FREE
VOLUME 9, NO. 186
| OCTOBER 29, 2009
HALLOWEEN THRILLERS
COSTUME GUIDE
'RUNAWAY DEVIL'
Page 4
Page 6
ZOMBIES RULE Page 15
PLUS: 'ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT' REVIEW • PAGE 6 | WAREHOUSE TO WELCOME THE LAST VEGAS • PAGE 11
2// October 29, 2009
Second Supper
L'Editor
Dear Reader: Have Americans collectively agreed that Halloween is our best holiday? I haven’t seen any official polling on the subject, but from people I’ve talked to it seems to be the fan favorite. I know it topped a Top 7 list once. Also, I’ve never heard anyone rush up to me and exclaim, “Boy, I really love the Fourth of July!” Halloween is great because it’s ours. Sure, if you want to get technical, Americans didn’t really “invent” Halloween. Its roots are Irish (+1,000 party points right there), and all around the British Isles children still go “guising” and I guess fuddy-duddies bob for apples. But it’s nothing like fantastical, uproarious, boozy bacchanalia that normally better-behaved American adults revel in each year. If there was another contender for best American holiday, it would have to be Thanksgiving. The food is splendid and the day is lazy (if you’re not doing the cooking), but all that consumption becomes its drawback. No one really rages Thanksgiving. We just digest it, but Halloween — on Halloween we become. So while it may not be as as reverential as Dia de los Muertos or as authentic as the Celtic traditions, Halloween is the perfect American holiday. It’s irreverent and beguiling and illogical and wasteful. But since we spend the rest of the year suppressing those better urges, no wonder we think Halloween is the best day of the year.
— Adam Bissen
Social Networking
wish, what would you ask for? Why not? World peace.
what book are you currently reading? Umm, the ones for school. ... That's all I have time for.
NAME AND AGE: Katy Denny, 21 WHERE WERE YOU BORN? The good side of the river, haha. ... La Crescent CURRENT JOB: Sales girl at Katmandu last thing you googled: I have no clue. Movie times, maybe? if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? I want to live in many places. New Zealand is at the top of the list, though. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? It drives me nuts when people use "like" every other word when they talk. what is something you want to do before you die? Sky diving! what is your beverage of choice? Juice celebrity crush: Shia LeBouf. Haha. He's definitely "grown" up. if a genie granted you one
tell us your guiltiest pleasure: Guiltiest pleasure? Haha, umm, going on a major grocery shopping spree. ... I hate knowing I just spent most of my paychek on munchies and random shit I don't need. Tell us a joke: So, it's lame, but it's the only one I got: What bird can lift the most weight? A crane. first concert you went to: I've been going to shows with my dad since I was a kid, so I don't know the first one I went to, but the first I remember was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. what's the last thing you bought? A cool boy's T-shirt from Goodwill. There are some good finds there. what's in your pocket right now?: Looks like ... pocket lint. what is your favorite part of second supper? The crossword puzzle how do you know TYLER (LAST WEEK'S INTERVIEW)? Coincidence. We went to the same high school and then got reintroduced through a mtual friend.
Second Supper
Things To Do
The Top
Best Halloween candy 1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup 2. Three Musketeers 3. Anything Full Size 4. Bottle Caps 5. Fun Dip 6. Baby Ruth 7. Your sister's
Halloween songs 1. "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Picket 2. "Nightmare on My Street" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince 3. "Story of a Ghost" by Phish 4. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson 5. "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon 6. "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads 7. Anything by Rob Zombie
October 29, 2009 // 3
FIRST THINGS FIRST What better way to celebrate Halloween than with an old, kinky friend? No, not that friend! We’re talking about The Muse Theatre’s presentation of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Second Supper’s recent review said the troupe captures the spirit of the cult classic yet finds ways to make it their own. We assume Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. performance may very well be the highlight of the play’s run, which continues through Nov. 14 at The Muse Theatre, 1353 Avon St. Tickets are $25 at the door, cheaper if purchased in advance. For ticket information, visit www.musetheatre.com online or call (608) 782-0707.
1
It’s good to see some students are thinking about more than how to make their Lady GaGa and Michael Jackson costumes. UW-La Crosse Volunteering Within is one of the organizations that will go door to door with shopping carts from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday to collect nonperishable food items as part of Trick-or-Treat for Cans. Food collected will go to the UW-L food pantry, Salvation Army and WAFER Food Pantry. Volunteers interested in helping will meet at Weigent Park, 16th and Cass streets, and the South Community Library at 1307 S. 16th St. For information, call (414) 429-4889 or e-mail james.alex@students.uwlax.edu. Volunteers are invited to wear costumes.
2
3
There are plenty of local bars with entertainment Saturday, but Boot Hill Pub and Grill's Halloween celebration from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. offers not only a good time but also a good cause. Proceeds benefit the City of La Crosse K-9 Unit and Vernon County Humane Society. The $25 cover includes appetizers, door prizes, silent auction and costume contest. Studebaker 7 provides the music. You save $5 if you buy in advance at Boot Hill Pub & Grill, 1501 St. Andrew St., or Jim Bob's Pub & Grill. For information, call (608) 782-3826 or send an e-mail to justin@lacrossemail.com.
The La Crosse New Music Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with nightly concerts Nov. 3-5 in the Center for the Arts on the UW-La Crosse campus. Performers for the 7:30 p.m. concerts include students and music faculty from UW-L, Luther College, St. Mary's University and Viterbo University. Suggested donations are $5, $3 for students for each concert, payable at the door. The event also features the work of composers Dan Senn, a 1974 UW-L graduate who lives in Portland, Ore., and Mark Zanter, a La Crosse native whose work has been commissioned by groups and soloists. An exhibit, "Drumming with Thoreau: Kinetic Sound Art of Dan Senn," will be on display through Nov. 14 in the University Art Gallery. The Study Gallery, meanwhile, will show "The Videos of Dan Senn." Zanter will conduct a workshop about improvisational models at 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, in Annett Recital Hall.
4
©2009 Treasure Island Resort & Casino
4// October 29, 2009
COMMUNITY
Second Supper
La Crosse Halloween Costume Guide
K O O SP
R A L U TAC
SPECIALS!!!! ,
Favre, Breeden, Mays, Harter, Patriot, Gambrinus and Swine Flu, clockwise from bottom left.
Dressed to the '09s!
Alright, stragglers, there are just two days left until Halloween, and if you haven’t picked out your costume yet Second Supper has you covered once again. These seven outfits will surely be the “it” costumes of Halloween 2009 — La Crosse edition, of course. Like most costumes, they only require a little hunting and a hefty dose of panache. A complete lack of shame also helps. Brett Favre — We’ve seen plenty of Favres in green and gold, and this year we’ll probably see lots more in purple. But now that #4 is a Viking, we recommend going the 11th century route with horned helmets and a fur vest, but go easy on the alleged raping and the pillaging. You’re not Mark Chmura, after all. Dan Breeden — For about eight months, Second Supper adopted a moratorium on Dan Breeden jokes, but since we still can’t think of a more famous local celebrity, consider that truce finished. Grow a mustache and wear a suit. Billy Mays — Grow a beard and let the dead bury the dead. To us, Billy Mays will always represent the vim and vigor of life. Drink out of an OxyClean pail and shove all those Michael Jacksons you’ll see off the dance floor. As for replicating Mays’ trademark energy and enthusiasm, that part of the costume is up to you. Matt Harter — Speaking of vim and vigor, spend a day as Mayor Matt Harter, La Crosse’s boy prince of boundless cheer. Tighten up that haircut, don an ill-fitting navy blue suit, wear a yellow button and go out and shake everyone’s hand. Oh, and drink orange juice — lots and lots of orange juice. Tea Party Patriot — Want to get on Fox News? Dress up like a Revolutionary War soldier, carry a copy of Glen Beck’s book, demand strangers’ birth certificates and just generally get in everyone’s way. King Gambrinus — You’ll be the life of the party when you show up as the legendary king of beers. Wear a robe, lean on your sword, carry a pony keg, get nice and sloshed, drink out of a chalice and raise plenty of toasts. What could be more fun than that? Swine Flu — There are plenty of ways to represent H1N1 in costume, and most of them will involve a pig snout. Above, cartoonist Nick Cabreza chose to illustrate the fallback option favored by many a lusty co-ed: Sexy Swine Flu. Or update the ever-popular look with sexy investment banker, sexy unemployed auto worker or sexy David Letterman.
ON THE COVER
Jenn Bushman of the Green Bay Street Studio sets the scene for Halloween.
Second Supper
October 29, 2009 // 5
COMMUNITY
When pets pass
Animal crematoriums: not as eerie as you'd think By Jacob Bielanski
jacob.bielanski@secondsupper.com It’s an unassuming place in an unassuming neighborhood — Norplex Drive, itself, looks like a kind of a graveyard for La Crosse’s aging industries. Perhaps unassuming is exactly what one needs when arranging the cremation of a beloved friend. Within these taupe-hued walls are the offices of Companions Always, a pet cremation service. In an industrial-looking room lies a highly efficient cremation machine, the same model from Matthews Cremation Division (no relation to the Matthew’s Bow Company) that can be used for human corpses. The cremation oven is a surprisingly beautiful piece of equipment, with a corrugated chrome exterior that creates clean lines and a bright sheen on a box no larger than a minivan. The control panel is simple, amounting to little more than a few timers and switches — the $65,000-plus machine is clearly designed to serve one, albeit macabre, purpose. The process of cremating an animal is as clean and professional as that machine. If possible, the staff takes an inking of the paw or hoofs and salvages personal effects at the owner’s request. The animal is identified and separated from others in preparation for the burn. Afterwards, the individual remains are carefully processed and placed in an oak box or one of many other elaborate options available. Staff will even hand-deliver the final remains, considering it somewhat tasteless to deliver such a package via traditional parcel services. In front of the machines, oak urns, death certificates and a van that covers cities as far away as Mauston, are the faces of people who daily share strangers’ most difficult burden. “People view pets differently today than they did when I was growing up,” says Don Jobe, owner and operator of Companions Always. Debbie Braund, who handles Companions Always’ daily operations, agrees. “Pets are even more important to people these days,” she posits, “because there so much non-human contact.” Up until roughly 18 months ago, owners of deceased pets in the La Crosse area had few options for sanitary disposal, much less dignified burial. A common option for many is to bury the deceased. The Walnut Grove Pet Cemetery — owned by Edward’s Investments — provides one option, but the property sits just outside of Holmen off Highway TT, an inconvenient distance for many of the bereaved. Even Dennis Knight, DVM for Coulee Mobile Vet, had to rely on a biweekly pickup from a crematorium out of Poynette. For many, this lack of services left a variety of less-than-sanitary options, particularly when the owner has a close connection “Normally [when] people call me, they’re in tears,” Braund says. “I’ll be saying, ‘Take you time, catch your breath,
when you’re ready to talk, I’m right here.’” Though such lamentation from pet owners may seem unfounded, there is a growing concern nationwide for the grief experienced by those who have lost their furry (or feathered) companion. Veterinarian and newspaper columnist Shawn P Messonnier responded in 2002 to a grieving man who was deeply hurt when friends said he was overreacting following the euthanizing of his dog. “As someone who has seen several of his own pets die, I know the grief you feel is very real,” Messonnier wrote. “You should know that your emotions are a normal part of the five stages of grieving.” It seems to be this closeness to death, rather than a cold, professional disassociation from it, that enables people to work in this field. Braund, for example, says she has “had to use [the] burner twice” in the short time Companions Always has been operating — once for a dog who died of old age and again for a dog who died young. Knight, as a veterinarian, expresses a dichotomy in dealing with the passing of other people's pets. “Of course, I try to contain my emotions so I can provide a service at a professional capacity,” say Knight, “however, there are times when it is quite challenging.” You can see it throughout the offices at Companions, little pieces of the times when staff have had the business of death come dangerously close to their own hearts. At every turn, beautiful photographs of dogs and cats — often pictured with their loved ones — hang on the walls. It might seem eerie if the staff wasn’t so optimistic. The business — or rather the service — of a dignified death is as diverse in the world of animals as it is in the human world; perhaps even more so. Arrangements have been made for animal ashes to be buried along with their human counterpart, or for ashes to be divided among multiple urns, a piece of the mortal remains given separate family members. The option is also available for the remains to be compressed into a stone, cut, polished and made into jewelry though, Jobe notes, none of their clients has yet requested it. It seems strange to define a business under such auspices. Jobe, as a former executive of AlliedSignal (merged into Honeywell International Inc. in 1999) and Isola Laminate Systems, clearly brings a keen knowledge of operating a successful business. Yet the “product” seems to go far beyond anything tangible — urns, caskets, certificates and transportation seem to be auxiliary functions of an emotional product. There is a service to be offered — not in the operation of a cremation machine — but in comfort and closure. “It’s a business that is good for the community and family,” Braund says, “but it’s a business that I think is … awesome.” It begs the question: How does dealing with all this death and the surrounding emotions affect one’s outlook on life? Jobe admits to having not had a pet for
Photo by Jamie Peacock
quite some time but notes that his son — a licensed mortician — owns a pet. “I think it’s given [me] a lot more compassionate conception [sic],” Jobe says. “It goes beyond just being a dog or being a cat. ... It’s somebody’s loved one and you want to care for it as such.” Though one never likes to imagine having to use such a service for their own pet, it’s good to know that the inevitability will be met with a comforting hug and a healthy dose of sympathy. Says Braund, “Whenever we see people, we say, ‘It’s a pleasure meeting you and, as much as we’d like to see you again, hopefully we don’t see you for a very long time.’”
Your community owned natural foods store 315 Fifth Ave. So. La Crosse,WI tel. 784.5798 www.pfc.coop
organics • deli with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free selections, fabulous soups & interesting sandwiches • fair trade coffee & tea • bakery • specialty cheeses • local products • fresh, local, & conventional produce • wine & beer • vitamins • cosmetics • health & beauty • floral • housewares
open daily 7 am–10 pm
Second Supper is a weekly newspaper published by Bartanese Enterprises LLC, 614 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601 Phone: (608) 782-7001 E-mail: editor@secondsupper.com Online: secondsupper.com
and so much more ... Publisher: Roger Bartel roger.bartel@secondsupper.com Editor in Chief: Adam Bissen adam.bissen@secondsupper.com Student Editor: Ben Clark benjamin.clark@secondsupper.com Sales: Mike Keith mike.keith@secondsupper.com Sales: Jason Larsen jason.larsen@secondsupper.com Sales intern: Ansel Ericksen ansel.ericksen@secondsupper.com
6// October 29, 2009
Second Supper
ARTS
'Escanaba in Da Moonlight'
'Cold Souls'(2009)
La Crosse Community Theatre 118 5th Ave. N., La Crosse Oct. 29-Nov. 1, Nov. 5-8 Box office: (608) 784-9292
Director: Sophie Barthes Cast: Paul Giamatti, Dina Korzun, David Strathairn Writers: Sophie Barthes
"Escanaba in Da Moonlight" is by far the funniest play I have seen in ages. The cast and crew at the La Crosse Community Theatre put on a performance this past Friday that was hilarious. From the opening curtain to the close, I felt like I was in deer camp. They even made it smell like a huntin’ cabin. As the Saodys say, “Opening Day is like Christmas with guns.” I don’t know why deer camp is like dat but da yoopers up der on dat stage captured the entire essence of deer camp. As Albert Soady, played by Dan Radtke, summed up during his opening monologue, “Deer camp was as tight as a moose’s rump.” This deer camp, like many deer camps, was filled with tradition and ritual. On his way to deer camp, Remnar Soady (Scott Vehrenkamp) had a vision of a 50-point buck. Now as far as tall tales go, this was a pretty tall one and Vehrenkamp did a splendid job of delivering his lines in a way that one couldn’t help but laugh. Poor Reuben Soady (Tom Wright), 35 years and hadn’t shot a buck yet and he was
going to mess with the Soady camp traditions and rituals. You can imagine the uproar when his father and brother found out that Reuben forgot the pasties and that they had drank a concoction that included flies and something from a moose. Reuben was asking for too much change for one deer season, but none of it really mattered to the masterfully played Jimmer Negamenee (Ken Brown). Jimmer stole the show. From his entrance wearing a huge rabbit fur hat (the kind with the oversized earlappers) to his gas attack that brought Reuben back from another dimension, this man was flat out funny. It doesn’t hurt that he kept drinking porcupine urine and the moose ball testicle milkshake brought in place of the pasties. Jimmer seemed to go along with everything. After all, he had been abducted by aliens once, “and he’d never been da same since.” For all you deer hunters out there and for all the ladies who wonder what goes on up at deer camp, you have to see the La Crosse Community Theatre rendition of "Escanaba in Da Moonlight." You will be laughing for hours, maybe even days, after the play.
— Timothy D. Scholze
For roughly 20 minutes, right after actor Paul Giamatti undergoes a procedure to have his soul surgically removed, Sophie Barthes' "Cold Souls" looks as if it will outdo obvious-influence Charlie Kaufman at his own surrealist game. It's practically impossible not to mention Kaufman's name here; Barthes clearly isn't downplaying the comparisons between her screenplay and Kaufman's — specifically, "Being John Malkovich" (both films feature an actor playing himself) and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (both films revolve around fictitious left-field medical procedures). However recycled (and perhaps because of it), the quirky surrealist plot lacks depth and, except for the 20-minute stretch mentioned above, substantial comedic pizazz. It's intriguing enough to cause rejoice among coffee shop philosophers, but "Cold Souls" resonates with too much of a familiar territory ring. Little of the film's potential is lost in the first 30 minutes. It cuts to the chase: Giamatti reads a "New Yorker" article about a company claiming to be able to physically remove and store souls, visits with company administrator David Strathairn and soon thereafter is holding his soul — which unusually resembles a chickpea — in a glass canister. "Cold Souls" works best when Barthes plays around with the logistics of
this concept, as when Strathairn explains the procedure, assuring Giamatti that only 95 percent of the soul is actually removed because the other 5 percent is required to keep him animated. In the scenes following Giamatti's procedure, the movie becomes sheer comedic and philosophical gold, exploring both the funny and serious effects of soullessness on acting, on relationships and on the individual. But then it takes several weird turns, introducing a mule (Dina Korzun) who traffics souls between the United States and Russia, a Russian machinist whose troubled soul has been stolen and a series of strange visions that both Giamatti and Korzun experience as a result of playing host to various other souls. The story is no less interesting than when it pertains to Giamatti's hairbrained soulless tomfoolery, but the effect is muddled, and the film loses most of the steam it spends the first act accumulating. First-time writer-director Barthes obviously wants to say something profound, and to an extent she succeeds, but the message becomes lost once the plot needlessly trips over its own nothingness. It's a shame, because "Cold Souls" roars out of the gates. Hint for enjoying "Cold Souls": Pretend the third act never happens.
— Nick Cabreza
Bizarro Masterpiece Theatre
Movie: "The Return of the Living Dead" (1985) Director: Dan O'Bannon Stars: Clu Gulager, James Karen, Linnea Quigley Writer: Dan O'Bannon It’s easy to pick "Dawn of the Dead" as the best zombie film of all time, and it’s hard to disagree. Yet allow me to offer what I feel to be, at its very worst, a strong number two. This movie came about due to cinematic zombie mitosis. In the beginning, dead mastermind George Romero created "Night of the Living Dead" alongside co-writer John Russo. Eventually, the two parted ways, and the question arose as to what to do with this budding zombie franchise. The answer: make TWO zombie franchises. Romero went on to make the "Citizen Kane" of dead cannibal flicks, as well as a whole mess of other heady films in the Dead series. Russo, however, went a little more lowbrow. By and large, the Living Dead series is slapstick horror schlock, and has largely degraded in quality through its five films (the last, tellingly, titled "Rave from the Grave"). But its opening shot was magnificent. The film opens with a newbie kid at his orientation in a medical storage complex. His mentor, played with flailing Fred Schneider mania by the great James Karen, tells the kid a true ghost story. By his account, "Night of the Living Dead" really happened, and the government threatened the filmmakers who documented the event with death if they released it as anything
but fiction. The bodies were oil drummed up and shipped to some Area 51, but there was a goof — one of the drums ended up in the basement. Predictably, the old guy leads his protégé down the stairs, shows him the zombie can, and releases toxic zombie gas while proudly proclaiming the canister’s durability. Hijinks ensue. While the grunts scamper around the facility and wail, the kid’s friends, a mélange of punk kids, new wavers and morbid strippers, end up in the nearby cemetery. They are soon set upon by the tenants. There’s only one thing to do in this uncomfortable situation: call the boss. And so, we get to see the great BURT in action. Burt is a man’s man, a crafty old entrepreneur who takes no crap from the dead. He’s the guy who comes up with the (inadvisable) plan to have the twitchy mortician next door cremate the animated bodies. More importantly, Burt is the valiant champion who takes a baseball bat and BURTS the hell out of any zombie unfortunate enough to cross him. He even knocks a zombie’s head clean off! If"Dawn of the Dead" is the king of zombie cinema, this movie is its more charismatic prince, the life of the dead party.
— Brett Emerson
Second Supper
October 29, 2009 // 7
ARTS
'Runaway Devil'
er’s n g i s De Drugs The
Author: Robert Remington, Sherri Zickefoose Publisher: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. Miscellaneous: $23.95 / 270 pages No doubt about it, first love makes you do goofy things. But you didn’t kill anyone over it. Twelve-year-old “JR” did, and authors Robert Remington and Sherri Zickefoose say that she appears remorseless even today. In “Runaway Devil: How Forbidden Love Drove a 12-Year-Old to Murder Her Family,” you’ll read about love and death. When Debra and Marc (names withheld to comply with Canadian law) bought their house in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, it was a definite step up. Both had had problems with drug abuse in the past and had successfully gotten treatment. Though they’d endured poverty, Marc had a new job and money was no longer tight. Eight-yearold Jacob and 11-year-old JR seemed to be adjusting well to new surroundings. It was a dream come true. But it was the calm before the storm. Almost 12, JR could easily pass as 16. Perhaps because her inner development
didn’t match her physicality, she became troubled. Anger was her dominant emotion, and she adapted the Goth look. Hanging out on Goth Web sites, she took the moniker of “Runaway Devil” and started posting about death and hate. When 23-year-old high school dropout Jeremy Steinke met JR, he thought she was beautiful — and much older than she was. Their love was quick-kindled, passionate and, because JR’s parents forbade their relationship, carried on largely through furtive phone calls and e-mail. With typical pre-teen venom, JR professed to hate her parents. They needed to die, she said. And she wanted Jeremy to help. Although the sub-title is a bit misleading (JR didn’t personally kill her entire family), “Runaway Devil” is a chilling book that’s also part cautionary tale for parents. Remington and Zickefoose are careful to lay out plenty of background, so that readers unfamiliar with alternative cultures can fully understand the situations that apparently appealed to JR. While they admit, in a roundabout way, that the vast majority
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
David Wong is both the name of the author of "John Dies at the End" and the alias of the book’s protagonist. The author is also the editor of Mad Magazine alternative, Cracked.com. As such, it’s appropriate that the author’s debut novel mixes themes of identity crisis with snot-faced humor and bravado. It’s clear what kind of tone this book is going to take when, in the prologue, the reader comes across the phrase, “sodomized by a bratwurst poltergeist.” Yet leftfield curveballs are found everywhere. The main thrust of "John Dies at the End" is wrathful god-alien invasion horror, which for the most part is done rather well. And John, Wong’s boorish X-files cohort, actually dies in the beginning. The story was originally created as a series of Web serials years ago, and the manner by which this book was created might have resulted in flaws. The most ob-
My Reality?
Medium: Literature Stimulus: David Wong "John Dies at the End" Anno: 2009 vious of these faults is that Wong seems to always be turning corners and stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of some fantastic horror. It’s entirely possible that the author intended to mimic the flow of a video game, if finding shotgun ammunition in the guts of a deer monster and John’s fourth wall dialogue are any indication. But the constant shock does become a bit of Oh, This Again. Yet hyperabsurdity, for the most part, works for the story rather than against it. Wong’s protagonist carries both the plot and his asinine friend with doubt and grudging duty. Thrust by a sentient drug named Soy Sauce into a plane of visions and danger, Wong crawls through slick toilet lairs, masquerades as a member of Elton John’s backup band, fights baby-headed wig scorpions, and suffers blackouts that make him question his role in the proceedings. John may take the title and most of the jokes, but Wong’s flawed and thoughtful inner voice gives the story the gravity that would have been wholly absent otherwise. The Web serial format seems to have provided a possible benefit: the ability to cloak self-correction. Most of what transpires in the book comes out as a conversation between Wong and a skeptical report-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
We put those ATM fees back in your pocket.
I‘ve got money, I never carry cash.
With Altra Plus Checking, you can get up to $20 in ATM fees refunded every month and earn an outrageously high dividend on the money in your account. Ask us how. • No minimum balance required • No monthly service charge
Open 7 days a week inside Festival Foods, La Crosse
608-787-4500 • www.altra.org
fits my life
Membership eligibility required. A+ Checking available for personal accounts only. The use of four free Altra technology services is required to receive ATM refunds and dividend rate. ATM fee refunds available for withdrawals made from A+ Checking. Dividends calculated and paid each calendar month on the daily balance. Please contact Altra for complete account details.
8// October 29, 2009
Second Supper
ARTS
Have an opinion? Send your letters to the editor to Second Supper, 614 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601 or by e-mail to editor@secondsupper.com. Letters should be signed and include phone number for verifi cation purposes. Please limit letters to no more than 300 words. Second Supper reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and grammar. For more information, call (608) 782-7001.
'John Dies at the End' CONTiNUED fROM PAGE 7 er, who points out the inconsistencies with the hero’s stories. The breaks in reality are either written off as lies or absorbed into a greater explanation. It’s easy to conceive reader feedback being brought up as the reporter’s doubts and dealt with. "John Dies at the End" is a very good blend of comedy and horror that, if the director of Bubba Ho-tep knows what he is doing, will soon become a great movie.
— Brett Emerson
'Runaway Devil' CONTiNUED fROM PAGE 7
418 Lang Dr. La Crosse
608-785-0305
Fridays
$11 Cuts Across From Menards www.hairstation.info
of Goth teens are not violent, the story they present will still send an icy zap through any parent who has watched Daddy’s Little Girl become Daddy’s Little Goth. Readers who remember this sensational crime will want to grab this book. If you don’t remember it but are a true-crime fan, you’ll eat it up. For you, “Runaway Devil” is a book you’ll love.
— Terri Schlichenmeyer
Visit us online at www.secondsupper.com
Second Supper
Oh hi, right now I'm listening to an album that came out in 2003 called "The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place" by the band Explosions in the Sky. This music is the perfect soundtrack to the lethargic mood I've been in lately due to a note I received last week that said, "Dear Shuggypop, While I enjoy spending time with you, the grey skies and cold temperatures have pushed me over the edge. I'm leaving for awhile, I'll write when I can. Take care of yourself. Love, Motivation.P.S. My cousin Sloth will be there to keep you company." Explosions in the Sky play moody, somewhat cerebral, atmospheric instrumental music that falls under the genre known as postrock. Post-rock takes the traditional rock instruments of guitar, bass and drums, but aren't concerned with riffs, solos and all the other cliches associated with guitar heroes. Instead, sonic textures are sought out by incorporating digital effects, creating drifting soundscapes that don't follow the verse/ chorus song structure. Controlled feedback squalls, heavy reverb and hypnotic droning guitars are often features of this genre. This stuff was birthed in the '90s as a reaction to the macho posturing of cock rockers who co-opted the term "alternative" that proliferated in the wake of the grunge explosion with their generic nu-rock sound for the mainstream. Post-rock looked to move away from rocking out, claiming rock had
MUSIC
become stale and cliche. Instead post-rock bands combined experimental genres such as minimalist classical, dub reggae, space rock, cool jazz, tape music, IDM, ambient, Krautrock and avant-garde jazz. Two bands put out the first post-rock albums in 1991, Talk Talk and Slint. Soon, two cities became the dominant scenes for this new music: Chicago with bands such as Sea and Cake, Tortoise and their numerous offshoots, and Jim O'Rourke, followed by bands from Montreal such as Godspeed You Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, and Do Make Say Think. I like to think of post-rock as being the introspective yin to the boisterous yang of the other largely instrumental phenomenon of the '90s, that of the jam bands. While this trend seemed to have jumped the shark by the turn of the century, there were still a few artists who managed to evolve the genre and make a name for themselves, such as Sigur Ros, Mono and Explosions in the Sky, as well as uncountable numbers of not-asinteresting bands who are retreading the path of the original innovators. A recent fusion has been combining post-rock with metal. Bands such as Isis, Mastodon, Jesu, High On Fire and Pelican have thrown some heavier riff action into the mix, creating a blend that both the art school crowd and the metalheads can agree on.
— Shuggypop Jackson
October 29, 2009 // 9
10// October 29, 2009
Second Supper
MUSIC
music directory // October 29 to November 4 THURSDAY,
just a roadie away
October 29
DEL's BAR // 229 3rd st. Matthew Haefel • 10 p.m.
Milwaukee
THE sTARLiTE LOUNGE // 222 Pearl st. Kies & Kompanie • 5 p.m.
population population
MOON BOOT POssE // Nov. 12
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 4th st. s LAX All-Stars • 10 p.m.
The Miramar Theatre • $10
BRUCE sPRiNGsTEEN // Nov. 15 Bradley Center •$39
THE ROOT NOTE // 115 4th st. s. Open Mic • 7 p.m.
R. kELLY // Nov. 15 Milwaukee Theatre •$49.50
NiGHTHAWks TAP // 401 s. Third st. Dave Orr's Damn Jam • 10p.m.
FRIDAY,
October 30
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 s. 4th st. Soma • 10 p.m. ONALAskA AM. LEGiON // 731 sand Lake Road
The Stingrays • 7 p.m. NORTHsiDE OAsis // 620 Gillette st. Fuzzy HD, Urine, the Beldings • 9:30 p.m. NiGHTHAWks TAP // 401 s. Third st. P?M, LUSURFER• 10 p.m. THE WATERfRONT TAVERN // 328 front st. Dan Sebranek • 8 p.m. MOOsE LODGE // 1932 Ward Ave. Sisters & Company • 7 p.m. PEARL sTREET BREWERY // 1401 st Andrew st.
Cheeba (Cheech and Chubba) • 4 p.m. THE ROOT NOTE // 115 4th st. s. Hip-Hop Halloween• 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY,
October 31
THE JAY sTREET JOiNT //324 Jay st. Monkey Wrench • 10 p.m. THE ARTERiAL // 1003 16th st. Swan, Nirva and DeGier • 9 p.m.
596,974 596,974
MEGADETH // Nov. 16 Eagles Ballroom• $29 The beauty of Halloween is that you can be someone else for a night. In real life you may be an indie rock snob or a hip-hop head or a punk rocker or a pop diva, but on Halloween night, you can let your classic rock freak flag fly. In La Crosse, there's no better outlet for that than the Remainders, a 5-year-old group that draws a good crowd wherever they play. Although they've got about a dozen original songs, the appeal of the Remainders lies in their faithful covers of late-'70s and early-'80s rock songs. That's right, it's the era of hair bands and tight jeans and timeless American anthems. Who wouldn't want to dress up and get down to that? The Remainders will perform at Howie's on Saturday night, beginning at 9 p.m. It's a costume party, so come ready to rock!
WiDEsPREAD PANiC // Nov. 20-22 Riverside Theater • $35.50
RUsTED ROOT // Dec. 29 The Rave• $20
November 2
THE WATERfRONT TAVERN // 328 front st. Dan Sebranek • 8 p.m.
Electrophiliacs Halloween Party • 5 p.m.
MONDAY,
HOWiE's // 1125 La Crosse st. The Remainders • 9 p.m
THE CRUZ iNN // W5450 keil Coulee Rd. Dan Berger & Friends • 7 p.m
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 4th st. s. Shawn's "'90s Pop" Open Jam • 10 p.m.
THE ROOT NOTE // 115 4th st. s. Dia De Los Muertos • 8:30 p.m.
BOOT HiLL PUB // 1501 st. Andrew st. Studebaker 7 • 7 p.m.
TUESDAY,
JB's sPEAkEAsY // 717 Rose st. Son of a Peach w/ The Smiling Orange • 10 p.m.
ALPiNE iNN // W5717 Bliss Rd 3 Beers Til' Dubuque • 9 p.m.
PEARL sTREET BREWERY // 1401 st Andrew st.
November 1
NiGHTHAWks TAP // 401 s. Third st. Bad Axe River Band• 10 p.m.
SUNDAY,
MY sECOND HOME // 2104 George st. Cheap Charlie Band • 8 p.m.
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 4th st s TBA • 10 p.m.
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 4th st s Shoeless Revolution • 10 p.m.
Gary and the Ridgeland Dutchmen • 10 a.m.
THE WAREHOUsE // 328 Pearl st. Sneaker2Bombs, The Higher, Take Cover, Stars After the Storm & Secret Guest Band! • 6 p.m.
Band photos needed
CONCORDiA BALLROOM //1129 La Crosse st.
ANNETT RECiTAL HALL (UW-L) // 1725 state st.
Harry Hindson and Carol Rhodes with Quintessence • 6:30 p.m.
November 3
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 4th st s Paulie • 10 p.m. THE ROOT NOTE // 115 4th st. s. Jazz Jam • 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY,
November 4
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 4th st s Dave's Open Jam • 10 p.m. NiGHTHAWks TAP // 401 s. Third st. Pete's BD Soma Jam • 10 p.m. RECOVERY ROOM // 901 7th st. s. Electrophiliacs • 10 p.m.
Second Supper needs photos of local bands to feature in the Music Directory. Photos should be jpegs, at least 300 dpi and 4.75 inches wide. Send to adam.bissen@secondsupper.com.
Second Supper
October 29, 2009 // 11
MUSIC
Q &A with The Last Vegas
alloween 9pm The Remainders
AND
COSTUME PARTY PACKERS SUNDAY Tailgate Starts at 1 PMVIKINGS $1.50 Cans and Bottles $3.00 Bloodies $1.25 Screwdrivers Party w/ Z93 all day!
Check out HOWIESBAR.com
Chicago band coming to The Warehouse By Brett Emerson
brett.emerson@secondsupper.com The Last Vegas wants to melt your face. The spirit of rock ‘n roll is its blowtorch. Coming out of Chicago, the band has developed a still-growing reputation as a source of strutting, old school rock. It hit its breakthrough with “Whatever Gets You Off,” an album produced in part by Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx. Now, The Last Vegas is looking to capitalize by taking its music to the streets. Vocalist Chad Cherry spent a few moments to sing the praises of good old-fashioned visceral experience. Second Supper: What is your musical background, and how did the band form? Chad Cherry: We started as the five piece about four years ago. I was in a band out of the Detroit/Grand Rapids area with our current bass player called the Nasties. I was dating a girl who was a model, and she had to move (to Chicago) for her work, so I moved down from Michigan and met the boys in the Vegas. There weren’t a lot of people in Chicago who had our style of rock ‘n roll, so we all got together and started writing music. We got signed to an independent label out of Pittsburgh and immediately started putting out records and touring the U.S. and Europe. It hasn’t stopped since we got on the bus! SS: What’s your take on the prevailing styles of Chicago?
CC: We listen to tons of different kinds of music, but we’re more of a bare bones, brutal appreciation of real rock and roll, in the vein of the big arena rock bands. We noticed that the stuff going around here was more shoegazer stuff. We’re more of a gang, like the Warriors! SS: How has your style changed since the beginning? CC: I’d say that we’re a band that’s proud of what we do but never satisfied. We’re ironing out our act a little more as far as songwriting. The old style was raw and gritty; now it’s a little craftier, with more hooks, making it groovier. It’s something that you can remember more than a bashing, bombastic sensation. But for the most part, our attitude comes through in everything we do. SS: Are you more into working on albums or playing live? CC: We’re absolutely a live band. That’s the most realistic approach to doing our kind of thing, to travel, hit people’s towns, and experience what they’re going through. That’s where we shine the most. You should make everything sound amazing in a studio. That’s easy. If you have your sights on what you want to do, you can pull the trigger unless you have no idea what you’re doing. But our flavor is live, and our fans come to see us because we put on an insane show that I don’t think a lot of people are doing anymore.
CONTiNUED ON PAGE 12
for full details!
12// October 29, 2009
Second Supper
MUSIC
Q &A with The Last Vegas
CONTiNUED fROM PAGE 11
SS: Do you have any tricks in performing live? CC: We shine through in being ourselves and not giving a shit what people think of us. The unpredictability of it is something that people look at as a spectacle and get off on. SS: But it’s not highly produced, no upside down drum solos. Is the show a little more punk in the execution? CC: That’s exactly what it is. We have the elements of a huge arena band, sound and looks wise, but we grew up on classic rock, the Ramones, and Black Flag, and that’s something we still hold dear. SS: One of the producers on your new album was Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx. How did that come about, and what was your reaction to working with him? CC: To have some guy, who you’ve grown up on his music, come in and work with you in the studio with zero attitude and ego is a very humbling experience. Not a whole lot of bands can have their mentors come in and work with them on songs and become friends afterwards. Nikki was a great dude; he’s all about the music.
PARTY
SS: With everyone able to follow their own styles, can the new big things have the same impact as the old big things? CC: Back in the day, there used to be music scenes. All these guys would go and see bands that came into town. Now, there isn’t a scene at all. Everyone who wants to make it is thinking that they’re the next biggest things, and they’re all separated. People will go to a rock show just to be seen by somebody, to say that they saw the band before they sucked. No one is on the level, of like, we’re gonna go out, party, and probably get drunk and laid. SS: There’s too much readily available music. When you don’t have the easy access, when you go, you go for it. CC: Exactly. A lot of it is people staying home and watching it on YouTube. You can get excited about watching something on a TV or computer, but nothing beats the real experience. I’ve made contact with people throughout the world by going out and playing rock ‘n roll. There’s a whole lot of fun to be had out there. The Last Vegas will play the Warehouse, 328 Pearl St., Nov. 5 and 19.
w/ SON OF A PEACH
and
THE SMlLlNG ORANGE
Costume Contest
WINNER walks away with a bottle of ABSINTHE and a 1/4 BARREL PARTY. Midnight Cut off for costume party.
"Coming up, Stay Tuned!"
Reminds you to support the
retailers, restaurants, taverns and bands that support us. We are
funded solely by advertising so if you want to support us, support them!
conscientious commerce:
I
V
La Crosse's Nightclub for original origina music from near and d far. far.
! IL HALLOWEEN
SS: Looking back on the fluctuating styles of popular music, the arena rock that influences your band was huge in the '80s before the nonimage music of the '90s obscured it. With the fading of centrally distributed music, is popularity no longer relevant? CC: It feels like everything musically has been done, pushed over a cliff, and back up again. I don’t know what music is going to
change what’s going on. I’d love to see it, but it’s irrelevant to me. We’re not trying to fit into any styles. People can compare us to the '80s, but we were also the kids buying "In Utero." If it’s good and gets stuck in your head, we were listening to it. Now, we’re playing the music that’s in our souls and our blood, not anything that we sit down and plan.
20 dollar love w/ Poney and Ambassador Gun-Nov 6 Hip Hop Show-Nov 7
Support your local Haunts
Second Supper
October 29, 2009 // 13
YOUR GUIDE TO CONSUMPTION
Drink Specials Editor's Note: Food and Drink Specials is a free listing for Second Supper’s regular advertisers and $25 per week for others. For information, call (608) 782-7001.
Sunday
BARREL iNN $2.25 for mini pitcher CHUCk's All day everyday: $1 Doctor, $2 Silos $3 pitchers, $1.75 rails EAGLE’s NEsT Open to close: $2 U “Call” it HOWiE’s Happy hour 4 to 9 p.m.; 9 p.m. to close: Night Before Class - $3 pitchers of the beast iRisH HiLLs Happy Hour 4 to 7 p.m. daily JB’s sPEAkEAsY $1.75 domestic bottles PETTiBONE BOAT CLUB $1 off fried chicken PLAYERs Price by Dice RiNGsiDE closed sCHMiDTY’s $6.95 lunch buffet $9.95 breakfast buffet 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. sLOOPY's ALMA MATER $11 buckets of beers (pregame-close), taco specials during game THE JOiNT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 all day, everyday THE HELM All day (everyday!) specials $1.25 Old Style Light, $1.50 LAX Lager/ Light, $1 shots of Dr. THE LiBRARY Sunday Fun Day - Wristband Night TOP sHOTs $5 Pitchers/$2 bottles of Miller products (11-4pm) $2 Corona Bottles, $2 Kilo Kai Mixers , $3 Bloodys (7-1AM) TRAiN sTATiON BBQ Ask for great eats
Monday
BARREL iNN Buck burgers BROTHERs $2.50 Blatz vs. Old Style pitchers CHUCk’s Monday-Friday: Happy Hour 2 to 6 p.m., 50 cents off everything but the daily special Guys’ Nite Out: $1.50 silos EAGLE’s NEsT 7 p.m. to close: $1.50 domestic pints, $1.50 rails HOWiE’s 9 p.m. to close: $3.50 domestic pitchers JB’s sPEAkEAsY $1.75 domestic bottles PETTiBONE BOAT CLUB Kids eat free with adult PLAYERs Happy Hour all night long, two-for-one RiNGsiDE Closed sCHMiDTY’s BBQ sandwich sLOOPY's ALMA MATER $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) $11 buckets of beers (6-close) sPORTs NUT Buck Burgers THE CAVALiER Martini Ladies’ Night, James Martini: vodka, triple sec, orange juice THE JOiNT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 TOP sHOTs $1.75 Miller/Bud Light Taps, $2.25 MIcro/Craft Taps, $2.50 Cherry Bombs (7-1AM)
Tuesday
BARREL iNN Bucket Night, six beers for $9
BROTHERs Wristband night CHUCk’s 50-cent taps domestic, $3 pitchers COCONUT JOE’s $2 Tuesdays, including $2 bottles, import taps, beer pong, apps, single shot-mixers, featured shots, 50-cent taps EAGLE’s NEsT 7 p.m. to close: $1.50 domestic pints, $1.50 rails HOWiE’s 9 p.m. to close: $1 rails, $2.50 pitchers, beer pong iRisH HiLLs $2 domestic cans JB’s sPEAkEAsY $1.75 domestic bottles PETTiBONE BOAT CLUB 2 for 1 burger night PLAYERs Karaoke @ 10 p.m., 2-4-1 Happy Hour 5 to 10 p.m., all you can drink rail mixers @ 10 p.m. RiNGsiDE Open 4-9 sCHMiDTY’s Tacos sLOOPY's ALMA MATER $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) 12" pizza: $8.99 up to 5 toppings (4-close) sPORTs NUT Tacos $1.25 THE JOiNT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 THE LiBRARY $1 domestic taps and rails, one-half price Tequila TOP sHOTs $1.75 Rails, $1.50 Domestic Taps, $3.50 Jager Bombs (7-1AM) TRAiN sTATiON BBQ 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., extra side with sandwich; 4 to 9 p.m., $1 off rib dinner
Wednesday
BARREL iNN $6 all you can drink taps and rails, 8 to midnight BROTHERs 10-cent wings, $1 Miller High Life bottles, $1.50 rail mixers CHUCk’s $2 Pearl Street Brewery beers COCONUT JOE’s $1.25 for 1 pound of wings, $1 PBR/PBR Light bottles, $1.50 Rolling Rock, $2 jumbo rail mixers, $2.25 Bud Lights, $1 shot of the week EAGLE’s NEsT 7 p.m. to close: $1.50 domestic pints, $2 craft pints, $1.50 rails HOWiE’s $5 all you can drink JB’s sPEAkEAsY Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m. LEGEND’s $1 shot of the week, $4 domestic pitchers, $1.25 1 pound of wings PETTiBONE BOAT CLUB $6.99 AUCE pasta PLAYERs Karaoke @ 10 p.m., 2-4-1 Happy Hour 5 to 10 p.m., $1 Pabst cans, Dr. shots @ 10 p.m. RiNGsiDE $6.50 double cheeseburger sCHMiDTY’s Chili dogs sLOOPY's ALMA MATER Wings, Wings, Wings... $2 off 14: pizza, $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) sPORTs NUT 15-cent wings THE CAVALiER $1.50 taps 6 to 8 p.m. THE JOiNT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 THE LiBRARY Karaoke, $2 double rails & all bottles TOP sHOTs $2 domestic bottles, $2.50 Skyy/Absolut mixers, $2 Dr. shots (7-1am)
TRAiN sTATiON BBQ Special varies
CONTiNUED ON PAGE 14
BEER
Review
Lucky 13 Lagunitas Brewing Company Petaluma, California
I’ve been watching “The Wire” a lot recently, pretty much every day for the past three weeks. I’m not sure why a television series about the Baltimore drug trade is so engaging to me, but it may be because the show is pretty much the exact opposite of my everyday life. I’ve never seen a gangster order an imperial pale ale or a crooked longshoreman debating the merits of a tulip glass versus a flute. No, in “The Wire” the malted beverage of choice comes served in a 40-ounce bottle, and they tip back quite a few. Well, no disrespect to my brothers in the struggle, but they’d get more value out of a large craft microbrew. Take this 22-ounce bottle of Lagunitas Lucky 13, for example, which sells for $4 at your local Festival Foods and packs hefty 8.3 percent ABV. Compared to the popular Colt 45 ($2.50 retail, 5.6 percent ABV), these beverages pack essentially the same wallop, but the Lagunitas tastes straight baller for only an added buck-fifty. I know Stringer Bell could appreciate that logic. Pouring a hazy ruby color with a big, fluffy, long-lasting gray head, the Lucky 13 is a perfect visual representation of an American red ale. The aroma is nicely bal-
anced between caramel malts and piny Appearance: 10 hops — better than many of its West Coast Aroma: 9 brethren — and it smells a bit like fresh Taste: 8 straw. Although it’s a damn tasty beer, the Mouthfeel: 7 flavor of the Lucky 13 is probably its weakest Drinkability: 8 attribute, which is a compliment in itself. The flavor comes on Total: 42 sweet and malty like figs, bottoms out, but finishes clean on a nice kick of apple-y hops. There’s a tinge of after burn due to the alcohol content, but the finish is surprisingly dry and pine-nutty. In the world of fine ales, this would be considered “high gravity,” so the mouthfeel is a little thick and heavy, but it’s still quite drinkable. It does have the same limitations as most any 40, though: Drink two of them and you’ll get f***** up. Just don’t hide the beautiful bottle behind a brown paper bag.
— Adam Bissen
CONSUMPTION
14// October 29, 2009
2 Funny i'z in ur crosswurd, makin u solv.
Drink Specials
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
Thursday
BARREL INN 25-cent wings, $1 shots of Doctor BROTHERS Wristband night, $1 shots with wristband $2.50 SoCo and Jack CHUCK’S Ladies’ Nite Out: $1.50 rail mixers, $2.50 X bombs COCONUT JOE’S Happy Hour 7 to 9 p.m.: $2 for all single shot mixers and all beers. Wristband Night: $5 college I.D., $9 general public EAGLE’S NEST 7 p.m. to close: $1.50 domestic pints, $2 craft pints, $1.50 rails HOWIE’S 9 p.m. to close: $1.25 rails, $1.75 bottles/cans IRISH HILLS $14.95 steak and golf JB’S SPEAKEASY Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m. THE CAVALIER All Mojitos $5 THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 LEGEND’S After comedy: Pint Night - $1 pints of rail mixers and domestic taps, $2 pints of call mixers and import taps, $3 pints of top-shelf mixers PETTIBONE BOAT CLUB BBQ night, $1 off PLAYERS 2-4-1 Happy Hour 5 to 10 p.m., $2 Captain mixers, $1.75 domestic beer, $1.50 rails, $1 Pabst cans @ 10 p.m. RALPH’S Southwest chicken pita $5 RINGSIDE Southwest chicken pita SCHMIDTY’S Tacos SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER Ladies night, 2 for 1 drinks (6-close), $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) SPORTS NUT $8.99 12-ounce T-bone THE HELM $1 Vodka Drinks, $1.00 12 oz Dom. Taps, $1.25 12 oz prem. Taps, $3 Orange Bombs THE LIBRARY $1 kamikaze and red headed sluts TOP SHOTS 5 Domestic Bottles for $10, $5 Micro/Import Bottles $11.50, $7 Micro/Craft Pitchers (7-1AM) TRAIN STATION BBQ 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Barn burner $7.95; 4 to 9 p.m., Hobo dinner (serves two) $30.95
Friday
BARREL INN
Classifieds Bed: Queen Pillowtop Mattress Set New in plastic $165 Full Sized $135 King Sized $265, Can Deliver 608399-4494 Help Wanted: Second Supper needs a reliable independent contractor to serve as a sales account representative. Hours are flexible but must be available at least 16 hours per week, be outgoing and able to meet weekly deadlines. Call Roger at (608) 782-7001. Pay is commission only.
To see your advertisement in this space contact mike.keith@secondsupper.com
$4.50 domestic pitchers BROTHERS $2 domestic beer, taps, & rails (5-8 p.m.) CHUCK’S After-Class $3 Pitchers, $1.75 Rails COCONUT JOE’S Happy Hour 7 to 9 p.m.: $2 for all single-shot mixers and all beers, $2.50 jumbo Captain Morgan mixers, $2.50 jumbo Bacardi mixers (all flavors), $3 Jagerbombs EAGLE’S NEST 3 to 9 p.m.: two-for-one domestic bottles and rail drinks HOWIE’S 9 p.m. to close: $2 Captain mixers, $2 bottles/cans, $3 Jager bombs JB’S SPEAKEASY Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m. LEGEND’S $3 jumbo Svedka mixers, $2.50 Corona bottles, $2.50 Cuervo shots PETTIBONE BOAT CLUB Pettibone Fish Fry PLAYERS 2-4-1 Happy Hour 3 to 9 p.m. RINGSIDE $5 chicken salad on rye w/ lettuve, tomato and onion SCHMIDTY’S Fish sandwich SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER Friday Fish, $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 THE LIBRARY $2 taps and mixers (5-9 p.m.) TOP SHOTS $2.00 Captain Mixers, $2.00 Long Island Mixers, $3.00 Effen Vodka Mixers (7-1AM) TRAIN STATION BBQ 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Chicken on fire $7.95; 4 to 9 p.m., Bones and briskets $13.95
Saturday
BARREL INN $10 pitcher and pizza BROTHERS 2 for 1 bloody marys, screwdrivers, domestic taps CHUCK’S 12 to 3 p.m.: Buy one, get one domestic beer; Holmen Meat Locker jerky raffle COCONUT JOE’S Happy Hour 7 to 9 p.m.: $2 for all single-shot mixers and all beers, $2.50 jumbo Captain Morgan mixers, $2.50 jumbo Bacardi mixers (all flavors), $3 Jagerbombs EAGLE’S NEST Open to close: $2 U “Call” it HOWIE’S 9 p.m. to close: $2 Bacardi mixers, $2 domestic pints, $1.50 shots blackberry brandy IRISH HILLS $14.95 steak and golf JB’S SPEAKEASY Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m. THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 LEGEND’S $3 jumbo Svedka mixers, $2 Jonestown shots PETTIBONE BOAT CLUB Prime riv PLAYERS 2-4-1 Happy Hour 3 to 8 p.m. RINGSIDE $1 off wild wings, $1 off philly steak and cheese SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER $11 buckets for college football, 2 for 1 pints/pitches w/ student ID over 21 SPORTS NUT 15-cent wings THE LIBRARY 2 for 1 bloody marys, screwdrivers, domestic taps TOP SHOTS $5 Miller/Bud Light Pitchers, $2.25 Leinies Bottles (7-1AM)TRAIN STATION BBQ One-half chicken three bones $12.95
Second Supper
By Matt Jones Across 1 Paparazzo's need 5 Actor Sharif 9 Prefix meaning "one tenth" 13 Bread spreads 15 1990s electronic music party 16 Worst of the population 17 Insurance company with TV ads featuring cavemen 18 Rate Jennifer Lopez's newest alter ego? 20 Like some marble designs on furniture 22 The clap, e.g.: abbr. 23 Porcine pad 24 Time to phone your nearest Nabokov character? 28 "Brother" of Bruno and Borat 29 Aromatic, oily substance 32 Grp. that issues fraud alerts 35 "Commander in Chief" actress Davis 37 Prefix meaning "one quintillionth" 38 Got lazy for the sake of worship? 42 Three-layered snack 43 Biden's boss 44 Ed.'s submissions 45 Choir section 48 Panache 49 With 59-across, Kojak's bootleg British porn title? 55 Bullfighting cheer 57 "The Office" character Answers to Issue 185's
"Mixed Reviews"
58 Adjective for Porky Pig and Sylvester 59 See 49-across 63 Grandmas, to some 64 Jessica of "The Love Guru" 65 Former Israeli prime minister Olmert 66 Muse of love poetry 67 "In ___ of flowers..." 68 Uses finger paint, say 69 Actor Gold of the Fox series "Stacked"
Down 1 Common sense 2 Verdugo of "Marcus Welby, M.D." 3 Actor Sam of the "Jurassic Park" series 4 Orange County's area, slangily 5 Nonprofit's URL suffix 6 Damage the surface 7 "Stop," to a pirate 8 Colorful identifier for some Levi's 9 Cable Internet alternative: abbr. 10 Community of organisms 11 Extremely devoted group 12 "If ___ be so bold..." 14 Dirty condition 19 Old Icelandic saga 21 Portioned (out) 25 Deceive 26 Yearly parody prize awarded at Harvard 27 Jai ___ (fast-moving sport) 30 Four-wheelers, e.g. 31 Barney's hangout 32 Amorphous mass of goo 33 When doubled, an island in the South Pacific 34 Wiccan salutation 36 Have ___ (party it up)
39 Come in last 40 It may have attachments 41 First designated spot at a swim meet, perhaps 46 Former Montreal baseballer 47 On the schedule 50 Mutual city? 51 "Sugar is sweet and ___ you" 52 Historic record 53 "That's cool!" 54 Vacuum cleaner inventor Sir James 55 Shape of some hand mirrors 56 "Mystic Pizza" actress Taylor 60 Oui, it's water 61 Place for a round of darts 62 Mag. bigwigs ©2009 Jonesin' Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0434.
We're hiring!
• Advertising account representative • Writers to review arts performances, shows Call (608) 782-7001 and ask for Roger or e-mail roger.bartel@secondsupper.com
Second Supper
October 29, 2009 // 15
THE LAST WORD
Divulge By Emily Faeth emily.faeth@secondsupper.com I've always been the weird kid: When I was in middle and high school, I'd often be followed by leering chants of, “It's not Halloween, you know!” To me, Halloween was every day, and I'd take any opportunity to let my freak flag fly. Now that I'm older, of course, it's become abundantly clear that I'm far from alone when it comes to those sentiments. And one way we like to inject some extra weird into our lives? Zombie culture. And it's alive and well among us lately. My first forays into zombie culture were similar to most other folks'. An early fascination with horror movies, fuelled par-
tially by my dad's allowing me to watch the "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th" movies as a small child, led to an insatiable appetite for all things horror — especially zombies. Later, my friends got me into movies like "Day of the Dead" and "28 Days Later." But the thing about zombies isn't that they're frightening. No, zombies just kick ass. So when my friend, Kelly, invited me along for Zombie Pub Crawl V in Minneapolis a few weeks ago, I was all about it. A group of about 15 of us gathered at a friend's house in Dinkytown to apply latex prosthetics sporting gaping wounds, white face paint, and loads of sticky, syrupy fake blood before hitting the bars on the West Bank. ZPC began five years ago as a small gathering of several dozen zombies on a Tour de Drunk, but as the years have passed and word has spread, the number of zombies in attendance has exploded. This year's ZPC was host to an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 zombies, and as you can imagine, the sight was unbelievable. Banana zombies, Mormon zombies, Santa zombies, Jesus zombies and even zombie disposal units flooded the West Bank, and the streets ran red with (fake) blood. But it wasn't enough. Halloween was still weeks away, and returning to reality after the ZPC didn't seem like the most desirable option. Thus, I was thrilled when, a few days later, another friend informed me that there would be another Zombie Pub Crawl — this time in La Crosse. Not only that: the same night, local zombie Heather Suby would be hosting La Crosse's own
Thrill the World event. Conceived in 2006 by Ines Markeljevic, Thrill the World is a worldwide, synchronized dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller (performed, of course, by zombies). The event's goal is to create the Guinness record for the most zombies dancing simultaneously to the song, and while this year's number's haven't yet been tallied, 2008 saw 4,179 zombies dancing across 10 countries. So last Saturday, my boyfriend and I began the familiar task of applying our slimy, greasy make-up and worked on getting in touch with our inner zombies. We headed up to Logger Field, where Heather and her team of zombies would be performing. One side of the stands was filled with spectators; the field below was strewn with bodies. Synchronized dancing is always cool to watch, but to see these zombies shuffle and shake their way through their perfectly choreographed rendition of Thriller was certainly a treat. In the end, Heather and her team of 66 collected 150 pounds of food for local food pantries and raised $500 for Wisconsin Badger Camp. Not bad for a bunch of zombies. After the applause had faded, we headed down to John's Bar where the zombies were to gather for the pub crawl. Familiar faces greeted me, though obscured by the thick black circles around their eyes and the blood smeared, well, everywhere. Zombie Brian Huth, who traveled from Ripon for the event, said he came, “because I'm dead, dammit. And it's the only time my people and I can get together, you know?”
Shane Lee, Nate Delarwelle and Matt Goede, who were the primary organizers for Saturday's crawl, said they were inspired by ZPC. They didn't expect a huge turnout for La Crosse's first of the events because of the lack of major promotion or planning, but still were satisfied with the turnout. About 40 zombies attended the crawl in La Crosse, and while the number might seem low in comparison with the original ZPC, one must remember, of course, that the original also began with only several dozen zombies. So why the recent infatuation with zombies? As Venetia Thompson says in her column “Zombies Rule, Vampires Suck “ on thedailybeast.com, “(zombies) are the perfect interchangeable metaphor for everything from Nazis, to consumerism, to the loss of individuality, to the collapse of civilization, to the impending doom of swine flu, and most recently representing mindless bankers, stumbling around and feeding on whatever fetid bad debt they can, however unsavory it later turns out to be.” Thompson raises an excellent point. But I think equally plausible is the fact that within many of us, that kid who delights in horror movies, who's the weird kid in class, who doesn't quite fit in — that kid remains within us. Putting on a costume and participating in what might be construed as a mass inside joke among friends is a way to find unity and to escape what can be an intolerable reality is a refreshing experience. And I'm glad to say that, for me at least, Halloween still can be every day.
Downtown La Crosse, above fayzes - 782-6622
top shots joke of the week Why did papa ghost say to baby ghost when they got in the car? Fasten your sheet belts! Check out our new Beers on Tap!
Good People, Good Drinks, Good Times
SUNDAY
$5 Pitchers $2 Bottles of Miller Products (11-4 pm) $2 Corona Bottles $2 Kilo Kai Mixers $3 Bloody’s (7-1am)
$2.00 - 1 Player, $3.00 - 2 Players 50 Cents Off Drinks, $1 Off Pitchers
MONDAY
$1.75 - Miller/Bud Taps $2.25 Micro/Craft Taps $2.50 Cherry Bombs (7-1am)
Saturday
TUESDAY
$1.75 Rails $1.50 Domestic Taps $3.50 Jager Bombs (7-1am)
WEDNESDAY
$2 Domestic Bottles $2.50 Skyy/Absolute Mixers $2 Dr. Shots (7-1am)
THURSDAY
5 Domestic Bottles 4 $10 $5 Micro/Import Bottles $11.50, $7 Micro/Craft Pitchers (7-1am)
$5 Miller Lite/Bud Light Pitchers $2.25 Leinies Bottles (7-1am)
FRIDAY
$2 Captain Mixers $2 Long Islands $3 Effen Vodka Mixers (7-1am)
16// October 29, 2009
Second Supper