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APRIL 2019 southernminnSCENE.com

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Scene From Kenya to Minnesota to Everywhere J.S. Ondaraâ€™s Music and Story is Taking Off

PLUS Mankato author Allen Eskens

THE

interview issue

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CONTENT

APRIL 2019 / VOLUME 7 / ISSUE 3

Features:

COLUMNS:

8 Kenya to Minnestoa to Everywhere J.S. Ondara’s music and story is taking off.

11 Mankakto Author Allen Eskens

Eskens is obataining a national audience.

13 Becky Daul

Unable to join Marines, Southern Minn woman finds news ways to lead.

16 CLAYTOPIA

Ceramics conference comes to Minnesota.

18 Adam Sorenson

Owatonna native and Ice Palace founder.

22 The TimeLine

SoMinn’s most comprehensive calendar of things to be SCENE.

25 Vicky Emerson

Is the local feminist hero we need right now.

Southern minn

Scene

5 Mollywood BLVD

ABOUT

An interview with Jordan Carr.

29 Fitness in SoMinn

Have a story idea?

Editor Philip Weyhe - 507-645-1115 editor@southernminnSCENE.com

Walking: the most undervalued form of exercise.

30 Photographing SoMInn

MinneSNOWta!

32 SoMInn FOOD & DINING Review

Victoria’s Ristorante.

33 Album Review

HAVE A CALENDAR EVENT?

editor@southernminnSCENE.com or got to www.southernminnscene. com/calendar

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34 The Bookworm Sez:

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Mollywood Blvd

MOLLY PENNY Molly Penny is a local radio personality and MSU Mankato alum. It was her love of pop culture that got her interested in doing a morning show gig for KOWZ 100.9. She is now Music and Promotions Director at KOWZ & KRUE Radio in Owatonna and can be heard on various airwaves in Southern Minnesota, including Hot 96.7 in Mankato. She resides in Mankato with her movie buff husband and YouTube obsessed children. Need to contact her? Shoot her an e-mail mollyp@kowzonline.com or catch her on Twitter at @mollyhoodUSA.

Interviewing the Dumb***:

Molly sits down with

Jordan Carr

ordan Carr turns 34 this month but the story is just starting to unfold for this Southern Minnesota native. A Fairmont graduate who spent many of his early adult years engulfed in the Mankato music scene, Carr relocated to Minneapolis and is busy with his band, Jordan Carr and the Boys. His background is anything but orthodox and his music paints the story. I caught up with Jordan to talk about his experiences and what he is up to currently.

along the lines of always thinking his life had to be in some form of turmoil in-order for him to write good songs. At that time, nothing had ever resonated with me more. I felt that before I ever read that interview and because of that I was constantly putting myself in poor situations in hopes that I would write better songs. But, that’s a hard way to live. I know from experience. Now, my biggest influencers are things that give me goose bumps and Billy Joel. Short answer to this question: Billy Joel.

Tell me a little about your background. How did you get your start? My background is punk rock bands, rehabs, institutions, incarcerations and delusion. I spent most of my youth trying to replicate what I saw in the members of bands I loved, and I succeeded in almost every way…. Except for fame. How & when did you decide, “I am going to be a musician.” I decided I was going to be a musician when other people decided I was going to be nothing but a troublemaker at the age of 8. From that age on, I’ve thought about life in song titles and album covers. From 15 to now I’ve played in punk bands, hip-hop bands, hair metal tribute bands and for almost the last decade I’ve been writing and performing under my own name with the addition of the Boys. Who were/are your biggest influences? Biggest influences have always been intoxicants, relationships, incarcerations, confusion, loneliness and nostalgia. I once read an interview by Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio where he said something

How did you decide on your band name? Jordan Carr and the Boys was a joke name for a one off Valentine’s Day show at the Sugar Room in Mankato maybe 12 years ago. If I remember correctly it was a name offered up by the drummer of my old punk band, Forever Dumb, when I was being a bit of an ego maniac… I think. Who comprises the band? Caleb Harris- drums, Jordan Riggs- lead guitar, Zach Anderson- bass, Ryan Davis- keys and the occasional sax player

Do you like coming back to Mankato for shows? I do like coming back, but as the years go by, the nostalgia for the place I once knew so well fades. The places I used to frequent every single day are gone. Like, the Sugar Room, last I checked, is a well-lit bagel shop with no old jazz murals. Red Sky, which was my second home and where I had my first solo record’s album release show, is now a parking ramp. So, I do like to come back and play and always have a great time seeing old friends, but it doesn’t look or feel like the place it was when I was roaming around aimlessly pretending to be a good college student and an even better musician.

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Describe your sound. It was once written in an album review: “Jordan Carr is like a ‘boozed-soaked Bruce Springsteen,” so I tend to go with that whenever anyone asks. I would never be so bold as to write Springsteen and Carr in the same sentence, but, since someone else did, I’ll take it and I have no shame in letting people know. Well, you did say “sax,” so I believe it. What’s Your Songwriting Process? The song writing process, for me, starts with a line or a feeling or a melody that I repeat or hum from wherever I am when it strikes me all the way to the nearest guitar, pad of paper or phone charger…and it ends if my cat, Master, gets up and walks out the door. That’s how I know it’s no good. I understand you have an upcoming show in conjunction with Burger Records? Yeah, Burger Records (Ty Segall, FIDLAR) host Burger Revolution every year where they try and get as many bands as possible, across the globe, to put on a show or listening party on the same day. This year it’s Saturday, March 9th. They do a bunch of promotion for the shows. So, Jordan Carr and the Boys are playing that in Minneapolis on March 9 with Supportive Parents. We were supposed to have a videographer come in, but that fell through, so we took a friend’s idea to have everyone at the show use their phone to record the same song, from wherever they are in the venue and then will collect all the footage and create a video out of it for the full band version of the song we are working on currently. So, the video idea kind of fell into place by accident? That’s cool, I look forward to seeing it. Can you tell me about the song? Yes, the idea for this sort of video was my roommate’s and it just

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seems like a cool thing to do—get everyone at the show involved and basically let the people direct the video. Originally, we were supposed to have two videographers and they were going to shoot a new song at the show, but the date didn’t work out. Also, I figured if we wanted people to get involved and excited and care about recording a song with their phones, we should probably make it a song that everyone knows. That song, for me, is one of my oldest songs, “Ronnie (Let’s Do It Like We Used To)” off of my first album, “Reinventing the Dumbass”. That’s the song that most people who come to my shows know. Ronnie deals with an alter-ego and being left behind while everyone else moves on and being torn between letting go of the “glory days” and growing up with everyone one else your age or hanging around the bar scene for just one more year before giving in. It’s still one of my favorite songs to play and due to years of requests, we are recording a full band version. This music video will accompany that full band version. Any tours or album plans coming up in 2019? Currently, I am in the final stages of mixing a live album, ReVisiting The Dumbass, which was recorded at Moto-I in Uptown, Minneapolis this past July, that serves as sort of a story-tellers about my time on trial during the recording process for Reinventing The Dumbass. The Boys and I are also working on a handful of one-off singles and videos to be released over the next year.

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I saw your record on the shelf at Tune Town! Last time we talked you were preparing for a release show, how did that go? On December 14, 2018, we had the vinyl release for Empty Bottles, Full Hearts at First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry to an amazing crowd which closed out a wild 2018. Where can people find your music? Both albums, Empty Bottles, Full Hearts and my first album, Reinventing The Dumbass, are streaming everywhere: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and can be found at jordancarr.bandcamp. com. For those of you in the Mankato area, you can pick up the latest album, Empty Bottles, Full Hearts, on vinyl at Tune Town. You can also see our in-studio performance on the White Wall Sessions season 6, episode 12 and 22. All news and info can be found at JordanCarrMN.com or on facebook.com/ JordanCarrMusic Where would you like to see your music career take you? You said the only thing separating you from your idols was fame. Is that still a goal? While I am certainly not opposed to a little recognition from my music, my main goal is to never worry about picking up the tab when I’m out with my girl… If my name is ever to be surrounded by a star, I’d rather it be on First Avenue’s wall rather than on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Plus, you’ll always be famous to your cat. As long as I play the right chords, yes. SMS

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“In simple words, it’s become a home. It’s where I rest my head and my spirit, so to speak. More than that, Minnesota became this very important incubation place.” - J.S. Ondara

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Kenya to Minnesota to Everywhere: J.S. Ondara’s Music and Story is Taking Off Story By Philip Weyhe Photos By Josh Cheuse editor@southernminnscene.com

J.S.

Ondara doesn’t need any help telling his story. At 26 years old, Ondara has lived a more diverse set of experiences than many will live in a lifetime. He started out in Nairobi, Kenya where music was just a distant dream, before moving to Minnesota, where passion became reality, and fast forwarding to today, where he’s finding audiences in places all across America and as far away as Europe. On February 15, Ondara released his debut album, “Tales of America.” It’s a folk-led, storytelling project that Ondara wrote -- music and lyrics -- completely on his own. It showcases a soulful voice, tinged with the accent of his original home. The songs are laced with heartache and worry, but lifted by a genuine sense of optimism. As the title indicates, the album recounts the American Dream, but in today’s terms – something Ondara provides the perfect voice to explain. It hasn’t taken the music industry long to embrace the Kenyan-born folk singersongwriter, who draws inspiration from Bob Dylan and Neil Young (though was first drawn into music by the alt-rock sounds of the 90s). Ahead of his debut release, Ondara signed with Verve Forecast Records, of Universal Music Group. He toured with Lindsey Buckingham and First Aid Kit. And he starred in features from National Public Radio, Rolling Stone and Billboard. And in Minnesota, where Ondara learned and refined his craft the past six years, he’s been a popular name in the alternative music scene. The Current has given him strong support, he’s been a popular act at Twin Cities events, and his first official tour show in the state, at 7th Street Entry, sold out quickly.

Avenue, as part of The Current shows. Both times, you sounded incredible and the crowd loved it. What has Minnesota become to you? How has it supported your music? In simple words, it’s become a home. It’s where I rest my head and my spirit, so to speak. More than that, Minnesota became this very important incubation place. Being in Minneapolis for a few years, trying to find my place, it was just this crucial incubation period for my career. I feel I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else at all. I’m so grateful

that opportunity to endure that cold spell, because it taught me that sometimes in life, things are unpleasant, but if you wait long enough, the sun will rise and the leaves will sprout once more. There’s something very profound about that. You wouldn’t have enjoyed this winter if you had been around too much. (Laughs) That’s the thing about it. Sometimes things just suck. But in June, it’s going to be sunny and things are going to be great.

“(Songs) were like a spaceship that took me to someplace different, where people were different, things were different. I suppose as a child, it was something I needed. So I boarded that spaceship over and over again, because I just wanted to travel to this other universe.” - J.S. Ondara So naturally, when we at Southern Minn Scene gave a call to Ondara, who happened to be in London at the time of the interview, we started out talking about his new home. I’ve seen you perform twice at First

for that place. There is something about the place. Those freezing winters hit me in such a devastating way that it forced me to learn some incredible lessons of life that I wouldn’t have learned in any other way. I appreciated

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Tell me about growing up in Nairobi. Who was your family? What did you all do? What were your circumstances? When I was a kid, my parents worked at a post office. We didn’t have much growing

up. My two big sisters were my best friends. And I was just this kid that was crazy about music and words. That was just something that I was drawn to from a young age. I never shared it with people around me, because it wasn’t something I could talk about openly. It was something that cultivated in me as kid. I think, in general, within the culture back home and within my family, the arts was not something encouraged. It wasn’t a viable option. It was the kind of thing that would be shut down quite immediately. I learned to keep that to myself. Where did those loves for music and words come from? Words just came out, really, because I was fascinated by the world and by the universe. I had a fascination with the sun and I had a fascination with animals, with ants, with people, humanity. I needed answers about how the world worked and why it worked the way it worked and why it was here and why we were here. The only way I could process these confused feelings was to write about them. My curiosities about the world and universe led me to writing and made me fond of words. As far as music, it was the radio. It was

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listening to the radio and listening to all these rock songs from the UK and the US, and developing these strong attachments to these songs. They took me to a different universe. They were like a spaceship that took me to someplace different, where people were different, things were different. I suppose as a child, it was something I needed. So I boarded that spaceship over and over again, because I just wanted to travel to this other universe. What was your introduction to music? It was the rock that was coming out in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was Radiohead, Nirvana, Death Cab for Cutie. Some of

that music, I heard it on the radio and that was the first spark, the first interest. I would then seek it out, because I found this spaceship, I needed to go find more. When CDs became a thing, we had all these people that would go on to the internet and pirate music, even if they didn’t know what it was, and they would download all this random music from the west and sell it on the streets. You’d be walking down the street, and someone would call you over to try this CD, and you’d listen to it, and if you liked it, you’d buy it. It was like wine tasting. Wine became CDs. I’d travel the street and try all these kinds of wine, and I was drawn to this pinot noir, which turned out to be rock music. Why did you have to move to America? I had to go. I had no choice. It was the kind of thing that as soon as I realized what I wanted to do, I realized there

was no way to do it where I was. Just everyone who was around me was consistently discouraging me. Secondly, there was just no infrastructure to support the kind of career in music I wanted. There wasn’t a very vibrant arts community to support the kind of music I wanted to do. I had to go. I had to say good-bye. To get on this path, I’ve had to say good-bye to a lot of tihngs. That’s just how life has worked out for me. Was your family OK with the move? When I left home I told them I was going to medical school. I had to tell them that, so they would let me go. But I knew why I was coming to the States. I just didn’t share it with anyone, because I couldn’t. Do they know about your career

now? Do they accept it? Well, yeah, that have no choice now, because all this music is online. (Laughs). They know now, and I think they’re slowly coming around. They don’t comprehend exactly what it is I do, but they’re slowly coming around. Why, when you came, did you come to Minneapolis? Minnesota just had to be the place I was going to go as soon as I found the music of (Bob) Dylan. Finding Dylan kind of gave me a purpose for what to do with my life. As a 17-year-old kid, I didn’t know what to do with my life. I loved music, but there was no way to pursue music. I was this lost kid, and I found Dylan’s music quite accidentally. And I saw that all of his songs were just poems; they were just metaphors built into melodies. I thought “I’ve been writing all these words since I was a kid. Maybe I can

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put some melodies around them and I can have a career.’ Once that became the path that I chose, it became a romantic decision that I had to move to Minnesota, where he was from, and start my career there. Since moving to Minnesota, how have you evolved over the past six years? I picked up the guitar, fooling around with it. So I guess the most significant part of my evolution since moving is that I can play an instrument now, which is something I just couldn’t do back home. I think my songwriting has changed in the way that it is addressing different issues. I always had questions, as a child, that I was addressing through writing. The questions have just changed over time. Right now, it’s not ‘What’s the fiery ball in the sky and why doesn’t it fall down?” It’s more like “What is my place in this world as a young 20-something and how do I add value to society and civilization?” Have there been any “Wow” moments? What made them special? I have those every day. What has become of my life is so bizarre to me. I very regularly do this thing, where I wake up and do a scratch on my hand to make sure it’s actually me existing on this body. It’s everything really. It’s just being in the United States, and everything from touring with people that I’ve been listening to since I was a child, like Lindsay Buckingham, to signing with Verve and Universal and playing sold out shows in Europe for the first time. All of it so bizarre and so wild when I think about it in the context of where I was 20 years ago as a kid in Nairobi, and somehow now I’m here.

Would you say it’s optimistic or not so much? I am just a devout optimist really. It’s a fault of mine. The record becomes somber and critical sometimes and has some elements that are tongue and cheek. But at the very end of it, there is an optimism about it; this idea that I’ve been able to move here and find a path toward a career that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to have. There is an optimism to the American Dream despite what the country is going through at the moment.

Why did “Tales of America” need to be the first album? Because Tales of America was born of my childhood fantasies. When I was a young child listening to all this music from America and fantasizing about going to America and fantasizing about, “Oh, perhaps one day I will go to America and make one of these CD things, and I will call it ‘Tales of America.’” It’s like fantasizing about driving a spacecraft and traveling to another universe. There was no reason this needed to come true, just like there is no reason I need to travel to another universe. It’s just a fantasy I had since I

Did you get any pressure to change anything? I have had pressure for a long time. As soon as I started putting myself out there, people started coming out with all these ideas of what I should be. Perhaps that’s why it took as long as it took to bring this record to life. I knew what I wanted out of the record. The vision was clear. It just took a while to make sure it’s not corrupted. I’m fairly good at resisting all that and keeping true to the vision.

Several times, you mention a “girl” or a “woman” or a “lover.” Is there anything literal about that? I do talk about love quite a bit in the record. In the form of character, it is a woman. The way I address the theme of love in America is this elusive idea. It’s something beautiful and magical. I also talk about the idea of the American Dream in the same way, as this dream that is elusive. How I talk about love and the American dream as ideas is the same, and I’m just tying the two together. You wrote every song on your own. Was that a purposeful decision you made? It was definitely a deliberate choice. I’m essentially a storyteller. I have to tell this story with bias, lyrically and music, for better or worse. I have to write it the way I want to write it and tell them the way I want to tell them. Once I get in a room with talented people, we bring the songs I’ve written to life in the sense that I’ve envisioned them. It’s the most raw, natural way you can tell a story that is not corrupted by anything.

“I have to tell this story with bias, lyrically and music, for better or worse. I have to write it the way I want to write it and tell them the way I want to tell them.” - J.S. Ondara was a kid. Somehow, this particular one did come true, so when I moved to the United States, it was obvious that this was the record I was going to make. It always was, since I was a kid. It just took this long. What is it about? I suppose I’m telling the story of America through my eyes. I’m examining the times in America, the times of my life in America, and relating those to create one long thread.

Where does your music go from here? I know exactly where it goes. I don’t if I can talk about it yet. But I have the concepts for the follow-up record fairly complete. I’ve been writing songs and most of them are done. It’s just “I’m here now.” And now I’m going to make records and tell stories until I’m out of time and I have to leave the planet. SMS

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MANKATO AUTHOR

OBTAINS NATIONAL AUDIENCE

Story By pat garry, Contributing Writer editor@southernminnscene.com ocal, award-winning author Allen Eskens has reached national attention with his bestselling mystery/crime novels. Allen grew up in central Missouri, and now lives with his wife, Joely, in greater Minnesota; where he recently retired, after practicing criminal law for 25 years. Eskens holds a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from Hamline University. Following law school, he studied creative writing in the M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts) program at Minnesota State University-Mankato; as well as at the Loft Literary Center and the Iowa Summer Writer’s Festival. Allen’s chart-topping, celebrated list includes: The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another, The Heavens May Fall, The Deep Dark Descending, and The Shadows We Hide. Recipient of the Barry Award, Minnesota Book Award, Rosebud Award (Left Coast Crime), and Silver Falchion Award, Esken’s books have been translated into 21 languages and his novel, The Life We Bury, is in development for a feature film. “I want to continue telling stories that resonate with readers…and I hope to continue living up to the faith they place in me.”— A. Eskens

Do you work at a job other than your writing profession?

I practiced law as a criminal defense attorney for twenty-five years. My office was in Mankato, but I travelled throughout southern Minnesota. I started studying creative writing as soon as I graduated law school, hoping to find a creative outlet for my overactive imagination. I soon discovered that I had a passion for telling stories, and I set to making creative writing my life’s goal.

What is your latest book and briefly, what is it about?

I wrote a novel in 2014 called The Life We Bury, which became a national bestseller and tells the story of a college student, Joe Talbert, who gets pulled into a thirty-year-old mystery through a class assignment. It also addresses Joe’s struggle in dealing with his mother and autistic brother. My most recent novel, The Shadows We Hide, is the sequel of The Life We Bury and continues Joe’s path to understand his family and himself. The story begins with Joe learning that a man who might be his absented father may have been murdered in southern Minnesota (a fictional town called Buckley). The Shadows We Hide is currently

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| APRIL 2019

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a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award and the Barry Award—a national award for mystery novels; and I am very happy with how it is being received by readers.

Tell me about the first time you knew you wanted to become an author.

I came to writing as a way to scratch a creative itch. I spent twenty years studying the craft for my own enjoyment, never thinking that I might one day be a full-time writer. It wasn’t until I wrote my second manuscript, the one that would eventually become The Life We Bury, that I gave thought to writing as a profession, and even then, I saw it as something I would do on the side. After my novels took off, I closed my law practice (in 2016) and have been writing for a living ever since.

What is your genre of choice and what inspires you to create your material?

I am considered a mystery writer because my novels revolve around a crime, but I write with a literary edge. My writing philosophy is to use the mystery aspect of my book as a catalyst to tell the story of the people in the novel. The character drama and relationships in my stories are the parts that give depth to the novel and are the parts that I enjoy writing the most. I don’t want to just tell my readers a story; I want to engage them and make them feel something. I want to evoke. That challenge is what inspires me.

What kind of creative patterns, routines or rituals do you have?

Before I sit down to write a novel, I spend months, if not years, thinking about it, daydreaming the many tangents it could take. Then I outline it in great detail, building the plot, the characters, and the themes. Only when I am satisfied that every aspect reverberates, do I sit down to write. Once I have the first draft finished, I revise and revise and revise. I do my writing in a lounge chair in my basement; my rescued coon hound snoring on the couch beside me.

How do you deal with low-creativity times, and where do you sell your work?

Because I prepare my novels ahead of writing them (daydreaming and outlining) I don’t have low creativity times—or if I do it is in the daydreaming stage, so it doesn’t seem like low creativity. My books are sold in bookstores everywhere, and online, in paper, eBooks and audio.

What, in your opinion, is the most difficult step in creating a “masterpiece”?

The hardest part of creating a quality novel is the work of understanding writing craft. There is so much more to writing a novel than simply telling a story. The greatest compliment I receive is to hear that my work touched a reader and made him or her feel emotion or contemplate a deep thought. That doesn’t happen by accident. Before I started to study writing, I had no idea about the level of technique that hides in plain sight on the pages of the books I’d read. That level of understanding doesn’t come easily, but with hard work, it eventually does come. Do you have any interesting anecdotes about an experience involving your writing? After my books started selling well, I encountered a number of experiences that I hadn’t expected, most good, but a couple just down-right strange. On the good side, with my book being published in 26 languages, I began to receive fan emails from people around the world, telling me how much they enjoyed my work. But the strangest incident occurred one day when I went to the Goodreads website to check on my book reviews. I saw the listing for my books: The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another, The Heavens May Fall, The Deep Dark Descending, and The Shadows We Hide. But then I saw one more book: The Last Caruso, by Allen Eskens. I happen to know that I never wrote a book called The Last Caruso. I contacted the website, and after some investigation, I was told that it was someone trying to make money off of my name by posting their book on my page; in the hopes that my readers would buy their book, thinking it was the next in my series. The website took it down right away.

Professionally speaking, what is your goal?

My goal is simple. I want to continue telling stories that resonate with readers. I hope to expand into other forms of storytelling, such as screenwriting, but will always come back to novels. I am honored to have received the kind of attention that has led to my books finding their way onto a number of bestseller lists. That success is all due to word of mouth—people reading my books, liking them, and passing the word on to their reading friends. I hope to continue living up to the faith they place in me. SMS

Shattuck-St. Mary’s Faribault, MN Fesler-lampert perForming arts series tHe national plaYers present William sHaKespeare’s “tWelFtH nigHt” Adults $18, Students $11

America’s longest running touring theater company, The National Players, perform Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, a classic tale of reckless revenge, mistaken identity, and mismatched lovers. www.nationalplayers.org

JoHn o’Conor Adults $18, Students $11 Irish pianist John O’Conor has been gathering wonderful reviews for his masterly playing for over forty years. “This artist has the kind of flawless touch that makes an audience gasp” (Washington Post). www.johnoconor.com

Monday, March 18, 2019

Thursday, March 21, 2019

ragamala DanCe CompanY presents noCtUrne * Adults $18, Students $11

Celebrating 25 years in Minnesota, Ragamala Dance performs the South Indian Bharatanatyam dance form. Nocturne is, “an enchanting journey—for one hour we are transported into an exquisite dream state” (Star Tribune). www.ragamaladance.org

Thursday, March 28, 21, 2019

ALL SHOWS AT 7:30 IN NEWHALL AUDITORIUM

Call for Group Rates. Order Tickets Online: www.s-sm.org/feslerlampert * “This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota State Arts Board through the arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota.”

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SSM Box Office: 507-333-1620 www.s-sm.org A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

Story By GRACE BRANDT editor@southernminnscene.com

ife can be unpredictable sometimes. Just ask Eagle Lake resident Becky Daul. Throughout her time at MSU-Mankato, she had one goal and one goal only: to earn a commission as an officer in the Marine Corps. But when a freak infection sent her home from training, her military plans were derailed. Graduating in 2018 with a degree in political science, Daul wasn’t sure where to go next. Applying for any job she found, she stumbled across an opening with the Boy Scouts of America — and much to her surprise, she was hired as a district executive. Now, she’s in charge of 400 volunteers and nearly 400 youth members within a roughly 100 square mile area in Southern Minnesota. How did you become interested in joining the military?

At the end of my junior year of high school, I got really sick. It was a weak point in my life, when I lost a lot of weight and was in and out of the hospital. I didn’t know what to do next. I was looking at going to college right away but wasn’t sure. I talked to teacher at my dad’s middle school [who] was in the Air National Guard, and that took me into a rollercoaster of different military branches. Why did you settle on the Marine Corps?

A Different Path: Unable to join Marines, Southern Minn Woman Finds New Ways to Lead

(Laughs) I didn’t want to go see the Marine Corps. I had friends in the Marine Corps… they’re “Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children” (U.S.M.C.). But I talked with a good friend of mine who was in the Marines, and like 10 minutes later, I got a call from the recruiting station. I didn’t want to go. But it ended up being really awesome. I loved the recruiters I met there. I remember going to my first enlisted PT (physical training)… and I just remember getting my butt handed to me. I couldn’t even lift my arms the day after I’d gone. I was in a ton of pain. My dad asked me, “So are you not going back anymore?” I was like, “No, I’m definitely going back.” It pushed me a lot harder than I’d ever been – Becky Daul pushed before, but there was a sense of accomplishment of pushing through it to finish it.

“Without the Marines, I wouldn’t be in the position I am right now. I wouldn’t have the confidence to do the job I’m in right now. There’s a lot of leadership skills and different life skills that I got from the Marine Corps, so, as sad as it is, it benefited me a lot more to being the person I am right now, having gone through that. It’s sad I didn’t get to do it, but there’s so much more I can do because I had the experience that I did.”

You were accepted into Officer Candidate School as a college sophomore and went that summer. What happened? It was super stinking awesome. I loved every second of being there. it was about six weeks. But when I got there, I noticed I was really sluggish. I blamed it on lack of sleep and getting pushed hard. You just assume you’re stressed, eating wrong, etc. Then I had some issues with my feet. They got really swollen after a day of training, more so than what you’d expect. Everyone’s feet hurt, but mine hurt a little bit more, and I could tell. I saw the corpsmen (medics) a few times, but they said nothing was wrong. Going out into the field, my third week in, we hiked six miles with 90

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| APRIL 2019

“When I show up in my Boy Scout uniform, I’ll look in the mirror and laugh and think, ‘This is not the uniform I was planning on wearing.’” – Becky Daul

Getting to know you Who: Becky Daul Hometown: Waukesha, WI Lives in: Eagle Lake Family: Black Lab, Rocky Future plans: Starting her own cupcake shop or dog rescue

doctor’s office. They told me I had cellulitis. It’s pretty quick to treat, the way they treat there—they give you three times the recommended dosage you’d normally get. But it didn’t go away really quickly. I was out for seven days, not being able to physically move much, and on bedrest for three days. Finally, I had to get sent home because you can’t miss more than seven days of training. So that sucked. I understand that the Marines invited you to return to OCS for another class once you healed. So what did you do when you got back? Coming back, I was prepared to reapply. But I noticed when I’d go back to working out, I’d have tons of pain in my feet. Every doctor said I didn’t have cellulitis anymore, just a ton of inflammation. In their heads, it was because I hadn’t worked out in a while. Finally, my doctor said I had autoimmune deficiency, which causes lots of swelling/inflammation in my joints. That condition disqualifies you from going into the military. So that was it? How did you feel? I finished my last year of college, but it was kind of a whole year of a slump of, “What do I do next?” I didn’t have a background in anything other than yelling at people. My entire plan was the Marine Corps. I was planning on making a career of it. I didn’t want to do anything else. It’s kind of weird when you all of a sudden can’t do that anymore… You don’t foresee something like an immune deficiency is what’s going to stop you all of a sudden. What was your plan now?

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pounds on our backs to go stay overnight for two nights out on the base. We were going and walking and I just had a ton of

pain ripping through my body, especially in my feet. We’d finished the hike, it’s super dirty, we’re sweating… I switched my socks, and I had an open blister. Got it checked out, covered up. When I got back, I went to see the corpsman at their little

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I was on the job hunt and applied a few places… I’d gone onto Indeed.com and applied for the Boy Scouts on a whim. I didn’t think they’d be at all interested in me. But they called me into the office for an interview, and I nailed it. It was interesting the way I came into the interview… The Boy Scouts is very male dominated. The interesting thing is right now is how they’re letting girls into their program now. They just let in girls kindergarten through fifth grade this last February. We have brand new young girls joining the program. So I was in an interesting position where having someone who looks like me and talks like me in front of girls, it worked in my benefit.

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Keep Calm THe

WeeKend Is ComIng Get Southern Minnesota’s “best bets” for the upcoming weekend delivered to your email inbox every Thursday.

You oversee more than 400 volunteers. How did your time with the Marines help prepare you to lead them?

Visit Southernminnscene.com and click on the email newsletter link.

Because of my very diverse background, it benefited me a lot in this position. You have someone who’s very used to being in a male dominated situated, used to being the only female in the room. A lot of my volunteers, especially in southern Minnesota, we have tons of vets, law enforcement, fire department—scruffy men in these positions. Having my background with the Marine Corps gives me an advantage to talking to these men. I’m not this super girly girly talking in front of them; I’m someone who’s had my face slammed in dirt and got up from it again.

Hops,

Grapes

& History

A Fundraiser for Northfield Historical Society

What’s the best part of your job? When the youth are joining, they’re going through this program and we want to get them all the way through the Eagle Program. I think about [being in] the position to get them all the way through to accomplish that. You see the youth, the way they grow up and the kind of people they can be after they achieve that rank. It’s the same way I looked at the Marine Corps… We did it because we wanted to lead Marines and help them be successful and do all these cool, amazing things. I get to help dozens of youth do the exact same thing, being in the position I’m in. It’s really cool getting to do the background stuff in order to help these kids achieve something they otherwise wouldn’t have if there wasn’t someone in my position helping them get there. In a weird way, the Marine Corps actually prepared me a ton for having the job I have now. It just wasn’t necessarily what I thought I was going to be doing. When I show up in my Boy Scout uniform, I’ll look in the mirror and laugh and think, “This is not the uniform I was planning on wearing.”

Saturday, April 6 | 6 pm Located at Armory Square Sampling of wine, beer, cider, & spirits History Trivia • Games • Drop Raffle Looking back, are you disappointed about the Marines? You know, it’s mostly disappointing because I worked so dang hard for it… I put so many hours into it. Because of that being the choice I made, I sacrificed relationships with family and friends and really pushed myself. A little part of me is sad, but at the same time, without the Marines, I wouldn’t be in the position I am right now. I wouldn’t have the confidence to do the job I’m in right now. There’s a lot of leadership skills and different life skills that I got from the Marine Corps, so as sad as it is, it benefited me a lot more to being the person I am right now, having gone through that. It’s sad I didn’t get to do it, but there’s so much SMS more I can do because I had the experience that I did.

For Info and Link to Tickets: www.NorthfieldHistory.org

Grace Brandt is a wandering reporter whose home base is Mankato.

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ceramics conference comes to Minnesota

Ceramicists Colleen Riley and Donovan Palmquist pose with their wood kiln (affectionately known as “the Mothership”), which holds approximately 500 pots. It is fired for 48 hours, reaching and holding a maximum temperature of 2,350 degrees Fahrenheit. (Photo courtesy of Colleen Riley)

Story By ANNE KOPAS editor@southernminnscene.com

F This dinnerware set, and other artwork by Glynnis Lessing and a variety of other regional ceramic artists, will be on display at the Northfield Arts Guild’s “Place” show around the time of the conference. (Photo courtesy of Juliane Shibata)

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or a few weeks this March and April, clay art will take over Minneapolis and the surrounding area. Starting March 27, the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts’ annual Claytopia conference visits Minneapolis, for the first time since the 1990s. The four-day conference includes demonstrations, workshops, exhibitions, roundtable discussions, student critiques, lectures and more, geared toward all types of ceramics makers. “If you have an interest in clay, there’s something there for you,” said Sarah Millfelt, NCECA onsite liaison. But the audience spans beyond makers and artists. For those who can’t attend the conference or who prefer to simply enjoy clay art (or want a free option), galleries and studios throughout the state are opening their doors with ceramics exhibitions, some of which are already open. The Minneapolis Institute of Art will host recent works by Japanese clay artists; the Pottery Museum of Red Wing will have over 9,500 artifacts on display; Northfield will host exhibitions at St. Olaf and Carleton Colleges, as well as the Arts Guild; and others in the metro area, southern Minnesota and even into Wisconsin. Even some non-clay organizations, like the Minnesota Center for the Book Arts, will have ceramics on display in some form. Bus tours and shuttle routes will also be available for those who want to catch a ride to the various exhibits. Millfelt estimates the conference itself will draw around 6,000 visitors, but she guesses that hundreds more will attend conference-related events. And while plenty of Minnesota artists will

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Claytopia, 53rd Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts What: Lectures, exhibits, demonstrations and more at the Minneapolis Convention Center, along with peripheral exhibits and events throughout the metro and Greater Minnesota. When: March 27-30, 2019 (main conference), with extra events throughout March and April See full schedule or learn more: nceca. net/2019-minneapolis-minnesota/

Cannon Falls potter Dawn Makarios stokes the kiln at Eureka Pots in Farmington. (Photo courtesy of Colleen Riley)

ABOVE: A sneak peek into the kiln before unloading. The gray-brown-gold color variations are created by the flame moving through the kiln. (Photo courtesy of Colleen Riley) RIGHT: Pieces from a recent wood firing at Eureka Pots, by Donovan Palmquist and Colleen Riley. (Photo courtesy of Colleen Riley)

be showing, it’s also bringing clay-workers from around the world, from Canada to Thailand. Each year, NCECA chooses a conference location in a major metropolitan area rich with clay heritage and strong arts community. Many credit the state’s prominent ceramics tradition to Warren MacKenzie, who taught pottery at the University of Minnesota from the 1950s onward. (He died on New Year’s Eve, 2018, at age 94.) MacKenzie’s work was influenced by the Japanese Mingei tradition of pottery, a folk art movement, leading some to refer to his personal style as “Mingei-sota.” He’s known for blending art with functionality, contributing to the popularity of affordable handmade pottery for use as everyday mugs, bowls and kitchenware. This, said Millfelt, influenced hundreds of students, attracting many who had previously only created non-functional pieces of pottery. “That combination, with just the state of Minnesota’s rich support for artists and arts, really created this fertile ground for clay here,” said Millfelt (pun possibly intended), describing the state’s arts community as “a perfect storm of support.” For out-of-towners flying in from other states, it might be a chilly start to spring. For local ceramic artists, it’s a celebration of every-

thing the region has to offer. Colleen Riley, along with husband Donovan Palmquist, will host a firing workshop at their Farmington studio, Eureka Pots (named after the surrounding township). They’ll host internationally known ceramicist Jack Troy, who was an early pioneer of wood firing kilns in the United States. During the workshop, which is open only to about a dozen registered participants, the team will spend several days working at the technique of wood firing. The process starts slow, with the artists gradually increasing the temperature inside the kiln to over two thousand degrees. Because wood tends to contain many impurities, it creates unique effects on the surface of a pot, like flashes of oranges and browns, or glassy textures. “It’s a really fun process,” said Riley. “There’s no taking a break. It’s pretty intense, at the end. There’s a point where you’re basically stoking the kiln almost constantly, trying to maintain the white heat inside. It’s like a bonfire in a box.” When they open the kiln to see the results, a few days later, it’s like a revelation, she said: “No two firings are the same.” Alongside the workshop, Riley and her husband are also showing

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work at several other local exhibitions, which makes it a busy time of year. A few weeks before the conference, she was still working on some last-minute work for a dinnerware show to prepare pieces for display. “All the potters around here are a little bit crazy right now. It’s exciting, but we’re not getting very much sleep right now,” she said. But it’s a good kind of crazy. Each year, the conference highlights an area’s regional flavor of pottery, bringing locally known artists into a national spotlight. And because Minnesota is home to an “abundant community” of clay artists, Millfelt expects the conference to be heavily attended, drumming up additional buzz around local ceramics. “It just contributes to the community in enthusiasm and support and networking, and all those things that the clay community is pretty well known for. The clay community is very opening and generous and welcoming to people at all levels, and that’s one thing that this conference is really going to generate: some excitement about what’s happening here,” she said. “It’s long overdue here in Minnesota.” SMS

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Owatonna native and Ice Palace founder

Adam Sorenson Story By Dan Greenwood editor@southernminnscene.com

Ice Palace have been around since 2005. You released two albums in 2006 and 2009. The new album just came out in the fall of 2018. What have you been up to over the past nine years?

fter national tours and the release of two albums, Southern Minnesota indie rock band Ice Palace were gaining momentum. A review in New York Weekly, the Village Voice and a nationwide tour supporting Cloud Cult in 2009 had them on the cusp of breaking through to a national audience. The Onion compared singer/songwriter Adam Sorensen’s music to what Kurt Cobain may have sounded like had he lived into his mid-thirties. But that same year, Sorensen opted to move to rural Arizona for a change of pace. Southern Minnesota SCENE caught up with Sorenson, who grew up in Owatonna and has since returned to Minnesota to release a new album – “How I Came to Win the War” – on Korda Records.

I moved to the mountains in Northern Arizona at the end of 2009. I had every intention of keeping Ice Palace going. I actually had shows booked here in Minnesota that I was supposed to fly back for......but it’s just life happening. The band kind of dissolved and I started a multi-year journey of trying to figure out what kind of music I wanted to make next. For me, the music has been an active part of my life even though it wouldn’t appear that way to someone else. I did a lot of other things in those nine years......I walked with my dog a lot.

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Compared to earlier releases, the new album is on the mellow side. Was that intentional or did it just fall into place that way? After the long break, I knew I didn’t want to make a loud or aggressive album. I didn’t have a specific sound in mind, but I was sure that I didn’t want to be using distortion pedals and banging away on a guitar at shows anymore. I also just felt

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DSaily S pecialS erving BreakfaSt 7 DayS a Week

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that I wanted to make something different from anything else I had done previously. I had never said “I love you” in a song before and there’s quite a bit of that. When I was in this long hiatus, one thing that pushed me forward was that these songs needed to be brought to life. During periods when it didn’t look like anything was happening I felt a sense of guilt in a way of ‘I can’t give up on this.’ I felt like these are the most important songs I’d ever written.

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The new record was recorded and co-produced in Minneapolis by Brian Tighe, known for his work with Jeremy Messersmith, the Hang Ups and the Owls. How did that come about? I grew up liking the Hang Ups but I was a great admirer of the Owls. I didn’t know Brian at all. I just loved how those records sounded; it was Brian’s production work that tied it all together and I never forgot that. I contacted Brian on Facebook just on a whim and asked if he liked working with other people in a production capacity. We met, I gave him a CD of demos, he got backed to me and said, “I love your songs! Let’s do it.” That album release in late 2018 led to your forming a new band with a new lineup, including a couple of the guys from Porcupine. How did that come about? Ian Prince (Porcupine drummer) and I are friends. He was learning how to play the guitar. He would come over and we’d play acoustics together and so he ended up joining as a guitar player. Allison Labonne (Brian’s wife) who also was a producer on the record, joined up early. Casey from Porcupine is a phenomenally good lead guitarist. When I first met him he offered his services. Jared Miller was somebody that I’ve known over the years who plays bass. Getting older, it was just a matter of trying to ask enough people who still want to play music. A lot of people over the years stopped. At this age, how does playing in bands differ from when you were younger? It’s really focused and people are less distracted. A big component of that too is this band is not a party band whatsoever, there’s no alcohol involved usually. Everybody’s there to just play music and is respectful of each other’s time because we know how busy everyone is. When it comes time to practice or play a show, that’s the focus.

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You and drummer Aaron Lagas both grew up in Owatonna. What’s your musical history together? He and I hadn’t played any music together in 12 or 13 years. He had taken a long break from his instrument and he already does not sound that way; he’s great. It’s good to reconnect with an old friend. We played together in basically every serious band I had been in for many years. We played music in our formative years in Owatonna in his parent’s basement. What are your plans for 2019? I want to start releasing music much faster. There was a nine-year break. So much of that had to do with indecisiveness on my part. I didn’t know where I wanted the songs to go. I had some recording sessions that I didn’t think were very productive. I would record tunes and then put them aside, scratch my head. After I started working with Brian and Allison, the album took four years to make. We were getting together sporadically and tracking here and there. It was just a very patient process which I was fine with, but now that Ice Palace is back as a functioning unit, I want to get those songs out. I’m always writing so it’s a little odd I’ve had such few releases. I’m hoping to have something SMS out by this summer and just keep making music.

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BottoMleSS cup of coffee

$1.25

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| APRIL 2019

Filled with local recipes submitted by our readers!

Let’s get 2018 cookbook Southern Minn

Girlfriends

cookbooks will be on sale at:

2 for

Faribault Daily News - 514 Central Ave, Faribault Northfield News - 115 5th St. W, Northfield Owatonna People’s Press - 135 W Pearl St. Owatonna

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15 $ 20

Let’s Get Cooking

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Refreshments

Megan Rolloff Megan is a designer at The Design Element in the Mankato Design Center. She can help you with all your design needs from planning to product selection.

pring can’t come fast enough! Although we’re still wrapping up projects from last year at the Mankato Design Center, we’re ever mindful of the coming season – and not just because of the dreadful weather we’ve been having! New projects are on the horizon and our designers are excited for the new opportuniSPONSORED BY ties to make longedThe Design Element for home 1711 Premier Drive updates a Mankato, MN reality. 507.345.8708 With a little time and a little of your trust, a designer can maximize a space’s potential to fit your budget. Let’s be honest, we all want the best outcome for the least “income”. Truly creative designs come from the limitations of the space and not the endless possibilities. Interior design is a situation where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Each piece a designer selects for a space

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is chosen for a particular purpose. Some items are the star of the show and some need to be supporting characters. Striking that balance is the key. You will achieve the greatest outcome by committing to the whole design your designer has put together rather than picking and choosing small parts here and there. Too many stars and not enough supporters (and vice versa) can cause the whole ensemble to fall flat. That being said, a Spring refresh does not mean you will need to replace everything in your home. A designer knows what will best compliment your existing items to achieve your desired effect. Sometimes that means adding, and sometimes that means editing. Adding a brighter area rug or removing a heavy piece of furniture can both make a space feel open and airy and help to shake off the weight of the cold winter weather. Adding florals or plants can also breathe new life into your space. And for those who do not possess a green thumb, no worries. You can use silk florals and synthetic plants - but buyer beware. All faux flora is not created equal so be discerning and be prepared to spend a little money to get something that will

truly enhance your space. And remember, if done well, it will last a very long time so is worth a little investment. Other accessorizing may be more specific to each client. There are mirrors, art, ceramics, pillows, lamps, small side tables, clocks, throw blankets, or candles – The Design Element has all of these items and are professionals at utilizing these tools. We even have a professional floral designer on staff to assist with arrangement quandaries of real nature or floral imitations along with a selection of in-stock arrangements. And we understand – coordinating all of these elements can be a daunting task when thinking about it all at once! But, getting an outside perspective on your space can be the best thing post cabin-fever. Photos are especially helpful for a “refresh” as the designer will need to work with what is there already. If you are feeling the weight of winter and can’t stand staring at the same old things inside your home, it may be time to think about that Spring refresh. Getting the biggest bang for your buck could be as simple as contacting a designer, trusting him/her, and committing to the project.

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THE Calendar Compiled By Anne Kopas editor@southernminnscene.com

The Norwegians

March 21-24, Sheldon Theatre, Red Wing

free art-making. Other activities include a “canvas clash” speed painting competition, art exhibits, film screenings, panel discussions, live theater performances, and more in Lanesboro’s bluff country. commonwealtheatre.org/news-events/spring-into-art/

This bitter comedy by C. Denby Swanson follows two Minnesota women, Olive and Betty scorned by love, who send Norwegian hit men after their ex-boyfriends. Neither woman is prepared for the attraction they discover for the Norwegians, Gus and Tor. Or for the fact that Gus has been sleeping with clients, or that Gus is Betty’s ex who already has a hit out on him. Should Betty call off the job? This performance is recommended for ages 14 and up. sheldontheatre.org/event/the-norwegians-by-c-denbyswanson/2019-03-21/

classics to modern artists. The name comes from railroad slang, referring to the boxcars used to transport troops during WWI—either 40 soldiers or 8 horses. The band has quite the list of awards, including first place at the Rocky Grass Band Competition and Minnesota State Duet Competition, along with selection honors at the International Bluegrass Songwriters Showcase, and more. paradisecenterforthearts.org/the-high-48s/

Little Chicago: Speakeasy and Casino Night 7 p.m. March 23 Canterbury Park, Shakopee

Travel back in time to the Roaring Twenties for the second annual Speakeasy and Casino Night, hosted by Shakopee Rotary. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, a dessert and drinks bar, casino games and more, with music by the Twin Cities Jazz Cats to liven things up. Dressing up in fringe, feathers and fedoras isn’t required, but it’s highly encouraged. shakopeerotary.org

Avenue Q

Charlie Parr

“Avenue Q” claimed the Tony Triple Crown for sweeping the Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book awards. Now, performances of this acclaimed musical come to Rochester, telling the story of Princeton, a new college graduate who moves into a shabby apartment in New York. Princeton soon discovers that this is far from an ordinary neighborhood, as he and his friends search for jobs, love and the purpose of life. “Avenue Q” addresses humorous adult issues (and is recommended for ages 16 and up) through children’s show-style lovable puppet characters. rochesterrep.org/tickets/

7 p.m. March 22 Mankato Brewery, Mankato

Spring Into Art

7:30 p.m. March 29 The High 48s Lakeville 7:30 p.m. March 22 Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault Area Arts Center, Lakeville The High 48s are back in Faribault with their soulful bluegrass

March 21-24, 28-31

March 21-24, 28-31 Lanesboro Spend two whole weekends exploring all types of art with Lanesboro’s Spring Into Art festival. Get hands-on in the art making crawl, where several downtown businesses will open their doors for a day of

(with special guest Lee Henke) Duluth-based folk songwriter Charlie Parr has released 13 fulllength albums and toured for decades. Now, he’s coming to Mankato with his newest album, “Dog,” which explores his own struggles with depression, taking the listener on a journey into the singer’s mind. Still, Parr keeps the music mostly upbeat, with an attitude of persistence and motion. He’s joined by Lee Henke, formerly of The Last Revel. mankatobrewery.com

Abbey Road: An Album Tribute

sound, taking after a wide range of influences ranging from the

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Minnesota-based tribute band has performed the music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Blues Brothers and more throughout the state. Now, they’re bringing one of the music world’s most iconic albums, “Abbey Road,” to the stage from start to finish. Hear the self-described “vocal harmony-oriented jam band” perform Beatles favorites including “Here comes the Sun,” “Come Together,” “Something” and “Octopus’s Garden.” lakevilleareaartscenter.com/554/The-Beatles-Abbey-Road

There Is someThIng For everyone!

Speechless Film Festival

Family Mexican Restaurant

March 29-30 Verizon Center, Mankato Created in 2013, this multimedia event features both local and international artists, showcasing visual storytelling throughout genres: documentary, animation, drama, experimental and more. Its ambitious, diverse program also offers an educational opportunity, as attending students can attend presentations and connect with filmmakers. Speechless emphasizes the visual aspect of storytelling through film, in contrast to the focus on dialogue common in many films today. The festival is presented by Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato. speechlessfilmfestival.com/

We have a large variety of beverages and huge margaritas! Happy Hour 2-5pm!

Best Mexican Food

Owatonna

We Are The Willows : Picture (Portrait)

1830 S Cedar Ave

7:30 p.m. April 5 Sheldon Theatre, Red Wing

(507) 444-9490 Open Every Day! Sun. - Thurs. 11am - 9pm Fri. - Sat. 11am - 11pm

We Are The Willows, an orchestral indie rock band from Minneapolis, is bringing their album “Picture (Portrait) Pt.1” on tour. Released in 2014, the album is based off 350 letters that songwriter/frontman Peter Miller’s grandfather wrote to his grandmother while stationed in the Pacific during WWII. Inspired by these heartfelt letters, the album explores themes of family, separation, life, death and identity, delivered with vocal/instrumental combinations that emphasize energetic rhythms and melodies. sheldontheatre.org/event/picture-portrait/

The Savannah Sipping Society

April 5-7, 11-13 Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault The Merlin Players, Faribault’s community theater group, is presenting the comedy “The Savannah Sipping Society.” Four middle-aged southern women come together during a post-yoga happy hour, longing to escape the monotony of their daily routines, and decide it’s time to bring excitement back into their lives, and maybe find love along the way. This delightful comedy, written in 2016, follows the women over the course of six months as they find laughs, misadventures and some “liquid refreshment.” Audiences will raise a glass to the women’s friendships and determination to live in the moment and seize the day. paradisecenterforthearts.org/the-savannah-sipping-society/

www.eltequilarestaurant.com

EVENTS

2019 MN MUSIC

April 10, 8 PM - Kickoff Concert | Icehouse Performances by Lady Lark and bands from Manitoba-Milwaukee Music Exchange.

BUILDING CREATIVE COMMUNITIES

April 11, 6-8 PM - International Reception Summit Brewing Meet artists, DJs & industry professionals from Manitoba, Minnesota & beyond. Live music by Daddy Squeeze.

April 10-14, 2019

April 12-13, 9 AM - 5 PM - Keynote + Workshops University of St. Thomas Learn from musicians, media and film experts about professional, creative and wellness topics. Including free legal clinic, one-on-one mentoring sessions and a special student musician gathering.

SUMMIT Bringing together artists, fans & music industry professionals from across the Midwest

St. Paul / Minneapolis Workshops, Films, Industry Panels & Performances by national & local talent including:

Amanda Palmer Astronautalis

Taste of Nations

11 a.m.-2 p.m. April 6 Austin Packer Arena, Austin Austin’s annual Taste of Nations is known for drawing a big crowd. With food samples available from over a dozen countries, from Mexico to Germany to Greece, what’s not to love? Celebrate world cultures with dance performances, music and art from around the world while you eat. This free community event is an easy way to take a trip around the world in a single afternoon. www.facebook.com/TasteofNationsAustinMN/

Maria Isa Static Panic Jonatha Brooke

April 13, 7:30 PM - Amanda Palmer Concert The O'Shaughnessy The Dresden Dolls frontwoman plays a unique solo show performed exclusively on grand piano, bringing a mix of rock, pop and cabaret. April 14, 4-10 PM - Koda//Chromatic Party Parkway Theater Join us for our grand finale party, featuring a documentary film about Kate Nash, music videos, and dynamic performances as we explore the cross-section of film and music.

Info + Tickets: mnmusiccoalition.org

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EVENT

Craftastic Art Supply Swap & Sale!

consecutive Entertainer of the Year Awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America, along with winning the prestigious “Star Award” from the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation in 2010. Not to be outdone, her band is the most awarded group in bluegrass, with over 80 awards to its name with its infusion of contemporary styles into the classic soul of bluegrass. chatfieldarts.org/performances/4/11/rhonda-vincentamp-the-rage

Hops, Grapes & History at the Armory 7 p.m. April 6 Armory Square Event Center, Northfield

Taste a variety of locally produced spirits, wine cider and beer, provided by Northfield’s array of breweries and other drink-makers. Enjoy a food truck parked nearby and sodapop tasting, try your luck at a drop ticket raffle and play a variety of other games (like Tipsy Twister) throughout the night. Test your knowledge with the history trivia challenge — proceeds from the entire night benefit the Northfield Historical Society. northfieldhistory.org

AUDITIONS GALLERY

April 12-13 Page Theatre, Winona

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Purple Door Youth Theater

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The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts’ Dance Repertory Company, a pre-professional performance ensemble, is presenting its 46th annual spring concert, featuring works that span time and genre: classical, contemporary, ballet, hip-hop and more. Enjoy both re-staged works and new choreography created by Conservatory faculty and guest artists. Experience the way dancers bring stories to life through movement, music and production pagetheatre.org

Nov 26 | 5-7 pm Paul Briggs

Nov 27 | 4-6 pm Sign up for a time online

Drinking Habits OPEN ART

THEATER

April 5-7, State Street Theater, New Ulm In this laugh-out-loud comedy by Tom Smith, the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing undergoes a shake-up when two nuns begin secretly making wine in order to keep the convent open. A pair of reporters (and former fiancées) goes undercover as a nun and priest to discover the truth, but their appearance starts a rumor that they’re spies sent by the Vatican to shut the place down. Lost loves reconnect, wine and secrets are spilled, and accusations run wild in this farce of mistaken identities. Stay after the show on opening night for themed appetizers and local wines. statestreetnewulm.org

The Secret Garden

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater Rhonda Vincent & The Rage 7:30 p.m. April 11 Chatfield Center for the Arts, Chatfield

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Dance Repertory Company: Spring Concert

Rhonda Vincent & The Rage are, well, all the rage. Rhonda herself is the only female artist to earn the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year award for seven years straight, and has also earned several Grammy nominations and five

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7 p.m. April 12 Sheldon Theatre, Red Wing The cast of this unique comedy show features more than 30 four-legged, furry or feathered friends, including cats, dogs, parrots, geese and mice—and human performer Gregory Popovich, juggler and former star of the Moscow Circus. Popovich’s family-oriented show was voted “Best family show in Las Vegas” and made the finals on “America’s Got Talent.” Plus, all the pet performers were rescued from animal shelters around the country before becoming comedy theater stars. sheldontheatre.org/event/popovich-comedy-pet-theater/

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Vicky Emerson

Is The Local Feminist Hero We Need Right Now

Story By Sarah Osterbauer editor@southernminnscene.com 10-year veteran of the local music scene and notable Americana singer songwriter, Vicky Emerson is fired up. Her fourth album, “Steady Heart,” was released in January. It’s a collection of real truth tunes fueled by a polarizing political climate and growing knowledge of the complexities of love. In directing the album’s creation, she intentionally involved as many women as she could find, taking over the production duties herself. She has made a conscious decision to be a noticeable voice for women in her music, in the local community and beyond. Deep from the trenches of promoting her album, Vicky took the time to talk to us more about “Steady Heart,” how she got her start in music and how she responds to internet trolls.

Tell me more about producing your own album and the challenges it pre-

sented and why it was important to you to either have a woman producer or ultimately to do it yourself. Sure. I’m well versed in the studio setting. I’ve recorded several albums and worked with some really great producers that are men and my studio experience has always been really great. But with the rise of what’s been happening, especially with the #metoo movement and #timesup, I just felt like it would be important to me to start working with more women. And so I started looking around and I was really disheartened to see that there really aren’t that many female producers. You do see more and more women producing their own work, and I think the reason is because we -- for me anyway -- is that I have to learn by doing. I have to be hands on in order to understand what the process is. I feel that, like Mary Bragg in Nashville, she has an album coming out, now she produced it and engineered it, and I think that you’ll see more and more of that happening as women find their confidence that they can indeed produce their own material. I was also in a situation where my band and I have been together playing this bunch

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of songs for, you know, a good year, so the arrangements were pretty well established, so then it was really capturing the essence of the song in the studio. I felt pretty confident that I could do that and I’m really happy with the way it turned out and yeah, it was really important to me to shine a light on the fact that women – there aren’t very many women producers but indeed they can and should do it on their own. What does your writing process look like? Are you a lyrics first person? Melody first? Do you have a process in place? Haha! Well, if you followed this, I’ve become a mother and before I had children it was kind of melody and lyrics at the same time and I would just grab my guitar or sit behind the piano and just work out the song. Didn’t really matter how long it took, because I had more time. Now that I’m a mom, it’s a little different. I will say that I was a part of that Facebook challenge that my friend Sarah Morris does, where they put out a word a week. And I did that for the summer which helped yield 12 new songs, you had to write a song a week so that was a really great way to jump start my writing. I resisted it, because I’m not much of a sharer, a public sharer of new material, and that’s part of the deal with this. As soon as you complete the song, you have to take a video and put it on Facebook and that just made me really uncomfortable.

That would make anyone uncomfortable I think!

Yeah, I like to think of my songs a bit like soup. I like to put out the good ingredients and then just let it sit for a while and simmer and then see if I wanna change anything. You really don’t have that opportunity with this, but it’s a really good exercise and also what it made me do is It made me choose writing over other things. I could probably be folding laundry or I could be out doing yard work, but instead I’m gonna sit down and I’m gonna finish this song, so you’re just really making the choice to put the writing in front of other things. Once I did that, I wrote a lot of songs for this album. So it was really fun to see which ones would hang together the best. For you, what does it look like being a working musician, having a family, having kids? I know we talked about, with your songwriting, just being a lot more deliberate about when you choose to do that, but as far as playing shows and trying to get all your family time in and I know in a previous interview you said your

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husband travels for work. Can you tell me what your day to day looks like? That’s why the Facebook challenge -- I’m choosing to make writing a priority, to choose to write when it’s quiet here because it’s generally not. I do need the quiet in order to write. That is essential to my process but having two little ones and a husband that travels, he still travels about two days a week sometimes three, sometimes all week and then I’ll have shows on the weekend. So I will say that the juggling is a constant challenge. The days get to be really long and then my kids love to get up early. I mean, it’s being very vigilant about self care. It’s just so important. If you’re not feeling 100% or you’re feeling run down. Or you get impatient and things don’t go the way you want them to go. I just try to really make sleep a priority and exercise and try to take care of myself so I can take care of everybody else. Do you say today I’m going to write songs for 20 minutes or try to get some kind of music in every day? Not every day. Right now is weird for me. Because right now I’m in a promotion cycle for the album which is just tons and tons of computer work, which is my least favorite but it has to be done. So right now I did make some choices to practice before shows. I really try to be vigilant about making really good setlists. For instance Sarah Morris and I were on tour as The Home Fires last weekend in Texas and I made sure we carved out time to practice and plan out what we were playing. But right now I’m not writing, maybe just a little bit here and there. I don’t know if my brain just completely shuts down the creativity mode in order to go into promotion mode but the two of them don’t work in tandem very well. I’ve been hearing a lot about your music video [for “The Reckoning”]. It seemed like it was getting a lot of good recognition. NOTE: “The Reckoning” video features a dance group, an artist and a small choir of notable local female singers, the clear message being, women supporting each other. Yeah it did really really well and I’m really thrilled. I did get, I don’t know if you saw this, but I did get trolled pretty hard. I woke up on Friday morning and some guy had jumped on my Instagram page had left some pretty horrible remarks, including using the F word. [audible gasp]

If you follow me on Instagram, it’s right there. I did a post about it. Then he jumped over to

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The Home Fires page and used the F word again and called me fat. It was bad. I was like, “Oh my goodness.” It’s just a thing where here you’re putting out something about women supporting women and, you know, the song is called “The Reckoning” and I see women finding their confidence and moving into their power. I think that makes some people uncomfortable. I don’t think any woman can put out any female empowerment art statement of any kind without some guy getting all hot and bothered about it and making asinine comments. The thing is I wasn’t even surprised! I was like, “Oh, it took four days for this to happen; that’s amazing.” I felt like, that is so sad that we just expect it. We shouldn’t expect it and we shouldn’t tolerate it, it’s wrong! It’s just wrong. So when you were thinking of the idea for the video for “The Reckoning,” did you know you wanted to put out that kind of a video from the beginning? You know, I wrote the song with my friend Graham Bramblett and I didn’t even know it was going to be on the record at the point that we wrote it. But then when we were putting the record together it was pretty clear that song was resonating with audiences. Any time we played it, that was the one, everybody loved it. So I thought, I’m going to put this on the album and then it came time to think about doing the music video, And the lyrics, we left them open for interpretation; we did that on purpose because then people can put their own story into it that way. But then as everything started to come together, all of a sudden, it clicked. I worked with so many women who helped create the record. I hired a radio promoter; she’s a woman. I produced it. I hired a publicist; she’s a woman. And I was like, you know what, this is women supporting other women; this is a statement. I feel really strongly that if we support each other, then our voice is louder as a group than it would be divided and trying to make a case on our own. We’re stronger as a unit. So then I took that idea to my friends Heather Corndorf and Katie Cannon. They’re in the video; they’re two of the dancers and they volunteered to do the choreography. And it then was really natural to ask my friend Genevieve [Fabiola], because I love her art work and the wings represent that we can lift each other up. And then the singers come in. Once we committed to the idea, it just all fell into place. It was so fun to do! SO fun to do! I was amused. A man – music blogger -- reviewed your album and said that the intended audience of your album is women. What are your thoughts on that statement? Myself, I disagree. Your music can be interpreted in so many ways. Exactly, yeah, I write songs for people. I don’t write them just for women or just for men. I’m a songwriter. It’s called Steady Heart and at the end of the day the album is a collection of love songs. You know love is -- it gets dynamically complex as we get older. As we care for aging parents and care for children all at the same time. People encounter health issues and addictions and then there’s a love I have for my husband and it’s evolved

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“That’s a hard question, because albums are like your children. I would say that I’m really proud of this record in a way that’s different from the previous ones and that could be because I produced it, but when you’re working with a producer, they’re going to have their sound when they help craft the album, and I was really curious, ‘What would I sound like if it just came from me?’ This is it. And I really love the way it turned out and I really love the songs.” – Vicky Emerson

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and endured a lot of ups and downs in the 10 years we’ve been married. And it’s tested and how you come through on these tests and how it takes a steadiness and an endurance and it takes commitment and I think at the end of the day that’s where this album lands. I know you’ve been making music for a long time. How did you start making music and what keeps bringing you back to it?

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(Laughs). You know my husband reminds me after every time I put out an album I say “This is gonna be the last one; I can’t do it anymore.” And then every three years, I say, “I need to put out another record.” And he just shakes his head “Here we go again” and he reminds me, “You know this is how things go.” It’s intense, stressful, kinda crazy and chaotic and I think I don’t know if I can do it anymore and then low and behold we’ve done many. I think I started in 2000. I put out a solo piano record because I was one of the pianists at Nordstrom’s in Chicago, where I lived at the time, and that was my job. People would ask me all the time, “What are you playing?” And I said, “I don’t know, I just make it up.” And Nordstrom’s said, “If you put out an album, you can sell it here.” So I did that and it was great and then I did a couple more of those and that was fine, but then I kinda got bored just of the instrumental stuff, cause it’s kinda, I don’t know. I was more interested in writing some lyrics instead of just expressing it with instrumental piano and doing things that are more complex and then we moved back to… I lived in St Paul and I started going to open mics and started playing shows here and there. And then I think it was 2007, maybe then I started putting out vocal records. So there’s some early stuff, and then in 2009 I put out an album called “Long Ride” and I feel like I finally had honed in on ‘This is my sound’. And it falls under Americana music and then after I figured that out, then I knew I had a genre, cause I was really all over the place. I would write a country song and then a pop song and I think it’s really natural in early songwriting to experiment. Then finally I committed to what I felt like, “This is what my songs sound like and that is Americana music.” I know you’ve lived in several different places. How would you compare the music scene in Minneapolis to the other places that you’ve been?

10th ANNUAL WINONA, MINN. MAY 3-4

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Well, I’ve lived in New York City, so that’s a hard one to compare to, but I will say this, there are some similarities to New York City that I see here in Minneapolis, especially right now. It hasn’t always been this way, but I see people willing to help each other and support each other and build those alliances that I respond to. “I can help you with this; I can give you the booking name.” People willing to help, not expecting anything in return, just for the sheer idea of we all do better when we all do better. I believe that 100 percent, and I noticed that in New York City, and I thought that’s really refreshing. That’s when I learned this is really important, not feeling like you’re in competition all the time and just wanting to help other people or, you know, expecting something in return. Then I moved to San

Francisco, and then we had a baby at that time, and I got pregnant, so I never got to explore the music scene there. And it’s not as vast or accessible as New York City is. The scene is smaller and it definitely was not like, Americana music was where it was at there. The timing kind of worked out in my favor because I was a mother to very tiny children so my focus was where it needed to be. But then we moved back to Minneapolis, and that was good. The timing couldn’t have been better. I had my son, and then after a couple years of not sleeping, I was like, “I need to get back to music because I’m going to lose my mind here.” So then I started getting back into the music scene here and released another album and that’s when I started meeting all these incredible people. Other people, especially people in the music scene here. Is that when you met Sarah [Morris]? Yeah, I met her in 2016 I think? We were set up by Ellen Stanley, she told me “You need to meet Sarah” and she told Sarah, “You need to meet Vicky; you two have so much in common.” And when we finally met, we were like, “Oh yeah, yes we do.” We became fast friends, and then we did our radio campaign together and that was really amazing in terms of the text messages that would happen, you know, like I would make a phone call and let’s say one of the guys who would take phone calls about adding new music and how much they were spinning your record would be sitting at his desk, and I would text her and say ‘Bob is at his desk; you should give him a call.” So we would work together and we were very successful at getting on the Americana chart and getting our music played. So that solidified our friendship and we started doing some touring together. Aside from producing it yourself, how do you feel this album differs from your previous ones? That’s a hard question, because albums are like your children. I would say that I’m really proud of this record in a way that’s different from the previous ones and that could be because I produced it, but when you’re working with a producer, they’re going to have their sound when they help craft the album, and I was really curious, “What would I sound like if it just came from me?” This is it. And I really love the way it turned out and I really love the songs. I think the songs tell pretty essential stories, and they’re also timely stories and things that can make you think about what’s going on in your own life. I do love all the work that I have done with Matt Patrick and all my experiences with that, but this one is special, and I’m excited to see where it’ll go. Who would your dream collaboration be with? I get compared to Roseanne Cash all the time, and I’ve loved her ever since someone gave me her album “10 Song Demo.” I love her. I love her voice on Twitter, and I think she’s super brave. I also really respect and love Brandi Carlile. Her performing The Joke on the Grammys? C’mon! I think those two women I really look up to and would love to do a collaboration. SMS Vicky Emerson’s album “Steady Heart” is available wherever you consume music.

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Fitness in SoMINN

donovan belcourt Donovan Belcourt is the co-owner of Cannon Strength a gym in Northfield. Members differ in age, ability, and gender but share a powerful desire to realize their latent capacities for strength, health, and wellbeing. Check it out at cannonstrength.com.

Walking: O

the most undervalued form of exercise

ften in life we tend to look for the most complex and cutting edge solution to our problems and exercise is no different. Think about how many people you know that have fancy exercise machines in their basement collecting dust. You might need a third hand to count them all. The simplest solutions are the first ones to get overlooked, but these elementary tactics are often the most effective. There are experts in cycling, football, weightlifting, and running, but it takes years of practice to become proficient in these activities. Thankfully, most of us have been walking since we were in diapers, literally. We are experts at this form of exercise! No one has to teach us how to walk because it’s in our genes. Pun intended. In addition to walking being accessible to most people, it’s a relatively safe form of exercise. If you can walk, you should be. Walking is not only the simplest method of exercise, it’s the most effective form of exercise (and this is coming from a gym owner). Just 25 minutes a day of pumping your legs and swinging your arms can have a profound impact on your health. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minute of moderate exercise per week. If you do the math, 25 minutes per day puts you at 175 min wk. Now you’re over achieving. Another perk, the 25 minutes doesn’t have to be in the same session. You can break it into two 12 minute walks. One in the morning and one on your lunch break. Experience has taught me that taking a midday stroll greatly improves my mood and energy levels beyond that of any stimulants. I’m looking at you coffee. And I love coffee. Are you still not convinced? According to Harvard Medical School walkers have a better chance of avoiding the flu, defending certain cancers, and improving cognitive function. If walking down a concrete path with cars whizzing by bores you (or scares you), thankfully, Carleton and St. Olaf colleges in Northfield have miles of hiking trails, just waiting for you to stomp all over. As a matter of fact, Runner’s Magazine voted the Cowling Arboretum as the No. 1 trail to walk in Minnesota. A great place to access Carleton’s Upper Arboretum is at the corner of 2nd St. E and Oak Street. The Carleton bookstore also sells a detailed map of the entire upper and lower arboretum. SMS

Expert Tips • Do you think walking is too easy? Try adding 1 0 jumping jacks at the top of every minute during your walk. • If you can find a walking buddy, great. Sharing your new habit with a friend can be very rewarding and help you stay accountable but be careful because it can backfire. If your walking buddy stops walking with you, it’s a convenient excuse for you to stop walking. • Try walking first thing in the morning before you have a chance to find distractions.

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| APRIL 2019

Photographing SoMinn:

MinneSNOWta! Photos and text by Elizabeth Nida Obert www.nidaphoto.com elizabeth@nidaphoto.com

“I

am done with winter,” my stepson declared after clearing huge amounts of snow from our Rochester driveway Feb. 20. What I wanted to say to Patrick but didn’t is that he may be done with it. But winter isn’t done with him. And Mother Nature always gets the last word. Always. “Screw spring, it’s time for summer!” my postal carrier shouted from across the street that same afternoon, gesturing to the neighbor’s mailbox and explaining carriers won’t “dismount” from the truck to get mail into the sometimes snow-obstructed boxes. That means some may get no mail for days or weeks. Who knew? I admitted our snow-packed mailbox was getting borderline.

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“I stretched,” she said with a smile before pulling away into the white abyss. If you can’t talk about the weather in Minnesota, what can you talk about? It’s what we do. So, we’ve had a little snow this Feb. A whopping and recordsetting 31.5 inches with eight days remaining, according to the local weatherman. And love it or hate it, we all have an opinion. Unless I have to drive in it, I happen to fall into the former category. It is lovely. And it is pristine. And it is serene. I’ve immersed myself in the growing drifts with snowshoe adventures through my neighborhood and the grounds of the nearby History Center of Olmsted County, snapping pretty pictures and capturing slow-motion video as the accumulating snow lifted and dispersed from my sinking snowshoes; follow elizabethnidaphoto on Instagram to view. My granddaughter also delights in the snow and the remarkable number of days off from school as a result -- no complaints there. The colorful snowmen and snowflake gels on our patio door are a reminder of one recent morning where she and I had seemingly all the time in the world to decorate and ponder how we were going to spend yet another treasured snow day together. Freelance writer and photographer Elizabeth Nida Obert, a former newspaper staff photographer for 18 years, has degrees in both and is passionate about telling stories in words and pictures. She thrives on travel and adventure and is always looking forward to where the next open road – or door – will lead. SMS

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| APRIL 2019

SoMinn Food & Dining

Victoria’s Ristorante

Review

pat garry JOURNALIST – COPYWRITER – EDITOR – FEATURE WRITER My experience spans 19-years, and I will apply my skills to help beef-up any lifeless copy within your website, brochure, press release, catalog, etc. - patgarry@charter.net

– Simply Italian … Seriously Delizioso

ccasionally, I wonder if people like me spend countless evenings conjuring up vast, flamboyant dining establishments, brooding over jam-packed, multi-page menus, and glutting (or lamenting not to glut) on mercilessly comparable fluctuations of creamy, gaudy cheesecake, and habitually fantasize of stealing away to an exclusive, devoid of that same-ol’ same-ol’ kind of eatery. Maybe this fictional restaurant is a sociable place, tucked on an easy-to-park street; and where the waitstaff aren’t extremely acquiescent and the prices aren’t extremely high. The dining digs are spacious enough not to be poky, but not so big that a megaphone is required to assure clear communication with the partner across the table. There is no chic, extra-long and circular lampshade dangling from the ceiling, no whimsical, over-grown ten-color flower assemblies prospering to the sky. A modest yet cozy bar exists and beckons patrons to belly-up and throw down. The food mirrors Mom’s food, prepared in a way that highlights the ingredients instead of the vaunted skills of an egotistical chef. It’s a restaurant… an Italian restaurant… where one is happy to dine on any given evening… on his or her own nickel… and when it isn’t his or her dubious professional duty to devour everything in sight. Victoria’s Ristorante & Wine Bar, is this kind of place. A 22-year going concern, it is conveniently located next to the Mayo Clinic in the heart of downtown Rochester and satisfies a void in high-end Italian dining. Owner/Manager Natalie Victoria takes her cues from simple, traditional Italian dishes that allow the talent of the kitchen and the essence of the ingredients to shine through. An award-winning Italian restaurant with over 100 menu options from which to choose, Victoria’s sports many private dining rooms and a full bar with an extensive wine list. Making regular appearances on the food-starters list are the Mechi’s Chicken dinner, the Mediterranean Salad, and the very popular Blackened Salmon with Mango Salsa. Recently, my wife and I visited the Ristorante for dinner. I ordered and thoroughly enjoyed the Mechi’s Chicken. It was an awesome flavor of marinara and Alfredo sauces in tandem, combined with real butter-cooked fresh chicken and accompanied with mushrooms and green peas. Finished off with melted mozzarella on top and al dente pasta on the bottom, it had my taste buds soaring. My wife’s choice was Fettuccine Alfredo, prepared in a creamy sauce with Parmesan cheese and a hint of garlic. We shared the Mediterranean salad, and it was maybe our greatest decision of the evening; fresh Romaine & mixed lettuce, grilled chicken, Mandarin oranges, navel oranges, sun-dried cherries, apples, mangos, pecans, slivered almonds, red onions & honey-mustard dressing (and the kitchen sink!). Dessert beckoned and we responded, fully indulging in the Salted Caramel Almond Cheesecake. Looking nearly too good to eat, it was an elegant cheesecake featuring the delectable and always compatible salt and caramel. Baked on a salty almond crust and topped with a thick bed of buttery caramel, the glorious concoction was then topped with even more almonds. The

entire dinner was superb and plentiful. “Our dinner menu has a bit larger portions, and includes our homemade soup or side salad, and all meals are served with our famous rolls,” Victoria commented. Another dining experience offered that is very popular with the lunch working crowd, as well as clinic patients and guests, is the Express Area. Located down the hall from the restaurant entrance, the Express is open every weekday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and offers fresh-made salads, a variety of soups and homemade pizzas; as well as a generous choice of beverages. PRENDI E VAI! (Grab and Go) If you’re in a hurry for scratch-made cuisine that fills you up, no worries . . . just prendi e vai! There is a lot to like about Victoria’s. They offer great dining options for larger groups and have a number of side rooms available for private or large parties. And when Mother Nature finally decides to set the proper milieu, Victoria’s summer patio is truly a highlight. The staff has created a beautiful space with blooming hibiscus and fun umbrellas within a large space that accommodates guests seeking to enjoy their meals. Natalie’s competent employees take pride in offering great service, and they are more than willing to find answers for almost any question. “Our kitchen is among the most flexible in Rochester, and this is important to us, because we understand that there are a lot of visitors that may be here related to special concerns with their health, and we do our best to accommodate special dietary needs,” said Victoria. The establishment’s professionals strive to serve only the freshest and highest-quality ingredients. “We have partnered with the Eau Galle Cheese Factory in Wisconsin, voted best in the country, to provide our Parmesan cheese. You can be very confident that eating at Victoria’s offers many healthy, delicious choices, for every taste,” Natalie added. Every week the bar features “Wine-Up” Wednes-

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day – just $8.00 for a bottomless glass of wine. Victoria’s boasts an extensive award-winning wine list and scratch cocktails; and for the after-dinner treat, the chefs offer numerous, scrumptious house-made desserts. I’ve eaten at Victoria’s several times and have never been disappointed. In fact, the bread basket alone is worth the visit but there’s so much more. The menu reads like a cumulative libretto of other eateries’ greatest hits, and is the size of a tabletop, but the gently and carefully prepared cuisine is delivered with old-school flair. Victoria’s offers comforting food that would have the approval of even the ‘pickiest’ Italian grandmother. The venue’s savory menu changes from time to time however, so while you shouldn’t become too fixated on just one dish, do expect everything you try to be magnifico. Buon Appetito! This was and always is a very enjoyable dining experience, and I give it five ‘Grande’ Stars. (7 First Ave. SW; Rochester, MN; 507-280-6232; Hours: Open 10:30 am to 10:00 pm – daily; Note: Italian wines can be overpriced and impenetrably complex, but the list here comes with informative bits like names-price per glass-and price per bottle-on reds, whites, and sparkling wines. SMS

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ALBUM REVIEW By Daniel G. Moir editor@southernminnscene.com

uster sets a fine table, but fails to deliver a satisfying meal on a short collection that serves mood over melody.

Album Grade: C

Guster Look Alive

The brisk 35-minute eighth album from the Boston quartet begins tentatively with “Look Alive” and sets a rather somber proceeding for what’s to come. Leader Ryan Miller’s vocals are unusually soft, using his upper vocal register to deliver a dreamlike melody that floats, but never congeals into anything particularly memorable. The dark tones give atmosphere, but vanish like the aural mist they helped to create. Second Track, “Don’t Go” is an entirely different affair. Instrumentally engaging from the onset, this delightful melodically sugarcoated pop song effectively, and smartly, obscures lyrical themes of regret and nostalgic desperation. This is the type of song the band excels at, and here they deliver their impressive skills in spades. This is intelligent pop, expertly executed with a twist of humor and superior musicianship that is unafraid to toss in a clever Doris Day reference for good measure. Guster began in 1991 when the three principal members of Miller, Adam Gardner and Brian Rosenworcel met as first-year students at Tufts University. They originally played as a trio with Miller and Gardner on acoustic guitars and Rosenworcel on a combination of bongos and cymbals. Over time, this eclectic sound gave way to a more traditional rock quartet with the addition of fourth member Joe Pisapia. Luke Reynolds replaced Pisapia in 2010 to comprise the band’s current line-up. The sense of wise-ass humor borne of a private

liberal arts education has embodied both their music and how they operate. Not satisfied with just selling T-shirts at their shows, the band also offers “Gustard.” The rare act with their own condiment. The band’s greatest asset, as well as their biggest curse, is their powerful intelligence. Prodigiously talented, Guster is capable of conceiving endlessly hooky and intriguing melodies as if they were genetically engineered. Instead of taking advantage of this ability in the quest of an obvious “Top 40” chart entry, they deliver their melodic goods wrapped in quirky, odd pieces like the jarringly delightful “Overexcited.” Upon first impression, “Overexcited” verges on unlistenable with Miller delivering the song’s lines in a singsong, fake English accent. The payoff comes in the song’s bright chorus and strutting rhythm. The song sounds as awkward as the socially inept character Miller embodies, making it one of the more refreshingly funny songs in the band’s catalog. After lustfully texting the spinach-toothed object of his desire and recounting that the name of his family’s dog is “cat,” this unabashedly earnest tune closes with a joking sideswipe at Rosenworcel’s ride cymbal during the outro. A rare treat to shake up many a future playlist. The band maintains a tendency to veer into lateperiod Beatlesque sonic territory on their albums, and Look Alive continues that tradition with “Hello Mister Sun.” This surreal love song to the sun has a psychedelic lyric and three distinct musical sections that suggest another life as an outtake from the Fab Four’s Abbey Road. Good, but very paint-by-numbers in final execution. Look Alive is split between catchy melodies and mood, with the latter as the more dominant. Songs like “Terrified”, “Don’t Go”, and “Overexcited” sit amongst songs with limited, forgettable melodic ap-

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peal that incorporate a darker state of mind to sell their story. In the breezy “Summertime”, Guster venture into soundscapes previously occupied by The Flaming Lips on their brilliant 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. While they may ably navigate this area, it sounds more like a copy than anything original or really While neither a triumph nor a disaster, Look Alive, is somewhere in the middle. A disappointingly average album from a band capable of better. There are solid songs to be found here, but the two or three that stand out are due to their placement among the more forgettable ones that comprise the album. It would have been better for the band to concentrate their efforts on a solid extended play than a “regular” album release. Bottom Line: A frustratingly short album that allows moodiness to cast a far too long shadow over the more engaging material. Daniel G. Moir has forgotten more about music than all the rest of us know combined. Reach him at editor@southernminnscene.com

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| APRIL 2019

THE BOOKWORM SEZ By Terri Schlichenmeyer

All That Remains by Sue Black

American Pop: A Novel by Snowden Wright

Hero Dogs by Wilma Melville with Paul Lobo

Sugar Run: A Novel

by Mesha Maren

Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer based just across the river from SoMinn in LaCrosse, WI. She can be contacted at bookwormsez@gmail.com

Dead men don’t tell tales. Or at least that’s what the old saying claims: once dead, a guy can’t talk. Once dead, his jaw won’t move on its own and no sound comes from his vocal cords. He can’t rat out who made him dead – or can he? In the new book “All That Remains” by Sue Black, a dead man can almost seem to scream. Having a high-school job has been the usual way to go for generations of teens, but Sue Black had a very unusual one: she worked in a butcher shop, and often spent weekends up to her elbows in animal carcasses. She might’ve been happy there forever but it was expected that she go to college, so she did. She’d thought of being a doctor but she was too tenderhearted for that. Other studies were likewise rejected until Black dissected a

human cadaver and developed a fascination with anatomy. That was when she settled on forensic science and becoming an anatomist, tasked with figuring out who the deceased was in life. Though death is something that absolutely will happen to all of us, we talk about “losing” someone, as if it can be hidden by soft words. We ignore the fact that the longer we live, the closer we are to dying. We make last wishes that leave guilt for our survivors – or we don’t, leaving even more guilt. We think of cemeteries as final resting places, though there are other ways to legally deal with remains. We hope for a “good death” for our loved ones, but we pray it doesn’t come for a long, long time. We forget that someone doesn’t have to be alive to be present in our lives. For professionals like Black, death brings other considerations: putting a name to a corpse can be a struggle when modern life and better healthcare can make identification of unidentified bodies difficult. War can cause the same kinds of problems; solutions don’t always come. And yes, crime happens…

Read the opening chapter of “All That Remains,” and you may feel as though you suddenly dropped into an accelerated etiquette class, so stiff and starchy is the writing. Don’t slouch. Don’t put your elbows on the dissecting table, but do stay – author Sue Black has a nice surprise for you. All you really need is a little get-to-know-you time, as if finding a new friend before getting down to business with this book. Relax, and learn how many people have died in the last 50,000 years, which parts of you die quickest, and how you owe Mom a big thank-you. Bury your nose some more, learn about cemeteries, and see how bodies are ID’d in war and disaster. And then, despite the gloominess of the main subject, laugh at Black’s own personal stories of death, DNA, and of life. This is one of those books that’ll astound as it entertains. It’s a little shivery and oh-so-fascinating. And in the end, “All that Remains” is a tale you can live with.

Look out stomach, here it comes. Oh, how you anticipate that first swallow of great-grandma’s recipe, the one with the secret ingredient you know but you’re not telling. True, you might share that secret someday but in the meantime, as in the new novel “American Pop” by Snowden Wright, be careful what you spill. Fiona Forster wondered how well she really knew her husband, Tewksbury. When she married him before they came to America, he told her he was a doctor. She believed him then but as she lay on the wooden floor of their cabin, she had her doubts. If he was a doctor, then why didn’t he ease her labor pains? Tewksbury was a doctor – and he was enterprising. When he realized that potions he’d had back in Scotland could cure patients in America, too, he set up a small shop in their

Mississippi Delta town, and it flourished. By the time his son, Houghton, was old enough to run the place, the shop had begun to serve refreshments. Houghton always said that he came up with the delicious drink that everyone was talking about, all because of Annabelle. He’d fallen in love with her the minute he saw her but winning her hand was no easy feat. Annabelle’s family had money and her father wasn’t about to let his only child marry a soda jerk. But Houghton was no mere soda jerk. He was the creator of Panola Cola, so-named after the Mississippi county where it started. Houghton alone carried the recipe in his head. He was patriarch to his adult children: eldest son Monty, a heartsick veteran destined for politics but mourning a devastating loss; Harold, who’d had an unfortunate accident as a boy; and twins, Ramsey and Lance, both holding a secret oozing with jealousy. Houghton never wanted his children to want, but a little hardship made them ready for the future. One day, one of them would take control of Panola Cola, and he’d reveal the secret of his recipe at that time. Until then, he’d keep a cap on it…

Imagine, if you will, a nighttime soap opera written in bathtub gin, narrated by Burl Ives with snark and a side dish of history. Imagine that it makes you snort just before tearing your heart out and ruthlessly crumpling it. That’s “American Pop.” Taking readers to the mid-19th-century, through elegant speakeasies, Hollywood movie studios, and two wars, to the mid-1980s and back, author Snowden Wright tells a witty tale of a prosperous and proper Southern family with fangs, claws, and tender souls. Of course, that can be humorous but Wright won’t let you laugh for long: while this novel is about a handful of main characters, other Forsters move in and out of chapters with anger and well-meaning, leaving pain as sharp as busted glass. Grab this book and be prepared to feel all fizzy inside. Grab it, but leave the bookmarks at home; you won’t need ‘em. You’ll be too tempted to read “American Pop” in one long gulp.

You felt like such a loser. It was a feeling that didn’t last long – only long enough to ruin your day, until you realized that one moment isn’t forever. Nope, you’re not a loser and in the new book “Hero Dogs” by Wilma Melville with Paul Lobo, neither are these elite canines. They started as an idea from the ashes of disaster. When Wilma Melville saw Oklahoma City’s Murrah Federal Building on that spring morning in 1995, she was stunned. Debris was everywhere, which meant that odors were, too. Her search and rescue (SAR) dog, Murphy, was capable of finding any possible survivors but as the task continued, Melville clearly saw that America needed more SAR teams. She vowed right then to train 168 SAR dogs, one for each Oklahoma Bombing victim. It wouldn’t be as easy as picking out a puppy somewhere.

Melville decided that her target trainees would be unwanted former strays and rescue dogs. The nature of SAR demanded that ideal candidates be younger, in top physical shape, and have an extremely high prey drive; those that didn’t make the cut would be adopted out or trained for other work. Finally, SAR dogs had to possess an ability to work closely with their handlers, the first of which were firemen because firemen, says Melville, completely understand the kinds of the disasters for which dogs would be deployed. Following her instincts and led by her promises, Melville found her first three trainees, “a rejected guide dog, an abused stray, and a washed-out competition dog.” She took them to a co-visionary, a woman who was “something of a legend in dog-training circles,” and within months – much faster than anyone thought possible – Ana, Dusty, and Harley passed their FEMA tests, followed by Zack and Billy, Abby and Ace, more handlers and more dogs. Melville’s brainchild, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) was ready for any emergency. And that included September 11, 2001… Your dog knows how to sit, shake-paws, and stay when

told. He might even hunt or retrieve but you ain’t seen nuthin’ until you’ve read “Hero Dogs.” And if dogs aren’t reason enough to want this book, there’s this: don’t be surprised if your emotions surface when you least expect it. Authors Wilma Melville and Paul Lobo, tell a tale of despair that turns into the biggest success possible on many levels, but they do it in a way that gives readers the feeling that we’ve got a stake in the outcome. Her pups become our pups, and by time Melville’s “misfit” dogs make her proud, we are, too. When they’re goofy, we laugh along with her; we also grieve at failures. This makes the story even more compelling; it doesn’t hurt that Melville and Lobo know how to heighten suspense better than any novelist could. And so, your search for something to read this weekend ends right here. It’s got action, adventure, and warm fur on four feet. For dog lovers or anybody who loves a heroic story, “Hero Dogs” is a winner

It was right where you left it. Nothing had been moved, or altered. Things had stayed the same and whatever you were looking for was right where you left it. That goes for keys, eyeglasses, coffee cup and, in the new book “Sugar Run” by Mesha Maren, it could also include a life. She’d been told she’d spend decades behind bars. But there she was, ready to leave after only eighteen years inside Jaxton Prison, a ticket in her hand and four hundred dollars borrowed from her brothers. Jodi McCarty was going home to West Virginia. But first, she had to find Ricky. He was in Georgia, and she had time. Ricky was Paula’s brother – Paula being Jodi’s lover and the woman she killed – and it had always been Paula’s dream to get him far away from their abusive father. Jodi

knew that that was something she had to do now, so she headed to Chaunceloraine before re-starting her life on her grandmother’s farm. And in her search for Ricky, Jodi found Miranda. When Miranda left her husband, she really only wanted attention but she got a surprise instead: he took their three boys and left her with no money. She had no home, either, so she was staying the run-down motel near where Jodi had landed. Half-drunk one night, she ended up in Jodi’s room – and she stayed. Days before her first meeting with a parole officer in West Virginia, Jodi gathered Miranda and the boys she’d helped steal back and she headed home, having talked Ricky into leaving with her. Jodi loved Miranda, and the cabin where she’d grown up was a good place to raise kids. It was in rough shape, but it was home. But, as it turned out, it was someone else’s home: the land was sold for back taxes while Jodi was in prison, and frac sand miners were buying up the area. Jodi didn’t know what to do and, as the pressure to care for her makeshift little family grew, she realized that she didn’t know Ricky or

Miranda very well, either… With the slam of a door, “Sugar Run” starts out with a stunned shiver and it sprints. Author Mesha Maren perfectly captures the surrealness of being snatched from an unwanted reality and hurled into one that doesn’t make sense. Even if you’ve only just driven past a prison, you’ll know the crush of it. Back and forth the story goes, as we learn what happened when Jodi was just seventeen years old. That’s a mandatory part of the tale and it’s also, sadly, the cause of some disorientation since things begin to unravel as it’s populated with more and more people. Readers are rewarded with a gauzy, delicate ending but the last dozen pages make it tough getting there. And that’s too bad, since there’s more overall-positive things to say about this book than not. Try “Sugar Run,” linger, and you might love it but beware: you might also just as soon wish you’d left it.

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All That Remains by Sue Black, c.2018, 2019, Arcade Publishing , $27.99 / $36.99 in Canada, 368 pages.

American Pop: A Novel Snowden Wright, c.2019, Wm. Morrow, $26.99 / $33.50 in Canada, 386 pages.

Hero Dogs, by Wilma Melville with Paul Lobo, c.2019, St. Martin’s Press, $28.99 / $37.99 in Canada, 336 pages.

Sugar Run: A Novel by Mesha Maren c.2018, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, $26.95 / $26.95 in Canada, 320 pages.

A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent

Get

VALUE SCC is the Most Affordable Higher Education Option in the Region. Compare Colleges and Universities Around the State: 2018-19 MN Average Annual Tuition and Fee Rates (Based on 30 credits per year)

5,491

SOUTH CENTRAL COLLEGE (A MEMBER OF THE MINNESOTA STATE SYSTEM)

8,384

MINNESOTA STATE SYSTEM UNIVERSITIES

13,323

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

16,657

FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

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33,297

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PRIVATE 4-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

$35,000

$40,000

Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education

u d e . l a r t n e c h t u o s . www An affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and educator. This document is available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities, consumers with hearing or speech disabilities may contact us via their preferred Telecommunications Relay Service.

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A d d y o u r e v e n t f o r F R E E t o t h e T I M E L I N E c a l e n d a r . G O TO w w w. s o u t h ernminn . c o m / s c ene / c a len d a r & C l i c k + A d d a n E v ent