21st Century Dylan: A Discussion with Eric Hoffman and His Call For Papers

A couple weeks back, during Duluth’s Dylan fest, I saw a link to this call for papers related to two of Bob Dylan’s 21st century albums. The notation indicated that author and editor Eric Hoffman was planning a book of essays centered on Dylan’s 2001 and 2006 albums Love and Theft and Modern Times, which he called “arguably two of his best and most important works since 1975’s Blood on the Tracks.” The book was tentatively to be titled, From Love and Theft to Modern Times: Bob Dylan and the Twenty First Century. Naturally I had to learn more. Mr. Hoffman graciously responded to my inquiry.

EN: Love an Theft is a great album and Modern Times certainly ranks with it. On what basis do you consider these albums the most significant since Blood on the Tracks?

EH: From at least 1965, Dylan's relationship to his audience, and particularly his relationship with the media, is ambivalent at best, caustic at worst. It's arguable that since that time Dylan has been actively working against any preconceived notion of who he is, or what he represents, not the least of which is the moniker "the voice of a generation." You need only look at his 1965 San Francisco press conference or, much more recently, his interview on 60 Minutes or footage from No Direction Home, to get a sense of this. Yet the albums better than anything illustrate this ambivalence. In 1967, you have him disappearing into the countryside to record music he never intended to professionally release, then you have John Wesley Harding, a considerably more stripped down style of music than his mid-60s work, the introduction of a new vocal style in Nashville Skyline, the intentional attempt to derail his career with Self Portrait.

What you had in the mid-1970s revival is an instance where Dylan finds himself re-energized through collaboration, in particular his collaboration with The Band. Blood on the Tracks seems the natural outcome of Dylan having the joy brought back into his music as a result of this collaboration. Following that, I believe Dylan's music again took a downturn as a result of his divorce, probably numerous other reasons . . . who knows. Nevertheless, the gospel era, whatever its strengths (and they are myriad), did mark another slow descent into mediocrity, similar to the one descent that occurred a decade before. What re-energized him was again collaboration, this time with the Grateful Dead. Though there is not much to recommend the music Dylan performed with the Dead, he did come to realize that their model of performance (ongoing live concerts and touring) was a viable alternative to maintaining and fostering a core audience of devoted fans. It also took some of the pressure off of coming up with new music to record, something Dylan was at pains to do from the mid-80s to mid-90s.

Then came a different sort of collaboration, this time with the folk tradition, both in live concerts (notably the Supper Club performances from '93) and the two albums of folk "covers", Good As I Been To You in 1992 and World Gone Wrong from the following year. Essentially, Dylan managed to brush aside the immense weight of living up to the work he produced thirty years before (describing himself in one interview as digging in the trash outside the palace of past triumphs). As Neil Young related to Charlie Rose, Dylan no longer knew the young man who wrote those songs. Accepting that he would never again ascend to those heights freed him from the burden of trying and, ironically, allowed him to once again to produce in a decade's time a trio of albums (Time Out of Mind in 1997, Love and Theft in 2001 and Modern Times in 2006) of considerable merit. They weren't nearly as good as the stuff from '65 and '66, admittedly, but they were still substantially creative efforts that had the added benefit of being performed by a more self-assured musician than anything since '75.

EN: How did you choose these two and neglect the Grammy-winning Time Out Of Mind or the sequel to Modern Times, Together Through Life?

EH: Love and Theft and Modern Times are the focus because these are the two most significant works Dylan produced since the start of the 21st century. Together with Time Out of Mind they arguably form a "trilogy" but Dylan in his Rolling Stone interview with Jonathan Lethem thinks the link tenuous and arbitrary, and largely media-originated, and doesn't agree. I happen to think he's right. That said, I don't think I in my introduction or what I have seen so far from the abstracts I have received, will in any way "neglect" either Time Out of Mind or Together Through Life, nor any other of Dylan's work before or after. But I want those two albums to be the focus as I think, and this is my opinion here, that these albums are the two most significant works Dylan has produced in the last nearly forty years and certainly worthy of scholarly attention. Most of the books on Dylan focus on the sixties stuff (though there has been a refreshing number of books taking on later material, most notably Lee Marshall's and Sean Wilentz's) to the neglect of the later material. Together Through Life I find an unconvincing and uninspired album, mostly, though I do appreciate the musicianship involved. What's more, the album is largely a collaborative effort (this time with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter) and it leans more toward Down in the Groove than Love and Theft. I don't really see Together Through Life as a sequel to Modern Times any more than Love and Theft is a sequel to Time Out of Mind. But again, that's my opinion.

EN: Would you consider Dylan to be one of the two or three most significant people in music of the last half century? Why or why not? What is it that has kept Dylan's music so influential, especially since the times have SO CHANGED since he first emerged?

EH: Dylan expanded the musical lexicon so significantly that even now I don't think we fully comprehend the impact. And I mean the impact on both a cultural and social level. I mean, sure, to many, even maybe to himself, he's an artifact of the 1960s, and in some ways emblematic of that decade's cultural smugness and pretension. But I think if you really look at it closely, Dylan largely rejected the 1960s counterculture, even more than he did the folk and coffee house scene where he first made a name for himself. He transcends all these boxes that we put around him which I think points to the universality of his music. People listened to the songs and heard different things because they were written in such a way that it lent itself to all these myriad interpretations. And that to me is what great art does, or should do.

Details

Deadline for abstracts: June 2012

Deadline for final papers: October 2012

Dylan art by Ennyman

Wordless Wednesday: Lightwerks (The Sequel)

It's a Wrap! DuSu Film Fest Follow Up

It came. It went. It was good. The 2012 Duluth Superior Film Festival was once more a very special event. Special thanks to Festival Director Richard Hansen and all the local people either helped or helped support this festival by taking time out of their busy lives to check out the emerging film scene.

I managed to see all or part of quite a few films again this year. Best part? The low price for an all access pass. Last year it was $50, which was worth every penny, but at $20 for the all-you-can-eat is a price that can't really be beat.

A film festival is more than just a lot of movies. Many of the films included a Q&A period with a director or screenwriter after the film to learn more about the film's details. Now tell me you wouldn't have welcomed an opportunity to hear a discussion with Alfred Hitchcock after watching Psycho, or Rope?

There were too many highlights for me to mention them all, but one was simply being able to see films in yet another venue that I'd never been in, the Sons of Norway Hall. Friday evening director Michael Neelsen's Last Day at Lambeau was an absolutely stellar documentary about the real story behind Brett Favre's departure from the Packers. The audience included a number of Packers fans wearing their green-and-gold. The bartender herself was wearing her cheesehead hat.

As they say, breaking up is hard to do. Emotions run high, and the real story is often obfuscated by the fog of press conferences and carefully worded statements. Neelson's analysis of this high profile departure is a worthy contribution to all fans of the game. When Brett Favre left the Packers, it was painful enough to leave a hole in the fans' hearts, but signing up to play for their arch rivals was tantamount to utter betrayal.

Needless to say, it was a riveting film. Good pacing, good story. And a good payoff.

One of the real pleasures of a film festival is the variety. Another benefit is having the opportunity to see a range of independently produced regional short films. The shorts were screened on Friday evening at nine and on Sunday, curated by Jacob Swanson who introduced each evening's fare.

The Friday night airing began with "Laurie's Path," a painful story of one woman's very rough road, told in a matter-of-fact "here's what happened" manner. Kids, if you're not convinced yet, here's a bit of in your face insight about what happens when you get addicted to drugs, spend time in prison, and have to deal with AIDS, along with the side effects of everything else.

I think that was the second longest of the shorts. Other films that stuck with me included Toby Thomas Churchill's "Savannah" which was assembled from found footage left over from the film Savannah Smiles.

A three minute flick about Kenspeckle Letterpress by Brian Barber and Jaime Meredith was simple but elegant. I also enjoyed The Garden, a hilarious short film that kept you paying attention because you kept wondering where it was going to go. The longer Transgenderism was equally amusing for the same reasons. What are these people up to here?

But there were some engaging moments in the films that defied easy categorization. I was quite impressed with the power of soundtrack and visuals, especially when tangled in ambiguity. Kathy McTavish's evocative "Holy Fool / The Firebird." was one of these. McTavish is branching out in all kinds of fascinating directions. The imagery and slowly building soundtrack were haunting, producing a swirling feeling of interior landscapes. I would like to see this again... In fact, I hope to see several of these again.

The last film of the evening was based on my short story Episode on South Street. It's a very dark interpretation of a an already dark story line about an obsessive compulsive artist who is wrestling with his own inner demons. The 2004 film by Adam Fish originally aired at the Erie Horror/Suspense Film Festival. I recently discovered that Episode on South Street is now on Vimeo. If you check it out, I welcome your feedback. You may want to read the original story upon out of which this film emerged, to compare and contrast the different ways various media work to create a narrative. It is the second to last story in my volume The Breaking Point and Other Stories which you can find in eBook form here.

Sunday was another great evening for short documentaries, music videos and stories in film. It was fitting that Andrew Perfetti's A Few Minutes with Alan Sparhawk aired, an interview documentary that shines a light on facets of his own interior motivations, along with advice to other musicians seeking life direction. Something of Alan Sparhawk was shared nearly every day of this year's festival, a musician whose been really giving himself away to his North Country community.

Meanwhile, life goes on all around you. Take something in... HeartBeat Idol tomorrow night. Artist Kamikaze IV on Thursday at Luce, and three art openings Friday eve in the heart of downtown. There's always something to look forward to. Embrace it.

Here's a link to my book The Breaking Point and Other Stories in the event that you would like to read my story Episode on South Street after watching the film on Vimeo.

Inside Insights On This Week's Artist Kamikaze IV

Musicians have always understood the power of collaboration. They form groups, or bands, sometimes in pairs and sometimes with a full orchestra, but always understanding that their effectiveness involves working together with another. Artists and writers, for the most part, work solo. The studio beckons and we value that time to put the world aside.

But three years ago I saw the powerful effect of a collaboration in the show 3N6D at the Red Mug. Last year I was part of an art event called Artist Kamikaze III in which artists working in different mediums are paired off to see what they will produce. It is an artist version of a Battle of the Bands, and this Thursday Pizza Luce here in Duluth will host Artist Kamikaze IV.

Here are some insights about this annual event from its founder and prime mover, Eris Vafias.

EN: What is Artist Kamikaze and how did you come to conceive of it?

Eris Vafias: The Artist Kamikaze is a one-of-a-kind art show/competition in the Twin Ports area, with close to thirty local artists all vying for the title of Artist Kamikaze Champion and other assorted prizes. It is based loosely on the Rock and Roll Kamikaze (which occurs annually at Pizza Luce-Duluth), insomuch as artists sign up and get placed into teams by random draw, fate, etc. Teams are then given a period of time, typically 1-3 months, to create collaborative work for the Artist Kamikaze (AK).

Artists in the competition include photographers, painters, sculptors, fashion designers, plus…The Artist Kamikaze is historically one of the largest group exhibitions in the Twin Ports area and is open to emerging local talent as well as local veterans. The collaborative nature of the event, often pushes artists to leave their respective “comfort zones” and to try things that they would have never done absent the other team member(s). Sometimes, in this process, artists will realize that they would like to go further with this new direction (sometimes not—though if they don’t like the work they generated they can explain it away by saying the Artist Kamikaze made me do it…smiles). Other times, due to personality conflicts and whatnot, projects don’t get completed or the teams drop out. It can be a difficult process for some, however I think by and large it is a positive experience for the lion’s share of participants. It allows artists to make connections in the art community, if not lifelong friendships.

All pieces are marked via team number. This is to level the playing ground, so that the AK champions are not selected due to any sort of “name recognition.” The team members are revealed by name after voting. AK Champions are selected via general in person voting. Ballots are available the night of the opening for a suggested donation of $2. The donations help defray costs for the event and the remainder, above and beyond those costs, is given to the Champion team in recognition of their efforts and uber-stellar art (as will be the case this year).

EN: This year the theme for Artist Kamikaze IV is Intergalactic. Where do the ideas for themes come from? (and what were the themes for the first three years?)

EV: Originally, the Artist Kamikaze (as envisioned) had no theme, however, during the first year, a couple of days into the process, after gathering information from artists who had signed up, it was decided that a unifying theme to tie all the art together is something that we wanted to pursue. The Artist Kamikaze themes that were chosen are meant to be highly open to interpretation, allowing for each team’s “take” on them to shine through. There is no real science in the selection of themes, other than passing potential themes by assorted alumni and seeing which theme seems to carry the most excitement with them.

AK-I theme: Gnomes
AK-II theme: Time
AK III theme: Elements
AK IV theme: Intergalactic

EN: Artist Kamikaze is sponsored by Limbo Gallery. What is Limbo Gallery?

EV: Limbo Gallery is a pop-up gallery. Much in the way a church can be anywhere, we believe that art can likewise be anywhere. We specialize in art events varying from one night only to longer dependent upon host/circumstance. It is our hope that by hosting art events in spaces that aren’t so “polished” it is more inviting to those who have never been to an art opening, as well as to provide a more comfortable space and an opportunity for new emerging artists to come out of their shells and show their work. Additionally, it is a great way for the more established artists to try something novel (a great majority of the art events have a loose theme). A lot of the art events we curate are more intimate than that average opening and in certain instances, depending on the show, contain art that may not be “fit” for the more mainstream galleries in the area. We particularly enjoy being on the fringe and helping people get started.

EN: What can we expect from this year’s show? How many artists are participating and what kinds of work do you anticipate?

EV: This year’s show will be out of this world! We had close to thirty artists sign up this time around- at least five of whom are participating for the first time. It is always exciting to have alumni come back into the fold, however, it is equally if not more exciting to see new faces and new art. Since the pieces are collaborative, that means that every piece of art in the show is generated for the show and thereby is new, fresh and unique for any given artist in the competition. We are especially excited to have the musical workings of the Cosmic Pit Orchestra (Richie Townsend and Kathy McTavish) during our reception, since this is a new component to the Artist Kamikaze.

EN: When and where is the opening for this year’s event? 

EV: June 7, 2012 at Pizza Luce in Duluth, Minnesota from 7-9 p.m. Voting ends at 8:30 p.m. and the team reveal and results of the vote occur around 9 p.m.

For more information or to be part of next year's event, follow the Limbo Gallery on Facebook.

Photo Credit: (top left) Paul Dobson, Rochester, MN

EdNote: This is my second year involved in Artist Kamikaze. The pictures here offer clues with regard to the submission my team has assembled. 

HeartBeat Idol Promises Serious Fun

My mother was an RN. When my brothers and I were growing up it was nice to have someone around who knew what to do when there was a medical emergency. We were boys and like many healthy, active kids we were hard to tie down. Mom was there for all the cuts, wounds and the myriad situations where a decision was required as to whether a doctor visit was in order.

Once a year she would bring a friend home for a week or two to teach us about CPR. Her name was Annie. Yes, it was the Annie the famous CPR training mannequin, and it seemed a requirement to go through this annual refresher with mom so we'd know what to do to save a life if necessary.

A little training helped me to be an asset in one medical emergency when a friend went through a plate glass window at the school. (We were playing football there.) As soon as the glass shattered everyone jumped on their bikes and fled. Except me. I watched the blood squirting from his wrist and saw the muscle sliced through on his arm. Joe turned to me shouting, "You were a Boy Scout! Do something!!!" We whipped off our shirts, wrap the wounds and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. With the bleeding stanched we walked to the nearest house in the neighborhood where an ambulance was called. (These were the days before cell phones.) I never saw so much blood in my life.

All this is setup material on why it is important to support the American Red Cross and others who have so devoted themselves to life-saving.

It must have been four to six weeks ago now that I got the call. I was being asked to be one of 10 celebrity competitors in a karaoke competition as part of a fund raiser for the American Red Cross. I was told that instead of a karaoke machine I would be performing with a live band. Sounded fun to me, especially when I was told they could play anything. I have a few signature crowd-pleasers, so I printed out the lyrics (you can find lyrics for everything these days) and began memorizing Come a Little Bit Closer, Great Balls of Fire and I Shot the Sheriff. I figured I had four weeks to make up my mind.

Then, ten days ago I learned that the list of songs to choose from was far shorter than I had originally been led to believe. But hey, the other contestants would be in the same boat, and as far as I can tell the boat still floats. Plus, it's for a good cause.

The primary goal for this event is to raise money for 200 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for area organizations as well as training for 2,000 people in life-saving CPR.

The organization behind all this is HeartBeat Northland, a volunteer partnership of more than a dozen public and private Northland organizations who have banded together to increase awareness about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). To achieve this the group conceived of an event that would be fun for everyone who attended. People who buy tickets can win prizes, from a Twin Weekend Getaway to Moondance Jam tickets. There will be a free salad and pizza buffet... and there will be a show. Halftime will include testimonies by three SCA survivors who would not be here today were it not for these kinds of machines and CPR training. There will also be a Silent Auction (we'll find out details tomorrow, I believe) as well.

To give you an idea of how serious this event is, I have to go to a rehearsal tonight. Good heavens. And Tuesday is a full dress rehearsal. I hadn't even thought about a dress, so I'm really not sure what I'll wear yet. For what it's worth, hope to see you there. If my heart ever stops, I'd like to have it happen in the presence of someone who knows what they're doing.

What: Heartbeat Idol
When: Wednesday, June 6, 5:30 till 9:00
Where: Grandma's Sports Garden, Canal Park, Duluth
Why: So that others like Rick Rockwood, Ed Knutson and John Porter will be alive next year to tell their how an AED saved their lives.

I should probably list the celebrities who are performing that night, but you can find that and more information on this event here at HeartBeat Idol.

Featured eBook of the Day: The Breaking Point and Other Stories

Uprooted: A Story of Estonia (Part IX)

This story is based on a true account of events in the life of Ralph Kand, a partially crippled young Estonian who survived World War II. For narrative purposes the time frame of these events has been condensed without — this writer believes — violating the spirit of that time.

September 1944: Beginning of the End

Like most people in Estonia, after the Germans had run the Red Army off their land, Ralph wasn't happy about the German occupation but believed it a whole lot better than Stalin's terror-style of rule. The world was at war and though nothing was normal, there was a greater sense of normalcy than before.

In 1942 many Estonian men left the country to fight with the Finns who were still under pressure from the Soviet army. But many more remained in their Baltic homeland to prepare for the assault that would eventually come from the East should the Axis powers fail in their bid for global dominance. Ralph decided to join the Estonian National Guard where he found that nearly all of the volunteers had lost a brother or sibling to the Red Terror. His withered leg had never kept him from anything else he put his mind to, from bicycling to skiing, and he was determined to do whatever was necessary should the Red Army return.

The following year was a famously bitter Russian winter, and the Nazis failed to achieve their aims due to gelled diesel lubricants and fuel in their tanks and transports, and the distractions of formidable Allied forces accumulating in the West and the South. Another problem was that trains in Russia operated on a different gauge railroad track than in the rest of Europe so that for German supply lines to be maintained (by railroads) the tracks had to be widened one mile at a time. It was tedious and time-consuming.

In the fall of 1944 Ralph was with his National Guard unit to the East when rumors began circulating the the Red Army was on the move. He had been trained to disregard rumors, which were often unfounded or driven by propagandists on both side. Nevertheless each passing day brought more stories.

The Estonian National Guard was embedded in the Nazi army at many of these outposts. One morning in the third week of September Ralph was standing near the pitched tent of Nazi headquarters when he overheard the Major giving orders to his captains. This was the second time learning foreign languages saved his life. The Major had just informed his men that the Red Army was indeed drawing near. The German army was being instructed to withdraw so as to have the paltry Estonian Guard put a short-term pause in the Red Army's advance. In other words, Ralph knew that the Estonians were being sacrificed so that the Germans could escape.

When the major and his officers stepped inside the tent, Ralph jumped on the major's motorcycle and drove off as fast as he could get away toward his mother's home on the outskirts of Tallin. He avoided all roads as much as possible, riding trails and paths through the woods and fields, terrified as he tried to sort out a plan in his mind.

Many Estonians had thought about the possibility of this day coming and were prepared to flee the country if necessary. As it turns out a full ten percent of the population abandoned their homeland in a matter of days. Ralph aimed now to be one of them, but he wanted his mother to come with him.

Ida's face was ashen as Ralph explained what must be done. "I'm too old, Ralph. I can't start again somewhere new."

Ralph pleaded,  then went to the barn and brought the horse and wagon to the back porch. Ida reluctantly began packing. Ralph hastily carried armloads of clothing and goods to the cart.

Suddenly Russian airplanes bore down on them and began strafing. Ralph held the horse as his mother ran inside. A bomb fell nearby and shook the house violently.

"Mom! To the shelter," Ralph screamed.

The shelter was essentially a hole in the back yard with an old door overtop it. As Ida climbed inside Ralph ran around grabbing branches from the trees and pulling shrubs to throw over the top of this makeshift safe place in an effort to conceal it. But no sooner were they in the ground than a banging commenced.

"Open up! Come out!" a high-pitched voice shouted in German. The Nazi soldier seemed but a boy, but his rifle was pointed at Ralph's face and Ralph had no choice but to climb back out into the open. He quickly calculated that the Russian air force was not wasting bombs on Estonian civilians. The retreating Nazi army must be nearby.

All of a sudden the sound of more aircraft caused the young German to turn on his heels, shouting, "Macht schnell!" In an instant he was gone.

Ralph ran to the cart and untied the horse from the post where he'd secured it. He placed Ida on the seat and instructed her to take the back roads into Tallin where they would try to catch a boat out of the country. Meanwhile Ralph, still in uniform, took off on the major's motorcycle, veering back and forth to see where the roads were clear and to make sure his mother was still safe.


CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

Sparhawk, DuSu FF, Celebrity Idol and Artist Kamikaze IV

"There's a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing." ~Eccles. 3:5

If you have been refraining (from embracing the arts), now is not the time. This week is a time to step forward with open arms and take it in. I'm referring here to the Duluth Superior Film Festival (DuSu FF) and all the other happenings here in the Twin Ports as we enter the month of June.

Alan Sparhawk, courtesy Andrew Perfetti

Last night was day two of the film festival, a night with two Sparhawk events. The first was a screening of the Alan Sparhawk film Low: You May Need A Murderer. At nine, Sparhawk and the Black-Eyed Snakes were setting up to perform at Tycoons, the former City Hall of this city on a hillside. Sparhawk and the Black-Eyed Snakes were a highlight of last week's Blood on the Tracks Express, generating so much energy that they nearly knocked the train right off the tracks. Literally. If you were there, you know what I mean.

As I reflected briefly on these things this morning, it seemed the Sparhawk name has something of a superhero quality about it. I can picture one of the Avengers being named Sparhawk. And it may be no coincidence that his name begins with an S and has eight letters like another famous superhero that our generation grew up fascinated with. "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird... it's a plane.... faster than a speeding bullet... more powerful than a locomotive."

He also knows how to be a ham.

For what it's worth, tonight the first of two local short films programs will air at 9:00 p.m. at the Sons of Norway Hall, one of them being a ten minute documentary/interview with Alan Sparhawk, produced last year by Andrew Perfetti and Twin Ports Underground. Sparhawk's Retribution Gospel Choir contributed a gig for the 2011 Rock Out Autism event at Clyde Iron Works and the performer generously gave a piece of himself to the cameras. (This was my second encounter with the gifted musician whose group that night was comparable to a Hendrix experience.)

All the other short films on the docket tonight involve local film makers, directors or writers including  Kohta Asakura, Jaime Merideth and Brian Barber, Jon Bothun, Zach Anderson, Jerree Small, Kathy McTavish, Ethan Holbrook, Toby Thomas Churchill, Nicholas Sunsdahl and Ed Newman... most or all of whom will be present tonight. I suspect the evening will be followed by a lot of engaging conversation.

Preceding these creative short pieces will be director Michael Neelson's Last Day At Lambeau, also at Sons of Norway Hall, airing at 7:15. Around the corner the PROVE Gallery will also be hopping, a cinema celebration with many film makers and festival guests in attendance. This free event will be open from 7:00 till 10:00 p.m.

If music is your thing, the film festival includes three nights of music gigs at Tycoons. Tonight you can catch Cars and Trucks w/Planemo and tomorrow evening you will find BNLX w/Equal Exchange. Last night, in addition to the Snakes, the film Under African Skies screened to a full theater at Zinema 2. In this film, Paul Simon returns to South Africa 25 years after producing his stellar Graceland album. The documentary juxtaposes then and now footage to reveal the tensions and challenges that nation endured under apartheid. I'm sure this will air ago on HBO or some equivalent station in the year ahead, a worthy addendum to the Graceland story.

As for music, the Twin Ports scene really is a seven-days-a-week venue for performers of all types, but next Wednesday will be a very special kind of show that you will undoubtedly want to attend. It's a fund-raiser by the American Red Cross called Heartbeat Idol. Evidently patterned on the television model, Heartbeat Idol is a celebrity karaoke competition, except the celebs will be performing with a live band, the Bryan Olds Band. (It is a fund-raising event for AEDs, a piece of equipment that saved at least 31 lives last year in Minnesota alone.)

The host/moderator/MC will be radio personality exemplar Ken Buehler, local weatherman and president of the Duluth Depot. The judges for Wednesday evening's competition at Grandma's Sports Garden will be John Heino of the Centerville All Stars, Tessa Lenneman of the Duluth Playhouse and Mike Herrick of the Superior Chamber. Celebrities slated to perform include the ubiquitous Senator Roger Reinert, Linda Kratt of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, Congressional candidate Jeff Anderson, Ed Newman of AMSOIL, Christa Lawler of the Duluth News Tribune, Steve Greenfield of Greenfield Communications, and more.

I've been told that there are going to be two winners for this event, a Fan's Choice and a Judge's Choice. I also have it on good authority that there will also be one loser, whose body will be dropped through a trap door into a pit of vipers and whose anguished screams will be recorded for use in another local film maker's production tentatively titled Rattled By Adders, to air at DuSu Film Festival IV in 2013.

All that to say it will be pretty competitive, even if I am not myself the competitive type. (Oops, my nose just grew an inch.)

This is an sneak peak of my team's project.

Speaking of competition, you may want to mark your calendar for June 7 as well. Next Thursday will be Artist Kamikaze IV at Pizza Luce, curated by the Limbo Gallery. I will be writing more about this in a couple days but I wanted you to get it on your calendar now. Artist Kamikaze is also a competition in which aritsts who work in different media are paired to see what they come up with. I believe there are at least twenty artists involved this year, including myself. The opening night will include wine and the opportunity to vote for your favorite works. If you can't be there, be sure to grab a lunch or dinner at Pizza Luce during the month of June to check out what everyone has come up with.

Then there's an Ochre Ghost opening June 8 and.... wait... let's not get ahead of ourselves. Hope to see you on the town tonight. Spring really is a good time to embrace the arts. The weather is absolutely perfect. May your weekend be the same.

PS: Speaking of Sparhawk, let's not forget his two night stand at the Duluth Play Ground titled "A Murder In Silk" in which he joins Gaelynn Lea (violin/vocals) to produce music  while silk painter Lee Zimmerman does live painting. Maybe I should compare him to Superman again? Thanks, Alan, for all your contributions here.