Team MoDo - The Before Photo

Here is a good contingent from the Hotel Donaldson's own Movember team, MoDo. (From l to r) Top: Austin, Tim and Jason. Middle: Ben, Dale and (team captain) Josh. Bottom: Andy, Chad, Bill and Kris (your humble narrator). You can donate to our team, and benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation, by going here and searching for our team. You can also donate to our competition, WoMoDo, the MoSistas of the HoDo.

We took this photo about four days into the growth period. Even with that head start, there's not too much happening above those upper lips. Dale is probably doing the best, but Ben's has its charms as well. Me, I'm learning that the difference between grooming a mustache instead of a beard is the difference between wielding a scalpel and operating a weedwacker. And, somehow, the effect makes your face look even mangier. Curious.

If this is your first exposure to Movember, you can find out more at www.movember.com or by reading previous posts here and here. It's not too late to register a team or as an individual - men and women are welcome to gather donations, mustache or not. Visit Movember to register a team. And, don't forget about Bros On Broadway, a benefit for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, on Sunday, November 30th.

If you'll excuse me, I have to pluck.

The Studious Ferocity of Fighting at a College Level

Maybe the word is "indiecoustic?" When in search of an applicable term to describe Fighting at a College Level, it seems best to resort to a portmanteau. Bismarck native and singer/songwriter Tyler Hartman, who goes by his band name, sports intricate acoustic guitar tactics and raw vocal intensity, sometimes landing among the pop sounds of David Gray, sometimes inside the emotionally-charged awareness of Conor Oberst. Mr. Hartman will be our guest this Thursday, November 6th, at 9 p.m. No cover, 21+.

A rather sad addendum to this show: according to his MySpace page, Tyler will undergo surgery to correct a degenerative lung condition called sarcoid. The recovery will take away Tyler's ability to sing for six to eight months, so this might be your last chance to see him for a while. Be sure to come out, hear his stuff, and wish him well.

Get Your Movember Teams Together!

Movember is fast approaching! In just two short days, all participants will need to shave clean and get those mustaches growing and begin raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Participation is quick and easy. Start a team of friends, colleagues or family (women too!), register your team at Movember.com, then email us at info@hoteldonaldson.com so we can track your progress. From there, use the tools available at Movember.com to raise some serious cash ... raise enough and you'll qualify for some great prizes. Also, mark your calendars for the big Movember bash, Bros On Broadway, on Sunday, November 30th. We'll have bands, food, beverages and a lot of mustache related fun.

If you're on the fence about growing a mustache, remember this: it's for a great cause and it will be a lot of fun. You'll make every guy you see without a mustache green with envy. Come on. You know you want to try it just this once.

Call 701.478.1000 for details. Click here for more information, or visit www.movember.com.

Invasion of the Brinsk!

Jazz is chock full of pioneering spirits unwilling to retread ground. Miles Davis comes to mind, as does Ornette Coleman, Thirsty Ear Records and the skewed klezmer of John Zorn. Add Brooklyn's Brinsk to that mix. Led by Fargo expat Aryeh Kobrinsky, this five-piece runs the devilish suspensions of metal music through the filter of free jazz, and the result will definitely wake you up in the morning. The show, part of Brinsk's national tour, will stop in at the HoDo Lounge tomorrow night at 8 p.m. There's a $3 cover and it's 21+.

For more information, check out Matt Beshear's article in the latest High Plains Reader. To listen - and you really should - visit The Brinsk on MySpace.

The Bra Garland is Up!

Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day, crisp and sunny. We had perfect weather in which to string up the bra garland made from the bras collected during this year's "Bucks and Bras" drive (you can find out more about it here). There are over 1300 bras, about twice as many as last year, and they will be up through Thursday when we host Bras On Broadway, our annual breast cancer benefit/art auction. Speaking of which, there are still tickets available at fargostuff.com.



Understandably, we ended up turning a lot of heads in downtown Fargo during the process. Many passers-by stopped to talk and lend their support. If you're so inclined, stop down while the garland is up and take a moment to check it out.

A big thank you to everyone who made a donation this year. The funds we raise will benefit people in our area living with breast cancer by deferring their travel expenses and purchasing wigs.

Put Another 'X' on the Whiskey Jug

The Legionnaires, Fargo/Moorhead's favorite country-fried jam outfit, come correct with a night of barnstorming, PG-13 impropriety. No cover, 21+, and the whole shebang gets under way tonight at 8 p.m. in the HoDo Lounge. Don't forget to try the world famous Cowboy Martini, a favorite among city slickers and trail hands alike.

If you're electronically inclined, be sure to visit the Legionnaires website to hear a whole heapin' helpin' of music, including scads of live tracks. It's like having them in the room that you're sitting in right now!

The Mustache Rides Again!

Face it, folks. The much-maligned mustache is staging a comeback. Not only is it coming back but, contrary to popular belief, it's also a force for good.

We're asking men to grow a lip warmer during the month of November while raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and generating awareness of men’s health issues. Participants will start clean shaven on November 1st, then grow their mustache over the course of the month. All men - and women - can join a team of coworkers, friends or family and get in the fun by gathering donations. This local effort is part of the global “Movember” fundraiser with participants throughout the United States, Australia, Europe and Canada (“mo” is Australian slang for a mustache).

We're spearheading the local effort and will host the all-ages Fargo Movember party, Bros on Broadway, on Sunday, November 30th with prizes for local fund raising groups. We will also award prizes for the best mustaches and ... wait for it ... costume/mustache combinations. Who would you be? Magnum P.I.? Borat? The Stranger (above)?

Find out more or register your team and team members at www.movember.com. Also, tell us about your team here at the HoDo so we can track your progress. You can reach us at 701.478.1000 or via email at info@hoteldonaldson.com. Keep tabs on the local Movember fun through our Facebook page.

Why do this? Part of the answer is a lack of awareness about the health issues faced by males. Also contributing to the problem is an attitude of having to be tough "real men" and men's reluctance to see a doctor about an illness or to go for regular medical check ups. The aim of Movember is to change this attitude, make men's health fun by putting the "Mo" back on the face of fashion and in the process raise some serious funds for key men's health issues.

Get your team together today!