Tonight - The Mark Joseph Project

Down Lo has attained legendary status in the Minneapolis/St. Paul jam scene, combining sharp funk stylings with a Midwestern work ethic to rightfully find a home on the summer festival circuit and in rooms around the region. But such a work ethic demands a break at times, so Down Lo decided a few months back to take a breather.

Frontman Mark Grundhoefer isn't resting, though. He's continuing with his own thing, The Mark Joseph Project, and cobbling together a group from other MSP players summoned through his considerable rolodex. The resulting band will explore expanded territory, from soul to country to reggae, tonight at 8 p.m. in the HoDo Lounge (no cover, 21+). It's a good chance to see a different side of the Down Lo ethos and get your body on our small, but servicable, dance floor.

Follow us on Twitter!

Hey, Twitterheads! The Hotel Donaldson is now up and streaming on Twitter! Click here and follow us to hear tidbits of HoDo life, receive updates on menu options and specials, and hear about upcoming events. As our Twitter base grows and we learn how to incorporate it, we will surely expand into new avenues of outreach. We're also adding a Twitter stream to the HoDo Dispatch so you can follow us here.

Not familiar with Twitter? It's a service that allows people to communicate through short, quick messages similar to the "status updates" on Facebook. Twitter is easy to use with mobile devices, making it a must for those on the go. It's simple and effective ... and it's one of the hottest trends in social networking. Try it out at http://twitter.com. It's completely free and easy to use.

Lively Up Yourself with Jon Wayne

We've been seeing a lot of Jon Wayne lately. He played a solo acoustic set at the now infamous Bros On Broadway bash a while back and seriously rocked our holiday party just a couple weeks ago. It's not a big surprise. Jon (along with his rhythm section, The Pain) has built a steady following by embracing not only the style but also the restorative and spiritual side of the reggae aesthetic heard in Matisyahu or Michael Franti. His tight grooves will be a welcome addition to our lounge lineup tomorrow night at 9 p.m. (no cover, 21+). To audition a sample, try Jon Wayne and the Pain's MySpace page here. Also, check out this High Plains Reader piece from a while back for a bit more background information.

Although playing solo, Jon has plenty of friends here in Fargo-Moorhead that might come out to lend a hand. Either way, we should see a lot of soul tomorrow night. Come on down!

Third Wednesday Flavor - Cajun Night

Heyyyyy-eeeeeee!

This Wednesday, January 21st, we'll continue our monthly explorations into the world of flavor with Cajun Night. Cajun cuisine represents a truly American experience, one that combines native ingredients with methods and sensibilities carried in from other cultures (via Wikipedia):

Cajun cuisine developed out of necessity. The Acadian refugees, farmers rendered destitute by the British expulsion, had to learn to live off the land and adapted their French rustic cuisine to local (i.e. Louisiana) ingredients such as rice, crawfish, and sugar cane. Many households were large, consisting of eight to twelve people; thus, regardless what other vocations may have been followed by the head of household, most families also farmed. Feeding a large family, all of whose members did hard physical work every day, required a lot of food. Cajun cuisine grew out of supplementing rice with white meat, game or other proteins were available such as crawfish or any other type of river creature.

The result is plates full of lush, brawny flavors that engage the entire palate and are perfect for a satisfying mid-January meal. Here's our interpretation and the menu for the evening. Call 701.478.1000 for additional details or to make reservations. To reserve a table online, click here:

. soup.
Shrimp & chicken gumbo with jalapeño & bacon cornbread
cup $4 bowl $6 entrée portion $11

. salads.
Fried oyster with mixed greens tossed in an herb dijon vinaigrette with pumpkin seeds & Brie $9

Spinach with warm andouille sausage vinaigrette, chipotle gouda, tomatoes & zucchini $8

.appetizers.
Spicy crayfish fricassee served in a puff pastry $13

Hush puppies with a creamy oyster sauce $9

.entrées.
Grilled Highland beef NY strip with crayfish étouffée and
candy mashed sweet potatoes $31

Andouille sausage stuffed Spring Prairie pork loin with red beans & rice and
a creole mustard sauce $24

Shrimp & scallops with dirty rice and a white wine pan sauce $27

Shrimp stuffed blackened Spring Prairie chicken breast with boiled potatoes, zucchini noodles and a blue cheese sauce $20

.desserts.
Crȇpes with sweet potato and pecan filling $7

Raisin bread pudding with a Sailor Jerry’s rum sauce $7

Our Favorite Blues Brothers - The Blue Wailers

They may not have incurred the wrath of a bunch of neo-Nazis or get chased around by the Illinois State Police, but the Blue Wailers do have something in common with Jake, Elwood and company. They simply keep on truckin', bringing rock-solid blues and a cool demeanor to each gig they play. If you're so inclined, come on down tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. for neither country nor western music - just some good, honest blues. No cover, 21+.

The Inmates Are in Control of the Asylum!

Like a pack of mutinous pirates, the HoDo staff has wrested control of the building for the night of Sunday, January 11th, meaning the Hotel Donaldson, HoDo Lounge and HoDo Restaurant will all be closed. The reason? Our annual holiday party! We're gonna have dinner, play some games and let our hair down. It will be a lot of fun ... for us. Sorry you can't be there (frowny face)!

Being a 24/7/365 (366 on leap years) business, it's hard for all of us to take a moment to celebrate as a group. We appreciate your patience in allowing us to do just that. Have no fear; we'll be back hard at it on Monday morning!

Carl Clinton and the Great Divide's 21st Century Folk

How did you fare over the holidays? Did you resist a third helping of dessert? Did you make it to January 1st felony free? Did you shovel snow to your heart's content?

Any parts of you that made it through the holiday season (plus any extra parts) should make their way down to the HoDo tonight, where our musical guests Carl Clinton and the Great Divide will be tearing up a folk/rock blizzard worthy of Dairy Queen. You can check out these F-M residents here, on MySpace, and render your verdict.

Give yourself a pat on the back and come on out; the show starts at 8:30 p.m., no cover, 21+. You made it to 2009. Reward yourself and keep the new year humming.