54 Days of Summer by Second Supper

If winona HOSTS a downtown music festival, why can't we? • Page 10

PLUS: SOCIAL NETWORKING • PAGE 2 | VIDEO GAME REVIEW • PAGE 9 | a MAJAK MIXTAPE FOR LiLo • PAGE 11

2// July 15, 2010

Second Supper

Social Networking

Second Supper 614 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601 Phone: (608) 782-7001 Online: secondsupper.com Publisher: Roger Bartel roger.bartel@secondsupper.com Editor in Chief: Adam Bissen adam.bissen@secondsupper.com Student Editor: Emily Faeth emily.faeth@secondsupper.com Sales: Mike Keith mike.keith@secondsupper.com Sales: Jenaveve Bell jenaveve.bell@secondsupper.com Sales: Ansel Ericksen ansel.ericksen@secondsupper.com Regular Contributors: Amy Alkon, Erich Boldt, Nick Cabreza, Mary Catanese, Brett Emerson, Jake Groteuschen, Shuggypop Jackson, Matt Jones, Julie Schneider, Anna Soldner Second Supper is a weekly alternative newspaper published by Bartanese Enterprises LLC, 614 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601

Ale Asylum Hopilicious

NAmE ANd AGE: Katie Michelle Penrod, 29

WHAT BOOk ARE yOU CURRENTly REAdiNG? "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

WHERE WERE yOU BORN? Clear Lake,Texas

TEll US yOUR GUilTiEST plEASURE: Vodka and zombie movies, in that order

CURRENT JOB: Mitigation Title Associate (read: data analytics)

WHAT iS yOUR BiGGEST pET pEEvE? Grammatical errors

lAST THiNG yOU GOOGlEd: The Melpo Mene 'I Adore You' video...absolutely adorable. iF yOU COUld livE ANyWHERE iN THE WORld, WHERE WOUld iT BE? I am in love and perfectly content with the Midwest! WHAT iS SOmETHiNG yOU WANT TO dO BEFORE yOU diE? Meet my grandchildren iF A GENiE GRANTEd yOU ONE WiSH, WHAT WOUld yOU ASk FOR? A really fast green motorcycle with matching green leather jacket. CElEBRiTy CRUSH: Derek Mayhew FiRST CONCERT yOU WENT TO: Faith No More (when they played with Mike Patton!!) WHAT iS yOUR BEvERAGE OF CHOiCE?

WHAT ONE pERSON, AlivE OR dEAd, WOUld yOU WANT TO HAvE diNNER WiTH? Jon Blonk TEll US A JOkE: Knock knock. Who's there? Smell mop. Smell mop who? No thank you... (You have to say it out loud to get it) WHAT'S THE lAST THiNG yOU BOUGHT? The Nosh Platter at Ella's Deli WHAT'S iN yOUR pOCkET RiGHT NOW?: Am I supposed to be wearing pants for this interview??!? WHAT iS yOUR FAvORiTE pART OF SECONd SUppER? The smiles it puts on the faces of the citizens of La Crosse! HOW dO yOU kNOW SHUGGypOp? He was ever so kind to do an interview of me a while back for this fantastic publication on the yoga that our fine community has to offer, of which yours truly was on the cover (thanks Shuggy baby!), in addition to other recreational encounters ;) — Compiled by Shuggypop Jackson, shuggypop.jackson@secondsupper.com

L'Editor

Dear Reader: For nearly the entire time I've been laying out this issue, specifically since I saw Ashly Conrad's impressive photo spread, I've had a favorite song playing in my head. It's George Gershwin's "Summertime," an American standard popularized by many musicians but perhaps best known among my generation as a throwaway line from a Sublime song. "Summertime, and the livin' is easy," it goes. "Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high." I've actually been humming that riff a lot lately. It was especially fitting when five friends and I built a raft during my vacation and floated down the Black River. But the synchronicity kept mounting when I went back to my apartment tonight to make the Top 7 lists with my roommate Brandon Fahey. Brandon has actually been the brains behind many of those lists, and the especially funny one-liners are usually his. This was a special Top 7 session, though, because Brandon will be moving out of La Crosse soon, and I'm not sure when we'll get to do them again. Not really thinking about it, I put on a favorite CD, a Sam Cooke anthology, and sure enough his timeless version of "Summertime" was soon pulsing through the speakers. "One of these mornings you're going to rise up singing, then you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky." So thanks, Brandon, for all your help with the paper and everything else over the years. You've sure made for easy livin'.

— Adam Bissen

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Open 7 days a week inside Festival Foods, La Crosse

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Second Supper

Things To Do Go Krazy!

The Top

Reasons to leave the bar 1. Smoke a cigarette 2. Lunch break over 3. Bar not advertised in Second Supper 4. Wife is in labor 5. You're not living the high life. 6. Bros put $20 in jukebox 7. Afterbar Sports news

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Popcorn defeats Helm Spain wins James signs NL wins Favre ponders Steinbrenner dies WNBA exists

July 15, 2010 // 3

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Downtown La Crosse will be more hopping than usual this weekend — in the daylight even! — with that annual ode to savings and misspellings, Krazy Daze. Beginning Friday July 16 at 8 a.m. and lasting until Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m., over 60 vendors will be rolling out crazy sales in their shops and on the sidewalks. Hear local live music from Dave Orr, the Soapbox Project and Mouse Pocket. New this year is live entertainment from Josh B'Gosh Strange Show, Clogjam, Grand River Singers, The Big E Bounce House and Mississippi Valley Mayhem Roller Derby Girls in a Dunk Tank. It sounds like a delectable combination of bargains and good times, so come on out this weekend and support your local historic downtown. It's good for something other than binging on mixed drinks and passing out in alleys, you know.

Rock around the frolf course

Few things in life are better than live music or Frisbee golf — except for perhaps live music and Frisbee golf! This Saturday Twin Creeks in Hokah, Minn., is hosting Bob's Summer Jam, an all-day fun binge beginning at 10 a.m. For only $12, entrants can hear music from Fayme Rochelle and the Waxwings, Proto Melee and Kensington Stone. But that's not all! Camping, food and a host of games from Frisbee golf to to goofy golf to volleyball to horseshoes are included in the ticket price. Those with GPS units should set their maps to 248 Twin Creeks Dr. in Hokah, Minn., or else call (507) 894-8633 for more information. You'd be hard pressed to find any event this summer that is more fun for the money.

Watch some belly dancing

Groove on down to the “Dancing for Miracles” sponsored by the Village Belly Dance Troupe on Sunday July 18 at the Moose Lodge, 1932 Ward Ave. (rescheduled from another site). The Troupe will have two performances at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 each and can be purchased at Festival Foods or at the door. All proceeds will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. For more information contact Judy at 385-8670.

Party with artists and crafters

Take a moonlight stroll

The Coulee Arts Marketplace, a new local artists cooperative, will be kicking oﬀ its opening in style this Saturday, July 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 1116 Gillette St. There will be door prizes made by local artists and crafters, face painting for kids, and refreshments. Crafts that were created by 17 local artists include jewelry, dresses, paintings and funky chairs! Coulee Arts Marketplace is a handmade art and crafts cooperative where members volunteer at least five hours at the co-op each month and in turn get access to work space. For membership information call 784-COOP or email couleeartsmarketplace@yahoo.com. You can also check them out on Facebook.

Come experience one of La Crosse’s best nature scene’s through a “Moonlight Meander” at Myrick Hixon EcoPark, which takes place every Tuesday night from 8 to 9:30pm. An EcoPark naturalist will help you explore the wonders of nature as darkness falls upon the La Crosse River marsh. Donations for the EcoPark’s Wild Animal Park are greatly appreciated and children must be accompanied by an adult!

4// July 15, 2010

Second Supper

COMMENTARY

The WisPolitics.com Week in Review STOCk REpORT

RiSiNG Traditional marriage advocates Social conservatives cheer as the state Supreme Court unanimously rejects a challenge to the state’s amendment banning gay marriage. The legal challenge to the amendment focused narrowly on whether it was properly put before voters, and the court says its decision in no way addresses the merits of the amendment’s contents. But supporters still cheer the ruling for upholding the will of voters, who overwhelmingly approved the amendment in 2006. It’s the second blow Wisconsin courts have delivered to gay rights advocates in just a couple of weeks. The 4th District Court of Appeals ruled recently that a woman who was a stay-at-home mom for seven of the 12 years she was in a relationship with her partner wasn't considered a parent under Wisconsin law to the two children her partner adopted.

miXEd Michael Gableman The state's newest Supreme Court justice — and the one who cemented conservative control of the court — has been operating for months under the cloud of possible sanction for a controversial campaign ad. But a deeply divided Supreme Court cannot reach an agreement to resolve the complaint, meaning he’s going to escape without any sanctions. Critics assailed the ad as a Willie-Horton-styled swipe at African-American Justice Louis Butler, but defenders counter it was protected free speech. Similarly, the court’s liberal wing wanted to punish Gableman for committing judicial misconduct by knowingly making false statements about Butler, who’s still waiting for Senate confirmation of his federal judgeship. The conservative wing, meanwhile, found the ad “distasteful,” but said it was still protected by the First Amendment. It's unclear what will happen next, if anything.

Writers Wanted Second Supper is looking to add freelance columnists to write on any of the following topics: • Local government/politics • Local bar scene • Local restaurants • Local arts scene • Life in La Crosse Send letter of introduction and 500-word column sample(s) to editor@secondsupper.com.

FAlliNG Terrence Wall The former Senate candidate isn’t backing down from claims that Ron Johnson corrupted the GOP convo endorsement vote. The Madison-area developer also isn’t doing himself any favors with the Republican establishment or leaving himself many options for another run down the road, a host of Republicans say. Wall first detailed his allegations in a radio interview aired in late June. Ron Johnson’s backers and Republican establishment figures cry that Wall has offered no evidence to back up his claims and point out no one has come forward to back them up, either.

THAT'S dEBATABlE

Editor's Note: WisOpinion.com has asked two veterans of Wisconsin policy and politics, Scot Ross of One Wisconsin Now and Brian Fraley of the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy, to engage in weekly exchanges on a topic of their choosing. In this installment of "That's Debatable," Fraley and Ross debate the latest ads from Dem U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold and his likely GOP opponent, Oshkosh businessman Ron Johnson. Brian Fraley: Ron Johnson is out with another solid TV ad which highlights a concern held by hundreds of thousands of families across Wisconsin: Government spending is out of control and jeopardizing not just future generations, but the stability of America's economy today. Eighteen-year incumbent Senator Russ Feingold, meanwhile, is out with an ad where he proclaims, despite his vote for the stimulus boondoggle, to be a penny pincher. He further promises that if sent back to Washington, he'll work really really really hard to change the way Washington operates, maybe even as soon as his 23rd year there. Scot Ross: Whew. Thank goodness Ron Johnson has all that money to spend, since that appears the only way he’s willing to communicate with, well, human beings. Considering his disastrous few public appearances which apparently he’s using to flesh out his positions on a number of Tea Party-pandering topics, I get why he’s going to run the first-ever virtual campaign in Wisconsin. The trouble for Johnson is that Sen. Feingold has a tough record to beat on independence, stewardship of our tax dollars and putting the people of Wisconsin first. Guess that’s why the GOP party honchos rigged Johnson’s nomination, huh? Fraley: It is amazing your hair manages not to fall out, what with you wearing that tin foil helmet all the time. The unexpected Johnson endorsement at the state conven-

tion in May was open, transparent, real and from the grassroots, unlike 7th CD candidate Julie Lassa's backroom coronation in central Wisconsin around the same time. Ross: I guess if you’ve got a problem with grousing about the endorsement process, you can talk to Terrence ``Wall Street,'' who’s been yammering non-stop about the shenanigans he saw in being muscled out by the GOP party bosses. (T. Wall might wanna talk to Mark Neumann about the best way to tell Team Tommy! to go pound salt). Fraley: Feingold has always been a reliable, big-spending, liberal Democrat vote instead being a vote for independence. Having been collecting government checks since being elected in 1982, Russ Feingold is stale and his latest ad shows it. Ron Johnson is the serious outsider who is stirring things up this year. Johnson's message is obviously resonating. Clearly the fact that Ron is not Russ Feingold is a huge asset for him, but Johnson's also got the right message at the right time. If this race becomes a referendum on Washington spending and Feingold's voting record, come January Russ may have to find a private sector job for the first time since the Brewers were in the World Series. Ross: I appreciate your longing for a miracle return to the fall classic by the not-asbad-as-the-Pirates Brew Crew, but back to Johnson's ad. Funny thing about that. It focuses on people losing their homes. Russ Feingold voted against the repeal of GlassSteagel, which is considered to be the singular event most responsible for the housing collapse. So, is Johnson’s plan to clamp down on predatory housing lenders? Nope. Johnson tries to make it seem like government investment is why people lost their homes. It’s an insulting distortion. Ron Johnson is apparently running a bio-based, solution-free campaign.

NEWS iN BRiEF State aid to shrink for half of state's school districts More than half of Wisconsin's 425 school districts are set to see declines in state aid in the 2010-2011 school year, according to preliminary projections from the Department of Public Instruction. The Madison Metropolitan School District is projected to see by far the largest total drop under the state’s school funding formula, losing nearly $6.2 million from its final 2009-2010 state aid levels. The Mercer School District, in far northern Wisconsin, is set to lose the largest percentage of its state aid, with a projected loss of $33,000, a 67.5 percent decline. Milwaukee Public Schools, the state's largest district, is projected to lose

$1.9 million in state aid, a decline of 0.32 percent of its total from 2009-2010. The Green Bay Area School District is estimated to have the largest increase in state dollars, gaining $5.5 million in the upcoming school year. Racine, with the second highest increase, is set to take in an additional $4.4 million. The Dover 1 School District, in western Racine County, shows the largest increase in its percentage of state funding with a 35 percent projected hike. A DPI spokesman said overall state aid levels have remained the same in the second year of the 2009-2011 biennium except for a small $2.8 million drop due to changes in the Milwaukee-Racine Charter Schools Program.

Second Supper

COMMUNITY

July 15, 2010 // 5

54 Days of Summer

What to do between today and Labor Day 1. Hit the bike trail: The Great River Trail up to Perot State Park in Trempealeau is nearly a perfect ride in terms of distance and scenery. But the La Crosse River and Sparta/ Elroy trails aren’t slouches either. 2. Eat ice cream: Life always looks good from behind a dish of ice cream. And if you got it scooped from the Pearl, the Sweet Shoppe or Ranison’s, then it’s looking great! 3. See a show on the Riverside Park bandshell: Forget the architectural debates for an evening and just enjoy the camaraderie, the scenery and perhaps a bottle of wine. The concert band performs on Wednesday nights at 7:30 p.m. and the jazz band on Sundays at 7 p.m. 4. Try all the farmers markets: Cameron Park on Friday evenings gets all hype, but the Saturday morning market in the La Crosse County parking lot may have the tastiest produce. And as harvest time hits the Coulee Region we’ve got a half dozen other farmers markets to sample as well.

gest more hard boiled eggs? And perhaps some organic potatoes? 12. Attend the Kickapoo Country Fair: It could be the healthiest festival you’ll ever attend — at least until you hit up the dairy tent. Oh, those Organic Valley folks really know how to party. 13. Play ultimate Frisbee: Get some friends together to play this fun cross of rugby, soccer and flying disc. Or join one of the pickup games at Wiegent Park — Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m 14. Catch a fish: Buy a license, drop a line. Because while there may be many fish in the sea (or river or slough or lake or creek), none taste so good as the ones you caught a half hour ago. 15. Play ultimate Frisbee: Get some friends together to play this fun cross of rugby, soccer and flying disc. Or join one of the pickup games at Wiegent Park — Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m

5. Try a new Frisbee golf course: When the 18 holes at Pettibone Park are more gridlocked than the Causeway at rush hour, escape to Twin Creeks in Hokah, Justin Trails in Sparta or two excellent public courses in Winona.

16. Drink a Rudy’s root beer float: It’s hard to beat any beverage that mixes Wisconsin ice cream, freshly brewed root beer, and waitresses bringing your drinks on roller skates. An added bonus: they only cost 99 cents in August.

6. Watch the Stars of Tomorrow: La Crosse hosts one of the Midwest’s biggest Little League tournaments seemingly every weekend this month. Check out some of the premier teams, as you never know who may be making it to the big leagues some day.

17. See T.U.G.G.: If any La Crosse band plays the sound of summer, it has to be the mellow reggae vibes of The UnderGround Groovement. They’re on tour in Cali right now, but their Aug. 21 concert at Huck Finn’s on the River should be the perfect welcome home.

7. Get a burger at Top Dawg’s Pub & Grub in Mindora: They’ve got 108 to chose from, an homage to the scenic Highway 108 that passes by the front door. It’s always a delicious pit stop on one of the most scenic drives in the Coulee Region. Plus it passes through the historic Mindoro Cut.

18. Buy sweet corn from a roadside stand: The tastiest impulse buy you’ll find this summer, pull over whenever you see a pickup truck laden with freshly picked ears. The guests at your next barbecue will thank you with yellow-toothed smiles.

8. See some music at the Trempealeau Hotel: Every Thursday night they host free shows on the back deck beginning at 7 p.m. It’s the perfect setting to see the sun go down on the Mississippi. 9. Catch a waterski show: The River City Waterski Team puts on a show every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Airport Beach on French Island. If you’ve never seen one before, you won’t believe how great they area. 10. Find a sandbar: Scenic, peaceful, natural, fun and free — sandbars are arguably the best part of living in La Crosse, at least in the summertime. Lay down a tent, build a campfire and make one your own for no more than 14 days. 11. Perfect your potato salad: May we sug-

19. Canoe the Kickapoo: If you’re on a canoe, any river will do, but there’s just something so fun about the ol’ Kickapoo! 20. Read a trashy novel: May we recommend Stieg Larsson’s the Girl Who ... series. That way you’ll be able to understand what the hell everyone is talking about this summer — and feel superior when Hollywood starts knocking out the movies in a couple years. 21. Root, root, root for the Loggers: Or even just against the beer batter. The all-American pastime is the biggest draw in town. 22. Make a slip n slide: If you are amongst those young at hearts, there’s nothing silly about a slip n slide. Well, you might look silly if you buy one of those cheap plastic things from Kmart. Use a tarp instead.

All photos, including the cover, were taken by Ashly Conrad in and around La Crosse in the summer of 2010.

6// July 15, 2010 23. Find a good rope swing: And tell us where it is. We’ll never forget you, Rung Hollow. 24. Find Oehler’s Cave: But we’re not telling where that is. ; ) 25. Make a sidewalk chalk mural: Brooding artists may get all the respect, but a colorful piece of art on the right corner will get way more views. Get something started and you can have the most vibrant neighborhood in town. 26. Go tubing: It’s great when you get a speedboat to whip you around the water, but there’s nothing like the simple joys of tubing down a river. Try the Root River in Lanesboro for a nice scenic float. 27. Make homemade salsa with fresh vegetables: Mmm... 28. Buy the whole seat, BUT ONLY USE THE EDGE!: There’s a certain kind of fun to be had at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, and that fun is revved to the max at the Trailer Race of Destruction on July 31. Picture a demolition derby race, but with tricked out trailers pulled behind every car. It’s even awesomer than you’re imagining. 29. Feed the ducks at Copeland Park: They’ll love you forever. And if you take them, so will your nieces and nephews. 30. Get out of downtown: You can do the Bodega, Del’s and the Helm anytime. Summer should be all about the Alpine Inn, Pettibone Boat Club or anywhere else you can enjoy a cool beverage in the sunshine. 31. Walk barefoot in the cool grass: Pre-Riverfest, Riverside Park has one of the lushest lawns on Earth. It takes a little more exploring this time of year, but if you ever find yourself near some sweet bluegrass, kick off your shoes and enjoy yourself. 32. Listen to Jimmy Buffet: Seriously, you’ll feel better. 33. Go to Alpine Valley: This massive Wisconsin amphitheatre provides a concert experience like no other.For the end of this summer’s schedule you can still catch Jack Johnson on July 24 or Phish on Aug. 14-15.

COMMUNITY

Second Supper

all, but this is our year, baby! Six and three, woooo! 38. Attend the Mid West Music Festival: For all the reasons explained on page 10. 39. Go to Holmen Kornfest, Aug. 20-22: Two words: butter paintbrush. 40. Catch a flick at the Rivoli: Out in Hollywood they consider summer the season of “Popcorn cinema.” Here in La Crosse, we know it’s the time for beer movies. And the Riv is always a good getaway if you just need some air conditioning. 41. Get a sunburn: If you haven’t got one yet, you’re a sissy. If you already did, then you’re set for summer. 42. Read Second Supper: Like, all the articles and stuff. 43. Take a brewery tour: The Pearl Street Brewery is one of the fastest growing beermakers in Wisconsin. Go up to their headquarters on St. Andrew Street and see where the magic happens. Then take a growler home and enjoy it on the patio with friends. 44. Look for shooting stars: Back before the invention of television, this was considered prime entertainment. Really, nothing’s changed since. 45. Breathe deeply at your local Wisconsin watering hole: If you’re one of the many people for whom cigarette smoke limited your night life, you’ve now got thousands of new places to explore. 46. Master your backyard BBQ skills: You’ll always have friends if you can barbecue. 47. Go to Noah’s Ark: Have you heard that it’s America’s Largest Waterpark? Oh, you have? Then you’ve got no reason not to go. 48. Climb a tree: It’s still just as fun as when you were a kid — only now your bones can actually break. But don’t worry about that; climb higher. 49. Skinny dip: It’s the naughty way to beat the heat.

34. Take a cruise on the La Crosse Queen: Island Girl? We don’t need no stinking Island Girl. Riverboats are timeless for a reason.

50. Go to the La Crosse Interstate Fair: It started yesterday. What are you still doing reading this newspaper? There are goats to pet!

35. Play bocce ball: Because if it’s good enough for old men with high-waisted pants, it’s certainly good enough for you whippersnappers. Play it once and you’ll be hooked.

51. Sing karaoke: American Idol may be taking off for the summer, but that doesn’t mean you should.

36. Relax with the Bard: This year, Winona’s Great River Shakespeare Festival is staging The Comedy of Errors and Othello (as well as a contemporary musical about a smalltown newspaper). There’s something so perfect about seeing Shakespeare on a summer night, and on Tuesdays tickets are only ten bucks. 37. Root for the Popcorn Tavern’s softball team: Yeah, we’re sure your team is good and

52. Visit Bijan’s: The new King Street pasty shops has outdoor seating and sells gelato. Sounds like a nice summer hangout to us. 53. Get drunk and jump in the river: Just kidding. Don’t do that. 54. Take a week off work: It’s summertime, why would you want to be stuck in an office for anyway?

Second Supper

July 15, 2010 // 7

8// July 15, 2010

Second Supper

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Medium: Film World’s Greatest Dad (2009) Director: Bobcat Goldthwait Stars: Robin Williams, Alexie Gilmore, Daryl Sabara Writer: Bobcat Goldthwait So I found out this week that my cousin, the one closest in age to me, just died. My reaction to the news, to put it mildly, was not filled with sadness. I’ll avoid going into excessive detail about my non-relationship with my dirtbag relative and instead let the last time we spoke speak volumes about the whole. It happened during the first night I came back to visit La Crosse after moving away in California, what I’ve referred to in the past as my “This Is Your Life” night. My cousin and I were both trashed and stumbling around downtown when we came across each other, and after the usual reunion faux-enthusiasm things went sour. First he offered me cocaine. Then he started to bitch about how I hadn’t let him know I would be back in town (I didn’t have, nor would I have used, his contact information). To top it off, he flipped out on a good friend of mine who tried to bail me out of the uncomfortable situation. My cousin took off his shirt and puffed up his chest before throwing what I’m assuming was meant to be a pulled punch, but one that faintly connected anyway. Having very little cognitive ability left, I watched the disaster play out with wide, blank eyes before escaping. When I reflected on it later, I decided that if I never saw my cousin again, I’d be perfectly happy. I didn’t. And I am. It’s further testament to my total apathy about all this that I didn’t immediately find parallels between what just happened and a film I watched days later that brilliantly confronts the phony veneration of the dead. The martyr of World’s Greatest Dad is a high school douchebag named Kyle (a disgustingly swell performance by Daryl Sabara), who snuffed it while choking himself and jerking off. In life, Kyle was a pervy prick who treated everyone around him like shit. As a result, his entire social circle consisted of one (very browbeaten) friend and a father whose only affection for him came from the bondage of family. In death, Kyle became a saint, a genius, the

school mascot. He could do no wrong; the very people who hated him before he died were scrambling for any scrap of him afterwards, some going so far as to fight over a not-exactly-teen-fashionable Bruce Hornsby album because they thought it was Kyle’s favorite. (In truth, as typical, Kyle hated everything.) This outpouring of doctored memories and false grief is his old man’s fault. Robin Williams turns in a tremendous performance as Lance Clayton, a frustrated writer and poetry teacher who stupendously fails at turning his son’s death into something positive. As maligned as anyone else was by Kyle, Lance nonetheless cries his eyes out upon discovering his son’s body. Williams’ restraint and abandonment in this scene creates the film’s most heartbreaking and stoic moment. Attempting to cover up the nature of his son’s death, he hides the hand lotion and porn and hangs his son in the closet door. Dad then pulls out his writing talents and pens a poignant suicide note, which he tucks into dangling Kyle’s pocket. The community — which has apparently never seen an episode of CSI — buys the cover story, but the scheme works a little too well. Lance’s gesture of dignity soon devolves into a mire of exploitation in which the father is both swept along by the contrived grief of others and using his son’s memory for his own ends. The greatest evidence of Lance’s complicity in the affair is in his writing of a fake journal that he passes off as his son’s. With the help of the school’s grief counselor — a more blatantly conniving and desperate bastard, Lance gets all the fame he ever wanted before realizing that he’d rather not hang himself by the charade anymore. In the film’s final moments, Williams delivers a joyously deadpan f***-youall moment, calling his son out for who he really was and giving up the game. And after that, there’s some Robin Williams dong. Say what you will about Bobcat Goldthwait’s spastic acting career, but as a director and screenwriter he’s terrific. The hero worship of the dead presented in World’s Greatest Dad might have come off as a tad implausible before the death of Michael Jackson, but in a world where everyone can turn on a dime, calling someone a freak in one breath and a genius in the post-mortem next, this premise is downright sensible. Goldthwait has created a very dark comedy, but what’s most notable about this film is how it’s also a very deep, realistic and compassionate breed. There’s no slapstick or cheap punchlines; instead Goldthwait presents fleshed-out characters who act out what is, at the core, a story about a man freeing himself from the expectations of others — even if someone had to die for him to do it. It’s not an entirely uncalled for type of liberation. — Brett Emerson

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Second Supper

The Screening Room Medium: Film Solitary Man (2010) Directors: Brian Koppelman, David Levien Cast: Michael Douglas, Jenna Fischer, Mary-Louise Parker Writer: Brian Koppelman In Solitary Man, Michael Douglas plays a selfish, womanizing, dishonest car salesman content with pissing off everyone around him, especially his weary daughter (Jenna Fischer) and ex-wife (Susan Sarandon), who more or less feel obliged to maintain contact with him. In short, he's a prick, and it's not unlikely for the viewer to actually root against Douglas, hoping for some clarifying incident to jolt him into place. But that moment doesn't come, and viewers can do nothing but wait and wait, making Solitary Man a tiresome movie to endure. We expect characters to change; we expect their personalities to mature and consciences to develop. But how often does that happen in real life? Solitary Man's only real flaw is in portraying pigheadedness a little too realistically. It's a tossup whether Douglas's Ben Kalmen is deceitfully complex or blatantly simple — he regrettably maintains a tough shell that neither the film nor its cast o characters ever manages to penetrate. Ben initially has everything — wealth, power, the respect of his peers, a loving family — and he's not such a bad guy. But during a routine checkup, Ben's doctor informs him that something abnormal has popped up on an EKG. Flash forward six years, and Ben has nothing: no successful dealerships, no marriage, no fortune, no reputation. The movie takes up the tedious task of gradually unveiling, by way of Ben's interactions with those closest to him, exactly how he ruined his life in those six years between the EKG test and now. When Ben talks to his ex-wife, for example, we learn that she left him because he began cheating compulsively. These conversations exist primarily to deliver backlogs of exposition, but they're also the first signs that the film ahead for the audience — stuck with the company of this rotten, unlikeable jerk — will not be enjoyable. To the film's credit, Ben's personality is that of someone whom you or I could meet any day, or perhaps already know. His selfishness feels authentic: he scoffs at others' advice the way most of humanity would, he rarely considers the needs of others, he does not learn from his mistakes nor does he care to. When Ben discovers there is something wrong with his heart, the realization of his own mortality sends him off in pursuit of a sort of bucket list. A lighter, less realistic film would find Ben bungee jumping, visiting a children's hospital, sticking a flower in the barrel of a rifle, or some other such fluff. But Solitary Man's Ben's bucket list consists of sleeping with copious women and cheating his customers out of money. Because he lives for himself, for the moment and without fear of consequence, he is interesting only as a fascination. It is fatiguing spending 90 minutes with him; I

July 15, 2010 // 9

ARTS cannot imagine how the characters alongside him could bear any more than that. — Nick Cabreza

The Gamer Medium: Video game Bayonetta (2010) Maker: SEGA Systems: PS3 and Xbox 360 Price: $59.99 What is the best way to get guys to like video games even more? Make the main character a smoking hot babe. That is exactly what SEGA did with their latest action adventure game Bayonetta. The game was directed by famed Japanese video game director Hideki Kamiya. Most folks have no idea who he is unless you mention his other games, which include Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe. While Bayonetta is not as good a game as Devil May Cry, it is a solid, fun game. Bayonetta is the title character, and oh what a character! She is a witch with a serious case of amnesia. Amnesia aside, Bayonetta is on a mission to rid the world of angels and maintain the balance between good and evil. Along the way she starts to discover her true identity and past. To do so she has a plethora of melee and ranged attacks, as well as the ability to summon demons to help her dispatch those pesky angels. The gameplay is easy to learn. There are hundreds of combos that you canexecute with a bit of button mashing, takes away from the game. You do not have to know what the combos are to pull them off, you can just hammer away on the buttons and Bayonetta will respond quite well. If only it was always that easy to get a beautiful woman to do your bidding. The game looks pretty good in HD, and the character movement is fluid and crisp. The level styling feels familiar as it is very similar to the Devil May Cry games. The detail put into the characters themselves is superb. Angels and demons are innovative and imaginative, and the human characters look incredibly realistic. The cut scenes are well done but spring up quite often; every time you encounter a new enemy, a cut scene is triggered, however you can skip them and return to the game. Bayonetta is not an easy game. There are five different difficulty levels, and I played through it on Normal. Most action adventure games place health recharges throughout each level; Bayonetta has almost none. You can purchase health recharges or make them, but you are penalized for using them. Also the only time you are given the option to save your game is at the end of each level. This is incredibly frustrating because sometimes you want to stop yet do not want to lose all the progress you have made. On the whole Bayonetta is a fun, challenging game with a few flaws. It is a welcome addition to the action adventure genre and an exciting new character for fan boy — Nate Willer

Do you have a hot lead? A story that's dying to be told? Email us: editor@secondsupper.com

10// July 15, 2010

MUSIC

Winona goes urban with new festival The Mid West Music Fest is a great idea. Let's try do it here.

Dispatches from Festival Central Harmony Hills Music Festival

The second-annual Harmony Hills Music Festival kicks off this weekend in a secluded hollow outside of Viroqua. Lasting from July 16-18, the festival will host a number of mainly Madison acts, including Mike Droho and the Compass Rose, The Soapbox Project, Elf Lettuce and the Peoples Brothers Band. They will also have yoga classes Saturday morning. At only $30 per ticket, this is a good value for all the beautiful peaceful vibes.

By Adam Bissen

adam.bissen@secondsupper.com Sam Brown, the founder and principal organizer of Winona’s upcoming Mid West Music Festival, is a tireless promoter and ambitious planner. Five months ago he dreamed up a music festival — the sort he had previously organized in his hometown of Red Wing, Minn., and later at college in Oregon — and in two weeks Winona will host an 80band, 14-venue downtown music festival that La Crosse should be envious of. Unlike the many granola-sprinkled, outdoor festivals that proliferate in summer, the Mid West Music Festival is an urban affair scattered throughout existing venues. In that way it’s modeled on another festival with an awkwardly abbreviated geographic name — South by Southwest in Austin, Tex. — though this one is more attuned with Winona’s sensibilities. “The idea came in mid-February,” Brown said this spring in an interview at Winona’s Acoustic Cafe. “I was driving from Winona to Red Wing with a friend, just talking about times past and my experience with doing the music festivals in Oregon. We started talking about Winona as a possibility — it’s a really great space for something like that. There’s a great community that supports art and culture and music ... but it wasn’t living up to its potential.” So Brown, 25, decided to run with his idea. Within a week, he came up with a name, designed a logo and built a Web site for the first Mid West Music Festival. For a day job, Brown works as a Head Start teacher for Americorps, the federal service organization, so he approached his boss with the idea of organizing a music festival to benefit local charities. “I said ‘I’m thinking about doing this project and I was wondering if I could have it be a part of my service to Americorps,’” Brown recalled. “She thought it was a good idea, and from that moment on I just started working on it in all my free time, just going for it.” Proceeds from the MWMF benefit three Winona nonprofit organizations: Semcac Head Start, the Winona Fine Arts Commission and Winona360.org, a community news Web site. The bands — which hail from five states but are predominantly from Winona, La Crosse and Minneapolis — perform without pay but are granted a wide audience and an opportunity to network with fellow musicians. For $20, spectators purchase a wristband that gains admittance to all 14 venues for two days of shows.

Second Supper

Great River Jazz Festival

Sam Brown, 25, is the founder and principal organizer of Winona's upcoming Mid West Music Festival. For a first-year festival, MWMF appears quite organized and ambitious. The organizing committee whittled its 80-band roster from a list of 260 musical groups that applied for a slot at the festival, most after reading posts on Craigslist. They include big bands, bluegrass groups, rappers, rockers, singer/songwriters, major label artists, free jazz composers and one original musical troupe doing a show about renewable energy. “Swing, bluegrass, indie rock, rock & roll — you name it, we’re trying to book a show with it,” said Brown, who will also perform an opening slot at the festival as a solo instrumental act, bo.monro. Held on the final weekend of the Great River Shakespeare Festival, the Midwest Music Festival will certainly provide a couple exciting days for Winona, but it also begs the question: Why doesn’t La Crosse try anything like this? One major difference is that all the shows in the MWMF will be all-ages, family friendly affairs where no alcohol will be served (although there will be after parties at bars when the festival ends each night at 11 p.m.) This is largely due to Americorps prohibiting alcohol sales for fundraisers, but there’s no reason La Crosse would need to be so teetotaling. Another reason Winona is poised to pull off such a wide-ranging event has to do with Brown himself. Although he also has a small team assisting with the planning, Brown is an infectious and unrelenting promoter. He maintains an original MWMF Web site, Facebook and MySpace pages, Twitter account and YouTube channel that are all updated with festival content with impressive frequency. Of course it helps that he’s receiving work credit for planning a music festival, but in numerous conversations Brown seems incredibly driven to pull this whole thing off. This isn’t meant to disparage La Crosse’s own efforts at hosting music festivals. The Smokin’ Bandits crew puts an incredible amount of work into the Bandit County Fair, and the late Culture Shock was

At a Glance WHAT: Mid West Music Fest WHERE: 14 venues in downtown Winona WHEN: Fri. July 30- Sat., July 31, 3-11 p.m. both nights WHO: 80 bands from around the Midwest are scheduled to perform, including Dessa, Rogue Valley, the 757s, Adam Without Eve, Beet Root Stew, Brahman Shaman, Gun Barrel City, Hyphon, Shot to Hell, The Brilliant Beast, Michelle Lynn, and many more COST: $20 for a festival wristband ON THE WEB: www.midwestmusicfest.org

another local camping festival with an impressive array of musical acts. The upcoming Great River jazz and folk fests will also bring professional, narrow-focused events to La Crosse in August, but none of these really compare to what Winona has planned for the last Friday and Saturday in July. Just imagine a similar event in downtown La Crosse: stages at Riverside, Pettibone and Cameron parks, the Root Note, Popcorn Tavern, Del’s Bar, Impulse, Nighthawk’s, Animal House, the Joint, Piggy’s, Freight House, the American Legion — even the La Crosse Center. All our local artits from a variety of genres — the sort that never get to play together because they’re gigging every weekend — could come out, play before diverse crowds and host other bands from around the area. All we’d have to produce is a Web site, some temporary stages and festival passes. So head up to Winona on July 30 and 31 and see the work that Sam Brown and company put into the Mid West Music Festival. Don't forget to rock out, and perhaps some La Crosse resident with big dreams and a bigger drive could organize something equally awesome right down the river.

Celebrating its 25 anniversary this year, the Great River Jazz Festival may be an underappreciated La Crosse institution, but it continues to attract national artists. Recently confined to the vaulted rooms of the La Crosse Center with after-hours jams around town, the GRJF is returning to its roots for its silver anniversary with a number of outdoor shows scheduled in Riverside Park. The festival will stretch from Thursday Aug. 5 to Sunday Aug. 8 and feature players from New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Colorado and Minneapolis. Single session tickets are $19 in advance, while a 3-day pass can be had for $109 and VIP badges at $129.

Prairie Grass Music Festival

Confirmed just weeks ago, the Prairie Grass Music Festival is developing into unexpected treat for the local music scene. Located outside of Houston, Minn., and featuring a number of national acts, this festival is an absolute steal with an early bird price of only $50. Headliners include Tea Leaf Green, Particle, DJ Logic and the Big Wu, and they've also booked regional favorites Shoeless Revolution, the Smokin' Bandits, Steez, Two Many Banjos, Charlie Parr and many more. Details for this 3-stage festival that lasts until 4 a.m. are still being announced, so stay tuned to Second Supper for all your breaking festival news.

Great River Folk Festival

In an historic year for our river town, the Great River Folk Festival is also celebrating an anniversary: its 35th. Centered on the UW-La Crosse campus from Aug. 27-29, the folk fest has long been a prime destination for our area's rich singer/songwriter heritage. This year's headliners are Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Cheryl Wheeler, though there's a lot of other up-and-coming talent scattered throughout the bill. Most notable to Second Supper readers may be the charming Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank, but other local acts like Hot Sauce and Muddy Flats and the Hep Cats are sure to bring an upbeat spirit to a festival that's characterized by political tunes and songwriting workshops. Passes for the Saturday and Sunday sessions are a combined $30 in advance, but Friday night's headliners require an additional $19 ticket

Second Supper

July 15, 2010 // 11

ARTS

Review: UW-L's 'Rent' best show critic saw all season By Jonathan Majak

jonathan.majak@secondsupper.com I was moved by Into The Woods. I sniffled during Spitfire Grill. But during Rent, I cried like a Cleveland resident after they heard LeBron James was going to Miami. That’s right readers, after a theatre season, UW-L’s production of Rent finally got me. And judging by the still red faces after the show, I was clearly not the only one moved by the equal parts jubilant and mournful musical recently staged as a part of the university’s SummerStage. The youthful energy of the cast helped transcend some of the hyper-earnest flaws inherent to the show: people meeting, falling in love, breaking up, getting back together all in one evening; a kind perfect person essentially being the sacrificial lamb of the show; the idea that singing could bring a person back to life. With the cast at UW-L, through sheer force of personality and talent make those entirely inorganic tropes of musical theatre feel like natural progressions. The core cast of actors/actresses — Justin Cooke, Zachary Keenan, Brandon Harris, Paul Hibbard, Lance Newton, Samantha Pauly, Hope Parow, and Katie Bakalars — bring the right amount of talent and spunk to breathe life into iconic musical characters. Are some of them a little too fresh faced, just-go-to-NYC-instead-of-totally-downtrodden? Absolutely, but that goes with the territory with these sort of productions; the fact that it doesn’t prove to be a total distraction is a testament of the acting strengths of the performers. As per usual with this show, the couples were among the highlights. Brandon Harris and Paul Hibbard as Collins and Angel gave their characters an easy warmth that makes the Second Act all the more devastating. As Joanne and Maureen, Hope Parow and Katie Bakalars have not only oodles of chemistry but also comedic timing that keeps the relationship funny but still grounded in reality. As Roger and Mimi, Zachary Keenan and Samantha Pauly have some of the most melodramatic material to navigate through and do so with aplomb, never letting some

"I was clearly not the only one moved by the equal parts jubiliant and mournful musical recently staged as part of the university's SummerStage." of the soap opera elements of their plot line overwhelm and instead give true heart to all of the machinations. Justin Cooke, who plays Mark, is essentially coupled with a film camera all show. Mark isn’t a showy role and could easily be lost in the shuffle of the bigger personalities that populate Rent but Cooke brings what can only be called an “adorable” charm to the neurotic Mark. The direction by Mary Leonard leans on the standard production while also giving great new touches, particularly during the rousing number “La Vie Boheme” which gets a wonderful visual joke I’ve never seen done in the previous times I have seen Rent. The supporting cast were essential in making the show work, helping to create a fully realized world. Jake Voss as a homeless man, Nicky Hilsen as a moneygrubbing TV producer, Mark Sopchyk as a waiter and Christine Walth as Mark’s mother make particularly strong impressions. When Rent returns in September for special charity shows, I personally hope things will remain completely intact aside from some sound and lighting issues that made the show a little sonically and visually flat in spots. So be sure to see Rent when it returns Sept. 11-12. It’s the most fun you’ll have with troubled junkies outside an episode of Intervention.

The Majak Mixtape By Jonathan Majak jonathan.majak@secondsupper.com Oh Lindsay Lohan. Remember when your biggest mistake was publicly battling fellow teen queen turn C-list pauper Hilary Duff for the affections of Aaron Carter? A string of failed movies, bad dye jobs and a switch in sexual preference later, we’ve now come to this. You and your overpriced leggings are going to jail as of July 20. Here at the Majak Mixtape, we would like to send you a little mixtape to help you as you prep for the sure to be awful movie adaptation of the life of porn star Linda Lovelace, tweet obsessively and wait for Dr. Drew Pinsky to finally let you onto Celebrity Rehab in a mixtape we’re calling, “Lindsay Lohan: Fully Loaded” mix. To kick off the mixtape, we start with “Miss Me” from rapper Drake’s album Thank Me Later. Is it a catchy tune? Yes. Is it worth it just to hear Drake hilariously declare his love for rapper Nicki Minaj? Also true. But mainly we put it on here because it features fellow jailbird Lil' Wayne, who will

hopefully become pen pals with the Lohan, who will in turn let the world know whether or not Lil Wayne has been able to find a way to Autotune handwriting. Next up is “Tell Me Why” from M.I.A.’s cacophonous new album titled MAYA. I’m sure Lohan has been on the phone with Tina Fey, constantly asking her to tell her why she’s so messed up, why she’s going to jail, and why Amanda Seyfried has a more viable career in spite of starring in Jennifer’s Body. Let me go on a small tangent readers, if you would so allow me to. M.I.A.’s album is either her greatest or worst depending on which hipster you talk to. After listening to both low quality and HQ of the album, it falls somewhere in the middle. M.I.A. has to be given credit for not running and sampling, I don’t know, “Rock the Casbah” to make another run on Paper Planes style hit single. And our last track of the mixtape is by Mystery Jets from their new album Serotonin. The gleeful but less immediate follow-up to their album Twenty One has a piece of jangly pop perfection in the tune “Flash Your Hungry Smile,” not only a great tune but a sound piece of advice for Lohan while she’s out on the prison yard. Buy: M.I.A.’s new album MAYA YouTube: Janelle Monae’s Tightrope Remix video with Lupe Fiasco and B.o.B. Read: Elbows Music Blog Aggregator (www.elbo.ws)

Jason Wild's Poetry Corner owoeieaorjald o, sweet mind-crushingly naive fortune cookie. nothing happens for a reason. and you (unfortunately) taste just like cardboard.

i hate when i agree with descartes. i doubt therefore i think therefore i am confused.

12// July 15, 2010

Second Supper

MUSIC

music directory // July 16 to July 22 fridaY,

just a roadie away

July 16

Madison population

Flipside Pub and Grill // 400 Lang Drive Katrina Rose (sister act) • 9 p.m.

Eyedea and Abilities // JULY 24 High Noon Saloon • $14

JB'sSpeakeasy // 717 Rose St. Dream 13, Porcupine, Con Queso (hard rock) • 10 p.m.

tapes n tapes // JULY 24 Majestic Theatre • $14

Nighthawks Tap // 401 S. Third St. Brownie’s Recipe (jam) •10 p.m.

Heartless bastards // JULY 25 Memorial Union Terrace • FREE

Neuie's varsity club // 1920 Ward Ave. WhistleJacks ('80s and '90s) • 9 p.m. piggy's blues lounge // 501 Front St. S. Mississippi Driftwood (blues) • 8 p.m. Popcorn Tavern // 308 S. Fourth St. Nicholas Mrozinski and the Feelin Band (global pop) •10 p.m. sher bears // 329 Goddard St. Fillet of Soul (soul/funk/rock) • 9 p.m. The Joint // 324 Jay St. The Lower Fifth, Red Sky Warning (alt-country, folk-rock) • 10 p.m. The Starlite Lounge // 222 Pearl St. Kies and Kompanie (jazz) • 8 p.m. the waterfront tavern // 328 Front St. Dan Sebranek (acoustic) • 8 p.m.

saturdaY,

July 17

steve martin, the punch bros. // JULY 27 Overture Center for Arts • $48.50 - $78.50 Now in their 15th year of being, for all intents and purposes, Wisconsin's premier reggae act, Natty Nation could be forgiven for wanting to slow down. They've played hundreds of shows from coast to coast, some in support of major acts, some before industry heads and many in the midst of all-out ragers, but Natty Nation is still at it, hitting all the clubs that made the band a Midwest favorite over the past decade. That includes the Popcorn Tavern, a longtime stomping ground where the band will return Saturday night for a 10 p.m. show. Although they've undergone a few lineup change over the years, the band's roots reggae dub blend still hits as hard as ever. Expect this one to test the limits of Wisconsin's new smoking ban.

Neuie's varsity club // 1920 Ward Ave. Menis (rock) • 9 p.m.

Popcorn Tavern // 308 S. Fourth St. The Sunday Blend (fusion)• 10 p.m.

north side oasis // 620 Gillette St. The Jenks (rock) • 9 p.m.

The Joint // 324 Jay St. Adam Palm & Dave Orr (Palm Sunday) • 4 p.m.

piggy's blues lounge // 501 Front St. S. Mississippi Driftwood (blues) • 8 p.m. Popcorn Tavern // 308 S. Fourth St. Natty Nation (reggae) • 10 p.m. river jack's //1835 Rose St. Spin Off Band (variety) • 8 p.m.

CHARLIE'S INN // W5104 Hwy. 14-61 Geared Under (rock) • 8:30 p.m.

The Root Note // 114 4th St. S. Michelle Lynn, Hyphon, Brahman Shaman (acoustic rock) • 8:30 p.m.

HOwie's // 1125 La Crosse St. Heavy Water (open jam) • 9 p.m.

the waterfront tavern // 328 Front St. Dan Sebranek (acoustic) • 8 p.m.

JB'sSpeakeasy // 717 Rose St. Sowbelly Bitchhog, Soulshaker (Hog rock) • 10 p.m. Nighthawks Tap // 401 S. Third St. Steve Meyer and the Blues Dogs (blues) •10 p.m.

208,054

sundaY,

July 18

bAND SHELL // Riverside Park Jazz in the Park (Dancing Under the Stars • 7 p.m. French slough // 1311 La Crescent St. Kin Pickin’ (jam grass) •Noon

mondaY,

July 19

Del’s Bar // 229 Third St. Open jam • 10 p.m. Popcorn Tavern // 308 S. Fourth St.

rooney // AUG. 11 High Noon Saloon • $17 GLITCH MOB // AUG. 21 Majestic Theatre • $15

wednesdaY,

bAND SHELL // Riverside Park La Crosse Concert Band • 7:30 p.m. Nighthawks Tap // 401 S. Third St. Bad Axe Jam (gear provided) • 10 p.m.

Popcorn Tavern // 308 S. Fourth St. Open jam • 10 p.m. recovery room // 901 7th St. S. Kin Pickin’ (open jam) • 10 p.m.

Shawn's Open jam • 10 p.m.

thursday, tuesdaY,

July 20

July 21

July 22

Freight House // 107 Vine St. Dan Sebranek (acoustic) • 8 p.m.

Popcorn Tavern // 308 S. Fourth St. Open Jam • 10 p.m.

Del’s Bar // 229 Third St. Kin Pickin’ (jam grass) • 10 p.m.

The Warehouse // 324 Pearl St. The Disabled, Atomic Potato, Hyphon (ska, rock) • 7 p.m.

Nighthawks Tap // 401 S. Third St. Dave Orr's Damn Jam (open jam) • 10 p.m. The Starlite Lounge // 222 Pearl St. Kies and Kompanie (jazz) • 5 p.m.

Second Supper

The Beer Review Skinny Dip New Belgium Brewing Company Fort Collins, Colorado Here we are, at the halfway point of July, and I’m sipping on a beer that’s truly a midsummer night’s dream — al-

though I will admit that it comes from an unlikely source. The New Belgium Brewing Company has never been one of my favorites, and honestly “summer beers” usually leave me wanting. Pardon the baseball metaphor, but they’re like the check swing of the brewing world: too light to be memorable, too half-hearted to be satisfying. But with the Skinny Dip, New Belgium brewmaster Peter Bouckaert pulled off a rare feat — a full-bodied, flavorful beer that weighs in at just 108 calories and 4.2 percent alcohol by volume. That’s as close to a Michelob Ultra as I’ve ever reviewed in this space, yet unlike that glorified liquid cardboard, the Skinny Dip has a thirst-quenching yet hard to pin down flavor that keeps me coming back for more. It’s enough to make me drop trou’ and cannonball into the ol’

swimming hole. The Skinny Dip pours a darker than expected amber color with a foamy white head with fair retention. The aroma is also hoppier than expected (at least compared to other summer ales), with heavy notes of lime on top of a sourdough base. Lifting a glass, the Skinny Dip bursts on the tongue with a lightly hopped but heavily carbonated body. The lime flavor seeps in next with trace elements of orange and grapefruit and an uncertain spiciness that’s masked by carbonation. The taste is largely sweet with a finish that is only mildly bitter and actually evokes peanut butter in an unexpected flourish. But while the taste is more interesting than your average light beer, the Skinny Dip isn’t brewed to be overanalyzed. It’s a thirst-quenching beer that

The Best Food & Drink Specials in Town LOCATION

July 15, 2010 // 13

YOUR GUIDE TO CONSUMPTION

SUNDAY

makes taste buds tingle. The mouthfeel is surprisingly full-bodied, albeit overly bubbly, but it lives up to its billing Appearance:8 with drinkability. This is a beer that Aroma: 6 would treat anyone after a softTaste: 7 ball game, and Mouthfeel: 6 Miller Lite sippers would be pleasantDrinkability: 9 ly surprised if you passed them one around a campTotal: 36 fire. Also, this is the only time I could recommend a Skinny Dip at a family reunion.

— Adam Bissen

To advertise here, call (608) 782-7001 or e-mail us at advertising@secondsupper.com.

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

ARENA

Midwest Poker League 7 p.m.

Closed

Wyld Wednesday: $2 Jumbo UV, mixers $1.50 Coronas

Ladies' Night, $5 Long Island pitchers

$1 Cherry Bombs, $1 Keystone Light silos

BODEGA BREW PUB

$2 BBQ Pork Sliders

2-Fers, Buy any regularly priced food item and get one of equal or lesser value for free

$2.50 Coors vs. Keystone pitchers. All specials 9 p.m. to close

AUC2D: $5, domestic taps, rail mix- 10-cent wings, $1 Miller High Life ers, Long Islands. All specials 9 p.m. bottles, $1.50 rail mixers; $2.50 call to close drinks. All specials 9 p.m. to close.

107 3rd St. S. 782-1883 122 4th St. 782-0677

BROTHERS

Closed

306 Pearl St. 784-0522

FEATURES

Free beer 5:30-6:30; Free wings 7:30- Taco buffet 11-2; 8:30, Free bowling after 9 $1 Pabst bottles and $1 bowling after 9

W3923 State Highway 16 786-9000

HOWIE’S

Fish Tacos: 1 / $2.50, 2 / $5.00, 3 / $6.50. AUC2D: $5, domestic taps, rail mixers and Long Islands. Wristband Night: $2.50 SoCo & Jack. All specials 9 p.m. to close.

$3 3 Olives mixers, $3 Mojitos, $2 $3 Bacardi mixers, $3 Mojitos, $2 Cherry Bombs, $1 Bazooka Joe's; Cherry bombs, $1 Bazooka Joe's. FAC: $3 domestic pitchers, micro/ All specials 9 p.m. to close. import taps, anything that pours. 4-9 p.m.

All you care to eat pizza buffet, 11-2

All you care to eat fish fry 4-10; unlimited Glow-N-Bowl $9.99

Prime rib dinner 4-10; unlimited Glow-N-Bowl $9.99 9 p.m. to close: $2 Bacardi mixers, $2 domestic pints, $1.50 shots blackberry brandy

1125 La Crosse St. 784-7400

Happy hour 4 to 9 p.m.; 9 p.m. to 9 p.m. to close: $3.50 domestic 9 p.m. to close: $1 rails, $2.50 pitch- $5 all you can drink close: Night Before Class - $3 pitch- pitchers ers, beer pong ers of the beast

9 p.m. to close: $1.25 rails, $1.75 bottles/cans

9 p.m. to close: $2 Captain mixers, $2 bottles/cans, $3 Jager bombs

IMPULSE

Closed

Karaoke 9 p.m.-Close; Happy Hour daily 5-8

Wine & martini night; Happy Hour daily 5-8

18+ night (1st and 3rd Thursday of each month); Happy Hour daily 5-8

$25 open bar package, 11 p.m. to Happy Hour daily 5-8 close: domestic/import beer, rail, call drinks, martinis; Happy Hour daily 5-8

JB’S SPEAKEASY

$1.75 domestic bottles

SIN Night

$1.75 domestic bottles

Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m.

$1.79 burger (after 8 p.m.) Breakfast 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hat Night: Buy 1 drink, get 1 free w/ Rail drinks $2 (4:30 to close); Buckets of beer $10, Boston Bobby's Margaritas $4 (Straw, rasp, mango, hat (4:30 to close); $1.50 chili dogs After 8 p.m. specials: $5 skewer of drummies 10 for $2 (4:30 to close), peach and reg); After 8 p.m. specials: (after 8 p.m.) shrimp,l $1.79 burger, $1.50 chili dogs $1.79 burger (after 8 p.m.) $5 skewer of shrimp, $1.79 burger

214 Main St. 782-6010

Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m.

717 Rose St. 796-1161

SCHMIDTY’S 3119 State Road 788-5110

SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER 163 Copeland Ave. 785-0245

SPORTS NUT

$2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) $11 buckets of beers (6-close)

$2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) 12" pizza: $8.99 up to 5 toppings (4-close)

Wings, Wings, Wings... $2 off 14: Ladies night, 2 for 1 drinks (6-close), pizza, $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.)

Buck Burgers

Tacos $1.25

15-cent wings

Breakfast 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friday Fish, $2 can beer (2-6)

$8.99 12-ounce T-bone

2 for 1 pints/pitches w/ student ID over 21 15-cent wings

801 Rose St. 784-1811

THE LIBRARY

Sunday Fun Day - Wristband Night

Half price tequilla, $1 domestic taps Karaoke, $2 Double rails and all Beer Pong Tourney and and rails bottles; $3 Double call drinks wristband night

123 3rd St. 784-8020

TOP SHOTS

$3 Bacardi mixers, $3 Jumbo Long Island Iced Teas

$3 Jumbo Long Island Iced Teas, $3 3 Olives mixers $5 Miller/Bud Light Pitchers, $2.25 Leinies Bottles (7-1AM)

137 4th St. 782-6622

$5 Pitchers/$2 bottles of Miller $1.75 Miller/Bud Light Taps, $2.25 $1.75 Rails, $1.50 Domestic Taps, $2 domestic bottles, $2.50 Skyy/ products (11-4pm) MIcro/Craft Taps, $2.50 Cherry Bombs $3.50 Jager Bombs Absolut mixers, $2 Dr. shots $2 Corona Bottles, $2 Kilo Kai Mixers (7-1AM) (7-1AM) (7-1am) , $3 Bloodys (7-1AM)

5 Domestic Bottles for $10, $5 $2 Captain Mixers, $2. Long Island Micro/Import Bottles $11.50, $7 Mixers, $3 Effen Vodka Mixers (7Micro/Craft Pitchers (7-1AM) 1AM)

TRAIN STATION BBQ

Ask for great eats

11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Barn burner $7.95; 4 to 9 p.m., Hobo dinner (serves two) $30.95

WHO'S ON THIRD

Happy Hour until 10 p.m. $1.50 domestic taps, $2 rails from 10 to close

601 St. Andrew St. 781-0005 126 3rd St. N. 782-9467

$1 taps of PBR, $1 rails

11 a.m. to 3 p.m., extra side with sandwich; 4 to 9 p.m., $1 off rib dinner

Special varies

11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Chicken on fire One-half chicken three bones $7.95; 4 to 9 p.m., Bones and bris- $12.95 kets $13.95

$3 call doubles, $2 Bud products

Ladies' Night: $2 top shelf, $1 Pink $8.50 Fish Bowls, $2 Miller products $1 off Three Olives, $2 domestic taps Tacos Everyone: $2.50 bombs, $2 taps, $3 Jack/Captain doubles

14// July 15, 2010

Second Supper

DIVERSIONS

Maze Efflux

"Block party" No themes, no worries

By Erich Boldt By Matt Jones

La Crosse's Free Press 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: sunshine on your shoulders

ACROSS 1 Cape horn? 9 Gaping holes 15 It's about a quart 16 Type of thermometer 17 What an arrow indicates on e-books 18 Suzuki of the Mariners 19 "Poverty is ___ that obscures the face of greatness" (Kahlil Gibran) 20 Restaurant with a green and red logo 21 More bug-filled 24 Title bee participant in a 2006 movie 25 Make red with blood 27 Part of a Latin boast 28 Goethe play with music by Beethoven 29 Sea eagle 30 Pluot center 33 "I'm ___ home right now..."

34 Sun. talk 35 Calle ___ 37 Makes a big speech 39 Feudal worker 40 Term limits? 45 Dual-purpose 47 It comes before pi 48 Late 1990s Cadillac model 49 Rental agreement 50 Lose personnel, in military-speak 51 Character from Greek myth associated with golden apples 54 Give in 55 Ayn Rand title word 56 Sprinkle in flour 57 Equals DOWN 1 It calls itself "The Broadband Phone Company" 2 Lopsided 3 Irritating sorts

Answers to July 1 puzzle Rumble in the bowl: Part of this unbalanced breakfast

4 ___ Online (long-running MMORPG created by Lord British) 5 Cable ride 6 Airport guess, for short 7 Turkey serving 8 "We ___ Family" 9 Bowling league? 10 Anne of HBO's "Hung" 11 Reach (a goal) 12 Ben and Jerry, for two 13 Singer Faithfull 14 More likely to spill over 22 Seasonal Starbucks drink 23 Unverified 24 Red food coloring source 26 Smidgens 30 A few words from afar 31 Free glass

Sudoku

32 Beat badly 36 Bid 38 Suffering from insomnia 41 Time period that shaped the Great Lakes 42 Sports & Leisure color, in the original Trivial Pursuit 43 Pater ___ ("Our Father" prayer) 44 Golf champ Sam and family 46 Faulty Challenger part 51 Gp. that awards cinematography credits 52 Despite, in poems 53 Radius location For answers, call (900) 226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Or to bill to a credit card, call (800) 655-6549. Reference puzzle #0474.

Answers on Page 15

Second Supper

July 15, 2010 // 15

THE LAST WORD

The ADviCe GODDeSS By Amy Alkon amy.alkon@secondsupper.com The woman who mistook her sinkhole for a boyfriend

After my boyfriend and I returned from a teaching stint abroad, he broke up with me. I was devastated but eventually started seeing somebody else. He got really jealous and flew out a few times to see me until I said yes to getting back together. We’ve had a phone relationship since January, with visits whenever possible. Well, I’m starting grad school on the East Coast, and won’t be mobile for three years. But, as for moving to be with me, he’s now saying he doesn’t know if he can leave San Francisco. He’s unemployed and still unwilling to leave one of the most expensive cities! I’m wondering if all the waiting’s worth it since he isn’t willing to work very hard for us to be together. — Dismayed

Who says you can’t take the man out of San Francisco? Just force him into the trunk of your car at gunpoint and promise him a bathroom break and a Snickers when you hit Bakersfield. So, the guy chases you down, wins you back, and now he’s not sure whether it’s you or that tramp with the cable cars? That’s not how love is supposed to work. According to Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters and every romantic comedy ever made, love is throwing aside everything to crawl across broken glass on four continents, only to die in your beloved’s arms. This, on the other hand, is like Romeo texting Juliet (on parchment delivered by servants), “OMG, not sure if i can give up pizza nite w family 2 b w/u.” In the real world, for people with more to them than an obsessive connection to another human being, there are often practical considerations: whether they both want kids, who’s going to pay for them, whether they’ll join the Hari Krishnas or keep working as tax accountants. While some people can live anywhere as long as they’re with the person they love, for many, where they wake up and walk out the door every day is no small thing. It’s not just the place, but the way of life in a particular place (“The city that never sleeps” versus “the suburb that never wakes up”). The guy might love you, but he’s made his priority clear: He’s left his heart in San Francisco, and the rest of him is staying to

keep it company. Chances are, he got so focused on winning you back, he forgot to ask himself “And then what?” Now that he’s won you, he’s all “Actually, I’m kind of attached to fog, earthquakes and stepping over a wino to get into my favorite patisserie.” It’s a lucky thing he figured that out before he gave up his apartment and moved to Collegetown. (Love in a place you hate quickly becomes seething resentment.) If you don’t resent him too much, maybe you and he will try to keep it going long distance while you’re in school. If so, you need to be practical, too: Ask yourself how you feel about spending the rest of your days in San Francisco, because you probably won’t get the guy out of there for any length of time - not until you can fit him into an urn.

But, when the waitress first came, he had a millisecond to figure out are you a feminist, will you hate him for paying, accuse him of being personally responsible for lowering the glass ceiling 10 feet? Before he could work all that out, you’d handed over your Visa and ordered your appletini. Ask yourself if you’re quick to prosecute for something so minor because you go in expecting the worst. If so, you might change that, or instead of a boyfriend, you can have a grudge. And yes, the person who does the inviting should pay - to a point. On the second date, it’s nice to avoid being one of those women who, when the check comes, goes rooting around in her purse - and pulls out a mint.

Lite boor

Sudoku

I was on a first date, and the guy arrived at the pub before me. The waitress took my order and asked if I’d like to start a tab. I paused, and when he didn’t offer, I gave her my card. He ended up buying my next two drinks, and I had a pretty good time, but thinking about it now, I’m mad he let me pay at all. After all, he asked me out. — Rehashing On the bright side, when the final bill came, he didn’t get up and make tracks for the ladies’ room. Things are really confusing now about who pays. By the end of the date, he knew it was OK to pick up the tab.

Downtown La Crosse, above Fayzes - 782-6622

top shots joke of the week How do you know you've found LeBron James' cell phone? It vibrates and receives calls, but it doesn't have a ring! 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)

MONDAY TUESDAY

$1.75 - Miller/Bud Taps $2.25 Micro/Craft Taps $2.50 Cherry Bombs (7-1am)

$1.75 Rails $1.50 Domestic Taps $3.50 Jager Bombs (7-1am)

$2.00 - 1 Player, $3.00 - 2 Players 50 Cents Off Drinks, $1 Off Pitchers

WEDNESDAY $2 Domestic Bottles $2.50 Skyy/Absolute Mixers $2 Dr. Shots (7-1am)

THURSDAY FRIDAY 5 Domestic Bottles 4 $10 $5 Micro/Import Bottles $11.50, $7 Micro/Craft Pitchers (7-1am)

$5 Miller Lite/Bud Light Pitchers

SATURDAY $2.25 Leinies Bottles (7-1am)

$2 Captain Mixers $2 Long Islands $3 Effen Vodka Mixers (7-1am)

From page 14

16// July 15, 2010

Second Supper

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