Horns! And More Horns!

America's love affair with horn-driven combos has a proven track record. From the Big Bands until the present, we've gone ga-ga over honking sax, ear-tingling trumpets and trombone glissando - Tower of Power, Deep Banana Blackout, Breakestra and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band are all great examples.

On top of the music, which is amazing, you've also got the spectacle to go along with it. Put loud horns in a room with the energy of a rock band and the air turns electric. Sure, horn combos sound great on record. But, you really need to see them live:



That's Post Traumatic Funk Syndrome, Fargo's own funky love letter to the horn combo, and they will squeeze all the energy they can into the HoDo Lounge tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. (Visit their web site here, and check out more YouTube fun here) It's gonna be like lightnin' in a bottle. There's a $5 cover and it's 21+ (sorry, minors). Get yer funk on!

June's Flavor of the Month - Danish Night

Be sure to join us for Danish Night, the latest in our monthly series of special dinners, on Friday, June 27th. Coinciding with the Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival, we'll be celebrating Danish cuisine with a three course menu prepared by guest chef Stig Hansen and served from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Musical guests Karisma Musik will also be on hand to play Scandinavian folk and jazz from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The cost is $40/person and includes music and the meal. Call 701.478.1000 for questions and reservations.

The Return of the Blue Wailers

The consummate bar/blues sound of a Blue Wailers show is the right combination of get-up-and-stomp good time blues and peel-your-beer-bottle-label thinkin' blues. They're starting to fit in at the HoDo Lounge like a trusty cowboy boot, and they'll be back tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m., no cover, 21+. Come on down for a listen.

The One, The Only ... Charlie Parr

The rise of regional stalwart Charlie Parr should take no one by surprise. Charlie's faithful recreations of cherished blues and country sounds are exciting for both their historical value and their novelty to our modern ears.

While many may recreate sounds, Charlie also has the work ethic to back it up. Throughout the next two months he'll be in Utah, Colorado and down into Texas as the summer festival season heats up. He's a busy guy. Before heading out for all points south and west, Charlie will be checking in with us tonight in the HoDo Lounge at 8:30 p.m. There is a $3 cover for this show but, believe me, it's worth every penny. Come on down.

Get to Know a Hodoan, #1: Rob

(Welcome to the first in an ongoing series of profiles of the HoDo's best asset: its teammates. You'll find out what makes us tick, hear ideas of things to do in Fargo-Moorhead, and get a bit of an inside peek into the world of the HoDo. Our first profile comes from one of our chefs, Rob.)


Do you have any nicknames? No.

What do you do and how long have you been here? I'm the pastry chef. I've been here for three years.

What is your most memorable HoDo moment? Dan and I got into a food fight with rotten cantaloupes!

Yuck. What do you like to do in your free time? I like to hunt, fish and play in my band (The New Instructions).


List some favorites of yours. On TV, I like to watch "Top Chef" and "Family Guy." For music, I like Guided by Voices, 311, Built to Spill and The National. My favorite movies are "Almost Heroes," "The Jerk," and "Cannibal! The Musical." I mostly read cookbooks.

What do you recommend to do while in Fargo? Eat at Cafe Aladdin and take a walk on the dike.

What are some of your favorites at the HoDo? The BBQ chicken pizza special or walleye cakes.

What is your dream vacation? Italy.


Who are your heroes? Robert Pollard and Elliot Smith.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Open a little "hole in the wall" restaurant in a town that needs it, buy a hunting ranch and work with a charity that feeds people.

(Our many thanks to Rob for being the first victim for this series. And, we thank him for all of the fantastic breads, scones, muffins and desserts he makes. Way to go, Rob!)

You Bring the Butter, Bad Mojo Brings the Jam

The Fargo-Moorhead area, along with much of the upper Midwest, is home to a growing tradition of improvisational rock in the strain of The Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic and The Allman Brothers. Lively shows, good beer and challenging-yet-compatible sounds make for a rich scene full of color and life.

For four years, Bad Mojo (listen to some songs here) has been flying that flag and delighting crowds in and around our area. The recent additions of keys and sax have given the band dimension and maturity, but there's still plenty of unscripted fun to be had. You can hear them tomorrow night in the HoDo Lounge starting at 8:30 p.m. No cover, 21+. See you there.