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G R A N D O P E N I N G

TOUR THE FIRST GREEN HOUSEPROJECT IN MINNESOTA.

THURSDAY, JUNE 26TH FROM 2:30PM-6:00PM800 AGENCY TRAIL, MANKATO, MN, 56001

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G R A N D O P E N I N G

TOUR THE FIRST GREEN HOUSEPROJECT IN MINNESOTA.

THURSDAY, JUNE 26TH FROM 2:30PM-6:00PM800 AGENCY TRAIL, MANKATO, MN, 56001

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MANKATOMAGAZINE June 2014 3

CUSTOM HOME AUDIO

ELECTRONICS

OUTDOOR LIVING

APPLIANCES

Serving our community for over 60 yearswith sales, service and installation

of product.

220 St. Andrews Drive | Mankatowww.shopdegroods.com

CENTRAL VACSYSTEM

CUSTOM HOME VIDEO

FEATURESJUNE2014

Volume9,Issue6

Home is where the music is

Mankato music scene depends on promoters who can keep it local

22A guide for beginners:

Soul-baring acoustic music for loud rooms, noisy kids and

tipsy white people

18

ANKATOM magazine

About tHe CoverTom Klugherz, Dale Menten, Gus Dewey and Bruce Waterston were The Gestures, a Mankato band that achieved a national hit in 1964. For the cover photo, living members Klugherz and Menten reminisced in

Two Fish Studios. | Photo by John Cross

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the song remains the sameMankatos first rock stars celebrate their

Run, Run, Run into history

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4 June 2014 MANKATOMAGAZINE

DEPAR TMENTS

6 FromtheEditor Every song tells a story8 ThisDayinHistory9 ChitChat10 Introductions Peter McGuire12 TheGallery20 YourTastes The thrill of the grill26 ThenandNow Mankatos place in The Great War30 DayTripDestinations Arlington Raceway32 GardenChat Joys of June: Asparagus, rhubarb and weeding34 ThatsLife Decisions, decisions36 WhatsCooking More than just the musical fruit38 YourHealth How to control between-meals grazing40 YourStyle Most important quality in a running shoe? Comfort42 HappyHour A bourbon cocktail for any season... or homework44 ComingAttractions Events to check out in June52 FromThisValley In search of Uncle Charlie and the Old North End

10

30 40

42 44

12

ANKATOM magazine

CominginJulyThe ballots are in and readers have spoken the best of Mankato have been chosen.

This month, well celebrate the individuals and businesses that make southern Minnesota such a

fine place to live.

Join us, and well compare favorites.


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From simple asphalt shingles to complex metal decorative shingles, Schwickerts is proud to be able to offer the most diverse and comprehensive roofing solutions in the region.

Call Schwickerts today or visit our showroom on Poplar Street in Mankato.

your true real estate professionals

1720 Adams St. Suite 100 Mankato

Email: [email protected]

www.FindHomesInMankato.com

Dynamic Agents

Call The True Teamfor all your real estate needs!

507-345-TRUE (8783)

Jen True,Realtor/Team Leader

Vickie Foix,Realtor

Gretchen Sadaka,Realtor

Sonja Zoet,Realtor

Karry Meyer,Realtor

Michelle Starkey,Listing Coordinator/

Team Assistant



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every song tells a storyJuNe 2014 voLuMe 9, ISSue 6

PubLISHer

eDItor

ASSoCIAte eDItor

CoNtrIbutorS

PHotoGrAPHerS

PAGe DeSIGNer

ADvertISINGMANAGer

ADvertISINGSALeS

ADvertISINGASSIStANt

ADvertISINGDeSIGNerS

CIrCuLAtIoNDIreCtor

James P. Santori

Joe Spear

Tanner Kent

Nell MusolfPete SteinerJean LundquistSarah JohnsonBryce O. StenzelDrew LyonGillian NeedhamJoe Tougas

John CrossPat Christman

Christina Sankey

Ginny Bergerson

Jen WanderscheidTheresa Haefner

Barb Wass

Sue HammarChristina Sankey

Denise Zernechel

Mankato Magazine is published byThe Free Press Media monthly at

418 South Second St., Mankato MN 56001.

To subscribe, call 1-800-657-4662 or 507-625-4451. $35.40 for 12 issues.

For editorial inquiries, call Tanner Kent at 344-6354, or e-mail [email protected].

For advertising,call 344-6336, or e-mail

[email protected].

From the first days of journalism class, our teachers instructed us on the mandatory five Ws and the H of a proper news story Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.The why has always been the most

interesting question and that plays out again in this months features on music.Musicians tend to have a lot of

why going on in their heads and that somehow makes into their songs. Some songs answer the why question, other just pose it, sometimes over and over again.The association with the why is

one of the reasons music can be a form of universal communication across languages, race and cultures. Everyone can get a feeling for what The Beatles were trying to say when they sang I want to hold your hand. And you wouldnt necessarily need to know English to get it.Musicians have a talent for

translating feelings the rest of us have but may not be able to articulate. We like a song because it speaks to us but also, sometimes, because it speaks for us.So, several narratives in this

months issue get at the why behind musicians work. Mankato has been home to a host of talented musicians over the years including the band The Gestures, who were on top of the nationwide charts with their hit, Run, Run, Run that debuted in 1964.We met up with two of the original

band members as they made plans for a 50th reunion show sometime this fall.Dale Menten and Tom Zeeth

Klugherz dial up a few memories of their careers and days on tour. Its a fascinating odyssey and, at the same time, a thoughtful retrospective about the meaning of music, the people behind it and the city in which it all came together.Turns out their hit song was

penned with lost love in mind, mixed with doses of depression, struggles with self-esteem and loneliness.

These are, of course, universal struggles. Music makes them seem more real, but at the same time maybe less onerous. Music can have that cathartic effect on us all.We also meet in this issue a couple

of enthusiastic Mankato music promoters. Such local promoters were a luxury Mankato was short of when The Gestures made their mark. Out-of-town promoters and record label managers did not always have the best interest of the musicians in mind.That isnt the case with Justin

Fasnacht and Christy Steinbach.Fasnacht promotes the local music

scene and local bands with Mankatos first online radio in FuzzTalkRadio.com. He tells our writer Heidi Sampson:It sucks that no one knows that

Cecil Otter of Doomtree used to live in Mankato and Dave, the front man from Trampled by Turtles, is from here. Green Day used to come through here all the time and play because Billy Joe Armstrongs wife is from this area and no one knows this stuff.Steinbach also pushes the local

music scene and artists as owner of Full Moon Productions.Music to me should be a positive

experience, Steinbach says. You should walk away with a positive impression or something to be inspired with.Of course, a lot of songs center

around fate and some of lifes other uncontrollable circumstances. The Gestures story has no shortage of both. But like a good song, their story leaves you with lift.In the end, were lucky to have

musicians and their music.It may be no coincidence that the

phrase everything is alright appears in songs from Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Daniels and Minnesotas own Motion City. M

Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at [email protected] or 344-6382.

FrOm The ediTOr By JOe SpeAr

ANKATOM magazine

GOLFERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD COME TO CHALLENGE THE JUDGE and the two other golf courses in Prattville at RTJ Capitol Hill. Bring your clubs and come take on Judge hole number 1, voted the favorite hole on the Trail. Complete your day in luxury at the Marriott and enjoy dining, fi repits and

guest rooms overlooking the Senator golf course. With the Marriotts 20,000 square feet of meeting space, 96 guest rooms and luxurious Presidential

Cottage combined with three world-class golf courses, business and pleasure can defi nitely interact in Prattville.

THE ROBERT TRENT JONES GOLF TRAIL AT CAPITOL HILL is home of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic on the Senator Course

September 18 to 24, 2014. The Marriott Prattville is part of the Resort Collection on Alabamas Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Visit www.rtjgolf.com or call 800.949.4444 to learn more.

for Yourself. COME JUDGE for Yourself.

RTJ746JudgePRATT_CNHIMags.indd 1 3/28/14 12:17 PM


MAGAZINE June 2014 7

GOLFERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD COME TO CHALLENGE THE JUDGE and the two other golf courses in Prattville at RTJ Capitol Hill. Bring your clubs and come take on Judge hole number 1, voted the favorite hole on the Trail. Complete your day in luxury at the Marriott and enjoy dining, fi repits and

guest rooms overlooking the Senator golf course. With the Marriotts 20,000 square feet of meeting space, 96 guest rooms and luxurious Presidential

Cottage combined with three world-class golf courses, business and pleasure can defi nitely interact in Prattville.

THE ROBERT TRENT JONES GOLF TRAIL AT CAPITOL HILL is home of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic on the Senator Course

September 18 to 24, 2014. The Marriott Prattville is part of the Resort Collection on Alabamas Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Visit www.rtjgolf.com or call 800.949.4444 to learn more.

for Yourself. COME JUDGE for Yourself.

RTJ746JudgePRATT_CNHIMags.indd 1 3/28/14 12:17 PM


ThiS dAy iN hiSTOry

June 5, 1901: The Daily Free Press put to rest any notion that three women at the center of a supposed poisoning scandal in Truman were suicidal. Citing slanderous rumors, The Free Press recanted the facts of the matter and insisted the authorities were correct in surmising that the poisoning case was accidental.In any case, the incident involved three Truman women who attended a meal

at a local hotel. Later that evening, they became violently sick. Other afflicted parties later came forward, leading police to suspect a case of ptomaine poisoning.

June 6, 1890: The previous days storm one that the Weekly Free Press called one of the most terrific ever experienced in this region claimed the lives of prominent Medo farmer E.S. Taylor and his 25-year-old son, Henry.The two men were standing in the door of a large stock barn when they were

struck by lightning. The bolt set the barn ablaze immediately with a large amount of hay and nine horses (three of which were blooded stallions) also claimed in the fire. The newspaper reported that Taylors small daughter pulled both bodies from the fire.

June 10, 1925: The Daily Free Press carried yet another report of Mankatos Night Man. This time, the victim was Anita Johnson of Mason City, Iowa, a woman who was visiting friends in Mankato. After seeking employment at a local restaurant, Johnson found herself being followed on her walk home. She told the newspaper: I called at him and said I would get a policeman. He just stood and stared, and then all of a sudden he laughed all wild-like and turned his back and walked away. Johnson also told authorities that she wasnt sure the Night Man was a man at all. She said the laugh was high-pitched and the stalkers figure appeared to be a womans from behind. The report was one of dozens received in several months by police. All, however, went unsolved.

June 12, 1903: On this day, the Weekly Free Press reported on the strange condition of James L. Crandall, who succeeded in getting rid of an unwelcome resident of his stomach when he vomited up a lizard.Crandall had been experiencing severe pain and discomfort for more than a year. Yet, visits to the doctor and medication did little to alleviate his symptoms. His condition improved immediately, however, after vomiting the lizard, which was said to be more than 6 inches long and as large as a bullhead.

June 27, 1912: Thieves left a shattered strong box and a single penny as unrecalcitrant reminders of their misdeeds after blowing up the safe at J.M. Karmanys meat market at 631 S. Front St. When Karmany arrived at the store in the morning, he found the safe shattered and its monetary contents missing. The yeggs left their tools a jimmy, a chisel wrapped in a Washington, D.C., newspaper and an oil can. Apparently, the thieves who police characterized as professionals entered the meat market through a rear window and used a nitroglycerin charge to blow the door off the safe. They used a fur coat to muffle the sound and were careful enough to leave a flower vase less than a foot away undisturbed. The thieves then cut a hole into an interior connecting door to the adjoining Flo, Pugh and Brockmeyer grocery store and robbed the register of paper and coins.

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ByTannerKent

A view of Karmanys meat market in the late 19th century. | Photo courtesy of Blue Earth County Historical Society


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Chit Chat

With spring here and summer just around the corner, many area homeowners are sprucing up their houses in anticipation of changing addresses. Stacey Williams of CENTURY 21 Landmark Realtors has some advice to help enhance any homes appeal curb and otherwise.I always recommend taking a step outside your home

for a moment, Williams said. Walk up to your home and get a fresh perspective as a buyer would. Have a neighbor or a friend stop over and ask them to view your home as a prospective buyer. Then, make a list of things that need to be done and prioritize them starting with the simple, easy and inexpensive tasks. Then tackle the tougher jobs.Williams also suggested a thorough

cleaning and de-cluttering to make a home its most attractive. Clean all the vents, dust the corners and touch up any paint that needs it and take care of small repairs. Make sure the yard front, sides and back are clean and neat.Curb appeal is

huge, Williams noted. People like to drive around town and view the exteriors of homes for sale before committing to an interior view. Trim trees, touch-up paint, wash the windows and make sure the doors screen doors, too are in working order and in decent condition.A bright coat of paint on the front door will add a pop

of color and freshly planted flowers or a container garden also add positive notes to home exteriors. Williams also

encouraged homeowners to make sure that driveways and sidewalks are free of dirt, weeds and broken cement.If you dont like it, a buyer

probably wont either. Think fresh and clean, she said.If a homeowner has a

larger budget for home improvement but isnt quite

sure how to spend it to get the most bang for the buck, Williams recommended asking a Realtor for advice.I would recommend having a Realtor discuss what options will be your best investment, Williams said. Often, sellers will over-improve their homes on repairs

that might not necessarily bring a higher i n v e s t m e n t

return.Williams reported that

home prices have remained steady thus far in 2014 with median prices slightly up from this time last year. She also said the National Association of Home Builders has reported new home construction is seeing a recovery in the Midwest.Overall, the market is very promising at this time and

its a great time to buy and/or sell, Williams said.

A little sprucing up before the sale

ByNellMusolf

June in Minnesota means gardens and farmers markets are starting to see a lot of fresh-grown greens like spinach, beet tops and all those amazing varieties of lettuces.Adding a handful of greens to

your everyday meals is an easy way to incorporate more of these disease-fighting superfoods. Cooks at Oaklawn Healthcare Center in Mankato shared this recipe for a favorite soup of the 80 or so residents they care for each day:

Italian Wedding Soup6 cups chicken broth1 pound frozen tiny meatballs (or regular meatballs, thawed and coarsely chopped)1 cup orzo pasta2 cups baby spinach, thinly sliced regular spinach or escarole1/3 cup finely chopped carrot teaspoon dried basil teaspoon dried onion powder

Heat broth to boiling. Add all ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes or until orzo is al dente. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

A soup-er month to eat more greensBySarahJohnson

Adviceonhowtoenhanceyourhomesvisualappeal



iNTrOducTiONS iNTerview By TANNer KeNT

Mankato Magazine: How did you become interested in playing the violin?Peter McGuire: When I was 2 years old, my mom brought me to watch a performance of Suzuki violinists at the old downtown Mankato Place mall. When I was 4 years old, I began violin lessons with Patti Tryhus at the Mankato Suzuki School.

MM: Do you come from a musical family?PM: My dad, Jim McGuire, is a classical and jazz guitarist as well as guitar instructor in southern Minnesota. From an early age, I was exposed to great music: Listening to my dad practice the guitar and a substantial vinyl collection instilled that music is something you hear in daily life.

MM: Did you continue to play throughout your grade

school and high school years?PM: From age 4, my participation in music accelerated to present day as a second concertmaster with the Tonhalle-Orchester in Zurich, Switzerland.

MM: Do you have any special memories of being in your high schools orchestra?PM: I attended Mankato West High School and belonged to the school orchestra conducted by Steve Dunn. Mr. Dunn was endlessly patient and many of the students in his orchestra have continued to keep music a part of their daily life. He taught his kids to appreciate music and his gentle style of leadership cultivated a lifetime genuine interest in classical music.

MM: Who are your musical inspirations?

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Mankato native Peter McGuire is now the second concertmaster with an orchestra in Zurich, Switzerland. | Photo courtesy of Peter MCGuire

Peter McGuires world-class violin talent was honed earlyString beginnings



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PM: Growing up, I was lucky to have several real-life examples of working musicians who carried out their work with a lot of honesty artistically. I remember a cassette tape my dad bought for me of Itzhak Perlman playing Fritz Kreisler encores (short pieces). Perlmans sound was so warm and inviting that it seemed like that is how the violin should sound.

MM: What kind of violin do you play?PM: For the past 10 years I have been playing on a violin made by David Folland. David has a beautiful shop just outside Northfield. The craftsmanship and quality of the his violins is incredible. David is also a violinist, so when you work with him to determine what you specifically want out of a violin, he is able to deliver. I ordered a second Folland Violin before moving to Switzerland and am completely happy with it.

MM: What is the most challenging piece you have played?PM: The challenging part is in playing anything well. Playing the violin is fundamentally difficult and sounding good on any piece is a challenge. My wife likes to remind me that when I was 19 years old

and had sent in a resume to audition for the Milwaukee Symphony, I was sent a list of excerpts including Richard Strauss Don Juan. I spent an entire day trying to get the notes under my fingers and finally thought, The audition committee cant expect anyone to get this perfect, it must be whoever comes the closest!I was very naive to the standard of professional orchestral

auditions and have since sorted out the notes in Don Juan. Of course, the repertoire is huge and there are so many difficult pieces offering different challenges.

MM: What does it feel like to master a particularly tough piece?PM: The feeling a musician has is not mastery but more like an actor where you try to do justice to the piece you are presenting.

MM: What is your favorite piece (if its possible to pick one)?PM: It is my job to favor what I am working on in any given week. At this very moment, its Brahms Symphony No. 2, a piece which is very easy to love. But one has to convince oneself that what they are playing is the center of the solar system for the present time or it will not be convincing.

MM: You have played in orchestras around the world. Can you share some highlights from those various orchestras?PM: From the time I was in high school in Mankato, it had been my dream to work for the Minnesota Orchestra. Jorja Fleezanis (previous concertmaster with the Minnesota Orchestra) had given a master class at Gustavus Adolphus College when I was 14 years old. Watching her perform and talk to us about her career as a musician inspired me.When I was 24, I auditioned and won a job with the

Minnesota Orchestra. One of my first concerts was with Itzhak Perlman as soloist performing with the Barber Violin Concerto. Perlman had contracted polio as a child and had for years used walking canes. Fleezanis carried his violin on stage and would hand it over to him after his entrance. As Perlman walked on stage to thunderous

applause, he misstepped and fell. All of a sudden there were gasps and then silence. Perlman swung his legs over the stage and just sat quietly for moment. Then, smile on his face, he told a joke, went to his chair and performed the concerto. It was incredible and a reminder of his humanity.A few years later I had the honor of being asked to

perform with the Berlin Philharmonic. As a kid, I used to listen to recordings of the Berlin Philharmonic late into the night. The feeling of being on stage, surrounded by some of my musical heroes, and that oceanic sound was surreal to say the least.

MM: What are some memorable concerts for you?PM: Ive been very lucky to have a lot of great experiences. Peripherally, seeing audience members look like their world just got bigger, tearing up, or squeezing hands really gives meaning to the sounds, and that is memorable, whether in Berlin, Zurich or Mankato.

MM: What did you enjoy most about being a part of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra?PM: I think back very fondly on my time with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra. Then-conductor Dianne Pope was very supportive of me and took a risk in allowing me to play in the orchestra from the fifth grade. The orchestra is comprised of many people who have careers unrelated to music. The fact that they are also committed to the repertoire and work all these extra hours to present it to the audience, our community, is a gift. Also there are many professional musicians in the group who bring the richness of their other experiences to the orchestra.

MM: How did you segue way from Minnesota to Switzerland?PM: When the management of the Minnesota Orchestra locked out its musicians on Oct. 1, 2012, I took an audition for second concertmaster of the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich, Switzerland. On Oct. 5, 2012, (four days after the lockout began), my family began preparing to move to Switzerland. It took about four months to get everything in order. Our fourth child was 6 weeks old when the lockout began and was just 4 months old when we left Minnesota.In that time, we had a lot to get in order: work Visa,

passports, contracts, selling our home and cars, and finding a new place to live on the other side of the world. By the New Year, we were on our way. We arrived in Zurich with four children, a stroller, a violin, and about six pieces of luggage. Our two older kids are enrolled in the Swiss Public School and becoming fluent in German. The youngest two children are happy and content at home with my wife, Kim.

MM: How do you relax when youre not playing?PM: Ha! We have four kids, so there is no such thing as relaxing when not playing! When I am not playing, there is the usual: help with homework, making meals, grocery shopping, dealing with toddler tantrums. Sorry if that sounds boring, but its just reality.At the end of the day, relaxing is sitting on our patio

with a good German beer or French/Italian wine and talking with my wife about our day. Oh, and I have an app called DuoLingo that is helping me to learn German. M



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Taylor Johnsons abstract paintings will be on display in an exhibit titled Portraits of Expanse this month at the 410 Project art gallery. | Photos by Dana Sikkila

ByNellMusolf|PhotosbyDanaSikkila

The GAllery

Into the expanse

Taylor Johnson began his artistic career drawing comic books about a skateboarding superhero that he then sold to his friends. His interest in art grew during high school where he enjoyed photography, ceramics and painting. His high school art teacher encouraged his interest in pottery and gifted him with a potters wheel as a graduation gift.Nine years later, Johnson is still

emerging as an artist and will have his first show, Portraits of Expanse, at the 410 Project Art Gallery. The exhibit remains on display through June 14. Johnson said the title of his show came from the expanses of color in which he creates an abstract figures or focal points drawn upon fields of bold color.I dont think of a portrait as just

an image of a person, Johnson said. I think what really makes a portrait a portrait is that the image has bits of style and personality included. This is what makes it unique. When you look at a portrait, you are seeing that person as a whole and you get an idea of who they are.For his paintings, Johnson begins

with line drawings and a goal to create a mood for viewers. His

figures may or may not be recognizable and are intentionally open to interpretation.To me, they become a character

of their own in their own existence, Johnson said.Johnsons pieces usually begin

with a wooden panel. On top of that, he uses paints that he has found at the Habitat for Humanitys ReStore. Johnson also adds a variety of textures until he feels his work is completed.Because I am using my intuition

so much to guide what I do, it can get frustrating at times, Johnson said. The more I add to the painting, the more I become invested in it, the more I think about what Im creating.Johnson is an admirer of painter

Jean-Michel Basquiat who paints in the style known as action painting where artwork is off the cuff and not premeditated.The images I paint are not

representative of anything, Johnson said, at least not intentionally. I like them to be interpreted by the viewer, just as I interpret them in my own mind. The role of inspiration is not reproducing what I am inspired by, but using it as fuel for application.

Emerging artist debuts at 410 Project gallery



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Tania Cordes has brought new life to the historic Kato Ballrooom with revamped color schemes, renovations and new events. | Free Press file photos

The Kato Ballroom was built in 1946 when ballrooms were in their heyday. It burned down but was quickly rebuilt, said Tania Cordes of North Mankato, the new owner of the Mankato musical fixture on Chestnut Street.When ballrooms lost a bit of luster a few decades later,

the building remained pretty much intact, but the name was changed to the Kato Entertainment Center to give it a more modern image. Most locals still called it the Kato Ballroom, however, in part, because the marquee lights at the entrance still proclaimed it as such.Now, Cordes says, the legal name of the building is the

Kato Event Center, though she intends to promote the venue as a ballroom.Theres so much nostalgia here, Cordes said. This

place is special and means so much to so many people Now, it needs to be re-found and re-loved.Toward that end, Cordes is giving the building a facelift.Last Labor Day weekend, two of my friends helped me

re-do the entryway and the office. Between the three of us, we spent 160 hours here.The ballroom is painted in grays and pinks and Cordes

says she wants to paint out some of the pink. Shes added red and black accents, plus some darker gray.She has plans to frame and illuminate posters of the

ballroom history, plus some handbills of some of the most

famous entertainers to play the ballroom to underscore the venues historical significance.Cordes knows the people who were young in the 1950s

are still interested in the Kato Ballroom. We have anniversary parties for people who got married here. Now, Cordes said shes looking to attract the middle

market. People in their 20s to their 60s. And she has plans.Cordes will offer teen dances every other month for the

under-21 crowd. She said the liquor will be locked up, appropriate attire will be required, no hats will be allowed and adult supervision will be present. Cordes said those measures will ensure safety while still allowing teens to have some good, clean fun.This fall, the Mankato Symphony Orchestra will perform

its new pop/jazz series at the Ballroom. People will sit at tables with tablecloths, instead of in a row, Cordes said. They will be able to enjoy a drink, if they choose. It will be a completely different experience. Cordes also hopes to offer local bands a chance to play in

the Ballroom. The acoustics are great, she said, and the stage is large.Theres plenty of room to dance, the bar is large and it is

not going to be shoulder to shoulder if there is a big crowd, like it would be at a bar, Cordes said M

By Jean Lundquist

re-found and re-lovedEvolution of Kato Ballroom continues under new ownership



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By Drew Lyon | Photos by John Cross

The song remains the same

Barely old enough to drive let alone tour the country the teenage rock band, The Gestures, put Mankato on the musical map with their chart-topping 1964 hit Run, Run, Run. | Photo reproduction by John Cross

Mankatos first rock stars celebrate their Run, Run, Run into history



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Two musicians sit on benches clutching instruments in the dark and quiet basement of Mankatos Two Fish Recording Studios. Theyre wrapping up a photo session for Mankato Magazine and photographer John Cross asks the duo to face each other and play some music for the camera.Tom Zeeth Klugherz obliges, plucks notes on his electric

jazz bass and settles into a slinky groove. His childhood friend and former bandmate, Dale Menten, strums a borrowed electric guitar. Menten sings a few lines of the blues standard, Stormy Monday, and the two surviving original members of The Gestures, Mankato music royalty, smile in unison.Klugherz glances at his old partner. Im gonna play

something different than you, OK? he says.Menten grins. Well, you always did.They keep on playing, and after a while it starts to sound

like the same song.

Only the lonelyKlugherz and Menten have reunited at a Mankato diner to

address the 50th anniversary of their 1964 national hit single, Run, Run, Run. They are joined by City Mouse leader Billy Steiner and Greg Duffy, a local music collector and brother of former Gesture Dan Duffy.The foursome struggle to hammer down a date for a 50th

anniversary bash at the Kato Ballroom later this year. They make tentative plans for a weekend in October, and Klugherz tells Menten they should perform a full headlining set.We have to play more than four songs, Klugherz says.Finally, the composer of Run, Run, Run is ready if a bit

reluctantly at the outset to revisit the insecurities of his youth.In high school, I wrestled with some very low self-esteem.

School was very difficult for me, and I imagine a lot of people feel the same way, Menten says and pauses. Im giving you the guts of the whole story.Dale doesnt like to talk about the lyrics of his songs,

Klugherz says.But Menten continues. A half-century has passed; and

besides, all those universal teenage emotions heartbreak, angst, disillusion fostered a rock n roll classic.I dont think I was abnormal, he says. You go through all

this Whats this all about? stuff, and you have hormones raging this way and you get turned down over here. Then, what you realize is you can play an instrument and write a song about it, because once you write a song, you let that go. Thats gone now. So it was very therapeutic, cathartic. I used to spend so much time at the piano or guitar, just alone with those feelings. Mentens not one to name names, but he reveals there was

a high school girl who was the apple of his eye. Eventually, he let her run, run, run.At a certain point, I realized, God, shes so cool and Im not

cool, he said. I think I was out for track, and one of the real cool track stars said, Hey, are you still dating whats her name? And I went, Well, I wouldnt call it dating. If you want to date her, go ahead, fine. I was trying to save face. I was going to hurt you anyway. It was part of that no self-esteem crap.By then, Menten had found a kindred spirit. His name was

Gus Dewey. Gus played guitar, too, and the two lost boys bonded over Roy Orbisons soaring, operatic balladry.When I met Gus, there was a lonelier guy than I was,

Menten says. He was the loneliest human being on the planet, and I loved him because we could be alone together. Wed

actually sit up in his room and have depression meetings, but we made it kind of neat and fun, like it was a badge of honor or something. And wed play some of these incredibly sensitive, lonely tunes that Roy did like crazy. And it helped.Little did they know, Roy Orbison would play a role in the

final touches of Run, Run, Run.

A song is bornIts fall 1963. The Beach Boys and surf music are all the rage.

Beatlemania has yet to hit American shores and The Rolling Stones are just another rhythm and blues cover band in London.Meanwhile, four southern Minnesota teenagers (the

youngest, drummer Bruce Waterston, is only 15) calling themselves The Jesters record an original number in Gus Deweys garage. The demo tape of Run, Run, Run is passed from Bob Sparrow to Jim Madison, a butcher/record producer. Madison springs for another recording of the song, this time in a professional studio. Madison then forwards the recording to Lou Reigert, an influential Minneapolis DJ and future CNN anchorman later known as Lou Waters.Jim Madison really needed local airplay, Menten says. He

got ahold of Lou, who was one of the top disc jockeys, and Jim thought, If I can just get him behind this band.Reigert likes the tune, but insists it needs tweaking.During that time was when Roy Orbisons Pretty Woman

was out and it had that very busy, frenetic bass drum, Menten says. Lous suggestion was that daaahn-daaahn-daaahn-daaahn part in Run, Run, Run. So we had to re-do the whole tune, but it was a simple little tune. It wasnt like How the West Was Won or anything.The quartet re-records Run, Run, Run at Kay Bank Studios

in Minneapolis. There are no studio frills or gimmicks; the whole band cuts the track in one room. To this day, Klugherz bristles at claims the song was recorded in stereo.These people are discussing Run, Run, Run on the

Internet and they say it was recorded in stereo, Klugherz says, and Im sitting there going, No, it wasnt! I even wrote on there: Hey, I was the bass player, and it wasnt in stereo! It was a three-track recording.Maybe now you can enhance it, Menten adds.You can do anything nowadays, Klugherz says. My

nephew has a vinyl copy of the song that he got off eBay, and its in Japanese. The labels in Japanese, and so is the song.Its suggested to Menten that Run, Run, Run is no

milquetoast teenage pop song. The songs speaker seems to be exuding very real adult suffering and defiance. Hes not just setting the girl free; maybe hes setting himself free, too.Now did you know I didnt love you? And did you know Id

make a fool of you?...run, run, baby, Ill just set you free.You know, no ones ever brought that up, he says. Yes, it

was very defiant. Other people bring up the fact that its very sophomoric, but of course it is. I was just a kid! But the lyric thing, you just let it roll out.On the strength of Run, Run, Run, the band, now

rebranded The Gestures (another group had already claimed The Jesters name) signs with Amos Heilechers Soma Records.We didnt realize wed signed our life away, Klugherz says.

Amos owned us.A couple of months after Klugherz and Dewey graduate from

high school (Menten, the oldest, graduated a year earlier), Run, Run, Run debuts in August 1964. The band initially agreed its other original recording, It Seems to Me, was the superior song and wanted it is as the lead single.



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Soma Records overruled the band. It might be one of the few instances in The Gestures brief run where their record label made the right call.We wanted that as the A-side when we took it to them,

Klugherz says, but someone said, no, its Run, Run, Run.Menten adds: It Seems to Me now theres another

depressing song. The world is bad, this is sad, it seems to me. Again, I know why Gus liked it.The same week Run, Run, Run/It Seems to Me arrives in

record stores, a little ditty by The Beatles, I Want to Hold Your Hand, is also released.Basically, it was bad timing, Menten says, and we

probably suffered the most. Unlike some other bands, we never got a national run without competition from The Beatles.

Supply & demandStill, the Mankato area had its first bona fide rock stars.

Summer 1964 into 65 were halcyon days for Dale, Zeeth, Gus and Bruce. Run, Run, Run was an instant regional and local turntable hit. The Gestures were officially big time.Riding high, Klugherz bought his first Corvette. Kids turned

their heads when Zeeth cruised by.Did I buy the Corvette with a royalty check? What

royalties? Klugherz says, laughing. I just charged it to the record label.We looked up to them as local people who had made it,

Billy Steiner says. It was just a gas when you could go see them. They were a really good live band and one of the best harmony bands around. I used to ask Mr. Waterston if I could carry his drum kit. I just idolized him. After Waterston, a Vietnam veteran, died in 1996, Steiner

bought Mr. Waterstons drum kit and gifted it to his son, Dylan.We really thought they were big stars back then, Greg

Duffy says, Wed see Bruce and Zeeth driving around town in a Corvette. They just looked so cool.The record climbed to No. 1 in the Twin Cities and New

York and No. 3 in Los Angeles. The quartet crammed into a van and toured North America.The ones in Canada were great, Menten says. There were

some shows booked with a lot of logic and reason. And then there were some, it was like they were booked by a kindergarten class.One night, the band played Oklahoma City, then was slated

to appear in Oregon a couple of days later.Actually, it was in Washington, but we went to the wrong

state, Menten says. Thats another story. Geez, that was stupid.The band quickly realized they had a serious problem on its

hands. Supply of the single was low and it became clear Soma Records was incapable of keeping up with demand.We would play somewhere and kids would be really upset

they couldnt find our record, Menten says. Thats where it fell apart. It had something to do with the Rocky Mountains; Soma couldnt ship the record over the mountains. The standard industry payola practice was also out of the

question.We certainly couldnt pay anybody to play our record,

Menten says, because nobody paid us.Yet, Run, Run, Run managed to sell 248,000 copies. Well,

at least that many.We dont really know what it really sold, Menten says,

with the funny accounting of Soma Records.Major labels like RCA and Decca, which had greater

distribution resources, tried to sign The Gestures, but Soma

refused to release them from their contract.It was just amazing when the record

stations wouldnt play our record because we wouldnt pay them under the table, Klugherz says. But what are you going to do? I was oblivious to all that at the time. It wasnt until later ...Its a familiar story, one as old as the

record business itself. Some people made a lot of money from Run, Run, Run. But it wasnt the musicians who did the heavy lifting.A band getting screwed over by

their record label? says Steiner, rolling his eyes in sarcasm. Ive never heard that one before.The Gestures released just one more

single, Dont Mess Around/Candlelight though, a full-length CD packed with unreleased recordings from that era was finally released in 1996.In a cruel twist of fate, Menten and

Klugherz received their copies of the CD the day of Waterstons funeral.Menten left The Gestures in 1966.

He preferred the warm confines of a recording studio to a concert stage and had seen the sharks circling.At that point I was living in

Bloomington, he says, and I got a lot of the inside business stuff and Id walk away from what I was hearing and think, Oh, God, get me out of here. And I was falling in love with recording and liked the fact you could do multiple takes (of a song). You couldnt do that on stage.Greg Duffy remembers the day when

his brother, Dan, was asked to replace Menten.I came home from school and saw Zeeths Corvette in the

driveway, he says. Boy, that was big. My brother was going to be in The Gestures.Dan Duffys stint in The Gestures was short-lived, however.I dont know when exactly we stopped, Klugherz says. I

think it was in 67 I know we didnt get into 1968. I wouldnt say we fell apart or anything. It was just over.

Lasting Legacy By the 1970s, The Gestures were defunct, but their impact

rippled throughout the Mankato music scene.Everybody wanted to be in a band then, says Steiner,

whose own group, City Mouse, was formed in 1971. We already had some good rock n roll bands, but theres no question that after The Gestures, everybody that played music or was going to play music saw that now we know we can do it. They gave us a reason.After The Gestures disbanded, Gus Dewey was an on-and-

off member of City Mouse. He died in 2004, a local legend in his own time. Aside from The Gestures, his lasting musical legacy is his saddest of sad songs, the gut-wrenching ballad, Let Me Down Easy. Roy Orbison wouldve approved.



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The remaining members of The Gestures (Tom Klugherz, left, and Dale Menten) reminisce at Two Fish Studios in Mankato. | John Cross

Klugherz continued playing, highlighted by a stretch in the 1970s with The Blitz Boys, a popular bluegrass-western swing band. These days, when hes not restoring and collecting Corvettes, he helps operate Two Fish Studios and occasionally serves as City Mouses sound engineer.Whenever we have a big show, we get Zeeth to do our

sound, Steiner says. Hes a fantastic soundman.Menten became a major player in Minnesota music

production. He ran his own recording studio, Cookhouse Studios, has written prominent radio and TV jingles, scored several feature films and TV shows and was the musical director of an Off-Broadway play, House of Leather. He recently released a solo album, Download Me.Steiner, a longtime North Mankato city councilman, is swift

to clarify that The Gestures were primarily a North Mankato band. Only Klugherz grew up in Mankato.In 1965, when North Mankato faced a serious flood risk,

The Gestures donated their vans to the Red Cross. The city held a celebration that summer to thank The Gestures. The event is now known as North Mankato Fun Days.They really played a role in saving North Mankato, Steiner

says. Those vans helped the Red Cross go around with walkie-

talkies and check the dikes.Run, Run, Run appears on various 1960s compilations on

different record labels in America, Europe and Asia. Some of them are sanctioned, but many of them pirated, much to Mentens chagrin.Catching these people is tough, he says. Theyre really

screwing us. They keep hiding, but I dont care. Ill find them, but its not easy.Fifty years since four boys assembled in a garage to tackle a

song about lost teenage love, Run, Run, Run remains fresh and vital, 2 minutes and 17 seconds of unadulterated rock n roll power.It still jumps out of the radio, Steiner says. Every time I

hear that guitar lick, it sends me back.I tell you what, it had that sound, Klugherz says. We were

far and above what those novelty bands were doing. People compared it to surf music, but it wasnt surf music and it wasnt Beatles music. We were doing original music. M



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Home is where the music is

Mankato music scene depends on promoters who can keep it local

By Gillian Needham

Justin Fasnacht is a music promoter and founder of FuzzTalk Radio who is among a handful of locals devoted to advancing the Mankato music scene. | Pat Christman



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Justin Fasnacht my seem to be just another cashier to the untrained eye, but his position at Happy Dans on Victory Drive is only his day job.In the off hours, the man known

as Fuzzy to his friends, is putting in a countless amount of time and energy into promoting local music. Not only is he a loyal promoter for Mankato musicians, he is also an Internet radio host and former rapper.Passionate about his hobbies,

Fasnacht left his job at Verizon to return to Happy Dans after a two-year break from the convenience store. His mindset was to have more time to do what he loves: promote local music.In 2000, after Professor Fresh

wanted to start pushing his music, he called me and I started making a website for him and his group Psycho Synthetik, Fasnacht said, Everyone started realizing I was really good at online promotion, so I started talking to everyone.As a former musician, Fasnacht

had an early love of hip-hop but has expanded his tastes through his time promoting and cultivating the musical climate that Mankato has to offer.Fasnacht created FuzzTalkRadio

a little more than three years ago after his record label, Loonatix Productions, shut down and his band, Ruthless, was no longer together. Fasnacht decided to dedicate his time to creating a radio show that helped promote local and independent music of all genres.I started getting sick of hearing

that if you want good music you have to be in the Twin Cities or Duluth, Fasnacht said. I kind of wanted to create a spotlight on Mankato and southern Minnesota music so why not create a 24-hour online radio station that showcases this?Fasnachts goal was to educate music

afficianados about what kind of music emerges from these areas.It sucks that no one knows that Cecil

Otter of Doomtree used to live in Mankato and Dave, the front man from Trampled by Turtles, is from here, Fasnacht said. Green Day used to come through here all the time and play because Billy Joe Armstrongs wife is from this area and no one knows this stuff.Like Fasnacht, other promoters in the

area are using their talents to bring acts to

Mankato while supporting the local music scene. Christy Steinbach, owner of Full Moon Productions, got her start in music promotion by pure chance.I was a vendor at a festival and my vendor neighbors owned

a recording studio, Steinbach said. We became friends and I was given an opportunity to start promoting and everything started to mesh together.Steinbach said that she had never previously imagined

herself working in the promotional field. With a degree in business and sales, Steinbach said the industry had never crossed her mind.It was just something that was put in my lap and I ran with

it, she said.Steinbach began working with Pachyderm Recording Studio

in Cannon Falls, the same studio that has hosted artists like Nirvana, Soul Asylum, Live, Mason Jennings and Useful Jenkins.Full Moon Productions will be 8 years old in September,

Steinbach said. Ive been pretty fortunate.Steinbach said one of her goals through Full Moon

Productions is to match local acts with larger acts to help spread their music to new audiences.I try to pair (local acts) with major regional or national

acts, Steinbach said. That gives them more opportunity for exposure.Steinbach also focuses on artists that spread constructive

ideas.Music to me should be a positive experience, Steinbach

said, You should walk away with a positive impression or something to be inspired with.One of Steinbachs own personal struggles within the

promoting community is the trouble of getting people to work together and support one another.I think that every promoter in this town does something a

little different, Steinbach said. Im all about working together because community is so important.Chad Roemer, an independent promoter in Mankato,

believes that working as a team is crucial to adding to what Mankato has to offer.Just getting the word out to the right people can be

difficult, Roemer said.Roemer was first introduced to music promotion when he

got his job at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the student unions director. There he was organizing four shows a week.I had a lot of fun and it was a great learning experience,

Roemer said. When I left and moved to Mankato three years ago, I got back into it to fill the areas that werent being represented in Mankato.Though Roemer said that connecting with the right people

has been difficult for someone that hasnt been in Mankato for very long, his biggest piece of advice for the community is to participate in what Mankato has to offer.Go see live bands and stop playing video games, Roemer

said.With the scene growing exponentially, local promoters have

a lot of work on their hands. With larger and more impressive acts increasingly making stops in Mankato, promoters said that creates opportunities for local artists to have their time to shine.People will get to have their time to shine as long as we are

all showing up and experimenting with things, Fasnacht said M



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yOur TASTeS By SuSAN SelASKy | deTrOiT Free preSS

Its time to get your grill on. Memorial Day the unofficial start of the summer grilling season is creeping up fast. This year, there are tons of new grilling cookbooks out there to get you fired up. With recipes for steaks, pizzas, seafood and more, theres a book to suit just about any taste. Heres a sampling to whet your appetite. In addition to helpful tips, each features lots of mouth-watering recipes thatll make your cookouts sizzle this summer.

Webers Big Book of Burgers: The Ultimate Guide to Grilling Backyard ClassicsBy Jamie Purviance

The thrust of this book is burgers but not just plain old beef burgers. Weber grilling guru Jaime Purviance covers just about anything that can be shaped into a patty and served on a bun or a variety of breads and rolls. There are recipes for beef burgers, chicken and turkey burgers, shrimp burgers and an array of veggie burgers. Hot dogs, sausages, brats and condiments also are featured along with drinks and side dishes.Best tip: Dont crowd food on the grill. All food cooks a

little better on a grill with a little space around, Purviance writes.

Gastro Grilling: Fired-up Recipes to Grill Great Everyday MealsBy Ted Reader

Ted Reader writes that he uses the word gastro not to mean pretentious, but rather to refer to the art and science of good eating. That mantra is reflected in the books recipes (there are more than 135 of them). The recipes range from higher-end dishes like Planked Smoked Burrata Cheese or Cinnamon-Skewered Scallops with Brown Sugar Basting Butter to simpler ones for steak, chicken, fish and side dishes. Reader also offers directions and tips for cooking with charcoal and gas grills as well as a variety of wood.Best tip: Patience and practice are key when using

charcoal grills. Look for charcoal made from 100% all-natural pure hard-wood.

Pizza on the Grill: 100+ Feisty Fire-Roasted Recipes for Pizza & MoreBy Elizabeth Karmel & Bob Blumer

Grilled pizza can be tricky, but authors Elizabeth Karmel and Bob Blumer provide all the know-how you need for success. They share tips on making dough, including a gluten-free option, as well as how to shape it for a gas grill versus a charcoal one (yes, theres a difference). Several recipes call for adding nuts, garlic or herbs to the dough. Each recipe includes drinks to serve with the pizzas and ways to customize them or kick them up a few notches.Best tip: Create organic shaped pizza to fit the heat

source and be sure to brush rolled-out dough generously with oil to prevent it from sticking to the grates.

Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to BarbecueBy Cheryl and Bill Jamison

This is the updated version of Cheryl and Bill Jamisons 1994 grilling tome. The barbecue masters and James Beard Cookbook award winners completely revised their book to include new recipes and full color photographs. Theres more than 450 recipes from all barbecue regions of the U.S. The book is divided into sections on beef, pork and poultry. The Jamisons also cover the craft of true barbecue, offering tips on using smoke and cooking foods low and slow. They also address the trend of smoking foods indoors.Best tip: Have an area for cutting, prepping and keeping

supplies and sauces at hand when cooking outdoors.

Smokin in the Boys Room: Southern Recipes from the Winningest Woman in BarbecueBy Melissa Cookston

Pitmaster and restaurateur Melissa Cookston writes that her barbecue and cooking are about building layered tastes that unite on flavored effect. And her cookbook provides mouth-watering recipes from the Delta region that do just that. Cookston also includes her competition recipes, plenty of tips, stories from the barbecue competition circuit and even a recipe for cooking a whole hog. Peppered throughout are recipes for injection sauces, glazes, seasonings and rubs.Best tip: Sauces should complement the meat, not

overpower it, and certainly never conflict with it, Cookston writes.

Fire & Smoke: A Pitmasters SecretsBy Chris Lilly

Chris Lilly set out to share pitmaster techniques, tips and recipes on a scale best suited for backyard grillers. Instead of offering large-quantity recipes like many pitmasters do, Lilly provides recipes and guidance on achieving pitmaster-style barbecue using smaller cuts of meat. There also are tips on how to infuse flavor and get that perfectly charred skin. Included are more than 100 recipes designed to teach people how to grill and smoke foods. Lilly also shares recipes for rubs, brines and glazes.Best tip: Lilly writes that metal smoker boxes are a

viable way to add real smoke flavor if you use a gas grill and want to add wood smoke flavoring. M

the thrill of the grill



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By Joe Tougas

Southern Minnesota audiences are enjoying a rapid rise in the number of acoustic roots-rock bands. And well use the word enjoy despite that nearly all those bands insist on playing Wagon Wheel.It seems, then, an ideal time for an acoustic elder to pass along to

the younger startups a few of the hazards sure to be encountered along the way. These are distractions that come with the format youve chosen, a format well call intimate.

loud rooms, noisy kids

tipsy white people:

Soul-baring acoustic music for

A guide for beginners

and

Essay



For starters, intimate means no stage. Its you and your P.A. nice and close to the crowd, which wont be a big one because youre just starting to make the scene. But thats exciting, too, because youre confident those few who do show up tonight will be so moved theyll pass along to their friends how deep, soulful and intimate your work is.Intimacy means you have crafted a set list loaded with

meaning. You cant wait to get to the end of Leonard Cohens Coming Back To You where he uses the phrase instead of before the title. Right?! Nuance. While you imagine how devastating this turn of phrase will be for your mature and attentive audience, you notice the audience consists entirely of one table, directly in front of you, where a family of eight has brought cake, balloons and birthday gifts for a 6-year-old.Your microphone check makes the grandmother flinch and

the family has a brief discussion about sitting somewhere else, but its decided that the kids want to sit by the music, like they did a while ago at Chuck E. Cheese.Its time to play. One, two, three, four and in five

minutes, the 6-year-old is looking at you with his fingers in his ears and grandmother is making I-told-you-so faces and welcome to another night in the world of live performance. How you handle this and other hazards of intimacy will determine the extent of your stay here. Below are some common hazards, and some suggested ways to make the most of them.

The hazard: Smartphone-starers Youre playing and that couple who sat down a half hour

ago has been staring at their phones the whole time. Its intimate on one hand, because youre close enough to hope

they at least talk to each other when they get home. You send good vibes. You send a Leonard Cohen tune their way. At the same time, it smacks of passive-aggressiveness toward the band. Youre interesting enough to sit near, perhaps, but not enough to stop them from checking their Instagram feed or, worse, creating one.Overcoming it: Understand and believe that they are

texting, tweeting and posting the following: Skipping the party cuz the band here is AMAZING. Get down here. OMG they just played Coming Back 2U!

The hazard: Crummy timingThe room is packed and everybodys engaged in

conversation except one audience member. Lets call her Jamie. Shes been listening to you intently, her good taste apparent as shes sort of detached herself from table talk and nods as your narrator in this sensitively wrought Lyle Lovett cover drives closer to the church where his true love is getting married to the wrong man. Jamie sits with an intrigued look as you sing about walking up those church steps. She smiles with anticipation as the bride and groom turn around, only to see the narrator standing there, and oh, Jamie, youre going to love this last line, and just as the guy reaches down for his .45, somebody grabs Jamies shoulder and yells:Jamie you wanna order reuben balls?The moment is lost, and so is Jamie. Its nobodys fault.

Just a matter of bad timing and the universal understanding that no one wins a battle against reuben balls. Overcoming it: Realize there will be another chance. As

in, the next song. And it wouldnt kill you to introduce it. You


Intimate often means no stage; no stage often means youll be asked to play a song you wont know. If you dont know it, move on. Dont stand there while the room waits for you to remember it, which might be whats going on in this 2010 shot. | Photo courtesy of Joe Tougas




Once you know how to steer the hazards of playing intimately, youll enjoy the night along with everybody else. | Photo courtesy of Joe Tougas

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may even get Jamies friends to listen.

The hazard: The Tech Expert You got into music because its fun. So did The Tech

Expert, presumably. But, somewhere along the line they got hit in the head with a manual. The hazard they present is making you feel like you dont know a db from a doobie, which you dont. No, you werent aware that your last song would sound better on a 65 Fender Twister with the frets whittled down and reversed and then played through a classic Kustom with a Telefunken U-47 just sweating all over the place. Nope, you didnt know that at all, which doesnt deter the expert from continuing on about how your microphone sounds remarkably OK for an SB-3.2, although with a little de-magnetizing of your deflection coils, you could get some sweet response. Of course, the last guy that tried that got sued by the founder, Jimmy Grey who was amazing. Just amazing. He was the one who fused wah-wah into humbuckers to get that killer midrange on Pocos second album...Overcoming it:

Nod a lot.

The Hazard: Requests Asking for

requests is opening the door to disappointment. Its saying, May we take this opportunity to disappoint you by not knowing what we asked you to ask for? Its your call whether or not you open this door, but be warned you may find yourself standing there saying um, nope, we dont know any Harry Chapin. Nope, no Seals & Crofts, either. Its a lot of time to spend standing in front of a crowd discussing things you dont know.Worse, theres the awkwardness of knowing a request but

not having the stomach to play it. Think Sweet Caroline or Mustang Sally, songs that are fine in and of themselves yet somehow long ago became go-to songs for large, loud groups of tipsy white people. Its up to you whether youre going to play these, but were at a point now where even Wilson Pickett and Neil Diamond would rather you not.You can avoid both scenarios by simply not asking. This,

however, doesnt eliminate the hazard of the indignant requester. The indignant requester is often at a loss, genuinely confused as to how you can own a guitar and not know Maggies Farm. They also dont take no for an answer. If not Maggies Farm, how about Visions of Johanna? Its a great song, you tell them, but no, we dont know that one,

either. This soon becomes a game a game you must avoid because you are there to play music, not win a quiz show.Overcoming it: Borrow this great line from a harmonica-

playing, Mankato band frontman who proudly stated to an indignant requester: Oh, there are a lot of songs we dont know.

The hazard: ChildrenThis is going to sound terrible, but to the working

musician not wearing a clown suit, children are the anti-Vibe. Fun-stompers. Gods adorable little buzz-kills.Wedding receptions, bars that serve food, company picnics

these gigs all begin with adults gathered in the back of the room drinking up the courage to dance while the little kids discover the dance floor and hit it like maniacs. They jump, run, somersault, roll, and stress you out because they do this around speaker stands, wires and other hazards that wouldnt be hazards if you were playing for your target demographic.Sure, theres

always the one well-meaning adult whos crouching over for a dance with a little one, but this does not start a trend. One song and the adult is

back at the table while the kids carry on stomping and skipping with even more fervor. You smile, looking around for a parent to take them away. All you see is an older cousin probably paid $10 to watch the entire lot of kids for an hour or two.They are paid by the non-dancing parents who are relaxing

and raising a glass to how exhausted the little ones will be tonight from spending a good hour or two spinning in small circles to your upbeat songs about prison and cocaine.Overcoming it: You may think the solution is to learn

some kid songs. Thats a punks way out, and the kids will not appreciate being condescended to theyll know immediately youre phoning in Wheels on the Bus. No, when you feel youve had enough and want the kids to stop dancing, hit them with Chuck E.s In Love. Children have a tremendous love for music, but they have a truly difficult time with jazz shuffles and major seventh chords. Youll get a breather and a chance to relax your cheeks while the kids run to their parents for some pop. M Joe Tougas writes songs and performs with Ann Fee in the

acoustic duo The Frye. He can be reached at joe@joetougas.

com. The Frye is performing July 5 at the Mad Ripple Hootenanny hosted by Jim Walsh at the Mankato Brewery.



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TheN ANd NOw: By Bryce O. STeNzel

Mankatos place in The Great War

It was a watershed moment in world history:The date was June 28, 1914. And Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, had arrived at the train station in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with his wife Sophie. The city was teeming with nationalists from the neighboring country of Serbia, which wanted to reunite Bosnia-Herzegovina with their own country. In the crowds lining the streets that day, waiting for the

motorcade that was to take the Archduke and his wife from the train station to the town hall, were a half-dozen Serbian terrorists. As the motorcade made its way through the throng, a bomb exploded, injuring 20 people. Instead of continuing on to the original destination, the archduke ordered that he be taken to visit his injured aides. On the way, the lead car took a wrong turn, forcing it to stop briefly in order to reverse direction. This gave 19-year-old Serbian terrorist Gavrilo Princip time to fire his pistol at close range, hitting the archduke in his neck and Sophie in her stomach. Both died within the hour.On July 28, 1914, exactly one month after the assassinations

of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, in retaliation for the killings. Russia mobilized its forces against Austria-Hungary to protect

its ally Serbia. Germany, the ally of Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia and Russia. France and Great Britain, allies of Russia joined in against Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy and the Ottoman Turks.The Great War had begun.Europes troubles seemed insignificant and far away to the

people living far across the Atlantic Ocean in 1914. In the Mankato area, the prevailing attitude could be summed up in the words of Professor J.A. Hancock, author of Blue Earth County in the World War who wrote:For us no barometer foretold the coming of the storm of

war. That the world-wide tragedy was just ahead had no place in our dreams. Had the possibility even been suggested it would not have been taken seriously. Ones sanity would have been doubted had he persisted in the suggestion.Even when the United States governments official position

shifted from strict neutrality to support of the British and French belligerents, not everyone in south-central Minnesota agreed. Prior to 1905, when Swedes became the largest European-based immigrant group to settle the region, Germans were predominant. Hancock wrote:The German-American stood well among us all. The

esteem in which the German nation was held by the great

Company H departing from Mankato for World War I. | Photo courtesy of Blue Earth County Historical Society



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majority was unquestionably high. We assumed that Germans who had their opportunities here would be loyal to America. The ancestors of many of them had left the Fatherland to save their lives; many had fought in our civil war and had held high positions in government service. That such a land could be guilty of any wrong ... was an idea long fought off in spite of the most conclusive evidence to the contrary. In contrast, there were many local people who still thought

that Britain was Americas national enemy. France was seen in a similar negative light. Italy was regarded as superstitious and bigoted while Russia was seen by many as a land of despots. Germany; however was different. It was the land of culture, thrift, scientific and religious progress. Not surprisingly, it wasnt until March 25, 1918, that the study of the German language was officially dropped from the curriculum at Mankato High School.Imperial Germanys use of submarine

warfare, resulting in the sinking of the Lusitania, Sussex and other vessels on the Atlantic, eroded Americas faith and considerable local support of the German cause. The final break came when the German government announced it would embark on a campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare meaning that not even a warning would be given before merchant and passenger vessels were torpedoed and sunk. This act, more than anything else brought the United States officially into the war against Germany on April 6, 1917.As early as March 27 of that year, an army recruiting office

was opened in Mankato, under the command of Sgt. Jack Mueller. Men at once began to enlist for active duty 92 enlistments were made in the first 30 days the office was opened. The infantry, coast artillery and navy were the most popular service branches the local men enlisted into.The first local casualty to be reported only a few months

after the men had arrived in France was Glenn H. Campbell, 19, of St. Clair. He was killed in a small skirmish near Toul on Feb. 27, 1918. During the remaining nine months of the war, 19 additional men from Blue Earth County were killed in action. Fifty troopers from Blue Earth County were wounded or gassed in battle. Twenty-two others, including nurse Emily

Tanquist, died of disease while in uniform. North Mankatos death toll was one killed in action and four others dying of diseases.Those from Mankato who died while in service were: Joseph

A. Bauer, Lt. Harold Hobbs, Leo J. Lorentz, Wendell A. Lorentz (the brothers for whom American Legion Post 11 in Mankato is named), Sgt. Clayton L. Parsons, Edward G. Lundberg, Clayton Olson, Lester Nelson, Glenn Stratton, George J. Bauer, Fred U. Carlson, Jacob C. Jacobson, Louis J. Klages, Clarence H. Wiseman, James M. Ellis, Clarence DeBoer, Ernest D. Smith, Lt. Walter H. Strand (for whom

VFW Post 950 in Mankato was named), Lt. M.M. Wheeler, Rudolph H. Blatterman, Oscar E. Anderson, and Frank E. Lundquist.Mankato citizens received news of

the armistice that ended the Great War by telegraph on Nov. 11, 1918. The news was greeted with widespread joy, culminating in spontaneous celebrations even a parade through the downtown business district. There were so many people crowded on Front Street that horse and auto traffic along the thoroughfare was impossible.

A huge Independence Day celebration was planned for July 4, 1919, to welcome home the troops. Despite a heavy rain in the morning, an immense crowd gathered by mid-day and the celebration was a great success.Mankato physician, Helen Hieschler, is credited with

founding the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary at the first American Legion National Convention held in Minneapolis in 1919. In 1926, efforts were made to construct a permanent war memorial in Mankatos Sibley Park, with the installation of two captured German 105 mm howitzer field guns. The fate of these artillery pieces (they were donated for scrap in World War II) symbolized the fragile and temporary peace that was won by battlefield sacrifice and lost in postwar diplomacy.The War to End All Wars, did not live up to its promises.

In less than a quarter century after the Great War ended, the world would again be plunged into bloody conflict M

ABOVE Soldiers stand in formation in downtown Mankato. | Photo courtesy of Blue Earth County Historical Society. TOP-RIGHT and BELOW The captured guns and plaque that stood as a World War I memorial in Sibley Park. | Photos courtesy of Bryce Stenzel


reFlecTiONS By JOhN crOSS

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reFlecTiONS By JOhN crOSS

There is that old axiom stating that children should be seen, but not heard.But in the case of a white-tailed deers young, they should be neither seen nor scented.

Typically born sometime in May, fawns initially are nearly scentless to escape detection by predators.

As additional protection, for the first several weeks, the fawns instinctively will freeze when danger approaches, relying on their spotted coats to provide camouflage and avoid detection.

But by June, the long-legged animals usually are able to resort to a more familiar way with the flick of a tale and flashing hooves to distance themselves from any danger, including well-meaning humans who wrongly assume a fawn lying motionless in the woods is an orphan. M


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dAy Trip deSTiNATiONS: ArliNGTON rAcewAy By leTiciA GONzAleS

The inside track on Arlington Raceway

When Susan Allen and her husband, Bob, opened the Arlington Speedway in 1981, it had been dormant for five years.We opened it to offer affordable racing, Susan said.The St. Peter speedway had closed in 1978, followed by the

Cannon River Speedway in Faribault, which is now a campground.My husbands family has always been involved in racing,

Susan said. He has always grown up in the racing world.Susan said her husband raced sprint cars for more than five

years at the St. Peter Raceway, along with his two brothers and brother-in-law. He now works for a motorsport insurance company and inspects race tracks for safety issues. The couple lives between St. Peter and Mankato and have passed on their racing genes to their two sons. Their oldest son manages the track, while another races sprint cars.While the half-mile dirt, oval track has remained constant

over the past 34 years, Allen said the excitement for the sport has grown.The first night we started we had 13 cars total, she said,

noting that Arlington Speedway now averages more than 100 drivers a night. We have a wide-range of fans that come from 100 miles radius of Arlington both north, south, east and west.The speedway season runs on Saturday nights from May to

September. There are typically 21 races of International Motor Contest Association sprints, stock cars, hobbies, sport modifies and sport compacts, to name a few. This is also an improvement from the one class Allen said they started racing when the speedway first opened.For car classes, we have go-karts on a limited basis, she

said.Many racers have their children race on the separate go-kart

track, which is available to ages 5 and up. There are also kids night events that include giveaways.We have a bus that kids get to run around in and visit their

favorite car and pits, she said.The diverse races also add some variety for the spectators. We have three tracks within our track for autocross and

truck cross, she said. We alternate those on different nights.

The racing season at Arlington Raceway runs May through September on Saturday nights. | Photos courtesy of Susan Allen




June 7: Keepers RV NightJune 14: Pepsi of Mankato Night; North Star SeriesJune 21: Pro Haulers Night; Joe Voss MemorialJune 28: KNUJ JAM the StandsJuly 5: NAPA Fireworks Night; IMCA Sprint Car

SeriesJuly 12: Dan Grams Memorial; R&R Tire Shop-Midwest

Wheel Cover, US Engravers and Creative Ad Solutions Night

July 19: Caseys General Store NightJuly 26: Schauer Construction Night

upcoming Promotions at Arlington

Fairmont RacewayFeatures Friday night races including modifieds, stock

cars, 360 modifieds, hobby stocks, hornets and cruisers. Located one mile south of I-90 on County Road 39. www.fairmontraceway.com or 507-235-6996

Jackson SpeedwayFeatures Saturday night races including sprints, 360

modifieds, IMCA hobby stocks and IMCA stock cars. Located on I-90 and Hwy. 71, 75 miles southwest of Mankato. www.jacksonspeedway.com or 507-847-2084

nearby Raceways

Depending on the weather, Allen suggests guests bring a blanket if its cold, or for something to sit on.

The raceway offers earplugs, but Allen said most people dont wear them because they either like the noise or it doesnt affect them that much because its not constant. We do require mufflers on a lot of the car classes, so it isnt severe, she said.

We offer a full refreshment area, so a lot of families come and have their dinner there during the racing program.

The drivers just dont race for fun, they race for prize money. We pay out close to $10,000 a night in prize money.

Heading to the track: What to know

Its just another avenue for people to be involved in racing.Allen said the course, which is run about eight times a year,

is exciting for fans because you go up on bumps and around corners.Some people like speed, but some people like the autocross,

she said. They are a lot slower, but sometimes they tip a lot.The business of racing has also evolved. Like other sectors,

computers are now used in all forms of Allens racing business.Before, we used to do everything by hand, Susan said.

When we first started out, we had a mimeograph machine. Our main form of advertising is our website and Facebook site; 34 years ago, you wouldnt have dreamed of things like that.Even though attendance has been down slightly with the

economy, raceway crowds can range anywhere from 500 to 800 adults. An ideal crowd, according to Allen, is around 1,000 spectators.A night at Arlington Raceway starts at 7 p.m. and usually

ends around 10-10:30 p.m.We try and run a fast-moving show so we arent there all

night, Susan said. M

WhatArlington Raceway,

801 West Chandler Street, ArlingtonWhen

Saturdays, through September 20. Gates open at 5 p.m.;

green flag drops at 7 p.m.,; go-kart nights start at 6:30 p.m.

Admission$12 (adults), $4 (ages 6-12), free for kids 5 and younger.Also, $35 for a Family Pack

(two parents, three kids younger than age 15, and one free popcorn voucher)

More informationVisit www.arlingtonraceway.com or

call 507-964-5947

If you go



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Joys of June: Asparagus, rhubarb and weedingAfter the fall, winter and spring weve had, who would not welcome the month that offers the first day of summer?June is also the month that pretty much

determines how the rest of your gardening season will progress. The word for June is weed. Thats weed, as a verb.Every gardener knows the importance of keeping

up with the weeds, but when weeds are young and short, its too easy to not see them as a threat. But those little baby weeds are not harmless. They grow up, you know.When you see a few weeds, its easier to destroy them

now than it will be later, after they have a stronger root system and are larger on the topside. The taller the weed, the tighter it hangs onto the earth. I believe this.

Junes also the month you have the best chance of eliminating garden pests, like rabbits and other rodents.Several years ago, my sister had a mouse problem in her

garage. She set up a trap line in the garage for her children to check at least once each day. They caught a mother mouse.The hunt was on for the babies and, oddly enough, they

found them. They wrapped them up in warm towels, brought them into the house and tried to nurse them into adulthood. Why? Because they seemed so harmless.My friend Agnes had a similar situation with a garden-

eating rodent. Rabbits were eating everything in the neighborhood and everyone was upset. But then she took us over to the next door neighbors backyard to show us the cutest little bunnies in a nest by their air conditioner. And they were cute. They all had little tiny ears and a little white star on their foreheads.I said, You know, you should really take them out now

so you dont have to fight with them later.Agnes scowled at me like I was evil incarnate. Fortunately,

she still talks to me today. Weve never spoken of the incident.

Feel free to enjoy your asparagus during the month of June. I generally pick mine through the Fourth of July. To preserve it by freezing, it needs to be lightly blanched,

then quickly cooled in ice water. If youve never blanched anything, it means submersing it in boiling water. When you blanch asparagus, it is ready to come out of the boiling water as soon as it heats up and turns a bright green. It doesnt take long.Because asparagus is a delicate vegetable, it needs to be

cooled in water with ice cubes if you want to eat it later without having it turn to mush. To cook it after its been

GArdeN chATBy JeAN luNdquiST

Jean Lundquist is a master gardener who lives near Good Thunder.

frozen, boil water,

turn the heat off, and put the asparagus in

the water.For best results, drain the asparagus to get

it as dry as possible after blanching. Then, line a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and freeze. Break apart the pieces and seal in a freezer bag. You can take out whatever amount you want when youre ready to enjoy it.This may be painful for you, as it is for me, but when you

decide to stop picking asparagus, you need to let all those lovely, tasty spears grow up, get tough and go to seed. Feel free to use fertilizer, as these spears will feed the roots for the rest of the summer so you have great asparagus again next spring and early summer.The other spring treat to take advantage of is rhubarb

Theres nothing better than an early rhubarb crisp. Or rhubarb pie. Or rhubarb sauce.If you prefer strawberries with your rhubarb, its easy to

freeze. Rhubarb requires no blanching. Just wash and chop before putting it on parchment or waxed paper for fre

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