Month: March 2022

Total Drag Drops New Tix – Colleen Green & Damien Jurado!

Swaggy schwag Colleen Green button we picked up the last time around!

Why do we hate Covid? Because it put the kibosh on the coolest scene in town – the indie rock shows at Total Drag! (Well that and loss-of-life, political division, etc., etc…) Slowly but surely, things are changing. The kids are getting back in the vans and heading out to chase rock ‘n roll history once again.

Total Drag is on it, gearing back up with concerts that are always worth checking out. They just announced two new shows that are, in our opinion, unmissable.

The first: Colleen Green on May 19th! We caught her twice at Total Drag in the olden-days, and had a blast each time. She’s a one-man show, but brought a drummer along for the beats her first time out. That was rad, if noisy. The second time it was her and a drum machine. That was our favorite. Set the home-made vibe just right. Not sure who’s she’s touring with now, but we’ll be sure to find out!

The second: Damien Jurado on June 1st! We first got wise to Damien’s evocative troubadour-ing on the soundtrack to Netflix-s cult documentary “Wild Wild Country.” He’s got a string of great albums out there, channeling the vibes Laurel Canyon. 70s smooth, but you know, in the good way.

Pick up your tickets soon – these could be sell-outs!

Mash Madness Mid-Month Review!

Mash Madness, DTSF’s yearly local beer battle is hitting its half-way point, so there’s still a few weeks to get out and try some new brews!

Here’s our good, bad, ugly take on this year’s rumble:

The Good! Only five breweries are taking part this year. That makes it doable! Unlike the burger battle that brought in nearly 30 competitors, this one can be done without breaking the bank, or your gut. Heck, you can do it all in one night if you’re feeling determined and the weather cooperates for walking around downtown. And a little leg stretch is just the thing to keep the BAC down to driveable levels.

The Bad? Only five breweries are taking part this year! That’s not enough to develop some serious heat for the event. There are probably a half-dozen other local fermenters that could have done some sort of partnership with downtown restaurants to get in on the competition. A few more would add some buzz, baby! Go for it next year!

The Ugly? We like beer around here. BEER. Comforting golden glasses of frothy bubbles to be sipped or gulped depending on the vibe. Hop-rageous IPAs, cream-a-licious stouts, crisp lagers…you know, BEER. This year’s lineup is heavy on the sours, fruity stuff, and coffee-infusions. While we’ll never say “no!” to trying something new, such things are never a true test of what a brewery can do. Sure, we get the urge to rack up points in the “creativity” category, but it’s just not our bag.

That being said, our favorite has to be Woodgrain’s Nap Culture. Yeah, it’s a sour, but it drinks with authenticity. It’s a real beer, made with heart, the kind of thing that could seduce us into laying off the hops for a minute and having more than one.

But that’s just us! Get out there and give ’em a try before they’re gone!

Maria Butina, Still at it!

Maria Butina, still red, all the way through!

Nice to spin the radio dial while driving around the country and catch some local news with back-home connections!

Yes, everyone’s favorite part-time Sioux Fallsian is still out there, working hard on the behalf of her man, Mr. Putin. In an interview with the BBC she got a chance to share here message with the world… that the Ukrainians are bombing themselves in an attempt to make the peaceful Tzar Putin look like a war-criminal. Who’dda thunk it! Thanks, Maria for setting us straight on that. Glad to know the truth.

What a nut!