-1616 or visit baysidetapandsteakhouse.com to see the hours, menu and more.

When you hear the words “Valentine’s Day”, what feelings does it conjure up in you?

For some, it’s a warm feeling of excitement and anticipation for the holiday that celebrates one of the most worthwhile things on earth, love. For others, it may be sadness or longing for relationships lost. I personally know a few folks who think Valentine’s Day is a holiday made up by the greeting card industry to boost sales. And, as any good capitalist society does, other industries jumped on the bandwagon to get their slice of that love pie (which is most likely not true as it is thought to have begun being celebrated as a day of romance in the 14th century, long before Hallmark appeared on the scene).

And even some of you may be saying, “Feelings? What feelings?”. While Valentine’s Day may not tug at ever yone’s heartstrings, I have always looked forward to it.

This may partially be because it occurs just three days before my birthday. Growing up, Valentine’s Day always seemed like a warmup celebration for a day dedicated to something truly important: me. But despite a fairly cynical outlook on life, I do believe in love and its overwhelming power over all of us.

And I do mean all of us. It’s a universal feeling that knows no age, sex, race, gender, or even species. When you take all of that into consideration, it is no wonder that so many songs are themed around that everlasting subject; falling in love, falling out of love, losing love, loving love, hating love, longing for love, romantic love, platonic love, unrequited love … love.

Emotions can be hard for many of us to express with words alone. This is where the arts come in. The visual arts, dance, theater, music, etc. are all ways to express our emotions when words fail to do the job. It doesn’t take a music scholar to note the tremendous number of love songs that have been shared to the world.

But just exactly how many actually exist is a more elusive matter. I came across one study that suggested that 50% of all pop songs were about love. Another study, from 2018, depicted a chart that put the word “love” at the very top of the list when it came to appearing in song

lyrics.

It beat out words such as “Oh”, “La”, “yeah”, and “Life” — by a lot. And a 2022 article from Billboard said that 9.6% of all Hot 100 No.

1’s had the word “love” in the title — not the entire song, just the title.

That list started in 1958. But a truly definitive answer to “How many love songs are out there?” just doesn’t really exist. This is because no one can agree on what a love song truly is. There are as many definitions of love out there as there are people in existence, so it would stand to reason that a bunch of differing opinions is all we really have to go on.

I decided to hone in on a few of those opinions for you here in Scene by asking one simple question around Southern Minnesota: “What makes a good love song?”

“It’s impossible to describe something so complex (love) in a 3-minute song, so generalities don’t cut it. Try to find a telling detail that spurs an emotion-tenderness, lust, gratitudeand work out from that detail: the way she crosses her legs; the way her presence makes you breathe differently. The devil’s in the details...”

- Kit Kildahl, Saint Peter, musician/songwriter/ singer as solo act as well as with Bad Liquor Management, Ace in the Whole, Minnesota

Barking Ducks, and occasional guest artist with City Mouse

“I love a song that’s hopeful and heartbreaking, or a song with a big, unexpected swell of emotion, or a song with nuanced and relatable lyrics that make me feel understood. It’s hard to pinpoint and define what is so impactful about music. You just know it is, ya know?”

-Tessa Weyhe, Brooklyn Park, art educator/ artist/all-around amazing person

“Well, there are so many different kinds of love songs to write, so it’s hard to say what’s best. But I like songs that highlight the hope aspect of falling in love. There’s vulnerability and fear and what ifs, but the “maybe this could be” flutter is what keeps us falling.”

-Bad Bad Hats, super awesome Minneapolisbased band comprised of Kerr y Alexander and Chris Hoge

“A good love song creates a deep melancholy longing to hold a faraway hand while drifting asleep in a window seat many time zones away or inspires a closely embraced impromptu twostep around the kitchen.”

- Liz Draper, Mankato, bassist extraordinaire as a solo act as well as with Soul Asylum, the Cactus Blossoms, Davina and the Vagabonds, Charlie Parr, and Low

“I agree with John Lennon that there are

MEGAN ROLLOFF

enough silly love songs.” - Jan Laird, New Ulm, retired special education teacher/ lifelong cynic/my mom

So I think what we have established here is … absolutely nothing. There is no one answer to any of these questions. Just as there is no one way/how/who/where/why to love.

Music is an art, and art exists to express the inexpressible. Does the corporate machine that is our modern society capitalize on these emotions by not-so-subtly suggesting giving lavish gifts, like vacations and diamonds, are necessary to prove your love every Feb. 14? Absolutely.

But that doesn’t mean that Valentine’s Day isn’t also a day to celebrate the uplifting, soulcrushing, euphoric, life-affirming, life-changing, heartbreaking, spine-tingling, overwhelming, ever-present, never-present, all-powerful feeling of love. Two, or more, things can be true at the same time. And when it comes to love, anything, and everything, can be true all at once.

Megan Rolloff is an interior designer in Mankato, who lives in New Ulm with her doting husband Tom. She loves music, especially of the Minnesota variety, and now she writes about it. Reach her at megankrolloff@gmail.com.