The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.


Tuesday June 30, 2015
The first of three #FunFact features this week is all about crickets: the sport, the insect, and the band.

England does have better literature, though…
Before there was baseball, there was cricket. The sport was popular in America throughout the 1800s and early 1900s before giving way to America’s unique pastime. I’m sure I’d dig it if I learned the ins and outs of cricket, but I definitely think America came out victorious here. Like in the Revolutionary War. Burn!

A plethora of cricket facts
Weirdly, I can’t decide which single fact about crickets that I want to highlight so here are a few. They are related to grasshoppers (makes sense), have great vision and can see in multiple directions at once, and are even rumored to be able to tell the outside temperature. Supposedly if you count the number of chirps a cricket makes in a minute, divide it by 4, and then add 40 to that you’ll get the outside temperature. If somebody actually tries that let me know if it’s true.

THE Crickets
As most people know, Buddy Holly fronted a band called the Crickets. There are some interesting misconceptions about Holly, including a fabled story about him punching out a record producer at Decca that never happened. This trend at getting Holly facts mixed up started early though, as there are five errors on his birth certificate! Check it out:

A daughter weighing 8 and 1/2 pounds was born at 6:10 o’clock Monday afternoon at Clark-Key Clinic to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence O. Holley, of 1913 6th Street. Holley is associated with a tailoring establishment here.

First off, Holly obviously wasn’t a girl. Additionally he was born at home, not in a clinic, at 3:30 PM not 6:10, and weighed 6.5 lbs, not 8.5. Even early Holly didn’t catch the breaks…

Too soon?

Sources
http://www.livestrong.com/article/447913-funny-facts-about-the-sport-of-cricket/
http://www.bugfacts.net/cricket.php
http://www.buddyhollyarchives.com/2009/03/stories-not-everything-you-hear-is-true/

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.


Monday June 29, 2015
A big contract for an unproven goalie, an unproven baseball team.

Did Doug Risebrough come back or something?
Saturday the Minnesota Wild announced that they had signed goaltender Devan Dubnyk to a six year, $26 million contract. It was the end of a prolonged period of negotiations that left the fan base wondering whether the deal would get done or not – not to mention whether Dubnyk actually wanted to be here.

Word from the negotiations was that he was asking for an eight year contract worth around $6 a year. Eight years? $6 million a year? Certainly a bit much for a goaltender who, going into 2014, wasn’t even sure if he’d be in the league in 2016. Considering that he only performed well for one half of a season his entire career I thought the prospect was ridiculous.  I hoped they’d look elsewhere if they couldn’t talk him down to three years at around $4 million a year. There are other goalies out there that the team could get, some of them are more proven than Dubnyk.

What’s done is done, though. At a time when the Wild are trying hard to get Niklas Backstrom’s ill-advised contract off the books I don’t quite understand the magnitude of the Dubnyk deal. Alas, perhaps there’s a reason why Chuck Fletcher is an NHL GM and I am not. I just hope that this somewhat hasty move doesn’t hurt the team in the future.

Update 7/1/15
After hearing a few things, specifically an explanation of the contract by Wild super fan, KFAN's Jolly Green Giant Brandon Mileski, I pretty much no longer have this opinion. Sure, six years is still a bit much considering how short of a time he's proven himself,  but it's front loaded. So if after a year or two he gets really bad it'll be easy for the team to buy out his contract. And even on the books the next couple years he's still not one of the top paid goalies in the NHL.

So yeah, I guess it all goes back to the fact that Fletcher is the GM and I'm not. Well done, boys.

All good things
Most Twins analysts knew that their triumphant month of May, in which the team won more games than they had in any month since they won the World Series in 1991, wouldn’t last all season. Their shaky starting rotation was nearly perfect, their well below-average bullpen was somehow excelling, and their questionable lineup was hitting for clutch and power. With so many question marks across the board most knew the wheels would eventually fall off.

Fortunately that hasn’t happened drastically. The starting rotation, while not quite as good, is still exceeding expectations. The problems are with the bullpen, which has been showing its true colors, and the lineup, where many who were doing well have fallen off. In essence they have regressed to the mean. Sure, if they hit a hot streak they could get a Wild Card spot, but unless they make a move for a power bat, a couple of bullpen pieces, and a high-end starting pitcher I don’t see them getting much further than that.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

by Erik Ritland



Rambling On is a seriously fun blog and podcast covering sports, music, culture, and more. Check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.

What: The Twin Cities Jazz Festival
When: Thursday June 25 - Saturday June 27, 2015
Where: Lowertown St. Paul and surrounding area

Read part one here.

The second day of the St. Paul Jazz Festival started out with a bang – of thunder, that is. A pleasant afternoon changed suddenly when a thunderstorm moved in so quickly that it forgot to tell the pesky sun to stop shining. It was definitely the strongest sunshower I’d ever seen. Humid sunshine rolled in after the rain stopped, however, so the sidewalks and benches dried off quickly and the outdoor festivities rolled on.

Going into the festival I was especially excited to see the Araya Orta Latin Jazz Quartet. They’re fantastic on their own (members have played with stars Michael Brecker, Chick Corea, and Gloria Estefan) but this performance promised to be special, as legendary Trinidadian steel-pan artist Othello Molineaux joined them for most of their set. Early in his career he played with one of my heroes, bassist Jaco Pastorious.

Their multi-song tribute to Pastorius was a highlight but the entire performance was spirited. Their varied, tight dynamics kept the crowd moving, as Latin jazz tends to do. The interplay between the bongos and drum kit, played by brothers Carlmongo and Ramses Araya, was dazzling. Once Molineaux joined they had a completely different dynamic with the steel-pan drum in the foreground. Their sweet, grooving take on Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” was a highlight.

My one complaint about the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and most events in Mears Park, is that they have a limited, expensive beer selection. Plus it’s all out of cans, which isn’t a bad thing in itself, it’s just that tap beer fits the festive outdoor atmosphere a lot better. Alas, after Araya and company I enjoyed a crisp, refreshing Steel Toe Sommer Vice at one of my favorite St. Paul bars, the Bulldog.

No Room for Squares played the 6th Street Stage shortly after the Araya Orta band finished their set. The quartet of sax (Jimmie Wallace), trumpet (Jon Pemberton), bass (Adam Tucker), drums (Bill Stieger), and keys (Mikkel Romstad) was straightforward and bopping. Tucker, though he rarely took a solo, always looked intense as he kept each song rolling with his fluid bass lines. Stieger was the ringleader, his drums loose and swinging and his between song banter charming, but the star of the show was the tenor sax of Jimmie Wallace. His wild playing danced around rhythms and often summoned Coltrane.

After an introduction from honorable St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman an all-star band took the stage in Mears Park: Chris Potter (sax), Dave Holland (bass), Lionel Loueke (bass/vocals), and Erik Harland (drums). I was only able to catch the first few songs of their set, as space in the park was limited and the humidity had risen considerably, but their playing was as virtuosic as advertised. When you’ve played with Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, Monk, and many others, as members of the quartet have, it sort of comes with the territory.

Finding the crowd and heat a bit overbearing I made my way up the 5th Street hill to another one of my favorite St. Paul spots, the Amsterdam, to see Black Market Brass. The intimacy of the Amsterdam highlighted the musicianship of the nine-piece, although their up-tempo combination of funk, Afrobeat, jazz, and rock fits better at a party with a dance floor. Their first set was looser, featuring many trippy, droning extended sections for each member to solo.

Despite a section of inclement weather the second day of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival was as successful as the first (and I only scratched the surface of variety of bands that played throughout my beloved St. Paul). The event, which gets bigger and better every year, is certainly on the verge of becoming nationally-recognized.

Read part three of Rambling On's coverage of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival here.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

by Peter Ripka

It’s the beginning of a new era for your favorite hockey team. Hopefully.

This past week the Minnesota Wild finally resigned goaltender Devan Dubnyk. Although this signing now gives the Wild the same headache of a year ago with 3 goaltenders on the roster (Dubnyk, Backstrom and Kuemper) it does provide them with something it has failed to have for almost the entirety of the franchise’s existence: stability at the goaltender position.

The Wild are still hoping that Niklas Backstrom, who is having offseason surgery, will be cleared to “play” soon so that they can buyout his contract for salary cap relief. The likelihood of this happening, considering the Wild’s previous luck, is somewhere between slim and a cold day in hell.

With Dubynk and the Wild agreeing to a 6 year $25 million contract the team has a little north of $8 million left in under that cap. $3 million is expected to go to Restricted Free Agent Mikael Granlund. With players such as Huala and Stewart yet to be resigned as well I would expect the Wild to be relatively quiet in free agency this year. Any move the team makes will probably be a through trade. Hopefully someone will be convinced that Backstrom and his horrible contract is worth bringing in. Rumor is that his agent has been talking to teams to see if anyone is willing to give the goaltender a one year contract. If they find someone willing to do it and the Wild play it right they may be able to get something for him.

Last week the Wild also won the Mike Reilly bidding war, practically guaranteeing that the young former Gopher blue liner will wear a Wild sweater. It won’t be official until Wednesday when free agency officially opens but it will give the Wild another young defensemen with a lot of talent. Reilly will be given every opportunity in training camp to make the team going into next season. He could be a fifth or sixth defensemen in his first year of professional hockey. Next year, we could see defense pairings of Suter/Brodin, Spurgeon/Scandella, Dumba/Reilly with Leopold being the extra (if resigned). That may be the most depth the team has ever had on the defensive end.

All in all, the Wild have put pieces in place to be a contender next season. Hopefully the Backstrom kerfuffle works out, and it’ll be interesting to see if the team makes any moves in the offseason.

Peter Ripka is the co-host of the Rambling On podcast. He's a blogger and analyst who specializes in sports, particularly hockey and baseball. Reach him via email or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

 

by Erik Ritland



Rambling On is a seriously fun blog and podcast covering sports, music, culture, and more. Check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.

What: The Twin Cities Jazz Festival
When: Thursday June 25 - Saturday June 27, 2015
Where: Lowertown St. Paul and surrounding area

Last year the Twin Cities Jazz Festival moved from Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul. This is one of the several events that are making the area more viable every year, from the acclaimed Music in Mears series on Thursday nights to the new Saints stadium. I love that my hometown, which I used to jokingly refer to as the “city that always sleeps,” is finally coming alive.

Unfortunately in 2014 the festival got mostly rained out. That was not a problem this year, as aside from a brief sunshower on Saturday afternoon it was a sunny, warm, classic Minnesota summer weekend.

Dozens of bands played at a staggering variety of locations across St. Paul. The main outdoor stage was in Mears Park, with secondary stages at the Union Depot, on 6th Street, and in Rice Park. Venues taking part in the event stretched from Lowertown (Bedlam Theater, Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar, the Hat Trick Lounge) to greater St. Paul (the Amsterdam, Underground Music Café, and Como Lakeside Pavilion), and even down the Green Line to University Avenue (Arnella’s, Big Daddy’s Barbecue, and the Ngon Bistro). And that only scratches the surface of places that participated.

It was a truly special event in its magnitude and breadth of talent. Thursday night’s headliner on the Mears Park stage, Twin Cities via Chicago vocalist Pippi Ardennia, showed why she is compared to classic jazz singers like Sarah Vaughn and Dinah Washington. Although more suited for an intimate club like the Dakota, her sultry performance was still energetic and sexy.

Meanwhile at the Black Dog the cleverly named Illicit Sextet, a classic ‘80s/'90s band that reunited in 2009, kept the crowd entertained with their hard-hitting variety of jazz. Other highlights of the night included inspirational vocalist Patty Patterson at the Amsterdam, eclectic Erik Christianson at the Bulldog, and the enormous big band sound of the Bill Simenson Orchestra at the Como Lakeside Pavillion.

The evening wrapped up with a groove-oriented jam session at Bedlam facilitated by Detroit transplant Solomon Parham and led by students from St. Paul's McNally-Smith College of Music. The classic improvisational spirit, in addition to the players being largely from the area hosting the event, made it a fitting way to end the festival's first day.

Check out our coverage of the second and third days of the festival as well.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.


Friday June 26, 2015
The Timberwolves gearing up to be the best pro sports team in Minnesota, good Christian boy Russell Wilson’s demand to be the highest paid player in football

We’re comin’, we’re comin’
Last night YOUR Minnesota Timberwolves selected Karl-Anthony Towns with the first pick in the NBA Draft. They also traded a couple innocuous picks to snatch up Duke standout (and local boy) Tyus Jones. I’m not saying that these moves make the Wolves an immediate playoff contender – they certainly would in the East, but not in the stacked Western Conference – but they definitely have the pieces in place to become relevant – and more.

Picking up Jones, even if it was at least a little bit for PR, is a good basketball move too. It gives the team much needed depth at Point Guard behind the dazzling but sometimes uneven (and injured) Ricky Rubio. If Towns and Andrew Wiggins become the superstars they’re supposed to be, other young talent like Shabazz Muhammad and Zach LaVine (and even Anthony Bennett) can be solid, and the team continues to sign upscale bit players like Pekovic and Kevin Martin, they will be a contending team in the foreseeable future.

A sad combination of delusion and hubris
I’ve always liked Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. He’s one of the only down to earth stars in the sea of show-off prima donnas called the NFL. He’s been told his whole life that he’s not good enough to make it, in both college and the NFL, yet instead of giving up he has excelled. He’s also abnormally active in the Seattle community, even for a professional athlete. This might have something to do with the fact that he’s a dedicated Christian.

That’s why I don’t understand why his contract negotiations with the Seahawks are moving so slowly. Word is that he’s asking for a contract that would make him the highest player in the NFL. Isn’t that something of a pride thing? Last time I checked Christianity calls that the ‘chief of sins.’ Perhaps he thinks he is the best player in football and that he deserves it. I don’t want him to get taken advantage of, but he hasn’t at all proven that he’s the best player in the league, and as such his demand for that money seems like a sad combination of delusion and hubris.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

by Erik Ritland



Rambling On is a seriously fun blog and podcast covering sports, music, culture, and more. Check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.

In a landmark decision today the Supreme Court ruled in favor of legalizing gay marriage in the United States. Social media has already gone crazy and I’m sure there will be more than a few animated conversations about it at bars and coffee shops in the coming weeks.

The popular hashtag for discussing it on social media is #LoveWins. But are the people saying this actually filled with love? You can’t go around preaching love while hating, bullying, and trying to silence anyone who disagrees with you. Unfortunately this is the rule and not the exception among many on the left, most notably those who support gay marriage.

For example, Justice Antonin Scalia is being harassed, bullied, hated, and called vicious names for simply dissenting against the majority opinion. How can people who claim to be filled with “love” be so hateful? The same people who claim that “love wins” aren’t even practicing a tiny amount of empathy toward those who disagree with them, much less love. Jesus said “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” Such a high standard takes the empathy and humility necessary to truly love. But empathy, humility, and love are all difficult and take work, so instead we get the sad place our culture is at currently.

It’s not just the backlash against Justice Scalia that proves my point. While many are simply happy about the decision, social media is also filled with people hatefully speaking about, and talking down to, anyone who is against gay marriage. This ranges from slight sarcastic jabs to long, mean-spirited diatribes. Many are sadistically happy that the decision bothers people who are against it. This is not love; it is pathetic hypocrisy.

The proof of how someone feels, or how they actually are, comes out in what they do, not what they say. You can say that you’re for love all you want, but if you’re actually filled with hate then you don’t have the slightest idea of what love actually is.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

by Erik Ritland



Rambling On is a seriously fun blog and podcast covering sports, music, culture, and more. Check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.

Nothing says summer quite like the Minnesota Street Rod Association’s Back to the 50s weekend at the State Fairgrounds. Seminal ‘50s rock n’ roll rides along a warm breeze, friendly people who are happy to be there smile as you walk by them, fried food provides its euphoric aroma, and the sun shines on some of the coolest cars ever created. This year the event was held June 19-21 which was, fittingly, the nicest weekend of the summer so far.

The entire weekend was filled with the good old fashioned family fun that I’ve always championed. Friday night is probably my favorite, with people lined up along Snelling to take in all the classic cars headed to the Fairgrounds. The magic quality in the air is part summer love, part nostalgia, and part sacred leisure.

On Saturday a gorgeous day of gawking at the scenery (and eating plenty of corn dogs and footlongs) culminated in a wonderful performance by legendary Minnesota’s garage rockers The Trashmen. They proved throughout their set that rock n’ roll never dies. The highlight, of course, was their signature tune “Surfin’ Bird.” I also thoroughly enjoyed their takes on country classic “White Lightening” and iconic surf tune “Bucket T.”

Another highlight of the event is Sunday's swap meet. Every year I find something good, whether it’s an old copy of a book, a few albums, or a conversation piece for my living room or recording studio. This year I picked up one of my favorite finds yet: an album with the Fonz from Happy Days on the cover. Although I got it just for that it also features essential ‘50s tracks and even a special song that has Henry Winkler saying all the classic Fonzy lines. A treasure for sure.

The bread and butter of the event, of course, is the vehicles. Cars, trucks, and everything in between, some dating as far back as the beginning of the century, provided eye candy throughout the Fairgrounds. I took plenty of pictures but they only scratched the surface of all there was to see.

Back to the ‘50s is more than one of the best Minnesota summer gatherings: it’s an event. All weekend I listen to classic ‘50s music from Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, and many others to help me enter into the celebration. Listening to them as I drive home into the warm twilight on Friday and Saturday night is a highlight for me every year. If you missed it this year make sure you don’t make the same mistake June 17-19, 2016.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.


Thursday June 25, 2015
A kerfuffle involving Neil Young and Donald Trump says a lot about how "the other side" is viewed.

Free world
Last week Neil Young criticized Donald Trump for using his song “Rockin’ in the Free World” when he announced his 2016 presidential bid. I can see both sides. On the one hand, if your material is so universal that it breaks boundaries and is seen as important even to people who don’t think exactly like you, that’s a cool thing. Even though it makes no sense that a Republican would use a song that is clearly anti-Republican, but that’s sort of beside the point.

However, I wouldn’t want a group that advocates, say, child sacrifice to use one of my songs, so I can see where a line needs to be drawn. But drawing that line based solely on petty political differences is sad to me. It shows a lack of love. Instead of wanting to come together with people who disagree both sides continue to distance themselves from the evil other, even supposedly “tolerant” leftists that claim to want to “coexist.” This is crippling our culture.

Hmm…
Trump fired back on Twitter earlier this week, posting a picture of the two together and a contract they signed. Evidently when he was looking for funding for his Pono music project Young approached Trump for support. So he’s good enough for a few bucks but it’s the end of the world if he uses one of his songs? Seems illogical and at least a little hypocritical.   

Oh Susanna
from the 2012 Neil Young album Americana

Although I often disagree with his views, and how he goes about expressing them, I still love Neil Young. He’s one of my biggest songwriting influences. A few years back he did an album of old folk songs with Crazy Horse that I fell in love with. This is the spooky video for its lead single, a groove heavy take on “Oh Susanna.”

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.


Wednesday June 24, 2015
A short reflection on hip Twin Cities radio station the Current.

Good currencies
After their initial few months, in which they played a dizzying array of genres and appeared to be truly free form, Minnesota’s hip public radio station The Current has been hit and miss. At its best it has charming local warmth and plays a diverse variety of music. At its worst it’s boring and focuses too narrowly on hip, new, and ultimately gutless and disposable indie music.

Lately it’s been more good than bad. Indie rock is their foundation, sure, but they deviate from it enough to keep more casual listeners like myself interested. I especially like the morning show – I wish endearing Sean McPherson of Heiruspecs, Twinkie Jiggles Broken Orchestra, and the Trivia Mafia gang would stay on full time – but I’ve also put them back in my presets in my car and go listen to them more often than I have in years.

I understand that a radio station needs to have a focus to survive. But the best radio stations can do that and also draw in casual listeners. The Current has been better at doing that recently and I hope they continue to trend upwards.

Staring at the Sun
TV on the Radio, from the 2003 LP Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

This was the first song I remember hearing on the Current. I was carpooling home from college of all things. When it came on my friend who was driving looked at me wide-eyed and we honestly marveled at how cool it was. Oh to be young again.

Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.