Wheat Montana Farms Bakery & Deli

Wheat Montana Farms Bakery & Deli
405 W. Neider Ave,
Coeur d’Alene,
(208) 667-3354.
Wheat Montana site

“Would you like one our fresh-baked pastries with that?” offered the man at the counter after taking my order. I gazed longingly into the glass display case at the giant bear claws and frosted cinni-buns. “Uhhhh…no, thanks.” It took every bit of willpower I had to reject his fierce upsell. I’ve been successfully trying to avoid such intensely caloric pleasures, and I was already breaking the law by indulging in a full-size deli sandwich and a large soda. It was more populated than I’d expected when I wandered into Coeur d’Alene’s new Wheat Montana Farms Bakery & Deli, and seating was scarce. Thankfully, a spot near the door opened up just as I was about to reluctantly join a harried dad and his yowling toddlers at the opposite end of a long table.

The Wheat Montana brand was conceptualized by company founder Dean Folkvord, a businessman with deep homesteading roots near Three Forks, Montana. Evolving over time from a family wheat farm to a bakery (they offer breads, flours, and grains you can purchase and take home with you) and deli, there are now over a dozen franchises open in Montana, Idaho, and Washington. They use chemical-free grains for their breads and include organic ingredients whenever possible.

The menu is exceedingly basic and the simple approach is nice, but it nearly crosses the line into just plain boring and uninspired. The overall atmosphere is bright and open but full of overused design elements like the faux-unfinished cement floor, high ceilings with exposed ductwork and corrugated steel meets blonde-wood fixtures. However, what Wheat Montana lacks in originality and flair, it more than makes up for with its welcoming staff and farm-fresh approach to lunchtime classics

As I sat waiting for my lunch to be brought out, I observed both a burly mechanic and a grey-haired grandma sitting at separate tables unaware of each other, each with a giant caramel roll as big around as an old 45 rpm record. If I couldn’t actually eat such fattening treats myself, at least I could live vicariously through others who can. The mechanic slammed his fork right in with wild abandon, chomping on huge bites of sticky bun, while the woman picked at hers, birdlike. I flipped through a newspaper, looking up occasionally to gauge the status of the two sweet roll eaters, who were now, in my mind at least, competing to see who could finish first. I was rooting for granny, but the odds weren’t much in her favor as Mr. Macho Mechanic continued to plow right through his.

I was distracted by the arrival of my own food. I’d ordered the “Combine,” a sandwich that includes roast beef, cheddar slices, lettuce, tomato and Dijon horseradish mayo, served on Wheat Montana bread slices and grilled to a perfect crispy meltiness. The richness of the roast beef and the zing of the horseradish made for a classic combo amidst the layers of flavor. The tomatoes were so fresh they practically screamed in pain when I took my first bite. The accompanying dill pickle spear played the role of Ethel Mertz to the sandwich’s Lucy, not the main star but just as important to the storyline in her own way.

As an alternative to the snoozy tortilla chips, I’d like to have seen some potato salad or a slaw or something even more creative. Without a doubt it was a very good sandwich, but I kept getting the feeling it wasn’t really anything Mom couldn’t whip up at home. Well, that is if Mom actually had an organic garden and a boulangerie.

After a few healthy bites I looked up and saw that the grandma was licking her fork in satisfaction behind an empty plate, while the mechanic had slowed down to a crawl with over a quarter of his roll to go and a slightly bloated look on his face. Victory! Resisting the urge to congratulate her, I began studying the Wheat Montana menu a little more in depth. The Homestead will be my next order, with the ever-popular combo of turkey, bacon, guacamole and Swiss cheese.

Other sandwich possibilities include the Reuben on Big Sky Rye, the French Dip, the classic Philly, and the grilled chicken on a soft foccacia bun. Of course you can create full or half sandwiches according to your own style, enjoy a healthful salad (which is what I probably should have done), or pop in early for a “day break specialty”, like a breakfast wrap or biscuits & gravy.

I’d been trying my best to ignore the handwritten card on my table which teased “Chocolate chip cookies oven fresh at noon every day”. I finished my last bite of sandwich and looked up at the clock. 12:04. “Well, I’ll just get one to go and I’ll just nibble on it now and then a little bit,” I thought. The thick, six-inch wide cookie weighed down the spatula as the counter guy came around the corner with the steaming treasure and slid it gingerly into a wax paper bag. Rain was coming down in sheets so I ran to my car and as soon as I climbed in the irresistible scent of the enticingly warm goodie filled the cab. I was useless against such strong cookie-fu. My health kick came to a sudden end as I sat in my automobile surrounded cocoon-like by the roar and downpour of the thunderstorm and enjoyed every last crumb.

.

What's the Buzz August 28 - September 3

The Week in Preview: Do the Mary Souza Disco Shimmy Shimmy

Thursday, August 28
Sammy Eubanks here. Sammy Eubanks there. Sammy Eubanks everywhere. It's Sammy Eubanks' world, we just live in it. I often wonder if there are two or three Sammy Eubanks' running around out there, it is with such ubiquity the man and his Spokane-based band play out in the Inland Northwest. Sammy is rivaled only by fellow big-bus Country act Kelly Hughes in their omnipresence. The Sammy Eubanks Band has opened for some pretty hot names: Merle Haggard, Kenny Chesney, Los lobos, BJ Thomas.

Tonight, Sammy and the boys end their summer-long Thursday gig at Templin's in Post Falls, but fear not! They won't be gone even an entire moon cycle with a return gig September 11 at Roadhouse Cycles/Hot Rod Cafe for "Thunder Thursday" so bring your thunder thighs and a flask full of sweet Southern Comfort to tuck into the buttery leather of your cowboy boot. Sammy Eubanks has the ugliest website on Earth, so thank goodness for his MySpace page.

Friday, August 29
Piles and piles of raw, steaming merriment can be found this weekend in St. Maries, where the annual Paul Bunyan Days festival will be taking place. Townsfolk celebrate the legendary forest giant and his blue ox Babe in some very interesting ways. Some highlights:

* Pet and Doll Parade
* Idaho's largest "topless" bar (no roof)
* Outhouse & bed races
* Youth dance with '50's costume contest
* Open karaoke in the park
* Fun Run & Junior Olympics
* Horse-drawn wagon rides
* Antique snowmobile show
* Community Band concert
* Merchants & Organizations Tug-of-War
* Christian Rock band "Forgivin'"
* Parade & Fireworks

All that and a weekend's worth of "Logger competitions". Whoo-wee, girls and boys. Better pack an extra Red Bull in your fannypacks: you're going to need a lot of stamina to tackle everything on the Paul Bunyan Days offer palette.

Click here for a .pdf with the full schedule of events,


Saturday, August 30
Starting at 3 p.m. today is the big "O'Funkfest" at O'Shay's in Coeur d'Alene. Our boy Tyler Wilson wrote all about it in the CDA Press, which means I don't really have to:

Local trio The Burlap Highrise headlines the O'Shay's party with their signature blend of "rock 'n' roll that reeks of Americana." Comprised of Jeff Runcorn on guitar and vocals, Nick Moses on bass and Bobby White on drums (and cowbell!), the band counts the Drive-By Truckers, Willie Nelson and Wilco as influences. But don't go hoping to hear a lot of covers. Burlap Highrise prefers to turn down drunken requests for "Freebird."

"I love going to bars for karaoke, but you can get that five days a week everywhere else," White said.

Kicking around Coeur d'Alene since 2005, the band switches between high-energy outdoor gigs and acoustic shows in coffeehouses. They plan to stick with North Idaho as a home base, but a geographical expansion is in the works.

"Essentially, we're in the market for an old tour bus," White said.

Burlap Highrise just released a four-song EP, available at gigs and on the band's Web site. Sample music at www.theburlaphighrise.net.

Sunday, August 31
“Schweitzer Mountain Fall Fest” Facts:
Tasting tents featuring regional microbrews, wine and soda. Also enjoy chairlift rides, kids activities and free live music. Beer, wine and soda tasting, BBQ, and vendors from 11:00am - 6:00pm. Chairlift open from 10:00 am-7:00 pm. Admission to music is free. Prices vary for BBQ, beer, wine and soda tasting. Chairlift rides discounted; Full day for $10

Sunday Music Lineup:
Albeni Falls Pipes and Drums, 11:45am-12:30pm & 1pm (at mountain summit)

The Albeni Falls Pipes & Drums Band was formed as a fun band in which all skill levels of Scottish Pipers, Drummers and Highland Dancers could participate and enjoy performing in the community. The band is based in Sandpoint, Idaho, but the members live in many communities in Idaho & Washington.

The Clumsy Lovers, 1pm-2:30pm

“...a wildly energetic convergence of folk tradition and rock innovation”� - Cincinnati City Beat

Milonga, 3pm-6pm

Since its birth, Milonga has confidently grown and evolved into one of the Inland NW's most popular and celebrated music acts. Translated from Spanish, "Milonga" means party & dance. Milonga's infectious dance groove is inspired by the traditional music of countries like Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Jamaica and more modern classics from the United States.

View the full schedule here.



Clumsy Lovers Live at the Big Easy, Spokane 2008

Monday, September 1: Labor Day



Tuesday, September 2
Martinis and Megabytes: Of course tonight is the usual rollicking Karaoke and Keg Blowout down in the glory cove known as Mik-n-Mac’s. That’s not really what this entry is really about. It’s about how these days it’s become the norm to see someone llering from behind the pale blue glow of their laptop computer no matter place, time or appropriateness. Like me, right now. As I write this, I’m sitting in the middle of my mother’s kitchen typing away with a loud family gathering happening all around me: my aunt's birthday party. No one really notices or cares as I tune them in and out.

Anyway, there’s a blue-haired young woman, probably not much older than 21 who shows up faithfully each Tuesday for karaoke with her computer, which she puts on the table next to her beer, plugs in and gets down to business instant messaging or playing World of Warcraft or who knows what. She’ll get up to sing her song, then return immediately to behind the screen of her PC. OK, I can understand logging in at the café or library, but the friggin’ booze bar, with drunks and chaos happening all around? It’s a bit much, methinks, but if it’s going to be trendy count me in! Maybe I’ll do some live blogging/webcamming/electrojamming action next time I'm out on the town…why the heck not?


Wednesday, September 3
OK. I came up with some great ideas for today.

1. Grab a mexican mocha and a scone at Calypso's.
2. Shop for used books at all the Thrift Stores and the Bookworm and Browsers. Load up on 'em. Overdo it.
3. Make lunch a sandwich and huckleberry lemonade at ye olde Sunshine Trader.
4. Cool down and relax at a matinee of the hit Abba film "Mamma Mia"
5. Have dinner at the garlic capital of North Idaho, the White House in Post Falls.

Actually, I must confess I totally stole the ideas from Inland Empire Girl who stole the ideas from me in the first place. Confusing? Check out her blog "Gathering Around the Table" for the whole thrilling story. She writes:

A few weeks ago I put out a thread that I wanted recommendations for used book stores in CdA. Silver Valley Girl and I were doing a sister day and I wanted to look for used books. I got lots of great suggestions. I also read the blog Get Out North Idaho by Orange TV which also runs as a print column in the SR. He featured information about events, concerts, restaurants and other things happening in the inland empire. I respect Orange's recommendations for places to dine. So off we went on Sister Day with the list of ideas for used book stores and places to eat thanks to Orange TV.

Hey thanks for the shout out, IEG. If you're reading this, leave a comment and let me know what cool places I need to hit next time I'm in your corner of the forest.

Elmer's

Elmer’s
300 W. Neider,
Coeur d’Alene,
665-7148.

A large portrait of the grimacing, bespectacled Walter Sherman Elmer hangs in the waiting area of the Coeur d’Alene franchise of his namesake restaurant. Mr. Elmer’s eyes glare out from behind thick glasses, his gaze eerily following you as you move around the room. Elmer's original Colonial Pancake & Steak House opened in 1962 in Portland, Oregon, and through franchising has grown to over 30 locations, landing in our fair berg in 2003. Normally, I’m hesitant to write about chain-style eateries, but Elmer’s is an exclusively Northwest success story based on four things, as Mr. Elmer was often quoted as saying: atmosphere, personnel, quality and hard work. The company’s local roots show both in the simple, rustic furnishings and decor, and on the menu, which uses a “Northwest Fresh” theme as its main gimmick.

It must be working, because on a recent Saturday morning Elmer’s was filled with hungry people, the majority of whom were retirees likely on their way to a round of golf or a day out on the boat. After a ten-minute lobby wait, Q. and I were seated and our genial server Alicia arrived to take our drink order. I wanted an iced tea. “Regular or peach?” she asked. “I’m definitely feeling peachy,” I replied. It was 95 degrees out, and my beverage was so sweet, cold and refreshing I wanted to dump it over my head and immediately ask for another.

We examined the menu, noticing the clever Northwest twist employed in the naming scheme. For example, there’s the Oregon Trail Flat-Iron Steak, the Mt. Rainier Burger, and Seattle Mama’s Pasta & Meatballs. Elmer’s does have a wide selection of lunch and dinner items, and it was nearly noon, but Q. and I were still in breakfast mode. The Washington State Apple French Toast sounded terrific as did the Idaho Potato and Sausage Skillet. We pondered what kinds of dishes we might name after other local places. Spokane Spam-n-Eggs? An Athol Avocado Omelet? Or maybe Post Falls Potato Pancakes with Smelterville Syrup?

Q. decided to give the “Looking for Sun” omelet a whirl, possibly named in vague tribute to Glacier Park’s famous Going-to-the-Sun road. He wanted a side of toast with his meal, but it was bafflingly absent from the list of side choices. Elmer’s Famous Pancakes, hash browns or fresh fruit are swell ideas, but when a guy wants toast, a guy wants toast, and Q. was becoming quite upset as we frantically searched the menu for any evidence of crispy buttered bread. “Hello? Just ask her if they’ll make you some doggone toast”, I offered curtly, “I mean how hard can it really be?” “Oh no,” he sighed, tragedy and defeat in his voice, “I really don’t want to be a bother, I’ll just have a biscuit. It’s just weird, that’s all...” “You’re weird,” I joked, but in reality Q. had a point. It was slightly odd to see a breakfast menu from which toast has been mysteriously banished.

Q.’s mood had gone pear-shaped after the no toast incident, so to cheer him up I told him one of my favorite toast-related stories. One happy morning when I was ten, I went out to breakfast downtown with my grandparents. At one point, my grandmother reached across the table for some jelly but when she went to slather it on, her toast was gone. “Oh, honestly. Who had the nerve to take my last piece of toast?” Of course, she blamed my grandfather and I, but we proclaimed our innocence, “Look at our plates? Do you see any extra toast, lady?” Still, a piece of toast just doesn’t grow wings and fly away; it had to be somewhere. We looked under the table and on the booth seats and everywhere for the vanishing toast but to no avail. Later, we were walking downtown and I went to grab Grandma’s arm to help her over the curb and across the street. My grip was met with a dry crunch. She was wearing a frizzy Angola sweater and the rebel toast had clung Velcro-like to the underside of her arm as she reached for the jelly. Mystery solved, and we laughed so hard we had to sit for a while in the park and catch our breath.

“Funny,” said Q. dryly, not bothering to laugh or even smile as Alicia swooped in with our food. The meal was unobjectionable and genuinely tasty but could have used a smidge more personality. My eggs were Better-N-Eggs, which are decidedly not better. The Chicken Apple Sausage Links were nowhere near as interesting as the name might imply, but were sufficiently enjoyable. Best was the Triple Berry Walla Walla Waffle, smothered in a sweet berry glop and edged with canned whipped topping. It was messy to eat and I spilled purple berries and sauce all down my white tee-shirt, ending up looking like I’d just murdered Cyrus O’Leary for his secret Burst-o-Berry pie recipe.

As we dug in, Q. pointed out that we had never received water, a pet peeve of ours when dining out. Alicia was nowhere to be found so we had to flag down a passing server from another section, who returned with only one glass of water for the both of us to share, apparently. I let Q. have it, since I had plenty of endless Peach iced tea to enjoy. I sampled Q.’s hash browns, which were perfectly made, and the accompanying gravy had a memorable smoky flavor to it. He devoured his potatoes, but refused to even touch his omelet and biscuit, offering no explanation, only “I need a box for this.” He pushed the whole omelet into the box, but left the biscuit to fend for itself on the plate, dismissing it with an evil glare as if to say “You’re not toast, you biscuit you. Now be gone from my life!”

Ultimately, Elmer’s offers a fine, pleasantly plain breakfast experience in a clean and comfortable but generic family atmosphere with average service and food that is satisfying but not incredibly special. Despite these minor gaffes, I think the late great Mr. Elmer would be pleased with what he started, wandering eyeballs and all.

What's the Buzz: August 21-27

The Week in Preview:
They tried to make me go to Chillers, I said no, no, no.

Thursday, August 21
It's starting to seem like public libraries are the new hot spots. Forget the noise of nightclubs, the din of discos, or the clatter of cafes. Quiet is the new loud. Everyone knows you're more likely to catch a man by lurking in the dusty book stacks than at a tavern full of two-bit drunks. The Post Falls Public Library has even brought live music into the equation, with their very brief (2 shows) "Courtyard Concert Series", which got off to a rollicking start last week with an appearance by dulcimerists Doherty and Johnson and wraps up tonight with a set by Spokane's mellow retro-swing mavens 6' Swing, described thusly by the Inlander:

Right in our own backyard, a storm has been a-brewin' in the form of a burgeoning swing-jazz scene. Spokane natives 6' Swing bridge the gap between 1930 and 2007 with surprisingly contemporary, vintage swing jazz. It's a seeming oxymoron the band pulls off and pulls off well. With the horn section blaring and the piano skipping and jumping over singer Heather O'Brien's smoky voice, the melodic hum of the upright bass and the metallic buzz of the washboard, 6' Swing's music is an intoxicating, driving assemblage.

Video Lesson #438:


6' Swing at Think Swing! 2008


Friday, August 22
"The brown note, according to an urban legend, is an infrasound frequency that causes humans to lose control of their bowels due to resonance. There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that a "brown note" (transmitted through sound waves in air) exist." (Wikipedia)

"The Brown Notes are three talented musicians from the Spokane area that are always ready to tear it up! They've played in a number of bands around town since the early nineties, including Ardekan, SuperNormal, Vortex, Dilemma, Mahareeb and Sugarpig. Ryan Sundseth (lead guitar/vocals), Mark Tuttle (bass), and Cameron Smith (drums/vocals) are stoked to raise your spirits with a dose of rock and roll that's definitely worth knocking a few back to. Playing music that ranges from heavy metal to jazz fusion with a country twist, The Brown Notes know there is a note in there just for you." (Brown Notes Bio)

Come to The Grail tonight where the Brown Notes will be causing bowels to blow involuntarily, along with Faded, Another August and Mute Sidewalker. Brown Notes MySpace.


Saturday, August 23
I don't mean to be rude, but it seems like the organizers of the Kootenai County Fair didn't really apply a full effort in their search for performing talent to fill the entertainment roster this year. Terence B and HypnoDog? Farmyard Follies? Music-wise it's the omnipresent Kelly Hughes Band, the old, old-time thrills of the Lake City Harmonizers, and staying on the Geritol tip, it's the Ray Stone Band. I actually have a soft spot for the jazzy former Mayor of Coeur d'Alene and his musical pals ever since they played at my mother's wedding reception in 1995. Stone and his swing cats rocked the Ponderosa Golf Course Clubhouse and had every drunk in the family spilling their daiquiris on the dancefloor. I have to admire Ray for still getting out there and performing at the ripe young age of 137. Okay, maybe not, but it seems like he's been around at least that long. Today, gorge up on elephant ears, express some awe at the giant squash and show up at noon at the main stage to jive and shimmy.

Sunday, August 24
A Get Out "Stay-at-home Sunday Drive:" Those of you who perhaps live away from your home town of Coeur d'Alene and miss it's many beloved visual quirks will appreciate this. So will those kind local folks who are just too blissfully obese to rise from the recliner. I stumbled upon a most stupendous flickr portfolio by local amateur photographer posting under the name doombot. It's titled "my own private (coeur d'alene) idaho" and it's an eye-popping collection of local shots that's evocative and simple, capturing a town in transition and striking a clever balance between the old version of Coeur d'Alene and the new/future one. Samples below. Find the full photo stream here.

(photos by doombot)

Monday, August 25
It's Monday lazybones, so stop and get a cheap Rotisserie Chicken and some Hawaiian Rolls from the Safeway Deli, put on your Garfield slippers and gear yourself for the gut-wrenching despair of A&E TV's hit show "Intervention". Each episode is a mini-documentary peek into the real lives of hardcore drug and alcohol addicts and that ain't pretty. What the sots don't realize is that they're also in for a surprise family gathering in which they get a TV shrink to plead the case for rehab and bawl their blessed heads off. So do you. Most of the time, the addict reluctantly goes and everything seems momentarily full of hope and light until they flash the post-production update. The poor soul has usually relapsed or died, leaving you to feel like there just ain't no hope in this whole black, black world. It's a fun show. Here's a synopsis of tonight's featured episode and bonus videodictive action:

Intervention: Phillip

A 44-year-old singer and songwriter, Phillip used music to escape the pain of an unstable childhood. He gained fame due to his charisma and musical talents, but Phillip now consumes up to four pints of peppermint schnapps a day. He lost his career, the love of his life, and the respect of his family. Can Phillip break the grip of addiction before he loses the most precious relationship in his life, the one he shares with his 11-year-old daughter?

Tuesday, August 26
My god, haven't I blathered on enough lately about Baja Bargarita? No. Not as long as long as they keep the tricks coming and here's the latest: Karaoke every Tuesday and Thursday night with the divine Miss Jesi B. of Jesi B. & the All-Rites fame. She's been doing karaoke shows around town since way back when the Fort Ground was still a rundown tavern and the Summer Theater troupe would come in to sing and do the cha-cha up on the rickety bar. One night during one of her nights down there, Jhanie and I started a riot by performing our K-Tel Hookers trademark tune "Hit Me With Your Big C**k" and some random redneck in the crowd got all bent out of shape and fights started breaking out. We fled across the street to the apartment building where the theater boys were staying and watched the popo come and cool things off from the safety of the third-floor window. Jesi is and can cause a total riot and you know that girl can sing better than any other b***h in town.


Wednesday, August 27
California magician/comedian Derek Hughes will be in town this evening for a gig at NIC's Student Union at 8 p.m. Let's get to know the young comic a little better, shall we?

Music
Imogen Heap.
Nickel Creek.
Bach.
Tool.
Miles Davis.

Movies
Being John Malkovich.
Bladerunner.
True Romance.
Raising Arizona.
Hudsucker Proxy.
Anything by Errol Morris.

Television
Lucky Louie.
Firefly.
Real Sports.
South Park.

Books
Slaughterhouse Five.
Turning the Mind into an Ally.
Song of Ice and Fire

Heroes
Buster Keaton.
Robert Houdin.
Kurt Vonnegut.
Richard Pryor.
Lenny Bruce.

(Derek Hughes MySpace)

Derek Hughes Part 1 (Parts 2-4 on YouTube)

Flyer: O'Funkfest 2008

O'Shay's Presents:
The Burlap Highrise
&
Jesi B. the All-Rites

Baja Bargarita

Baja Bargarita
115 N. 2^nd St.
Coeur d’Alene
MySpace

Bar plus Margarita equals Bargarita. Pretty canny name for a margarita bar, I’d say. Baja Bargarita is the full name, coined by proprietress Jessi Briseno herself, combining the beachy vibe of the western Mexican state and the nightclub’s trademark beverage. A nice frozen margarita is pretty much the best way to cool down after a long blazing summer afternoon full of lying in the sun like a sizzling strip of turkey bacon and doing nothing at all but re-applying Coppertone and reading Stephenie Meyer novels.

According to Briseno, staff at Baja will make “any flavor of margarita you could possibly dream up and then some.” Her eyes widen with excitement as she improvises endless fruity possibilities using combinations of the already-lengthy list of base flavors, all of which can be made with real frozen fruit. “Peach-Guava...Mango-Lime…Banana-Strawberry,” she suggests. “Hucklenut Waterberry,” I offer, a combo of Huckleberry, Coconut and Watermelon. “Um...” her mouth puckers with the idea. “If that’s what you want babe, you got it.”

Briseno opened Baja in mid-June on 2^nd Street in downtown Coeur d’Alene just south of Toro Viejo Mexican restaurant, after her brother-in-law helped convince her husband, Toro and Baja owner Junior Briseno, into letting her have a go at reinventing the space which hadn’t seen a lot of use lately besides occasional private parties. Jessi pays tribute to the building’s former occupant Sandra Kay’s lingerie shop by giving patrons a free beer if they toss their brassieres up onto the ivy-covered wooden lattice awning that hovers above the main bar area. It looks like she’s already had quite a few adventuresome ladies come through the place, as bras of all variety dangle from the heights of the pergola, a word I’ll now never forget thanks to Baja server Becky Diel who jumped on her internet phone and looked it up online when none of us could remember it.

I asked if it was okay for guys to come in wearing a bra just so they could toss it up there and get a beer. “Why not?” laughed Jessi, “We want to be a place where everyone can totally be themselves, even men in bras or whatever. In fact, a few drag queens would be fun to liven the place up.” Okay, but I was actually thinking of something a little more subtle, like just wearing one over my tee-shirt; I’d look awful silly with makeup and a goatee and I’ll never master high heels.

Clientele at Baja is varied for sure, and a lot of people have been coming in to check it out based primarily on favorable word-of-mouth. In fact, Baja has yet to even hang anything out front identifying itself, although mural artist Robert McNeil is nearly finished with an attention-grabbing sign for the exterior, featuring the silhouette of a shapely gal relaxing in a giant martini glass. Despite the lack of advertising, business has been brisk to busy every night. “Fourth-of-July was slamming, our busiest night so far,” says Briseno. “We’ve had a lot of regulars since then, including the Summer Theatre crowd who I adore; they come in and just let loose and have fun.”

At Baja, that’s easy to do. The atmosphere is distinctly relaxing and conducive to good times, replete with natural wood fixtures and comfortably open spaces like a giant beach cabana with a dance floor. The peach-colored walls and avocado green ceiling make you feel like you’re trapped inside a delicious tropical fruit smoothie. Along with the usual clutter of neon signs and beer placards hang a few items of classic kitsch, including a poster of Mexican film legend Jorge Negrete holding a giant rooster, several oversized wooden parrots on gold hoops, and an ugly abstract painting of some guy sowing his agave that is so reviled by Baja staff, they cheered when Jessi offered to give me the hideous thing. Hey, I actually think it’s pretty cool, and it’ll look great next to my black velvet Elvis.

People love to go bar hopping in downtown Coeur d’Alene, and it’s great to have another stop that’s a regular night club where people can hit the dancefloor and shimmy the night away under a spinning disco ball like a Solid Gold dancer. Or just jerk around arrhythmically, if that’s all you can do. DJ Benny provides the music, playing a mix of current hip-hop and rock hits, but I hear anything goes with Benny and that he’ll play whatever you request with no hesitation. If he doesn’t have your song ready to go, he’ll hop on the amazing interweb and download an mp3 and voila!

In hiring her bar staff, Jessi picked some of the most experienced mixologists around and basically stole them from other bars. Jason Blevins is most recently from the Torch Lounge and Chris Hagen formerly worked at both Mik-n-Mac’s and Parkside Bistro. Ask Chris to make you an Oatmeal Cookie shot, it’s one of the most incredible drinks I’ve tried, and she’s the only one I know who makes it taste like an actual cookie, complete with a cinnamon afterglow. With a full liquor bar, plus a massive selection of brews both bottled and on draught, you won’t be complaining about thirst. If you get the munchies, you can order anything you want from the Toro Viejo menu as long as they’re still serving, and chips and salsa are free for everyone.

Briseno plans on adding karaoke soon and is into to the idea of hosting an open mike night or having live music; she’s open to all possibilities. “When I’m in L.A., I love to hang out at a place called Chewy’s Bar,” says Jessi, pausing to say “Hi!” and wave to a couple of arriving regulars. “I want this place to have the same vibe, with motorcycles out front, a totally mixed crowd, with drinks and food and good times flowing all night long. I don’t want them to think it’s like every other place, I want them to remember it and come back.” If things keep going the way they are, she’ll have to attack bar-hoppers with a giant wooden parrot to keep them away. Baja is open Tuesday-Thursday from 4 p.m. to close, and Fridays and Saturdays from 2p.m. to 2 a.m.

What's The Buzz: August 14-20

Weekly Recommendations: Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets.

Thursday, August 14
I'm a cat person. I'm really not that into dogs at all. I can tolerate certain ones, but I don't have the time or inclination to take care of such a needy beast. Cats just do cat things all day and you don't have to worry about it, save for filling the food bowl now and again. Dogs whine at the door, bark in the wee hours of the morn, sniff each others' dirty bits and shit right in the middle of everything.

If dogs rock your world, tonight is your big night in downtown Coeur d'Alene where the first annual "Dog d'Alene" event will be shaking like a chihuahua with a full bladder. The poochie parade is sponsored by Petco and the Downtown Association along with the Kootenai County Humane Society and will feature booths full of crap for your spoiled rotten little mutt.

Dog d'Alene is part of the "Sherman Alive!" extravaganza gala event that is being held every Thursday this month downtown, where they close the street and become a "pedestrian mall" between 5:30 and 9 p.m. Too bad most downtown businesses are too foolish to take the opportunity to actually stay open late and join in the festivities. C'mon business owners, it wouldn't kill you to stay open a few hours later!


Friday, August 15
I've always generally enjoyed Rob's Seafood, Burgers and Discount Cigs, so I was going to recommend a visit to the old-school Post Falls eatery today, then I stumbled across a new local food blog called Dad's Diner. Dad took the whole family to Rob's lately and was somewhat less-than impressed by the quality of the food. More importantly, he was horrified by the grunge and the unappetizing lack of tact shown by the staff. Hm. after reading this, I think I might stick with Paul Bunyan.

The place smelled like people actually smoked there. The salt & pepper shakers were greasy to the touch and the tables were coated in grime. What looks like "marbling" in the tables paint is simply grime that comes off if you rub your finger across it. Yuck-O!

Buckle up, here comes the worst part of this visit! The customer service & handling of the food. The employees here do not seem to take their job seriously. They go from handling packs & cartons of cigarettes to putting their unwashed hands on the hamburger buns. The oldest lady there (a manager, owner?) was eating pickles or fries (didn't have my glasses on) then picked up two buns & dressed them ( put on condiments) in her hands. The same unwashed hands she just put to her mouth while eating. I obviously have a lot of complaints concerning this place. But employees eating the food they are serving to customers, in view of the customers ranks real high on my pet peeve list!

So, why did the lady at Rob's prepare those burgers in her hands instead of using the prep table. Well, so the big, lazy teenage boy could lye half his body on it and roll his head on it of course! Yes! This really happened. Then when they caught us watching they gave us some uncomplimentary glances.

Read the full review here.

Saturday, August 16
Back in the dark ages of the mid 90's, I lived in Seattle and one of our favorite sleazy haunts was a bar called the Brass Connection. It wasn't exactly the kind of place you'd want to take dear Auntie Mavis for tea and sandwiches, that's for sure. No, this was a throbbing disco of the gay variety. The pitchers of beer were cold and $3 and the people watching was beyond far-out.

One random evening the Brass Connection stage was invaded by at least a dozen sneering drag queens in big red wigs as "A Night of 1000 Wynonna's" unfurled before us. One by one they took to the stage, makeup melting under the spotlight as they lip-synced to hits like "No One Else on Earth"and "Girls With Guitars". I'm not the world's biggest fan of Ms. Judd, and I'm reluctant to agree with those who tag her "the female Elvis", but I kinda like her style, especially when it's parodied and paid tribute to by a set of huge trannys, some nearly as large as Wynonna herself.

Tonight's Cd'A Casino performance by the woman herself probably won't be nearly as fun or memorable as the drag version, but after all this is Idaho so it'll have to do. Poor Wynonna's career has yet to really rebound from the 2003 drinking-and-driving incident tarnished her once-shimmering country-queen crown, leaving her to thanklessly tour the Casino circuit for the rest of eternity. See you at the buffet, Wy-wy.

Videofy yourself, Wynonna style:


Wynonna "I Want to Know What Love Is"

Sunday, August 17
When I was growing up, one of my family's cheapest form of entertainment was to go to Open Houses and Parade of Homes events. It was fun traipsing through gorgeous homes we'd never be able to afford in new neighborhoods that were mere forests six months earlier. We'd settle in for a while, have a snack, maybe watch some TV - we would "try out" the place, fantasizing that we'd just moved in to our beautiful new home, often to the chagrin of the sneering real estate agents who were afraid to say anything rude in case we actually did have the money to buy the house.

Watching HGTV a ton in the last few years has brought a new dimension to visiting open houses as well: being able to critique the presentation and sellability of the home. Would that hyper-critical mean-spirited mother and daughter team on "Secrets That Sell" approve of or blanche at how well the realtor is marketing the place to the public. Note: dress up a little nice so you're at least taken seriously by the snotty real estate folks who hover around. You want to be able to get away with napping on the rent-to-own couch. Sundays are a great day to go Open House hopping, and here's a good place to start today - a couple of neighboring homes in Syringa Heights built by Bill Kohl and inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright with tremendous lake views. Full article & details here.


Monday, August 18
Today's as good a day as any to introduce yourself to the odd brilliance of Coeur d'Alene ventriloquist Hilma Volk and her many witty puppet "friends." A Google search reveals Volk is now a massage therapist and has a cowboy poet past and that, delightfully, her nickname is "Volcano". After discovering her videos, I'm a Hilma-head for sure. I say she's a unique contributor to North Idaho culture. Hilma, where can we catch your act in the flesh? For a full dose of everything Hilma, visit her site ManureHappens.com.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your videotronic pleasure:



Hilma (Volcano) Volk & Friends

Tuesday, August 19
Dig really really deep in the couch cushions and just maybe you'll come up with enough cash to attend the "Winemaker's Dinner" at Coeur d'Alene's chi-chi 315 Martinis & Tapas at the Greenbriar Inn. Actually, $60 a head seems almost semi-reasonable when you consider the over-the-top line-up of courses, as listed below, each served with a different interesting local wine. If you're in, you'll need to RSVP at 667-9660, and fer gosh sake, brush your hair and put on a clean shirt, kiddo, you don't want these people to think you're a poor slouch. Check out this Top Chef-worthy list of culinary creations:



1st Course

2007 L’Artiste Viognier
A light salad of butter lettuce and frisee
served with segments of naval orange and blood orange
dressed with a sweet garlic and cherry pepper vinaigrette
garnished with a chive chevre

2nd Course
2007 Chardonnay
Citrus beurre nante poached shrimp
served with an apple slaw on fresh nectarines
garnished with a roasted pepper jelly and cilantro oil

Intermezzo
A crisp sorbet made featuring 2006 No. 6 White
topped with a basil simple syrup
garnished with fresh basil leaves

4th Course
NV Switchback Red
Roasted pork tenderloin
grilled eggplant and charred grape tomatoes
parmesan and onion mashed potatoes
light currant broth

5th Course
2005 Stillwater Creek Syrah
Grilled and roasted rack of lamb
orzo pasta with gruyere cheese and crimini mushrooms
finished with braised pistachios and fresh plum sauce

Dessert
2005 No. 6 Red
A slice of luscious chocolate decadence
served with fresh berries
topped with a prickly pear and white peach mousse

Wednesday, August 20
It's Wednesday and there ain't nothing going on but the rent so swing by the newly opened Little Caesar's Pizza store in Coeur d'Alene (on Neider Ave. across from Costco) on your way home from work and grab a $5 Large Pepperoni pizza. Local pizza junkies were sick and sad ten or so years ago when the old Little Caesar's location (now home to Little Seattle Coffee Shop) was shuttered for good. It's not really the best pizza in the world, but it's cheap, consistent, fast, and All-American, pretty much the Pizza equivalent of a Big Mac. At Little Caesar's, everything is hot and ready to go, so there's no need to call ahead. Everyone I've run into lately to is abuzz with glee to have this place back on the scene, and I have to say I agree, although I see they no longer seem to carry the classic 2-packs of square pizzas in the paper wrapping that you had to rip open to get to the goods.

Enjoy your pizza over new episodes of Ghost Hunters tonight on the Sci-Fi channel. Nothing goes with hot steaming pepperoni pie like the boys of TAPS. lurking around in dark, haunted spaces with those glowy night vision eyes. Check it out on Time-Warner Channel 36 from 7-10, and prepare to become rapt by EMF readings and distantly heard clanks and clatters. The Top Ten Best Ghost Hunters clips video:


The Top Ten Best Video Clips From Ghost Hunters (TAPS)

Nell Shipman Film Festival

Nell Shipman’s “Little Dramas of Big Places” at CDA Library

Honestly, Nell, no animals were harmed in the writing of this column. Decades before anti-cruelty standards were established in Hollywood, many of our fine furry friends, particularly the dogs and horses used in westerns and biblical epics were shot, beaten and driven off cliffs by directors all in the name of a good take.

When actress/filmmaker and animal rights advocate Nell Shipman packed up her entire menagerie of wild critters and relocated north to Priest Lake, Idaho in 1922, she was thumbing her nose at the cruel insensitivity she perceived in Hollywood. Not only did Shipman sense that her beloved animal co-stars were unhappy in la-la land, but also that her own carefree, proto-feminist nature had grown beyond the boundaries of the materialistic, male-dominated mainstream film industry.

She risked her career with the move, and ultimately lost, but Shipman’s time in North Idaho was captured in a series of short films which are now considered groundbreaking by modern film makers and many others and which will be featured tonight in a free mini film fest at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, located downtown at 702 E. Front Avenue.

If Shipman was born approximately a hundred years later, she would have been the oddball lovechild of Grizzly Adams and Pamela Anderson. With the former, she shared a lust for the isolation of nature, an almost psychic connection to the animal kingdom and a penchant for lots of wild, bushy hair. Like Pam Anderson, she was born near Victoria, British Columbia, had notorious man problems, and shocked viewers with her full nudity, not in a Playboy Video Centerfold but in 1919’s silent feature Back to God’s Country. Also like Anderson, if she were alive today she’d be appearing in ads for PETA, sneering and glaring with those kohl-covered eyes, giving fur the cold shoulder. Actually, probably not fur, since she appears to be wearing some sort of chinchilla on her head in many of the surviving photographs of her Priest Lake days, but who can blame a girl for trying to stay warm in those frigid early winter times with no polypropylene thermal underwear?

According to legend, it was Lake Coeur d’Alene that gave Nell Shipman her first therapeutic dose of North Idaho’s beauty. She was 18 and starring in a travelling production of a play when her sprained ankle was treated with too much morphine, as was pretty much every imaginable ailment in that opiate-crazed era. She was forced her to drop out of the show while travelling through Spokane and she spent a while recovering in Coeur d’Alene. She would later write, “I found myself in my homeland. The forested mountains of Idaho seemed to cascade down the slopes and carry me to their shining heights, cradle me in topmost boughs, soothe me with song. Show business was forgotten.”

She reluctantly returned to Hollywood, where she birthed both a son and a successful career writing screenplays, with her industry big-wig husband Ernest Shipman as her agent. Acting fever struck Shipman and she became a bona fide star with God’s Country and the Woman, a film in which she developed her trademark persona: a tough, smart Sheba who’s forced to save the lives of various pathetic, helpless men who’ve fallen prey to the wilderness due to their innate stupidity and lack of the ingenious resourcefulness she possesses. Even with silent film, her sense of wit and whimsy comes through in the captions; “Dumb as an oyster, but still sometimes an oyster hides a pearl.” It was at the height of her Hollywood career in 1922, that Shipman made headlines by turning down a massive Samuel Goldwyn contract, divorced Ernest and returned to North Idaho to create her own Nell Shipman Productions.

“Ultima Thule” was how she described Priest Lake, and she wasn’t talking about a cool rack system for atop her SUV. It’s a medieval phrase meaning “a place beyond the borders of reality.” Once she arrived in her wintery utopia, she barged her animals and equipment across the icy lake and began filming a series of “two reels”, short nature dramas starring her, a whole lot of snow, and various wild and deadly beasts. She wasn’t the sort of girl who was scared of a little old bear; in fact she kept one named Brownie as a pet along with Laddie the dog, horses, raccoons, skunks, wildcats, porcupines, wolves, coyotes, an elk and an eagle, among others.

Shipman set up her zoo and film studio headquarters at Mosquito Bay, dubbing it Lionhead Lodge, where she lived only a brief two and half years until problems with her second husband and her films’ lack of success caught up with her emotionally and financially. Deeply in dept and suddenly sick of the isolation and winter blahs, she donated her animals to the San Diego Zoo and fled to New York in hopes of a comeback that never did come. She went on to travel the country extensively, her escapades inspiring a lifelong writing habit she kept until her death in 1970 in Cabazon, California. Her home was ransacked by thieves on the very day of her burial and most of her life’s work was seemingly lost forever. Astoundingly, the film reels began turning up nearly twenty years later on the dusty back shelves of thrift stores and junk shops, with about half a dozen unearthed to date.

Nell Shipman might have been forever forgotten into history like Tracey Gold had these “lost films” never made their way into the hands of Tom Trusky, director of the Hemingway Western Studies Center at Boise State University. Trusky has worked tirelessly since the late 80’s to reignite interest in Shipman’s life and career and she is now rightly recognized as a pioneer in her field, the premier Northwest filmmaker, and a symbol of female strength and early environmentalism. Along with Nell’s surviving son Barry, he established the Shipman Archives at BSU and has shown her films and lectured across the US, Canada, and Europe.

Tonight in the Community Room of the library, Trusky will be speaking and showing three of these seldom-seen films from Shipman’s “Little Dramas of the Big Places” series. The films are dark and grainy with eighty years of age but are still a lot of fun to watch, although you won’t catch that infamous nude scene on this family-oriented night. Ultimately, the leading lady’s innovative talents and way with nature is certainly captivating but even Nell would agree that the true star of the films is gorgeous Priest Lake itself, looking as pristine and perfect then as it does now.

What's the Buzz: August 7-13

Weekly Recommendations: Your Son Rip Is On Line Toot

Thursday, August 7
"Everything's good in the world tonight, when Smokey sings," goes ABC's catchy 1987 hit and so tonight should be positively perfect, at least in Sandpoint where Smokey Robinson himself will be appearing as part of The Festival at Sandpoint's opening night festivities. I have to ask: Has SmoRo been dabbling in the botox? In recent publicity shots, he sure looks pert for a gentleman pushing 70. I hope they're giving him best injections LA has to offer because the man deserves it. Without Smokey and his pal Barry Gordy, there never would have been a Motown Records, and if there never was a Motown Records, maybe there never would have been a Diana Ross and the Supremes or a Stevie Wonder or a Mary Jane Girls and that's just too depressing to even think about.

Mr. Honey Voice will be crooning the tunes he released both solo and with his band The Miracles, and he's got quite a surplus to choose from, with 37 Top 40 under his shiny black patent leather belt. His best album in my book is the gauzy 1975 classic "A Quiet Storm", a jazzy, relaxing Sunday classic around Get Out headquarters. Smokey shuffles his still-tight buns gingerly out onto the Festival stage following Chic Gamine, who open the show at 7:30 p.m. Who are Chic Gamine, you ask? I have no idea either. (Actually, their MySpace page reveals them to be a quirky all-girl French-Canadian industrial folk quintet whom I might actually want to investigate further someday. See noisy live Chic Gamine video action below.)



Chic Gamine Live


Friday, August 8
Woah Nelly! As you can see, these white-hot boy-goats are sharing quite a tender moment, making out like French teenagers and sporting a couple of very generous, very human hard-ons. Titled, humorously, "A Rush of Blood to the Head," it's just one of the intriguing and bizarre animal clay-and-bronze animal sculptures created by artist Beth Cavener Stichteron in her show "Apologia" which runs through today at the Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d'Alene. It's your last chance get an up-close look at her work, which I think is interesting because it takes something traditional and boring like wildlife art and twists it into something unconventional. As she explains in her artist's statement,

"I want to pry at those uncomfortable, awkward edges between animal and human. The figures are feral and uneasy, expressing frustration for the human tendency towards cruelty and lack of understanding. Entangled in their own internal and external struggles, the figures are engaged with the subjects of fear, apathy, violence and powerlessness."

If you can't make down to the gallery in time, you can at least check out Stichteron 's works in an online gallery at the Art Spirit site.


Saturday, August 9
Summer wouldn't be summer without a little face painting, and Grandma's just dying for a purple butterfly on her nose. Beware, for where face paint is mixed, clowns are sure to be lurking. I'm not clown-o-phobic, but I don't love them either. They're about as funny as accidentaly stubbing your toe on a rock while dancing to the marimba rhythms of Coeurimba at the Art on the Edge Luminary Festival, which goes down tonight in Post Falls at Q'emlin Park from 5:30 to dark. Along with tragic clowns, local Americana act B-4 will also be performing, and the event is capped at dusk with the lighting of Japanese lanterns which were created by local kids and artists. Sounds pretty neato.

About Art on the Edge (from their website): Art on the Edge is a Non-profit community art program for youth ages 6-18. Beginning humbly in the homeless shelters of St. Vincent de Paul, we are now open to all children in our community. All children need art in their lives. Communities that invest in the arts and children will flourish


Sunday, August 10
Gassy windbags young and old love to drink delicious pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer down at the Lakers Tavern. The death knell rang recently for the neighboring 2nd Street Deli, because who can really enjoy a pastrami-on-rye with that ancient ciggies-and-urinal-mint Lakers aroma hanging heavy in the air.

After I heard the deli was opening, I considered doing a write-up, but I had a hunch that the small business grim-reaper had his merciless eyeball fixed on the place. It was one of the fastest come-and-go's I've ever seen, reminding me of Club Pendulum, which came and went in under a year on the south end of the same 2nd Street block, where Monster Muscle now resides. The Pendulum never caught on but will forever live in infamy here as the host venue for Miss Vera and Black Diamond's Musical Drag Extravaganza, one of the most entertaining shows my vodka'd eyes ever had the pleasure to witness. Thanks to the divine miracle of YouTube, I unearthed a video clip of V&BD performing at Seattle's ReBar below this entry.

Anyhoo, The Lakers has been the hippest little dimly lit cocktail cavern in downtown Cd'A since at least the 60's when my parents partied there and the red naugahyde was fresh and untainted by many dark, blustery years of beer flatulence. It's Sunday so forgo the ear strain of live music and DJ's and settle in a dark smoky corner for some chit-chat, jukebox action, and pickled eggs.



Vera & Black Diamond perform at ReBar

Monday, August 11
It's the food that finally made me decide I was heading out of control and that I needed to get back on my fitness plan immediately. Something totally anti-nourishing, trans-fatty and just plain freaky. It's Jack in the Box's latest fast food innovation, deep fried Macaroni & Cheese bites. You know you won't be able to concentrate on your Sudoku until you try some, so just give in. Here's the press release from the desk of Jack himself:

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When it comes to comfort food, nothing beats a bowl of mac 'n' cheese ... that is until now. Today, Jack in the Box(r) restaurants introduce Cheesy Macaroni Bites, a tasty new twist on the traditional dish.

Jack's new Cheesy Macaroni Bites, featuring wedges of macaroni noodles and real Kraft(r) cheese enveloped in a crunchy tempura-style coating, are easy to eat on the go and make great snacks or sides.

"Mac 'n' cheese is an American classic that's universally loved," said Teka O'Rourke, director of menu marketing and promotions for Jack in the Box Inc. "Our new Cheesy Macaroni Bites offer the same great flavor of the original dish, but in a unique, finger-food style that's very convenient and portable."

Jack's Cheesy Macaroni Bites are available for the suggested price, excluding tax, of $1.69 for three pieces and $2.99 for six pieces at all participating Jack in the Box restaurants.

Tuesday, August 12
By now, your Beijing Olympics fever should be in full swing. I'm particularily rapt with the whole thing this time due to the wonderful Chineseyness of it all. Athletics are quite beyond the spectrum of this blog's coverage, but naturally I can find some music and food in just about every situation. Music-wise, this morning I was completely awed by a Today Show performance by popular Chinese pianist Lang Lang, who plays with such intensity and intricacy that he's become a classical music pop star in his homeland. He'll be performing as part of the big opening ceremony along with British opera tart Sara Brightman. Tivo/DVR it on Friday and watch it tonight accompanied with a table full of steaming Chinese takeout. But from where, you ask? Re-read some of the reviews on the left of this page.

Get Out's official Top-13 list of North Idaho Chinese Restaurants listed from best to not-best, based on recent experiences. (Sorry, Sandpoint - I'll get up there someday soon to try Bamboo Restaurant.)

1. Wah Hing, Kellogg
2. Chinese Gardens, Cd'A
3, Canton, Cd'A
4. Golden Dragon, PF
5. Paupau's Kitchen, Hayden
6. King's Buffet, PF
7. Original Mongolian BBQ, Cd'A
8. Flaming Wok @ Mall, Cd'A
9. Panda Express, Cd'A
10. Top of China, Cd'A
11. China Express @ Safeway, Cd'A
12. I.T. Buffet, Cd'A
13. Bonsai Bistro, Cd'A

Wednesday, August 13
Bop into the Pend Oreille Winery this evening and give a big welcome back to Sandpoint home girls the Shook Twins back from their successful tour of the wild west in support of thier latest fantastic album, You Can Have The Rest, which to me is the best North Idaho album since back in the day when Black Happy ruled the land in the early 90's. Here's a nice YouTube video of Katelyn, Laurie and the boys performing a cover of one of my favorite songs, "Heartbeat", originally by Swedish avant-electro duo The Knife. The Shooks really take the song and mold it to their own indie-folk sound and the result is as effective and haunting as the original. Enjoy.


Shook Twins at Empyrean, Spokane 04/08