A Complete Abridged History of Music*

Uncategorized 3 Minutes

October 24

* In the greater Alexandria, Minnesota, standard metropolitan statistical area.

Talking about music is like dancing about architecture. ~  Steve Martin

The Super and I are rapidly approaching our 20th year of retirement. In the COVID induced absence of travel and live music, I thought it time for a retrospective. Otherwise I’d just be wandering aimlessly around the house (to the Super’s chagrin). To the best of my knowledge, I (or my camera) took all of the photos contained here, except for the first two. My first music memories from the early 2000’s are of concerts by Leo Kottke (2, as I recall) and Leon Redbone at the Andria Theater. This whole adventure will take multiple posts because, as many have noted, I’ve taken multiple photos over the years (2013 alone may require three separate posts). And if you’re interested in what any of these folks actually sound like, a YouTube search will reveal several videos posted by ‘tomruth1933’ . . .

Leo Kottke

Leon Redbone

The Music Venues

Alexandria Area High School Performing Arts Center (AAHS)
Alexandria City Park
Alexandria Methodist Church
Andria Theater
Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center
Ashby City Park
Bennigan’s
Big Ole Park Broadway Ballroom
Bug-A-Boo Bay
Carlos Creek Winery (CCW)
Carlson Music Center
Central Square Cultural and Civic Center (Glenwood)
Chandler Field hangar
Copper Trail Brewing Co.
Discovery Middle School
Douglas County Couthouse Lawn
Douglas County Fairgrounds
Evansville Arts Canter
Gathered Oaks
Interlachen Inn
Jamie Sandberg’s
Jeanne Johnson’s garage
Jordie’s Trailside Cafe (Bowlus)
Legacy of the Lakes Gardens
Lure Lakebar
Phoenix Event Center
Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale (SAWA)
The Garden Bar on 6th
The Peak Supper Club (Clitherall)
The Pines
Theatre L’Homme Dieu (TLHD)

The Early Years

Carlos Creek Winery (CCW) fans, September 2002

Dennis Murphy (w/ fan) @ CCW, October 2005

Kevin Klimek & Dennis Murphy @ CCW, September 2006

Skilly (Bruce Kelly) & Duff (Mikko Cowdery) @ Big Ole Park, May 2007

Dennis Murphy @ CCW, October 2007

Djangleville (Erik Schultz, Al Lieffort & Tom Mulder) @ CCW, November 2007

Skilly & Duff (Bruce Kelly, Annie O’Flynn & Mikko Cowdery) w/ our grandson Tom @ CCW, July 2008

Skilly & Duff (Sami Steidl, Annie O’Flynn, Bruce Kelly & Mikko Cowdery) @ CCW, September 2008

Emergency Stop (Terry Kennedy & Al Lieffort) @ Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale (SAWA), November 2008

CCW, January 2009

SAWA, April 2009

Doc’s All Stars @ Chandler Field (hosted by Jerry VanKempen), June 2009

Uncle Willie’s Gut Bucket Blues Band (Al Lieffort, Bruce Kelly & Erik Schultz) @ Bug-A-Boo Bay, July 2009 (Editor’s note: These guys were also in Djangleville, Salty Dogs, among others over the years. I will no doubt guess wrong on the group name at a particular time.)

Al Lieffort, Bruce Kelly & Erik Schultz @ CCW, July 2009 (The story line: My friend, Bob Gilbert, from D.C. days, came up from his retirement home in Arizona. Whoever was scheduled to perform that day couldn’t make it. Word must have gone out on the local wire about the situation because musicians just started showing up. There wasn’t much of a crowd because no one knew they would all be performing. Bob was astonished how good they were (they were all on their A-games) and there was hardly any audience.)

Tom Mulder & Annie O’Flynn joined in . . .

Same group @ Bug-A-Boo Bay, July 2009

SAWA, August 2009

Skilly & Duff @ Douglas County Fairgrounds, August 2009

Skilly & Duff (w/ Terry Kennedy in the middle) @ Douglas County Fairgrounds, August 2009

Dan Mahar & Halloween fan @ SAWA, October 2009

SAWA, October 2009

Kevin Klimek @ SAWA, December 2009

Skilly & Duff @ CCW, December 2009

Christine Rosholt @ SAWA, December 2009

Terry Kennedy, Spencer Christensen & Al Lieffort @ Arrowwood, February 2010

Rusty Rolandson @ CCW, February 2010

Skilly & Duff w/ Sami Steidl @ Andria Theater, April 2010

Bruce Kelly @ CCW, June 2010

Christine Rosholt (w/ Jay Johnson on keyboard) @ SAWA, June 2010

Skilly & Duff w/ Sami Steidl @ City Park, July 2010

Terry Kennedy, Sami Steidl & Al Lieffort @ City Park, July 2010

SAWA cellar for a tornado watch (one of two over the years), July 2010

Mel Lamar & Erik Schultz @ CCW, September 2010

CCW, September 2010

Julie & Matt Velline @ CCW, November 2010

Unknown Group

I don’t deserve a Songwriters Hall of Fame Award. But fifteen years ago, I had a brain operation and I didn’t deserve that, either. So I’ll keep it. ~ Quincy Jones

Up Next: Likely Part 2 of music (I will get back to Japan 1983, it just requires a lot of research) . . .

Published by tomobert63

The Journey Begins Thanks for joining me! This is the follow-up to the original, “alexandriacardinals.wordpress.com,” which overwhelmed the system’s ability to handle it any more. Thus, this is “Part 2.” As the original was initially described: 10-26-07-4 “It all began in a 5,000 watt radio station in Fresno, California” . . . wait a minute, that was Ted Baxter on the Mary Tyler Moore Show! Let’s see . . . oh yeah, it all began in 2003 when retirees, i.e., old people, in Alexandria, Minnesota, who had no desire to become snow birds, went looking for mid-winter entertainment here in the frozen tundra of West Central Minnesota. We discovered girls’ high school hockey, fell in love immediately, and it remains our favorite spectator sport to this day. Initially, and for several years, reports on these games were e-mailed to those who were actually snowbirds but wanted to keep abreast of things “back home.” It was ultimately decided a blog would be more efficient, and it evolved into a personal diary of many things that attracts tens of readers on occasion. It remains a source of personal mental therapy and has yet to elicit any lawsuits. ~ The Editor, May 9, 2014 p.s. The photo border around the blog is the Cardinal girls’ hockey team after just beating Breck for the state championship in 2008. It’s of the all-tournament team. The visible Breck player on the left is Milica McMillen, then an 8th-grader – she is now an All-American for the Gophers. The Roseau player in the stocking cap I believe is Mary Loken, who went on to play for UND; and the Cardinal player on the right, No. 3, is Abby Williams, the player we blame most for making us girls’ hockey fans who went on to play for Bemidji State. *********************************************************************************** Photos contained herein are available for personal use. All you have to do is double click on any of the photos and they will become full screen size. You can then save them into your personal “My Pictures” file. They make lovely parting or hostess gifts, or holiday gifts for such as Uncle Ernie who wants to see how his grand niece is doing on the hockey team. If any are sold for personal profit, however, to, for example, the Audubon Society, National Geographic, Sven’s Home Workshop Monthly, Curling By The Numbers, or the World Wrestling Federation, I only request that you make a donation to the charitable organization of your choice. You have two hours and fifteen minutes. Pencils ready? Begin! **********************************************************************************

Published

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