Ross Currier, Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC)

The Big Wu is celebrating 20 years of making music…in downtown Northfield.  The Big Wu was founded in 1992 by St. Olaf College students and played their first gig on 2/14/1992 in the Lion’s Pause in the basement of the old Ytterboe hall.  The Big Wu continued to play every three weeks or so at the Upstairs Reub.  They return to the Rueb this Saturday night.  There’s even more return of local talent on Saturday night, Meredith Fierke and the McKinstrys at at the NAG and The Last Known Whereabouts are at the Cow.

Friday, February 10th: Robin Hood, 7 p.m., Northfield Middle School Auditorium; Art Apprentice Exhibit Reception, 7:00 p.m., Dittmann Center on the St. Olaf College campus; Joel Cooper & Friends, 8:00 to 11:00 p.m., Contented Cow; Marv Gohman, 8:00 to 11:30 p.m., Tavern Lounge; Meredith Fierke and the McKinstrys with Chris Koza, 8:00 p.m., Northfield Arts Guild; Chiara Piano Quarter, 8:00 p.m., Concert hall on the Carleton College campus; Karaoke, 9:00 p.m., Rueb’N'Stein; and Mark Mraz at Froggy Bottoms.

Saturday, February 11th: Le Tour du Chocolat, 10:00 a.m., Downtown Northfield; Robin Hood, 1:00 p.m., Northfield Middle School Auditorium; Occasional Jazz, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Contented Cow; The Last Known Whereabouts, 8:00 to 11:00 p.m., Contented Cow; Joe Meyer, 8:00 to 11:30 p.m., Tavern Lounge; and The Big Wu, 9:00 p.m., Rueb’N'Stein.

Sunday, February 12th: Politics and a Pint, 6:00 p.m., Contented Cow; and A Special VALENTINE’S Quiz Night, 8:00 p.m., Contented Cow.

Winter may be on its way out…but we’ve still got a number of weeks of days with late sunrises and early sunsets.  Shake off the gloom…and shake your tailfeathers…to the music of such American greats as Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “the Big Bopper” Richardson, provided by local greats Terry Van DeWalker, Scott Skaja, Allison Rae, Jacob Hendrickson, C. J. Alt, Ross Willits, and Ray Barnard…Friday night at the Cow.

Friday, February 3rd: New Moon Trio, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Contented Cow; One Act Plays, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Northfield High School Auditorium; Winter (’50s) Dance Party, 7:00 p.m., Contented Cow; Ben Aaron, 8:00 to 11:30 p.m., Tavern Lounge; and Karaoke, 9:00 p.m., Rueb’N'Stein.

Saturday, February 4th: One Act Plays, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Northfield High School Auditorium; Jon Larson’s Neil Diamond Tribute, 8:00 to 11:30 p.m., Contented Cow; Lonesome Dan Kase, 8:00 to 11:30 p.m., Tavern Lounge; and D J Music, 9:00 p.m., Rueb’N'Stein.

Sunday, February 5th: Politics and a Pint, 6:00 p.m., Contented Cow; Quiz Night, 8:00 p.m., Contented Cow; and Super Bowl Sunday at the Frog, kick-off 6:30 p.m. ET, Froggy Bottoms.

The City of Northfield and Streetscape Task Force will host a Public Open House and Input Gathering Session on Monday, January 30th, 5 to 7 p.m., in the Riverview Conference Room of the Archer House, 212 Division Street.

This is the second in a series of three open house events for the public. The first session focused on the seven Gateway Corridor Areas identified for study. These Areas were the western portion of Highway 19, the eastern portion of Highway 19, the southern portion of Highway 3, the northern portion of Highway 3, Highway 246 at the south of town, Highway 23 at the northwest of town, and County Road 78 at the west of town. Initial concept drawings can be viewed and downloaded from the City’s website:

At this session, the project’s design team will present some of their initial ideas. These ideas include landscape plantings, streetscape treatments, pedestrian walkways, trail links, and bike routes and lanes throughout the project areas as well as at major intersections along the corridors.

The objective is to create a “sense of arrival” for people coming to our town and as they move through and/or into our community. The project will also identify priority needs and opportunities for multi-modal circulation and safety, as well as strengthening the connections between different neighborhoods or sides of our community.

Northfield’s elected officials and professional staff, including the project’s consultant (Bonestroo, now Stantec), as well as members of the Streetscape Task Force, want to hear your thoughts, concerns, and ideas. So please join us, Monday, January 30th, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the Archer House.

Given my interest in Country Rock, Outlaw Country, and Alt-Country Music, I was thinking this might be a ’70s Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys tribute band.  But no, think ’60s British Invasion, The Tornadoes, The Beatles, The Troggs…and The Kinks, tribute band.  They’re “flying in” from the Twin Cities to play at the Contented Cow on Friday night.

Thursday, January 26th: Midnight Collision, 8:00 to 11:00, Contented Cow; Lyric Theater: Transformations, 8:00 p.m., Urness Recital Hall on the St. Olaf College campus; Marv Gohman, 8:30 to 11:00 p.m., Tavern Lounge; and Prom Queef, 11:59 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., Contented Cow.

Friday, January 27th: Max Nygren, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Contented Cow; One Act Plays, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Northfield High School Auditorium; Lyric Theater: Transformations, 8:00 p.m., Urness Recital Hall on the St. Olaf College campus; Kinda Kinky, 8:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m., Contented Cow; Mike Pattinson, 8:00 to 11:30 p.m., Tavern Lounge; Karaoke, 9:00 p.m., Rueb’N'Stein, and Whiskey Trick, 9:30 p.m., Froggy Bottoms.

Saturday, January 28th: Dime Store Watch, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Contented Cow; One Act Plays, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Northfield High School Auditorium, The River, 7:00 p.m., Weitz Center Cinema on the Carleton College downtown campus; The RCAs, 8:00 to 11:00 p.m., Contented Cow; Jeff Ray, 8:00 to 11:30 p.m., Tavern Lounge; D J Music, 9:00 p.m., Rueb’N'Stein; and Fristad Jazz Combo, 11:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., Contented Cow.

Sunday, January 29th: Politics and a Pint, 6:00 p.m., and Quiz Night, 8:00 p.m., both at the Cow.

Dirty Petrov and the Gentillionaires, Northfield’s premier Gypsy Rock band, will be making music for premium dance this weekend in Downtown Northfield.  It’s downtown Saturday night at the Cow.  Not into Gypsy Rock?  Then Eat Ice Cream in the Snow, Saturday afternoon in Bridge Square.

Friday, January 13th: Occasional Jazz, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Contented Cow; Arts for Martin, 7:00 p.m., ARTech; Exhibit Opening Reception: Surfacing and One Stroke at a Time, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Northfield Arts Guild; The Melvilles, 7:00 p.m., Hogan Brothers; The Beguine Brothers, 8:00 to 11:00, Contented Cow; Matthew Griswold, 8:00 to 11:30 p.m., Tavern Lounge; The 8th Street Band, 9:00 p.m., Rueb’N'Stein; and Mark Mraz, 9:00 p.m., Froggy Bottoms.

Saturday, January 14th: Winter Scream, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., Bridge Square; New Moon Trio, 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., Contented Cow; Harlow’s Edge, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Hogan Brothers; Relativity, 8:00 to 11:30 p.m., Tavern Lounge; Spruce Top Review, 8:00 to 10:30 p.m., Contented Cow; D J Music, 9:00 p.m., Rueb’N'Stein, Whiskey Trick, 9:30 p.m., Froggy Bottoms; and Dirty Petrov and the Gentillionaires, 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., Contented Cow.

Sunday, January 15th: Politics and a Pint, 6:00 p.m., Northern Roots Session, 7:00 p.m., and Quiz Night, 8:00 p.m., all at the Contented Cow.