February 2012 Northfield Entertainment Guide by The Entertainment Guide

Yoshida Hodaka and Post-World War II Japanese & American Artistic Exchange Feb. 17 - April 1, 2012

Flaten Art Museum, mounts changing historical and contemporary exhibitions by established and emerging local, regional, national and international artists in all mediums. Permanent collection of American, European, Asian and African prints, paintings, photography, sculpture and textiles. No unsolicited proposals.

CHIP-N-Clip

Saturday, February 11, 1-3 pm Chuck and Don’s Pet Food Outlet in Dundas. $20 Microchips - Done by PEHS. $5 nail trim by Cyndi Jones of Canine Designs All proceeds go to benefit PEHS. All animals must be leashed or in a carrier. No appointment necessary.

Call 507-334-7117 for more info.

Flaten Art Museum

Prairie’s Edge

Dittmann Center

Humane Society

Free and open to the public. For hours and exhibits please visit: www.stolaf.edu/collections/flaten

SAVE 15% on Vertical Blinds from Expires 2/29/12

Call Today for your Complimentary In-Home Consultation

507-581-5291 www.budgetblinds.com

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Prairiesedgehs.org 507-334-7117

Knowing what to say - and whencan help prevent underage drinking Research shows that parents are the number one influence in their children’s decisions about alcohol.* To use that influence effectively, our approach to conversations about underage drinking may have to change as our kids grow and mature. Learn more about practical strategies for each parenting stage by downloading our free parent guide at facebook.com/AnheuserBuschFamilyTalkAboutDrinking. *Roper Youth Report

College City Beverage, Inc., Dundas, MN

Contents

Exhibits ................................................... 2 Happenings ......................................... 2-19 your source for Northfield-area happenings since 2005

Vol. 7, Issue 2

February 2012 17 Bridge Square Northfield, MN 55057

507/663-7937 neg@northfieldguide.com Publisher: Rob Schanilec By All Means Graphics Advertising: info@northfieldguide.com or 507/663-7937 Contributors: Felicia Crosby Susan Hvistendahl Locallygrownnorthfield.org Northfield.org Northfield Music Collective

Theater ................................................... 3

507-332-7372

February Gigs ........................................ 20 Clubs, Classes & More .................... 22 Sports ................................................... 22 Just Curious: Riki Kölbl Nelson ......................25-26 Historic Happenings .................. 27-29 Dining .................................................. 30 Advertisers’ Index ............................ 30 Community Guide: J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein ..... 31-32

www.paradisecenterforthearts.org 321 Central Ave North Ã Faribault

Now in its 25th Anniversary Season The Paradise Community Theater presents

Feb. 10,11,16,17,18 at 7:30pm Feb. 12 at 2:00pm Tickets: $13 Adults $8 Children 12 and Under

On the Cover:

Online: at northfieldguide.com! A flippin’ cool digital edition, downloadable PDF, archives and content submission form.

Sponsored By Faribault Foods Part of the 2012 Faribault Daily News Theater Season

The Big Wu is back at the upstairs Rueb Feb. 11 as part of their 20th Anniversary Tour (as the Rueb celebrates its 30th). Cost is $10. Music starts at 9. And the great cover photo was shot by Scott Bacon.

Second Annual

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Wall of Beer & Wine Tasting Event The Northfield Entertainment Guide is on the hunt for artists of all kinds: MUSIC, VISUAL ARTS, THEATER and DANCE. Starting with our now-traditional Music issue in June, we’re devoting three issues annually to the celebration of the region’s arts – and the artists who create them. We’re looking to showcase YOU – the dancers, the actors, the artists and the musicians who make this town the arts mecca we love to cover. Help us put you in the spotlight. Following content deadlines below, send us the stuff about you that makes you, well – you. A fun and informal biography, places performed, exhibitions shown in. What inspires you? How did it start? What’s happening now? And – most important – let us help the reader know where to get more information about you. Looking forward to connecting with you.

It’s a great way to advertise your art – and IT’S ABSOLUTELY FREE.

Sat. Feb. 25 7:00pm $15 members/$18 nm Sponsored By %DXHU¶V 6RXWKVLGH /LTXRU

Gallery Opening Fri. March 2nd 5-7pm Julie Fakler Paul Swanson Exhibit Runs until Apr. 17th Part of the KDHL/Power 96 2012 Gallery Season

Proud Supporter of the Arts

The issues and content dates are as follows: JUNE – the Music Issue: content deadline May 1. AUGUST – the Performing Arts Issue (theater/dance): content needed by July 1. OCTOBER – the Visual Arts Issue: content deadline Sept. 1.

Robert Overby Agent

507-334-7542 32 4th Street NW Faribault, MN 55021

BobOverby.com

FEBRUARY 2012

Check us out online at www.northfieldguide.com

Northfield Historical Society Eclectic Goat – 418 Division St.

507/786-9595 • Tu/W 10am-5pm, Th 10am-7pm, F/Sa 10am5pm, Su 12-4pm – More than 120 artists represented. “A shop where...ART RULES!”

The Flaten Art Museum/Dittmann Center

1520 St. Olaf Ave. • 507/646-3556 stolaf.edu/depts/art/ • M/Tu/W/F 10am-5pm, Th until 8pm, Sa/Su 2-5pm. Apprentice Art Exhibit – Through Feb. 12 – work by art apprentices who graduated in 2011 and were awarded apprenticeships to work on their portfolios for a year. Artist talks: Feb. 9, 7pm. Yoshida Hodaka and PostWorld War II Japanese and American Artistic Exchange, Feb. 17-April 1 – this exhibition focuses on the rich artistic and cultural exchange that has taken place between Japan and the United States since WWII. Tracing the remarkable career of Yoshida Hodaka, the exhibition explores issues of cultural identity and globalization for Japanese and Japanese Americans.

Northfield Arts Guild

304 Division St. • 507/645-8877 northfieldartsguild.org • M-F 10am-5pm Surfacing – Through Feb. 18 – Oil paintings by Paul Brokken and Carolyn Hartwell, functional sculptural ceramics by Juliane Shibata.

408 Division St. • 507/645-9268 M-Sa 10am-5:30pm, Su 1-5:30pm The History of Telephones in Northfield – Feb. 23June 22 – discover the telecommunications history of Northfield and Dundas. Highlights include phones, switchboards, advertisements, tools of the telephone trade and much more from 1880 to 2011. Opening Reception: Feb. 23, 6pm.

Northfield Senior Center Gallery

1651 Jefferson Pkwy. • 507/664-3700 northfieldseniorcenter.org • M-F 7am-8pm, Sa 7am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm

Paradise Center for the Arts

321 Central Ave., Faribault • 507/332-7372 paradisecenterforthearts.org Tu/W/F/Sa 12-5pm, Th 12-8pm, Su/M closed. Carlander Family Gallery: “It’s Greece to Me” – Through Feb. 28 – Father James Cly Zotalis’ collection of pen/ink and watercolors of current sites in modern day Greece, reflect the people and places of the Greek mainland and surrounding islands. Vranesh Boardroom Gallery: “I’m Just Trying to Tell You that This is the Direction our Body is Going” – Through Feb. 28 – Alex Lange’s performance work that attempts to use the body to close the distance between Alex and the sun. The performance becomes a meditation on Alex’s spiritual experience.

In the Members’ Room: One Stroke at a Time – Through Feb. 18 – Joyce Francis exhibits her ink and watercolor paintings. These works on paper are made using the Zentangle technique, a meditative art form that uses repeating patterns. New Work – Feb. 22March 31 – featuring Julie Fakler, Philip Taylor, and John Wells. Fakler creates vibrant domestic animal paintings using acrylic on hardboard; Taylor paints improvisational with acrylic canvas. Wells applies paint and other materials in layers to create abstract works. Opening Reception: Feb. 24, 7-9pm. Gallery Talk with Taylor and Wells: March 1, 7-8pm.

Northfield Arts Guild at Allina Clinic

1440 Jefferson Rd. • M-T 7am-8pm, F 7am-7pm, Sa 9am-3pm Fred Gustafson – Through Feb. 27 – large-scale plates influenced by traditional Chinese painting styles.

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Corey Lyn Cregor Memorial Gallery: Katie Schlobohm – Through Feb. 28 – Student work.

Katie Schlobohm

Studio Elements

16 Bridge Square 507/786-9393 studioelements.net • Th 10am-5pm, F/Sa 10am-5pm, Su 12-4pm. Fine art, unique gifts and fun junk.

OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS for the Northfield Arts Guild 2012-2013 GALLERY EXHIBIT SEASON

A submission form is available at www.northfieldartsguild.org. Click on the Exhibitions page and the link to “Exhibiting Your Work in the Gallery.” Or call 507/645-8877 to have one sent to you. Artists must be 18 or older and live within a 70-mile radius of Northfield. All application materials must be received by Feb. 24, 2012.

Theater

Arsenic and Old Lace

High School One Act Plays

Feb. 3-4; 7-10pm High School Auditorium Noises Off

Feb. 10-12, 16-18; Th-Sa 7:30pm, Su 2pm Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault Called the “funniest farce ever written” by the New York Post, Noises Off is about an ambitious director and his troupe of mediocre actors. The cast and crew are putting together a silly sex comedy titled, Nothing On – a single-set farce in which lovers frolic, doors slam, clothes are tossed away and embarrassing hi-jinks ensue. The missed marks, the going ons behind the curtain and the bad timing keep the laughs rolling. Directed by Dan Rathbun. Tickets: $13 adults, $8 children 12 and under. Robin Hood

Feb. 10, 7pm; Feb. 11, 1pm Northfield Middle School Auditorium Support Northfield students grades two through eight completing their week-long Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre experience by seeing their production for this classic tale. Tickets: $5 adult, $3 students at the door.

Auditions and the Like… Theater: PAPER DADDY

Northfield Arts Guild • Feb. 5, 1-5pm and Feb. 6, 7-10pm Paper Daddy is a play written by former Northfield resident and former Star Tribune writer, Kristine Holmgren. This will be the premiere production of this charming and delightfully funny contemporary drama. It is set in Northfield with landmarks and dialogue familar to many! The roles range in age from early 20s to mid 60s. Auditions will be held at Center for the Arts, 304 Division St. Call 507/645-8877 to set up an audition time.

Feb. 17-19, 24-26; F-Sa 7:30pm, Su 2pm Northfield Arts Guild Theater Poor Mortimer Brewster has problems. Not only has he backed himself into a romantic corner, he has a menagerie of kooky relatives to contend with! His sweet, old spinster aunts have taken up an ethically questionable hobby, one brother thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, and another brother has had plastic surgery and now looks like Boris Karloff! This dark comedy is sure to cause spontaneous laughter. Directed by Frank Blomgren. Tickets: $15, $10 for students and seniors. Living Electric Theater: Cinema Emerges in Northfield

Feb. 26, 2-4pm Weitz Center for Creativity Cinema, Carleton Carol Donelan, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Carleton, will present a narrated tour of re-created episodes from Northfield’s early moviegoing history, accompanied by a stellar cast of local actors and musicians. Living Electric Theater

ADVERTISE in the next

Dance Theater Company Auditions Spring Recital

Northfield Arts Guild • Feb. 25, 2-3:30pm Sign up at the Center for the Arts, 304 Division St. or call 507/645-8877.

7th ANNUAL VERY SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL

Northfield Arts Guild • Submission Deadline: March 15 VSPF VII will be held April 28 and 29 at the Northfield Arts Guild Theater. For more information, click on the Special Events page at www.northfieldartsguild.org.

a full month of ver y cool

EXPOSURE 507/663-7937

neg@northfieldguide.com FEBRUARY 2012

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Celebrate your this Love Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Love is in the air â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the still-not-yetfrozen earth we smell. Either way, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to show your sweetie a night of love on the town â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there are Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebrations and specials to be found from the Contented Cow to the Hideaway Coffeehouse and Wine Bar to Frog Bottoms Riverside Pub. Drop in at the Tavern Restaurant or the Ole CafĂŠ Restaurant (reservations accepted) for a romantic dinner, and for an added touch, pick up a fresh and fragrant bouquet from Forget-Me-Not Florist to pass across the white tablecloth. And if you still have a yen for chocolate after Division Streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Le Tour du Chocolat, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a bad thing to bring, either. To lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;amour for all, on Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day and beyond.

Florist

Finest selection of Minnesota Grown Flowers

Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day promotion Order by Feb. 12 w/promo code: VAL and get a free box of chocolates or balloon. 6 :DWHU 6W 1RUWKĂ&#x20AC;HOG 01 Â&#x2021; IRUJHWPHQRWQRUWKĂ&#x20AC;HOG FRP

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Chef Chris is creating feature dinners paired with wine and beer specials. Enjoy our array of housemade desserts. Call for details. Reservations accepted at the Ole Store. The Ole Store 507-786-9400 OleStoreRestaurant.com

FEBRUARY 2012

The Tavern 507-663-0342 TavernOfNorthfield.com

Check us out online at www.northfieldguide.com

HAPPE N I NG S WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Traditional Irish Music Session • 7-9pm

The Contented Cow A gathering of musicians and listeners in a relaxed, informal setting. Along with the music enjoy conversation, camaraderie and perhaps even a few Irish dance steps! Speed Dating (Straight) • 7:30-8:30pm

The Contented Cow

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 The Defeat of Groundhog’s Day starring Matt Arthur and the Bratlanders • 8-11pm

The Contented Cow Original foot-stompin’ protest songs, hollerin’ gospel blues, and classic covers from such American legends as Johnny Cash, Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Hank Williams. Mark Mraz • 8:30-11pm

The Tavern Lounge Forget about life for awhile with the piano man. From Billy Joel to Kermit the Frog – Mraz tickles the ivories and entertains requests from the audience. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Chess Tournament • 9am-12pm

Northfield Middle School Media Center Students grades one through eight can show off their moves on the chess board at this open tournament. Call 507/664-3649 to register in advance or pay $10 at the door. Tim Patrick and His Blue Eyes Band • 2-5pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls Couple this amazing voice with an amazing story and get ready for goosebumps! Less than eight years ago, Patrick found himself and his shakey voice in the spotlight at Nye’s Piano Bar in Minneapolis. The rest is history: opera, musicals, a CD in 2006 that got him discovered by Joanne Grauer (pianist to Andy Williams, The Osmonds, The Lennon Sisters and more), a second CD under her direction, a gig with the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra and in 2007, playing the Blue Moon in Croatia. In 2009 he made LA jazz critic Scott Yanow’s book, The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide and was named Gigmaster.com’s choice for the 2008 Rising Star Award for Best Jazz Singer! We’re fortunate to find this vocal wonder live at the Cannon River Winery! Catch him again on Feb. 5. Theater: High School One Act Plays • 7-10pm

Northfield High School Auditorium

Jon Larson’s Neil Diamond Tribute • 8-11pm

The Contented Cow Larson, known by many as the Norwegian Cowboy, plays it like it was meant to be played. Great vocals and acoustic guitar. Lonesome Dan Kase

Brenda Owens and Lee Mesinger • 5-8pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls

Theater: High School One Act Plays • 7-10pm

Northfield High School Auditorium

Ben Aaron • 8-11:30pm

The Tavern Lounge Aaron has been playing guitar since he was ten. Finding his voice and picking up harmonica were the last steps in order to become a true folk musician. Influences include the folk revival, country blues and the new Americana music that is sweeping the nation. Karaoke

Rueb ‘N’ Stein • 9pm Castle Rock and Roll • 9pm Jesse James Lanes • 10pm

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The Tavern Lounge Think music from O Brother, Where Art Thou? and mix in a little more ragtime and a hint of bluegrass. DJ Music

Winter Dance Party • 7pm

Contented Cow Featuring the music of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “the Big Bopper” Richardson. Performances by Terry Van DeWalker, Scott Skaja of Shoot Lucy, Allison Rae, Jacob Hendrickson and Midnight Collision, CJ Alt of Frontman and the Other Guys, Ross Willits of Po Boys, and Ray Barnard of Rich Relations.

Lonesome Dan Kase • 8-11:30pm

Castle Rock and Roll • 9pm Rueb ‘N’ Stein SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5 Tim Patrick and His Blue Eyes Band • 1-4pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls See Feb. 4 description. Politics and a Pint • 6pm

The Contented Cow Join in on discussions concerning local issues at this “lightly moderated” open forum. For more information on topics, go to www.contentedcow.com. Quiz Night • 8pm

The Contented Cow Stop in anytime to sign up for this four-person team competition; prizes and the winning team may drink from the “Winners Mug” the week following their triumph! Super Bowl Sunday at the Frog

Froggy Bottoms Drink specials and free wings, while they last.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Northern Roots Session â&#x20AC;˘ 7:30-9pm

Traditional Irish Music Session â&#x20AC;˘ 7-9pm

The Contented Cow An informal weekly gathering of musicians to play acoustic music with roots in the north, particularly the Nordic countries. Participants and listeners of all ages and levels of experience are welcome.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Acoustic Jam Session â&#x20AC;˘ 7:30-10pm

The Contented Cow Every Tuesday night show up with your unplugged instrument of choice and jam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or just show up and listen! Dos Equis â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;March to the Championshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Begins!

The Contented Cow Bring KFANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paul Allen to the Cow for a live broadcast. The Contented Cow is competing against 31 other pubs/bars in the Twin Cities area for the honor. Just scan on-site posters and vote for the Cow, while enjoying discounted bottles, pints and pitchers of Dos Equis, of course. Vote weekly through March 15. Within that time the Cow will host two sampling events.

Buntrock Commons, Viking Theater, St. Olaf Matthew Dickerson has written several books on Tolkien and has spoken on Tolkienâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classic The Lord of the Rings around the world. One of these books, Following Gandalf, is especially widely celebrated. Dickerson teaches at Middlebury College, Vermont. Alison Rae â&#x20AC;˘ 10pm-12am

The Contented Cow St. Paul-based musician â&#x20AC;&#x153;whose voice and songs come at you with all the power and hype of a falling snowflakeâ&#x20AC;Śher talent has instantly hushed a room.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jim Walsh, MinnPost.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Worldwide, over

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Artist Talks: St. Olaf Art Apprentices 7pm

Flaten Museum, St. Olaf See exhibits page.

Just Down the Road: Historic Churches of Minnesota • 7pm

All Saints Episcopal Church Sponsored by the Northfield Public Library and presented by Doug Ohman. Ohman is a freelance photographer and speaker who has traveled throughout the upper Midwest photographing historic architecture. He has published a number of books that are part of the Minnesota Historical Society series, Minnesota Byways, including the one pictured here, photographs by Ohman, authored by Jon Hassler. Ian Alexy • 8:30-11pm

members of

co-ops.

The Tavern Lounge Singer/songwriter/guitarist Ian Alexy offers deft finger-picking, jazzy melodies and heart-warming tales of a well-traveled 20something-year-old.

Prom Queef • 11:59pm-1am

The Contented Cow A rough and edgy punk rock band. Ingrid Ashida (guitar), Rachel Adams (bass), Mary Begley (vocals) and Colette Meller (drums). FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 High School Band Waffle Dinner 4:30pm

Northfield High School Tim Brown • 5-8pm 516 Water Street S · 507-650-0106

justfood.coop

Monday through Saturday 8 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.

Eat Local. Shop Co-op. 8 NEG@northfieldguide.com

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls A singer/songwriter who has performed solo and in a variety of duos over the past 25 years. His album, North of North, received significant airplay throughout the Midwest and in the West. Brown has appeared as the opening act for Blood, Sweat and Tears and Iron Butterfly.

New Moon Trio • 5-8pm

The Contented Cow Here’s a taste of 100 years of popular tunes, random requests and spontaneous harmonies featuring Ross Currier on bass, Lance Heisler on drums and Justin London on guitar. Theater: Robin Hood • 7pm

Northfield Middle School Auditorium See theater page. Theater: Noises Off • 7:30pm

Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault See theater page. Marv Gohman • 8-11:30pm

The Tavern Lounge

Out of the Great North Woods of suburban Minneapolis/St. Paul, comes a swaggering, foot-stompin’, heart-pumpin’ minstrel, laying waste to any instrument that comes within ten fingers of his sweaty reach. Furious fiddle and madcap mandolin struggle to punch holes in steel and guitars. Wailing harp winds up breathing hard. Has opened for notable artists including Jonny Lang, Glen Frey, Maria Muldaur, Colin Rae, Sammy Kershaw, John Michael Montgomery, Delbert McClinton, Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell, Los Lobos, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, 38 Special, Proclaimers, Al Green and Taj Mahal; jammed with Lowen and Navarro; and sung with Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Meredith Fierke and the McKinstrys with Chris Koza • 8pm

Northfield Arts Guild upstairs studio Koza (Rogue Valley) is coming from Minneapolis to play a special acoustic set, while Fierke and the McKinstrys offer their characteristic dirty/pretty chamber-style music with some new songs from their album. A rare and intimate show. Advance tickets at left-handedentertainment.com.

Karaoke

YMCA Daddy Daughter Dance 6-8:30pm

Rueb ‘N’ Stein • 9pm Castle Rock and Roll • 9pm Jesse James Lanes • 10pm Mark Mraz

Froggy Bottoms Forget about life for awhile with the piano man. From Billy Joel to Kermit the Frog – Mraz tickles the ivories and entertains requests from the audience. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Le Tour du Chocolat • 10am

Downtown Northfield Stroll the shops of Division Street in historic downtown Northfield and taste the chocolate delights while signing up for drawings from 10am till closing.

National Guard Armory There is nothing more special or important in a young girl’s life than her dad. This is your opportunity to show the little girl in your life how important she is to you. An entire evening dedicated to the special relationship you share. This is a young girl’s prom night with strobe lights, dancing and cake. For ages 3-12 and their father or other male adult. $20/couple and $5/additional child members, $26/couple and $8/additional child nonmembers. Theater: Noises Off • 7:30pm

Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault See theater page.

Northfield Retirement Community

It’s all here. Attractive setting … gorgeous spaces … access to high-quality care and services.

AAUW Program: Lequetta Diggs 10am

Kildahl Park Point This month, in honor of Black History Month, the AAUW presents Lequetta Diggs, who was involved in the first successful sit-in at a Kansas drugstore in 1958, contributing to desegregation of lunch counters. Hosted by Nancy Lehman and Carol Marshall.

Northfield Retirement Community offers: • Catered living • Assisted living

Chip-N-Clip • 1-3pm

Chuck and Don’s Pet Food Outlet, Dundas A pet microchip event. $20 microchips and $5 nail trims. All proceeds go to benefit PEHS. All animals must be leashed or in a carrier. No appointment necessary. Theater: Robin Hood • 1pm

Northfield Middle School Auditorium See theater page. Michael Loonan 2-5pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls Seasoned pianoman, playing popular standards, contemporary classics, jazz and classical. Photo: Rod Wilson

Occasional Jazz • 5-7pm

The Contented Cow Mainstream classic jazz of Miles Davis, Tholonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck and others in the same style.

FEBRUARY 2012

• Housing with services • Skilled nursing care • Memory care • Rehabilitation The Last Known Whereabouts 8-11pm

The Contented Cow Exciting, high-energy contemporary bluegrass music, blending traditional string band music with rock, folk, country and blues influences. Band includes: Jake Stroup, mandolin and vocals; Aaron Hagenson, guitar and vocals; Carl Haskins, bass; and Aaron Cross, fiddle.

• Full-time spiritual care services with a community chaplain and pastoral care To learn more, visit our website at www.northfieldretirement.org.

Joe Meyer • 8-11:30pm

The Tavern Lounge The Big Wu • 9pm

The Upstairs Rueb ‘N’ Stein Over the past seven years, this Minnesota troupe has stepped into the role of creating the type of music that wants to course through your veins. Writing in truly American styles, the Big Wu slides, bends, rumbles, and chicken-picks with on the top intensity and good-time fervor. The Big Wu is Chris Castino (lead guitar/vocals), Andy Miller (bass guitar/vocals), Al Oikari (keyboards/vocals) and Terry VanDeWalker (percussion/vocals). Doors are open all day – tickets $10.

507-664-3466 www.northfieldretirement.org

Check us out online at www.northfieldguide.com

Politics and a Pint • 6pm

DJ Music

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12

The Contented Cow Join in on discussions concerning local issues at this “lightly moderated” open forum. For more information on topics, go to www.contentedcow.com.

The DitchLilies • 1-4pm

Theater: Noises Off • 2pm

Castle Rock and Roll • 9pm Rueb ‘N’ Stein

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls Wisconsin’s American Roots duo, The DitchLilies, have been in musical cahoots since 1998. Kari Larson and Lisa Schultz are stringed multi-instrumentalists/vocalists with a soft spot and keen enthusiasm for early swing, old-time mountain music and juke joint songs of the Golden Era. Together, they turn back in time to dust off the rare and forgotten tunes or to hone the familiar, tried and true melodies with the aim of carrying them forward to share with audiences of today. Variously tender and bold, imaginative and well-honed, The DitchLilies bring a refreshing sound to the roots music revival.

Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault See theater page. Special VALENTINE’S Quiz Night • 8pm

The Contented Cow Stop in anytime to sign up for this four-person team competition; prizes and the winning team may drink from the “Winners Mug” the week following their triumph!

Quiz Mistress Peterson Photo: Hai Ngo

Paid Advertisement

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Why the Civil War was Fought: The Antebellum Period • 6-7pm

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Flaten Lecture Series: Todd Norsten • 7pm

Northfield Historical Society How could a nation that fought for its freedom and defeated the greatest power on either side of the 18th century, whose people spoke the same language and worshiped the same God, find itself wanting to separate in the middle of the 19th century? This program, Why the Civil War was Fought – the Antebellum Period, presented by Jim Stark,will outline why 630,000 Americans gave their lives to preserve the American union. This is the first in a series of discussions covering the American Civil War during its sesquicentennial celebration.

Dittmann Center 305, St. Olaf Artist and printmaker from Minneapolis with extensive national and international renown. Northern Roots Session 7:30-9pm

Northfield Wine Club • 7-9pm Northern Roots Photo: Hai Ngo

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14

The Grand Event Center “Think Spring/New Arrivals” is the theme for the first meeting of 2012. Free and open to the public. Theater: Noises Off • 7:30pm

Acoustic Jam Session • 7:30-10pm

The Contented Cow Every Tuesday night show up with your unplugged instrument of choice and jam – or just show up and listen!

Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault See theater page. The Counterfactuals • 8-11pm

Valentine’s Day at the Frog

Froggy Bottoms Special surf and turf dinner.

The Contented Cow The Counterfactuals are Daniel Groll (guitar, vocals, drums), Jason Decker (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Mike Fuerstein (drums, keyboards) and Andy Flory (bass, vocals). Influences include Elvis Costello, The Beach Boys, Willie Nelson, The Walkmen, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, M. Ward, Slayer and Sergie Rachmaninoff.

Valentine’s Day at the HideAway

Mark Mraz • 8:30-11pm

Valentine’s Day Celebration

The Contented Cow

HideAway Coffeehouse and Wine Bar Celebrate Valentine’s Day over half price bottles of wine. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15

The Tavern Lounge From Billy Joel to Kermit the Frog – Mraz tickles the ivories and entertains requests from the audience. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Traditional Irish Music Session 7-9pm

Darrell Pipo Jr. • 5-8pm

The Contented Cow A gathering of musicians and listeners in a relaxed, informal setting. Along with the music enjoy conversation, camaraderie and perhaps even a few Irish dance steps.

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls Darrell Pipo Jr. is an acoustic guitar player performing music by the likes of Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and the Jay Hawks. 6th Annual Northfield Winter Stomp • 7-10:30pm

St. Dominic School Open House • 5:30-7:30pm

FEBRUARY 2012

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Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault See theater page.

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Northfield Arts Guild Theater See theater page.

Matthew Griswold • 8-11:30pm

The Tavern Lounge Acoustic/folk rock/pop.

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Theater: Arsenic and Old Lace • 7:30pm

St. Dominic School Open to interested students aged preschool-eighth grade. All denominations are welcome. For information, call 507/645-8136.

Theater: Noises Off • 7:30pm

The Contented Cow Modern folk, vocals/guitar with influences from Hoagy Carmichael, The Beatles and Bonnie Raitt to Susan Tedeschi, Brandi Carlile and Indigo Girls. Contributes her talents to Northfield band, Area 51, fronts the blues/ rock band, Top Shelf, and performs with a Faribault musical theater group at Paradise Center for the Arts.

Barb Piper • 5-7pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16

The Contented Cow

National Guard Armory A community contra dance with music by Contratopia. Dance instruction at 7pm. No prior contra dance experience or dance partner required. $9 adults, $6 students, $25 family cap.

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HAPPENINGS Friday, Feb. 17, continued Karaoke

Rueb ‘N’ Stein • 9pm Castle Rock and Roll • 9pm Jesse James Lanes • 10pm Worldwide Guinness Toast • 10pm

Contented Cow The title says it all – as a kick off to “4 Weeks of Guinness.” Return on Monday nights to the Cow, 7pm, for giveaway Guinness collector glasses, through March 12, while supplies last. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Andrew Walesch • 2-5pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls Blues and jazz. “The boy with the voice.” A great variety of classics and originals. Toaster Fork! 5-7pm

The Contented Cow Original music from alt-country to straight up rock and roll, blues and punk.

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Rice County Historical Society’s French Fête Dinner and Dance 6pm

Elks Lodge, Faribault Dinner, catered by Chef Jeff Labeau, owner of the Depot Bar and Grill, will include red beans and rice, chicken etouffee, sausage jambalaya, crayfish boil, dessert and chicory coffee. There will be dance instruction for the Cajun two-step from 7 to 7:30, and Cajun music provided by the New Riverside Ramblers beginning at 7:30pm. Tickets: $30 dinner and dance, $10 dance only. Reserve dinner tickets by Feb. 10 and dance tickets by Feb. 16. Tickets are available at the Rice County Historical Society, the State Bank of Faribault, the Northfield Historical Society, or from any RCHS board member. Theater: Arsenic and Old Lace • 7:30pm

Northfield Arts Guild Theater See theater page.

Theater: Noises Off • 7:30pm

Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault See theater page. Relativity • 8-11:30pm

The Tavern Lounge This trio plays music from popular artists such as Missy Higgins and the Avett Brothers as well as many classic rock tunes by bands like Fleetwood Mac and John Mellencamp to such varied artists as the Indigo Girls, Damien Rice and Sarah McLachlan. Sit back and enjoy power harmonies by twin sisters Linda Wilson and Sandy Jensen (who also adds mandolin, harmonica and percussion) and solid guitar and bluesy vocals by Toby Jensen.

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HAPPENINGS Saturday, Feb. 18, continued Optimum Trajectory 8-11pm

The Contented Cow Twin Cities-based jazz quintet doing innovative, exciting renditions of jazz standards and original music – and they donate their tips to area charities so show your appreciation. Margo Breivik (bass), Tim McNamara (guitar), Garth Anderson (drums), Ann Potter (vocals), Ira Adelman (sax), Steve Hillson (brass). DJ Music

Castle Rock and Roll • 9pm Rueb ‘N’ Stein

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Author Reading: Erin Hart • 7pm

Rolvaag Library 525, St. Olaf Mystery writer Erin Hart ‘80 is the guest speaker at the February meeting of the Defenders of WRITEousness. The author of three awardwinning mysteries, the latest of which, False Mermaid, was named to Booklist’s Top Ten Crime Novels of 2010. Traditional Irish Music Session • 7-9pm

The Ted Pretzel Experience • 11pm-1am

The Contented Cow

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

The Contented Cow St. Paul-based musician “whose voice and songs come at you with all the power and hype of a falling snowflake…her talent has instantly hushed a room.” – Jim Walsh, MinnPost.

Tony Williams • 1-4pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Theater: Arsenic and Old Lace • 2pm

Exhibit Opening Reception: The History of Telephones in Northfield • 6pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls Northfield Arts Guild Theater See theater page.

Northfield Historical Society See exhibits page.

Politics and a Pint • 6pm

The Contented Cow Join in on discussions concerning local issues at this “lightly moderated” open forum. For more information on topics, go to www.contentedcow.com. Quiz Night • 8pm

The Contented Cow Stop in anytime to sign up for this four-person team competition; prizes and the winning team may drink from the “Winners Mug” the week following their triumph! MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 Flaten Lecture Series: Ayomi Yoshida • 7pm

Dittmann 305, St. Olaf Printmaker and installation artist. See gallery page.

Ice Harvesting Talk • 7pm

Rice Country Historical Society, Faribault Tim Graf will talk about the history and process of ice harvesting. His grandparents operated the Worthington Ice Company in southwest Minnesota from 1930 to 1943. For many years he has collected tools and information about the industry. In 1997, he began working with the Three Rivers Park District and has done hands-on ice harvest demonstrations for the last 13 years at the Richardson Nature Center in Bloomington each January. This presentation will include film footage of ice harvests from the 1920s to the 1940s. There will be some tools of the trade on display and lots of discussion about the highlights of the industry. Refreshments will be served following the program. Admission: $2 nonmembers, free for members. Reservations encouraged. Midnight Collision • 8-11pm

Northern Roots Session 7:30-9pm

Photo: Hai Ngo

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Acoustic Jam Session • 7:30-10pm

The Contented Cow Every Tuesday night show up with your unplugged instrument of choice and jam – or just show up and listen!

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The Contented Cow A polished ’80’s cover band with local notables including Josh Sather Larson, Matt Holmquist, Jacob Hendrickson, Michael Morris and Jon Larson. Marv Gohman • 8:30-11pm

The Tavern Lounge Out of the Great North Woods of suburban Minneapolis/St. Paul, comes a swaggering, foot-stompin’, heart-pumpin’ minstrel, laying waste to any instrument that comes within ten fingers of his sweaty reach. Furious fiddle and madcap mandolin struggle to punch holes in steel and guitars. Wailing harp winds up breathing hard. Has opened for notable artists including Jonny Lang, Glen Frey, Maria Muldaur, Colin Rae, Sammy Kershaw, John Michael Montgomery, Delbert McClinton, Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell, Los Lobos, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, 38 Special, Proclaimers, Al Green and Taj Mahal; jammed with Lowen and Navarro; and sung with Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

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FEBRUARY 2012

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HAPPENINGS Thursday, Feb. 23, continued Prom Queef • 11:59pm-1am

The Contented Cow A rough and edgy punk rock band. Ingrid Ashida (guitar), Rachel Adams (bass), Mary Begley (vocals) and Colette Meller (drums). FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 Carey Langer • 5-7pm

The Contented Cow A solo artist covering six decades and seven styles of music. From The Everly Brothers and Frank Sinatra, to Rick Springfield, Dave Matthews and Jimmy Eat World, plus original music. Andrew Walesch • 5-8pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls Blues and jazz. “The boy with the voice.” A great variety of classics and originals. Exhibit Opening Reception: New Work • 7-9pm

Northfield Arts Guild See exhibits page.

Theater: Arsenic and Old Lace • 7:30pm

Northfield Arts Guild Theater See theater page.

Sasha Mercedes • 8-11:30pm

The Tavern Lounge A chick-singer, guitarist and songwriter from the shores of Lake Superior. Her songs are filled with honesty and substance and sung with passion. Topics like brothels, one-night stands and transvestites are not taboo for this edgy, yet charming, northern gal. She has traveled from coast to coast and abroad, performing and drawing inspiration for the material in her brilliantly crafted compositions, and has shared the stage with Dar Williams, Tracy Bonham, Guy Davis, Pete Seeger and others. Karaoke

Rueb ‘N’ Stein • 9pm Castle Rock and Roll • 9pm Jesse James Lanes • 10pm Lonesome Dan Kase

Froggy Bottoms Think music from O Brother, Where Art Thou? and mix in a little more ragtime and a hint of bluegrass. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 The Average Janes • 1-4pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls Music from the ’70s, ’80s and today! A little country without the twang.

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St. Dominic: Saints Night Out Auction 5pm

St. Dominic School This is the 13th annual Saints Night Out event. A fun evening with a fabulous buffet dinner, silent and live auction, games and The Average Janes raffles. Join other adults in the Northfield community for this year’s Vegas-inspired celebration of St. Dominic School. Buffet dinner 5-7pm, silent auction 5pm, live auction 8:30pm. treVeld • 5-8pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls A rare quality of acoustic music that appeals to all ages.

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Jeff Ray â&#x20AC;˘ 8-11:30pm

HAPPENINGS Saturday, Feb. 25, continued Pints and Vines: Second Annual Wall of Wine and Beer Tasting Event â&#x20AC;˘ 7pm

Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault The only event in town where you could potentially Wine a Wall and a Wall of Beer in the same night! Sample a variety of fine wines and handcrafted brews at this not-to-be-missed event! Tickets: $15 member, $18 non-member. Tickets are limited, so get them early. Theater: Arsenic and Old Lace â&#x20AC;˘ 7:30pm

The Tavern Lounge Mighty fine guitar and harp. Ray walks a thin line between blues and folk, one minute strutting a slide-guitar ballad on the resonator guitar, the next minute blasting off into a one-man-band train ride. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ray has a quality that could only come by blending the birthplaces of Bob Dylan and the blues.â&#x20AC;? (Des Moines Register). DJ Music

Castle Rock and Roll â&#x20AC;˘ 9pm Rueb â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Stein Alluvion â&#x20AC;˘ 11pm-1am

Northfield Arts Guild Theater See theater page.

The Contented Cow

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Daniel Switch • 1-4pm

Flaten Lecture Series: Piotr Szyhalski • 7pm

Cannon River Winery, Cannon Falls Acoustic cover artist with great guitar ballads.

Dittmann 305, St. Olaf New media installation artist.

Theater: Arsenic and Old Lace • 2pm

Northern Roots Session • 7:30-9pm

Northfield Arts Guild Theater See theater page.

Living Electric Theater: Cinema Emerges in Northfield 2-4pm

Weitz Center for Creativity Cinema, Carleton Carol Donelan, associate professor of cinema and media studies at Carleton, will present a narrated tour of re-created episodes from Northfield’s early moviegoing history, accompanied by a stellar cast of local actors and musicians. The episodes are based on historical evidence documented in Donelan’s new book, Electric Theater: The Emergence of Cinema in Northfield, 1896-1917, which will be available at the event as well as at the Northfield Historical Society and Carleton Bookstore. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Politics and a Pint • 6pm

The Contented Cow Join in on discussions concerning local issues at this “lightly moderated” open forum. For more information on topics, go to www.contentedcow.com. Quiz Night • 8pm Quiz Mistress Peterson Photo: Hai Ngo

The Contented Cow Stop in anytime to sign up for this four-person team competition; prizes and the winning team may drink from the “Winners Mug” the week following their triumph!

Northfield High School Auditorium Gary Carlson, M.D., of Allina Clinic Northfield, and Robert Schwartz, M.D., of the Minneapolis Heart Institute, will share tips on heart disease prevention and integrative medicine. Free. Isn’t it a Bad Time to Sell a Home? • 7pm

Millstream Commons Part of an informational series on subjects of importance to seniors today. Learn about what’s happening now in home sales and how to prepare for buying or selling your home. Due to the projected slow market recovery, pros and cons of selling soon or waiting five to eight years or more to make a move will be discussed. Acoustic Jam Session • 7:30-10pm

The Contented Cow Every Tuesday night show up with your unplugged instrument of choice and jam – or just show up and listen! WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29 Traditional Irish Music Session • 7-9pm

The Contented Cow A gathering of musicians and listeners in a relaxed, informal setting. Along with the music enjoy conversation, camaraderie and perhaps even a few Irish dance steps.

KEEP US POSTED events • photos • descr iptions 507/663-7937 • FEBRUARY 2012

neg@northfieldguide.com

Check us out online at www.northfieldguide.com

February Gigs Ben Aaron ........................................................................... 3 – Tavern Acoustic Jam Session.................................................Tuesdays – Cow Ian Alexy.............................................................................. 9 – Tavern Alluvion.................................................................................25 – Cow CJ Alt .......................................................................................3 – Cow As Is .......................................................................................25 – Cow Average Janes ......................................................... 25 – Cannon Falls Ray Barnard ............................................................................3 – Cow Tim Brown ............................................................. 10 – Cannon Falls Contratopia..................................................................... 17 – Armory Counterfactuals ....................................................................16 – Cow DitchLilies .............................................................. 12 – Cannon Falls Meredith Fierke, the McKinstrys, Chris Koza...................10 – NAG Marv Gohman ............................................................ 10, 23 – Tavern Matthew Griswold............................................................ 17 – Tavern Jon Larson’s Neil Diamond Tribute......................................4 – Cow Carey Langer .........................................................................24 – Cow Last Known Whereabouts ...................................................11 – Cow Lonesome Dan Kase......................................... 4 – Tavern, 24 – Frog Michael Loonan .................................................... 11 – Cannon Falls Matt Arthur & the Bratlanders .............................................2 – Cow Sasha Mercedes ................................................................. 24 – Tavern Lee Mesinger ............................................................ 3 – Cannon Falls Joe Meyer .......................................................................... 11 – Tavern Midnight Collision...........................................................3, 23 – Cow

Mark Mraz .................................................. 2, 16 – Tavern, 10 – Frog New Moon Trio ....................................................................10 – Cow New Riverside Ramblers .............................................. 18 – Faribualt Northern Roots session ........................................... Mondays – Cow Occasional Jazz .....................................................................11 – Cow Optimum Trajectory............................................................18 – Cow Brenda Owens ......................................................... 3 – Cannon Falls Tim Patrick & His Blue Eyes Band .................... 4, 5 – Cannon Falls Barb Piper .............................................................................16 – Cow Darrell Pipo Jr. ...................................................... 17 – Cannon Falls Prom Queef ......................................................................9, 23 – Cow Alison Rae .....................................................................3, 8, 22 – Cow Jeff Ray .............................................................................. 25 – Tavern Relativity ........................................................................... 18 – Tavern Scott Skaja ..............................................................................3 – Cow Daniel Switch ......................................................... 26 – Cannon Falls Ted Pretzel Experience .........................................................18 – Cow Toaster Fork! .........................................................................18 – Cow Traditional Irish Music Session..........................Wednesdays – Cow Terry VanderWalker ...............................................................3 – Cow Andrew Walesch .............................................. 18, 24 – Cannon Falls Tony Williams ........................................................ 19 – Cannon Falls Ross Willits..............................................................................3 – Cow treVeld .................................................................... 25 – Cannon Falls

Got Content for the Next Northfield Entertainment Guide? • Advertising • Happenings • Classes • Clubs • Galleries • Restaurants •

Dance away the winter’s chill at the 6th Annual

Northfield Winter Stomp! a community contra dance with music by Contratopia

Friday, February 17, 7-10:30 pm Northfield Armory 519 Division Street, downtown Northfield

All are welcome. Dance participation recommended for those 10 years and up.

$9 adults, $6 students (family cap $25) Dance instruction at 7 p.m. No prior contra dance experience or dance partner required. Sponsored by the Northfield Community Contra Dance Association (northfieldcontradance@gmail.com).

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Coming Next Month – Mark Your Calendars! March 2-April 17: Prairie’s Edge Humane Society Portraits and Photographer Paul Swanson Opening Reception March 2 • Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra March 3: Northfield Methodist Church • March 4: Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault March 10: Comedian Kevin Meany Opening Reception March 2 • Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault March 10: AAUW Presents Carleton College Laird Bell Professor of History Emeritus Bill Woehrlin “HERstory” for Women’s History Month at Village on the Cannon March 16: “Ring of Kerry” High energy Irish music group • Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault March 22-23: National Players: Taming of the Shrew Shattuck St. Mary’s, Faribault March 27: “Is Owning a Home Right For Me?...and When it is Not” Guest speaker Paul Reiland • Millstream Commons March 31: Home and Garden Business Showcase Northfield Arena Cannon River Winery Music Series: Andrew Walesch – March 3-4 • Joel Kachel – March 11 • Tim Patrick and his Blue Eyes Band – March 17-18 The Average Janes – March 24 • Daniel Switch – March 25 • Michael Loonan, treVeld – March 31 Keep us posted • info@northfieldguide.com • 507/663-7937

FEBRUARY 2012

Check us out online at www.northfieldguide.com

Clubs, Classes and More… Cannon River Woodcarving Club – 507/339-0336 Third Monday of the month, 7pm, Ivan Whillock Studio, Faribault Cub Scout Pack 300 – 612/490-4048, www.cubs300.org Glass Garden Beads Beading Class – 507/645-0301 First and third Mondays Just Food Co-op – 507/650-0106 – Mondays: Knitting Night, 7-9pm, 507/645-6331 – knit, chat, share ideas and get help. MOMS Club – northfieldmomsclub@gmail.com – First Wednesday of each month, 10am, St. Peter’s Church. If you are a full-time or part-time stay-at-home mom, this club may be for you. MOMS Club is a local chapter of the International MOMS Club, an organization dedicated to providing support and a sense of community for stay-at-home moms. Northfield Arts Guild – 507/645-8877 – Find classes for kids and adults at www.northfieldartsguild.org. Winter Classes – get engaged with your creative side. Sign up online at www.northfieldartsguild.org or call 507/645-8877. Build Your Own Website for Artists (have it up and running after three workshops). Feb. 18, 25 and March 3; 9:30am-noon. Presented by Springboard for the Arts and the Northfield Arts Guild. Computers provided, laptops encouraged. No website building knowledge necessary. Middle School, Room 139. $75. Northfield Buddhist Meditation Center – Children’s Circle Class (ages 3-9) – Sundays, 3-4pm – Children and their parents meditate, do yoga and learn about Buddhism in a fun, peaceful atmosphere of exploration. Everyone welcome. Northfield Public Library – 507/645-6606 First Steps Early Literacy Center, Mon, Fri and Sat, 10-2pm Patty Cake Infant Lapsit, Tue, 10-11am Toddler Rhyme Time, Tue, 1pm and Wed, 10-11am Preschool Story & Craft Time, Thu, 10-11am Hot Read for Cold Nights, through March 2 – reading program for adults. Read books, earn Chamber dollars! Sign up at the upstairs reference desk. Northfield Public Schools Community Services – 507/664-3649 Northfield Senior Center – www.northfieldseniorcenter.org 507/664-3700 – Programs for active older adults in a premier fitness facility with an indoor pool and certified fitness instructors. Bike club, hiking trips, ping pong, nutrition talks, art classes, writing classes, card groups, dining center, fitness classes and more. Northfield Yarn – 507/645-1330 – Open Stitching, third Thursday of each month, 6-8pm. Bring a project and share in the fun. Free. Paradise Center for the Arts – 507/332-7372 Find art-related classes for kids and adults at www.paradisecenterforthearts.org. Basics of Drawing with Father James Cly Zotalis, Feb. 10, 17, 24; 1-3pm – Learn basics of drawing from master watercolor artist James Zotalis. He will teach one-point perspective, two-point perspective, explore different drawing mediums; pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, pastels and the history of drawing. Perfect for beginners/intermediate students and homescoolers. $42 members, $54 non-members.

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River Bend Nature Center, 507/332-7151 – classes and activi-

ties at www.rbnc.org. Time Travel – History Tours of River Bend – Join a naturalist for a journey back in time to discover the history of the land. Travel is by golf cart. Tours last 1.5 hours and can accommodate up to five people. Call to schedule. Donations welcome. VFW – Sundowners Car Club – First Wednesday of each month, 7:30pm. Anyone who has an interest in street rods, customs, antiques, special interest or foreign is welcome to attend.

SPORTS

Here are the home games…

Thursday, February 2

SWIM & DIVE – Raiders Boys vs. Red Wing, 6pm Hockey – Raiders Girls vs. Farmington, 7:30pm Friday, February 3

BASKETBALL – Raiders Girls vs. Chaska, 7:30pm Saturday, February 4

DANCE – Raiders Girls Varsity Festival, 8am HOCKEY – Raiders Girls vs. St. Paul Academy and Summit, 2pm Monday, February 6

BASKETBALL – Raiders Boys vs. New Prague, 7:30pm HOCKEY – Raiders Boys vs. Academy of Holy Angels, 7:30pm Thursday, February 9

HOCKEY – Raiders Boys vs. Shakopee, 7:30pm Friday, February 10

GYMNASTICS – Raiders Girls vs. New Prague, Chanhassen/Chaska, Farmington, Red Wing, 6:30pm BASKETBALL – Raiders Girls vs. Red Wing, 7:30pm Saturday, February 11

SWIM & DIVE – Raiders Boys vs. Farmington, Chanhassen/Chaska, Red Wing, Shakopee, 10am Tuesday, February 14

BASKETBALL – Raiders Boys vs. Chanhassen, 7:30pm HOCKEY – Raiders Boys vs. New Prague, 7:30pm Thursday, February 16

HOCKEY – Raiders Boys vs. Chaska, 7:30pm Friday, February 17

BASKETBALL – Raiders Girls vs. Farmington, 7:30pm Tuesday, February 21

BASKETBALL – Raiders Boys vs. Academy of Holy Angels, 7:30pm Friday, February 24

BASKETBALL – Raiders Boys vs. Shakopee, 7:30pm

Being So Bad Was Never So Funny

“Noises Off,” called the “funniest farce ever written” by the New York Post, opens Feb. 10 at Paradise Center for the Arts. Join the talented cast of the Paradise Community Theater as they portray a not-so-talented cast attempting to put together a sex comedy called “Nothing On” – and getting very little right in the process. Missed marks, backstage dramas, and looooong pauses will keep you laughing long after the curtain falls. For more information, call 507/332-7372 or go to paradisecenterforthearts.org. Keeping Up On the Local Music Scene Stompin’ at the Armory

Warmth, as we know, is a frame of mind as well as a physical sensation. In February both can be in short supply. Fortunately, the good folks of the Northfield Community Contra Dance Association are back on Feb. 17 with the 6th annual Northfield Winter Stomp. This fast-moving, community oriented, family friendly evening of contra dance is just the cure for the midwinter cabin bound; best part of all is that no dance experience is required. Dance instruction starts at 7pm; dance goes till 10:30. Not recommended for children under 10. For more information, email northfieldcontradance@gmail.com And do-se-do a neighbor or two. Feels Like Love

They say that eating chocolate gives the same sensation as being in love. On Feb. 11, shops on Division Street in downtown Northfield are banding together to win your heart, one taste bud at a time, with the 2nd Annual Tour du Chocolate. Just pick up a punch card at any one of the 13 participating stores (marked with hearts in the windows - see the back cover ad), and turn the fully-punched card in at the last stop for a chance at prizes. Naturally, each store will have its own sinfully delicious chocolate sensations to try. The tour starts at 10:30 and goes till closing time. L’amour….l’amour….

For all that’s happening musically in Northfield – and there is so much happening, sometimes it’s hard to believe it is all just Northfield! – click on the revamped and stylin’ Northfield Music Collective at www.northfieldcollective. com. A social network dedicated solely to local music, this beautiful and user-friendly website lets you connect with musicians, check out events, upload music and much, much more. For musicians, friends of musicians,and music lovers. Registration is free – the musical connections are, as they say, priceless. The International Language of Art

The remarkable career of Japanese artist Yoshida Hodaka is the center point to the new exhibit coming to the Flaten Museum of Art at St Olaf College, “Yoshida Hodaka and Post World War Two Japanese and American Artistic Exchange” Feb. 17 and running till April 1. Exploring the themes of cultural identity, the exhibit features work from artists both Japanese and American, with Hodaka’s remarkable career woven throughout. Exquisite. For more information, go to www.stolaf.edu/collections/flaten or call 507/786-3556.

Send us your shorts! (keep ‘em brief) Send to neg@northfieldguide.com by mid-month.

GET YOUR EVENT LISTED in the next

507/663-7937 neg@northfieldguide.com

FEBRUARY 2012

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ÂŠ NORTHFIELD ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

Just Curious about

Riki KĂślbl Nelson

By Felicia Crosby Her artwork is strong-minded, exuberant, often joyful, never without a point to make, and endlessly interesting. Much like the lady herself. Meet Riki Kolbl Nelson: poet, visual artist, teacher, activist â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and in my personal opinion, the best Austrian import since Mozart. So how â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all the way from Europe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; did you find this Scandinavian prairie town? I grew up in Grossgmain, a village near Salzburg, went to schools, got a job with Austrian Airlines. I had a bonus flight to New York, an extended Greyhound bus pass â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 99 $ for 99 days â&#x20AC;&#x201C; modest savings and a few addresses. I travelled the country, staying often with friends of friends or at the YWCA. When I visited a friend in N.C. I stayed to go to college. Then followed graduate school in English where I met Eric. A year later we got married and began teaching at St. Olaf College.

American dreams: New York was more or less what I imagined it to be, but I had a limited idea about the diversity of the states, especially the small towns. Local culture surprised me, though I had read books about America. The distances: I traveled many miles and encountered many kind people. Combining the writer, poet, visual artist and teacher: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve drawn and painted from childhood; as a teen I started to write poetry. Both making art and writing are ways to be in the moment and to be connected to yourself and eventually with others. I took classes into my 50s. The last degree â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Master of Fine Arts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is called a terminal degree. So I heeded that and started to teach more. I liked being artist in the schools, where I have taught units combining art and writing resulting in small books. Adults are less keen on combining art forms. Children are more adventurous and courageous.

Reflections on the female experience: My most direct work on this theme I did in the MFA program at the UMN, Minneapolis, including a performance piece that I showed in several Minneapolis venues. A few years ago I had a big show at the University of Missouri displaying two large scrolls and additional work that speak to clothing and the history of gender roles. And currentlyâ&#x20AC;Ś I have circled back to the theme of clothing as visual metaphor and made a set of paintings: dresses on fabric stiffening with overlay images of birds and added stitching. In another series I explore images of doors, steps, passages. I also just finished the very first book addressed to my granddaughter due to arrive in March. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a combination of line drawings, text and thought bubbles inspired by comic novels. And I am writing short memory pieces about growing up in Austria. KĂślbl Nelson continued on next page.

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French FĂŞte (FĂŞte = Party)

Saturday, February 18, 2012 at the Faribault Elks Dinner 6 pm â&#x20AC;˘ Dancing 7:30 pm

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Enjoy red beans and rice, chicken etouffee, sausage jambalaya, crayfish boil, dessert & chicory coffee by Chef Jeff LeBeau (Faribault Depot) and dance Cajun style to New Riverside Ramblers. Tickets $30 for dinner and dance, $10 for dance only. For more information, please contact the Rice County Historical Society at 507-332-2121 or rchs@rchistory.org.

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Kölbl Nelson continued from previous page. The pink ceiling and obstacles for woman artists: There were and there still are. The Guerilla Girls have hard statistics about the unequal representation of women artists in museums and top galleries. Locally, there is more equity and an increased number of women artists who create, teach, exhibit. Heroes: Mozart, R. M. Rilke, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, local women artists and poets How has Northfield changed for artists in the last 40 years? There has been quite an increase in artists living and working here, but as far as I can tell not exactly a correlating increase in art patrons. When I first came to town some 43 years ago, there were only handfuls of women faculty in both colleges – hardly any in the art departments. At the Northfield Arts Guild, women have always been strong presences throughout the decades, both as artists and as administrators.

Treats from home – a wish list: Fine chocolates; especially the ones filled with liqueur, certain kinds of breads and pastries from the Grossgmain bakery. Grüner Veltliner, an Austrian wine, is readily available and makes me think of my dad’s hometown, a wine-growing village. Passing on traditions: My son can speak the local (Austrian) dialect and thinks of the house and town in which I grew up as his second home. My younger sister lives in the house and my older one lives next door. How to handle new grandmotherhood, long distance (to LA): Flights, vacation rentals by owners nearby and upgrading my computer for Skype. I want to see as much as possible of this grandchild!

Exhibit open through Feb. 18 “NEW WORK” • Feb. 22-March 31

Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5

Drink specials & free wings (while they last)

Valentines Day, Feb. 14

Featuring artists Julie Fakler, Philip Taylor and Paul Wells

special surf & turf dinner

Playing at the theater 6 shows, Feb. 17-26

Northfield Arts Guild northfieldartsguild.org

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Hours

“ARSENIC & OLD LACE”

Sun., 11-9pm • Mon. & Tue., 11-11pm Wed.-Sat., 11-1am • Kitchen open till 10pm

HISTORIC

HAPPENINGS

NORTHFIELD STYLE By Susan Hvistendahl

“Electric Theater” Early Cinema in Northfield On Sunday, Feb. 26, Northfielders will have a chance to experience what it would have been like to be in an “electric theater” audience when the town first was wowed by moving pictures, later called “movies.” This show will be held at the Weitz Center for Creativity starting at 2 p.m. It is sponsored by the Northfield Historical Society, the Humanities Center at Carleton College, the Carleton Cinema and Media Studies Dept., the Northfield News and KYMN Radio. Carol Donelan, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, will narrate a guided tour of Northfield’s movie history through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, starting with the type of show brought to Lockwood’s Opera House in March of 1897 by the Kickapoo Indian Medicine Company. Back then, about 400 people paid the “popular price” of 10 cents (which included a drawing for a $20 silver tea set) to see the featured attraction of Edison’s Animatograph machine, which projected moving pictures of a cavalry troop galloping toward the audience and a mail train flying past a station. Although admission will be free to the Feb. 26 event, Gustave Petersen (aka Dr. Visty, a local charlatan and snake-oil salesman) will be promoting sales of “Kickapoo Indian Sagwa, the Blood, Liver, Stomach and Kidney Reno-

vator,” as was customary at such shows. Hold onto your wallets. Donelan will be illustrating local moviegoing experiences taken from her new book, Electric Theater: The Emergence of Cinema in Northfield 1896-1917. This book was published by the Northfield Historical Society Press in 2011 as the third book in the NHS History Series in memory of Barbara Will. The Lumiere brothers of France first projected images onto screens in March of 1895. Donelan writes that the first moving pictures in Northfield were reported in the Northfield News of Nov. 21, 1896. The projection device, the Animatograph, was described as a “unique novelty…one of the greatest amusement devices ever conceived by the brain of man.” Tickets were 25 and 35 cents, steep for those times. A St. Olaf student recalled seeing moving pictures of a puffing, chugging steam engine, most likely at Lockwood’s Opera House, located above Couper’s Grocery and Dry Goods at 419 Division St. This “opera house” (so named because of derogatory connotations of “theater” in those days) dated from 1872 and was stuffy with a small stage and uncomfortable wooden chairs. Donelan writes that performances there ranged from high brow to “mostly low brow, including bell ringers, singers, comedians, minstrels, and melodramas performed by traveling troupes as well as blackface comedy and an annual standing-roomonly St. Patrick’s Day drama by local talent.” The opening of the magnificent 800-seat Ware Auditorium at the corner of Washington and Fourth Streets in December of 1899 led to replacement of Lockwood’s Opera House as a performing space for plays, debates, lectures and eventually for movies. Alfred Kirkland Ware was a businessman who had come to Northfield to enroll his children at Carleton. Owner of all the stock in Northfield Light, Heat & Power Co., he became mayor in 1902 and a state legislator in 1904. Ware Auditorium cost him $20,000 to build as a present for his theater-loving wife. He could afford it, as Donelan notes, since he had also spent $10,000 on “one of the most famous stallions in the world, Alcantara, for whom his 81-acre stock farm near Northfield was named.” Historic Happenings continued on next page.

Lockwood’s Opera House, c. 1885 and the Ware Auditorium, c. 1917, renamed the Grand. Both photos courtesy the Northfield Historical Society.

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Historic Happenings continued from previous page. Donelan observes, “From 1896 to 1908, film exhibition in Northfield is largely the work of itinerant showmen rather than hometown entrepreneurs.” Motion pictures were first reported at Ware Auditorium on March 14 and 15, 1904. The touring International Bioscope Company projected such “new and intensely thrilling” films as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Little Red Riding Hood, The Great English Stag Hunt, Captain Nissen Going Through the Niagara Whirlpool and Rapids and A Panoramic View of Switzerland from a Railway Train. These were advertised as being “without the constant flickering which usually accompanies such productions and which proves a severe strain to the eyes.” In June of 1904, exhibitor D.W. Robertson brought two films by director Edwin S. Porter to Northfield, Life of an American Fireman, and the blockbuster hit, The Great Train Robbery. Donelan writes that The Great Train Robbery “helped pave the way” for the “nickelodeon boom” of storefront motion picture theaters which followed in 1905-07 in big cities and 1908-1910 in Northfield. The company of another exhibitor, Lyman H. Howe, brought the world to Northfield from 1909 to 1920 in the form of educational travelogues, with topics including “Dash for the North Pole,” “Eruption of Mt. Etna, “Perils of Climbing the Alps“ and “Aeroplane Races.” The motion pictures were accompanied by live sound produced by three “noise artists” behind the screen. Andrew Wyand of St. Paul had been proprietor of the Gem Theatre at the Ware Auditorium and on Aug. 19, 1909, he opened the 250-seat New Gem Theatre at 309 NW Water St, in the McClaughry Tenement. Donelan writes that it was the first venue in Northfield devoted exclusively to motion picture exhibition and featured the Blankenburg Family Orchestra as accompanists. However, the wooden frame building was torn down within

a year to make way for the State Bank Building which opened for business on Aug. 27, 1910 (current site of the law office of Hvistendahl, Moersch, Dorsey and Hahn). Wyand briefly operated a new theater, the Star, on the corner of Division and 5th Street. Fred W. Boll and his wife Maude, owners of The Grill at 302 NW Water St., became new proprietors of the Gem and relocated it to 306 NW Water St., next to the Ames Flour Mill. The city council denied a request to show films on Sundays. (In fact, Donelan writes that Sunday performances of any kind were not allowed in Northfield until June 2, 1931, after extensive debate.) The Bolls closed The Grill on Feb. 1, 1911, for a new enterprise, managing the Hotel Manawa at 211 S. Division St., which they renamed Boll’s Hotel. (It is now known as the Archer House, its original name in 1877.) That summer the Bolls opened an Airdome near the river in a park behind the hotel. The Airdome was lighted by electricity, could seat 500 people and had a large stage for vaudeville acts and an eight-foot canvas wall for motion pictures. Donelan notes that in September during county fair week (held at that time in Northfield), “fairgoers were treated to a musical trio and a troupe of trained alligators at the Airdome in addition to ‘tip-top’ reels of motion pictures.” The Gem resumed operation in October and, after a remodeling in December which doubled the stage space, Maude Boll’s three-piece “ladies orchestra” accompanied movies while vaudeville reigned during holidays. By February of 1912, the success of the Gem led Boll to give up management of the hotel to G.R. Stuart, which led to the renaming, Hotel Stuart. Donelan writes that between 1912 and 1915, “Italian super-spectacles were prevalent programming in Northfield’s electric theaters.” Crowds flocked to see epics such as The Crusaders, Dante’s Inferno, and The Last Days of Pompeii at the Gem and Homer’s Odyssey and Quo Vadis at the Ware Auditorium. About The Last Days of Pompeii, Donelan says, “Audiences in Northfield, as elsewhere, must have been thrilled by the spectacular scenes of the Vesuvius eruption, achieved with special effects and massive numbers of extras.” Donelan also notes the popularity of serials at this time: “These ‘cliffhangers,’ also known as ‘serial queen’ melodramas, featured intrepid heroines performing thrilling stunts and last-minute rescues traditionally assigned to male protagonists.” In April of 1912, A.K. Ware (who had moved from Northfield to Oregon) offered to sell the Ware Auditorium to Northfield. Fund-raising efforts were successful and Harry Ackerman and Everett Dilley were engaged as managers, booking plays and motion pictures. Boll took over the lease in February of 1913, doing programming for both the Gem and the Auditorium.

Howe’s Travel Festival at Ware Auditorium (1909), The Gem Theatre (1916), The Birth of a Nation (1916) at the Ware, Orchestra at the New Gem Theatre (1909). Images all from Electic Theater by Carol Donelan.

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Donelan writes that one evening at the Gem, “Boll lashed out at a group of rowdy St. Olaf students, casting aspersions on their Norwegian heritage.” The students circulated a “Boycott Boll” flyer on campus, saying that “when he disregards our bounteous patronage of the past with a slanderous oath, when he doggishly cusses the Norwegian race as such…let us as students of St. Olaf College, as descendants of the Norwegian blood of which we can justly be proud, hereby and forever resolve never to patronize the Gem Theater again…If we visit any movie, let it be The Lyric.” The 250-seat Lyric Theatre had emerged at 13 Mill Square (Bridge Square) in 1914. After a flurry of managers, the Lyric was closed by August of 1916. In a chapter called “Northfield’s Movie-Mad Audiences,” Donelan describes packed movie houses and student aspirations to be movie stars. And yet, she says, “Some Northfielders were not so much ‘movie-mad’ as just plain mad – or at the very least concerned – about the kinds of movies show, the conditions of the theaters, and the impact on children and young people in particular.”

The Grand Theatre, remembered fondly by many (including this columnist), survived as a movie theater until June 30, 1985. Appropriately, the last film was Code of Silence. (The Grand at 316 Washington Street is now used for many events, both public and private.) A multiplex theater, Southgate Cinema, closed down in 2008 and now houses Culver’s on S. Highway 3. The West Theatre, 1937. Donelan writes: “Northfield no longer has a commercial cinema projecting films onto a big screen for collective viewing by a paying audience, as was the tradition for 100 + years.”

Donelan thoroughly researched the concern about movies which was particularly evident in Northfield newspapers of 1916. One resident asked why the Lyric found it necessary “to put on films which have a strong tendency to lead young boys and girls straight to the devil.” One Northfield News headline was “An Indictment of Movies, Eighty-five Percent of Films Shown in Small Towns Called ‘Rot.’”

The 35mm celluloid technology is becoming a thing of the past as multiplexes are converting to high-definition digital projection at a cost of $75,000 to $100,000 per theater and, Donelan writes, “the few small town theaters in Minnesota, some family owned, will likely be unable to afford it.” Meanwhile, Donelan notes, Northfielders are “increasingly accessing films at home and on the go, on their cell phones, computer and television screens, via DVD, streaming and downloaded digital files.”

Donelan reports, “The city council sought to address concerns about undesirable pictures and the conditions under which they were being shown at their March 1916 meeting, but the aldermen had not themselves attended the movies. Before the meeting adjourned, they informally agreed that they should visit the theaters and ‘get a personal view of the pictures thrown on the screen for our movie fans.’” By July, a committee had recommended a censorship board be established.

Nevertheless, the communal experience of moviegoing has been missed locally and Donelan tells me there are hopes that the theater in the Weitz Center for Creativity (the former Northfield Middle School at 320 Third St. E) will help fill that void. Donelan says that the “Living Electric Theater” event on Feb. 26 will feature episodes from Northfield’s moviegoing history, “along with a stellar cast of local actors and musicians” and is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

There were six screenings at the Auditorium in April of 1916 of D.W. Griffith’s blockbuster Birth of a Nation. Donelan writes: “The controversial film depicts the heroism of the Ku Klux Klan in rescuing white Southerners – virginal white women, in particular – from brutish black Northern ‘renegades.’” The Northfield News of April 21 said the film “stirred up considerable discussion,” such that “some praise it generously; others criticize it severely and say it should never be shown.”

Carol Donelan’s book Electric Theater is available for purchase at the Northfield Historical Society at 408 Division St. S., the Carleton College Bookstore and at the Feb. 26 event from 2-4 p.m. at the Weitz Center for Creativity.

The Ware Auditorium was revamped by Dilley in January of 1917. It reopened on Feb. 5 under a new name, the Grand, with ownership by five men, including Dilley, who each invested $200. The city council announced it “would not grant licenses to any other theater as long as The Grand continues to give high class entertainments.” The Gem closed.

LIVE MUSIC

Electric Theater concludes with the chapter “Back to the Future,” which summarizes the subsequent history of cinema in Northfield. In 1918, a $3,500 Wurlitzer pipe organ displaced local musicians who had provided sound effects for films. The first “talkie” (Gentlemen of the Press, starring Walter Huston) opened on July 11, 1929, two years after the premiere of the first talkie, The Jazz Singer, in New York. In 1937 Dilley built the West Theatre at 230 West Water St., which showed movies until 1958 when it was taken down along with other buildings for a rerouting of what is now State Highway 3.

FEBRUARY 2012

PRODUCTION BOOKING PROMOTION

Left-HandedEntertainment.com 612-756-0490 • Northfield, MN Rich Larson • rich@left-handedentertainment.com

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DINING

Aquatic Pets...................................................... 13

Bittersweet Cafe

Bittersweet Café ................................................ 7

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212 Division St., lobby level (Archer House Inn) •bittersweeteatery.com • 507/645-5661 • Mon-Fri 7am-8pm, Sat 7am-5pm, Sun 7am-2pm. Fair trade/organic coffee; baked goods; gluten-free treats; sandwiches and salads, Bridgeman’s ice cream, catering and events.

Mandarin Garden Restaurant – 107 East 4th St. • MandarinGardenNorthfield.com 507/645-7101, Lunch: Wed-Fri 11:30am2pm, Dinner: Tue-Thu 4:30-9pm. Open until 10 Fri and Sat. Authentic Peking and Szechuan cuisine, freshly prepared, dine-in or take-out.

Chippendale Ave • 507/645-0676 • Facebook: Castle Rock N Roll Bar and Grill – 11-1am (every day). Great burgers and pizza, with daily specials. Located at the corner of Hwy. 3 and Cty. Rd. 86. Private party room available.

Northfield Golf Club – 707 Prairie St. 507/645-4026 • Sun-Thu 11am-8pm, Fri/Sat 11am-9pm – Whether seated in the main dining room, bar, or member’s lounge, beautiful panoramic views of the golf course provide a charming atmosphere. Lunch and dinner menus with a variety of cuisine to savor.

The Cheese Cave – 318 Central Ave., Suite 6,

The Ole Store Restaurant

Faribault • www.cheesecave.net 507/334-3988 – Wed 10am-5:30pm, Thu-Sat 10am-8pm – A light menu of fresh salads and sandwiches, a couple gourmet pizzas and cheese plates to compliment whatever you are drinking. Wines, spirits and Summit beer on tap.

1011 St. Olaf Ave. • 507/786-9400• www. olestorerestaurant.com – Mon-Th 11am9pm, Fri/Sat 11am-10pm (breakfast: Sat 7am-12pm, Sun 7am-1pm), closed Sundays – Contemporary dining with neighborhood charm. Relax at a table with linens and fresh flowers or sit in our cozy lounge. A full menu including appetizers, rustic flatbread pizzas, salads, soups, entrees, steaks, fresh seafood, sandwiches and gourmet desserts. Reservations available.

Castle Rock N Roll Bar and Grill – 27798

Fireside Restaurant – 37540 Goodhue Ave., Dennison • 507/645-9992 • firesidelounge.net T-F 11am-close, Sa/Su 9am-close, closed Mon. A menu to satisfy all tastes, from burgers and sandwiches to steaks and shrimp dinners. Friday night fish special, Saturday night prime rib special and Sat/Sun breakfast specials. Froggy Bottoms River Pub

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307 S. Water St., 507/301-3611 • Sun 11am9pm, Mon/Tue 11am-11pm, Wed-Sat 11am-1am – Upper-class bar food including appetizers, salads, burgers and more. Open for lunch and dinner. Entrees starting at 5pm. The HideAway

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421 Division St. • 507/664-0400 Mon-Fri, 6am-10pm, Sat-Sun 7am-10pm – Cozy bistro atmosphere serving unique appetizers and sandwiches. Coffee drinks, wine and beer specialties. James Gang Coffeehouse & Eatery – 2018 Jefferson Rd. • 507/663-6060 • Mon-Fri 6am-8pm, Sat-Sun 7am-5pm – Voted Best Coffeehouse in southern Minnesota. Fresh daily roasted coffee. Wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads, desserts, ice cream and non-espresso drinks. Free wireless internet and business catering available. J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein

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503 Division St. • www.ruebnstein.com 507/645-6691 • 11am-close – Great burgers and famous Ruebens. Casual relaxing atmosphere. Huge selection of imported and domestic beers, fine spirits and wines. Game room, happy hour 3:30-6pm, Karaoke on Fridays at 9pm.

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Bridge Square Barbers..................................18 Budget Blinds .................................inside front By All Means Graphics ................................. 17 College City Beverage ................inside front Eclectic Goat .....................................................21 Flaten Art Museum ......................inside front Forget-Me-Not Florist ...................................... 5 Froggy Bottoms River Pub ..........................26 The HideAway Coffeehouse and Winebar ........................ 7 Jenkins Jewelers ............................front cover Michael Jordon, Realtor...............................21 Just Food Co-op ................................................ 8 Diane Kyte, Realtor .......................................18 KYMN 1080AM, Kymnradio.net ................ 4 Left Field.............................................................10 Left-Handed Entertainment........................29 Le Tour Du Chocolate ..................back cover Northfield Arts Guild .....................................26

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery – 1401

Northfield Entertainment Guide ...............24

Riverview Drive • 507/645-4830 • Sun-Wed 5am-11pm, Thu-Sat 24 hrs – Breakfast all day. Favorites include buttermilk pancakes, three-egg omelettes and hearty scrambler dishes. Also serving sandwiches and dinner entrees. Weekday breakfast and lunch specials. Free wi-fi available.

Northfield Historical Society ......................32

Quarterback Club

Page 13

Northfield Hospital and Clinics ......... 12, 24 Northfield Lines...............................................18 Northfield Liquor Store .............. inside back Northfield Winter Stomp .............................20 Northfield Retirement Community............ 9 The Ole Store Restaurant .............................. 5

116 3rd St. W. • 507/645-7886 • Mon-Sat 6am-9pm, Sun 10:30am-8pm – Family friendly dining in Northfield for 37 years. House specialties include broasted chicken, BBQ ribs and flame-broiled hamburgers.

Professional Pride Realty............................. 15

Subway

Quarterback Club ........................................... 13

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Hwy. 3 and 19 • 507/645-7226 • Open 24 hours/7 days a week – Fresh sandwiches, salads, flatbread, breakfast and more. The Tavern of Northfield

Page 5

212 Division St. • 507/663-0342 www.tavernofnorthfield.com Sun-Thu 6:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 6:30am11pm, lounge open daily 3pm-midnight. Located in the historic Archer House since 1984, The Tavern offers casual dining with a wide variety of homemade menu items and specials daily featuring fresh fish on Fridays and prime rib on Saturdays. The Tavern Lounge sports a deck overlooking the Cannon River, appetizers and a full bar with live music Thur-Sat.

Paradise Center for the Arts ......................... 1 Prairie’s Edge Humane Society ........................inside front

Reboot Computers........................................... 7 Rice County Historical Society...................25 Rueb ‘N’ Stein .................................................. 13 Schmidt Homes Remodeling ................................. inside back Sisters Ugly........................................................ 16 Subway............................................................... 16 The Tavern Restaurant................................... 5 Three Links ....................................................... 13 Verizon Wireless .............................................18 Vintage Band Festival...................................11 Welcome Services .......................................... 13 Witt Bros., Service, Inc ..................................25

J. GRUNDY’S

Rueb ’N’ Stein Supporting the Guide since 2005!

By Felicia Crosby At the end of “The Wizard of Oz”, when Dorothy comes back from either a far-off land or a hallucination-riddled coma, she sits up in bed and, surrounded by family and friends, declares in a tremulous voice, “if I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with!” When Northfield native Joe Grundhoefer came back in 1980, he began a journey in his backyard that’s become a Northfield landmark for locals, day-trippers and college students alike – and the home of what’s known far and wide as the best burger around. This year marks the 30th that Joe has been the proprietor of this corner-side window on Northfield, and the 15th since he combined three separate eating/drinking establishments into one. He bought the first – the Corner Bar – in 1982 after coming back to Northfield from the Brainerd area, where he’d gotten his gastronomic feet wet as general manager for a brand-new Wendy’s. He changed the name to Grundy’s Corner Bar and Grill – “Grundy” being his high school nickname – and he was in business. In 1988 he bought the Rueb ‘N Stein from Brett Reese, and in ’96 the combined J Grundy’s Rueb ‘N Stein was born.

How does it feel to own a business in the town you grew up in? “It’s an asset to be a townie,” Joe smiles. As a board member of the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC), Joe’s invested in the overall welfare of the downtown community; as the son of a still-practicing Northfield attorney, he’s equally invested in the connections between community and family. At one time or another, each of his four kids has worked at the Rueb; stepdaughter Tawnie is the bookkeeper now. And his dad still stops by to play cribbage. Any challenges? “Only with the economy,” Joe says. “When it went south about three years ago – well, it was hard for all businesses, but the hospitality industry really got hit. And construction was hit hard, too – they (construction workers) had no money to spend, and there was definitely a trickle down.” But the pain didn’t extend through all areas of the restaurant. “The food business is still going strong,” Joe explains, looking around the cozy, wood-walled room that’s filled with historic Northfield paraphernalia. “We have more families than ever before. It’s the drinking scene that’s changed, and there are a lot of factors there – the economy, the smoking ban, more awareness now about drinking and driving. The whole way that people look at the bar scene is different than it was 30 years ago, and those changes are for the better.” About other changes in the old Corner Bar section, Joe chuckles. “Thirty years ago, families were afraid to come in here! It was a very different kind of environment, just drinking and lots of 3.2 beer. And the food was pretty much just hamburgers, fries and chili.” That’s certainly no longer the case, and Joe notes further changes in the works.

Great minds think alike? Joe and Jodi Grundhoefer celebrate 30 years of Rueb ‘N” Stein bliss.

FEBRUARY 2012

Rueb ‘N’ Stein continued on next page.

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Rueb ‘N’ Stein continued from previous page. “We’re getting a new menu in a few months,” he says. “With more healthy choices, and expanding the salad choices.” Joe’s wife, Jodi, is the force behind much of the tasty fare that’s found at the Rueb now. A former full-time waitperson, “she spends more time in the kitchen now then in the front of the house,” Joe explains. Indeed, Jodi’s responsible for the delicious homemade soups, though Joe promises that the shift to healthy food options poses no danger to the Rueb ‘N’ Stein’s mainstays: its hearty Rueb and the iconic Grundy burger, regularly voted Northfield’s best in local polls. These rib-sticking, mouth-watering indulgences are here to stay. And as an anniversary special, Tuesdays throughout the year will offer two-for-one deals on the Grundy. Beyond the food and the convivial, family-friendly atmosphere, the Rueb’s upstairs live-music and dance floor holds a treat for townsfolk in February, when the well-loved Big Wu (see cover) comes to play on Feb. 11 at 9pm. This Minnesota-based rock and roll jam band is celebrating its own 20th anniversary, and guarantees an evening of excellent rock and equally excellent guitar licks from another Grundhoefer – son Mark, a well-known musician himself.

“Mark just started playing with the Wu,” Joe says, smiling. “A couple of band members are Northfielders – it’s a great band and will be a great event.” Any other musicians in the family? “Dad,” Joe answers. “He plays the piano!” Thirty years can pass in a heartbeat, in the blink of the proverbial eye. And a new owner who’s also a lifelong Northfielder can take a couple of older businesses and blend them seamlessly into one happy and welcoming establishment, creating a place that feels like it’s been here forever. As the great Dorothy Gale might say, “There’s no place like home.”

Grueb’s Restaurants, Inc

503 Division St., Northfield www.ruebnstein.com • 507/645-6691 • 11am-close Great burgers and famous Ruebens. Casual relaxing atmosphere. Huge selection of imported and domestic beers, fine spirits and wines. Game room, happy hour 3:30-6pm, Karaoke most Fridays at 9pm.

The Corner Bar and its neighbors, 1969. J Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein today.

“Living” Electric Theater: Cinema Emerges in Northfield Sunday, February 26, 2:00-4:00pm Weitz Center for Creativity, Carleton College

For more information please call the Northfield Historical Society at 507-645-9268 Co-sponsored by:

Northfield Historical Society, Carleton’s Humanities Center, Department of Cinema & Media Studies, Northfield News, KYMN Radio Downtown Northfield was once home to an astonishing number of movie houses known as “electric theaters.” Carol Donelan, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Carleton College, accompanied by a stellar cast of musicians and performers, re-creates a “living” electric theater based on historical evidence, guiding viewers through an entertaining program of short silent films accompanied by live music and sound effects and other attractions specific to the

era. Come experience the movies as they once were.

Free and open to the public 32 NEG@northfieldguide.com

Great selection of wines and spirits.

Friendly,

knowledgeable staff.

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Check us out online at www.northfieldguide.com

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10 am til close

Stroll the shops of Division Street and taste different chocolate delights! Stop in a shop for a punch card, then visit ALL participating shops for a punch and a chance to win a gift!

NEG@northfieldguide.com

ÂŠ NORTHFIELD ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE