Celebrating National Poetry Month - Kevin Carollo

Kevin Carollo kicks off our National Poetry Month reading series with an evening of wry and witty verse. He teaches world literature and writing at Minnesota State University Moorhead and has published poems in Conduit, Court Green, Cranky, Lungfull!, and elsewhere. He is the winner of Cream City Review’s 2009 Beau Boudreaux Poetry Prize, judged by Arielle Greenberg. A regular contributor to Rain Taxi Review of Books, Kevin has also translated two novels from French.

Kevin infuses his poetry with animal imagery, words like "gazillion," and the tasks of manipulating the world into something that can be confidently understood. He reads this Friday, April 10th, at 7 p.m. in Stoker's in the Basement. There is no cover and the reading is open to the public.

Two Many Banjos, But Who's Counting?

There must be something in the water in Duluth. For a relatively quiet and unassuming city, it is birthing notable country/folk/bluegrass acts like there's no tomorrow. Trampled By Turtles and the beloved Charlie Parr all call Duluth home.

Enter Two Many Banjos, yet another quality act emerging from Duluth (featuring Dave Carroll of TByT) with a bona fide bluegrass sound, but one that doesn't step on anyone's toes. They draw equally from the old Hank well of personal demonics and the bright swing of Lyle Lovett. They'll find a happy home in the HoDo Lounge this Thursday, April 9th at 8 p.m. No cover, 21+.

Celebrate National Poetry Month with Us

For this season so new and formidable,
do something that transforms and delights.
Find yourself immersed in verse

for these three Fridays. Listen
in on the discourse of humans
that call this region home

for now or forever. Let words
be the signposts of myth and desire,
put them on, try them out.
Take them home.

All readings are at 7 o'clock p.m.
and held in Stoker's in the Basement.
All readings are free and open to the public.
Learn more at our Facebook page.

Back to Normal

(Sigh of relief.)

After a marathon session of moving furniture, food, office machines and art yesterday, we've managed to get the HoDo back to looking like its old self. With that, we are pleased to announce that we're in the process of getting back to business as usual.

Huzzah!

A couple notices:

*The HoDo Lounge will be resume normal hours today, opening at 11 a.m. for lunch. The HoDo Restaurant will reopen tomorrow, Thursday, April 2nd.

*The Roster McCabe show scheduled for tomorrow is still on. Come on out and boogie your tension away. No cover, 21+.


*Thank you, too, for all of the warm thoughts that have come from far and wide as we endured this past week. It helped. It really did.

See you at the HoDo!

Flood '09 Update #2

It's wait and see time here in Fargo-Moorhead. The river has crested (hopefully) and seems to be on its way down. However, this isn't a time to breathe free and clear. Dikes need to be watched and maintained around the clock. Nothing is remotely close to normal. Schools and many businesses are still closed.

We're in the same boat here at the HoDo. We've cleared out our basement and put up our furniture on the first floor. As for being open, it's a little touch and go. Be sure to give us a call at 701.478.1000 before stopping by.

Stay dry, Fargo-Moorhead, and keep your spirits up.

Flood '09 Update

(Photo courtesy Britta Trygstad)

It's the eleventh hour here in Fargo-Moorhead. Everyone with a pulse is out sandbagging right now, trying to hold back this tremendous river, and we probably will be for the next 48 hours.

Please send your thoughts and prayers to everyone in our area filling and placing sandbags, trying to save their homes, neighborhoods and businesses. You can find lots of coverage of the flood fight at www.in-forum.com and http://minnesota.publicradio.org. A cadre of area photographers have been out documenting the flood, too: Britta Trygstad, Dave Arntson, Penny Burns, Bruce Crummy, and Ann Arbor Miller. Check out their extraordinary coverage to get a sense of what's going on.

As for the HoDo, we're on a bare-bones operating schedule and may not be open. Tonight's Front Fenders show has been cancelled. Please call ahead at 701.478.1000 to ensure that we're open for business. And, if you're able, please get out and help sandbag.

This Weekend: Art of the Guitar at the Plains Art Museum

The Plains Art Museum's "Art of the Guitar" exhibit should be seen by anyone who enjoys music. By rough calculation, this includes everyone. You'll see handcrafted instruments and learn about the art of luthiery. Pieces run from the 16th century to the present and showcase the intricacy, beauty of form and beauty of function that go into this most ubiquitous of musical instruments.

A noteworthy fact about the exhibit: many of the pieces were crafted right here in our backyard. The renaissance of luthiery has been driven by local and regional craftspeople, including Fargoans, making this exhibit particularly interesting.