Simply Superior

A day after his first State of the Union Address, President Biden headed back to school – specifically, the Yellowjacket Union student center at our own University of Wisconsin-Superior. During his visit to the Twin Ports on Wednesday, March 2, Biden touted the recent passage of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Bill, which includes millions of dollars for environmental restoration in the Duluth-Superior Harbor. "Simply Superior" host Robin Washington took in the sights and sounds of his visit, and shares them on this week's program. Also, singer-songwriter Bruce Nelson, perhaps best known to listeners as the creator of the “Simply Superior” theme song, checks in with host Robin Washington. Having last year told Washington his goal was to write a song a day, Nelson overachieved with 500 new tunes to share.

A look back at the week’s news highlights with Duluth News Tribune executive editor Rick Lubbers and Wisconsin Public Radio Superior-based reporter Danielle Kaeding.

After a scaled-down American Birkebeiner Cross Country Ski Race in 2021 due to the pandemic, the Cable-Hayward area’s largest week-long event returns to full strength this year. Race director Ben Popp joins “Simply Superior” this week and talks with host Robin Washington about the race and other activities that regularly attract 13,000 skiers from around the world. He also tells its history, including the origin of its name, going back to the rescue of a Norwegian prince in 1206. Plus, Americana singer-songwriter Danny Frank has been a frequent guest on the show, as has Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Erin Aldridge. So, what do you get when you put them together? It’s the newest incarnation of Frank’s band Smoky Gold, with the violin virtuoso featured as fiddler phenom. The pair join Washington in advance of concerts, including Aldridge’s performance Saturday with the DSSO.

A look back at the week’s news highlights with Duluth News Tribune executive editor Rick Lubbers and Wisconsin Public Radio Superior-based reporter Danielle Kaeding.

According to historical accounts, brothers Stephen and George Bonga joked that they were the "first white men" in the Wisconsin and Minnesota frontier where they settled – although they actually hailed from African and Ojibwe descent. The family was integral to the development of the area in the early 1800s, and an important cultural link to all its people. “Simply Superior” host Robin Washington speaks with Vern Northrup, a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, about their legacy, and updates for where to find historical markers of their travels. We share this rebroadcast in honor of Black History Month. Plus, what do you get when you mix nontraditional song structures, genre blending (not bending), colorful synthesizers, and layered vocals? It’s the Superior-based psychedelic pop band Vanilla Bloom. Founder Jacob Cloutier shares the band’s work and backstory with Washington as this week’s musical guest.

A look back at the week’s news highlights with Duluth News Tribune executive editor Rick Lubbers and Wisconsin Public Radio Superior-based reporter Danielle Kaeding.

This week we discuss election campaign funding on “Simply Superior,” including just what it costs to win an assembly seat in Wisconsin. Host Robin Washington speaks with Peter Cameron from the Badger Project, a nonpartisan and nonprofit watchdog group based in Madison, to analyze the effect of money on local races – including the decision by some incumbents that it’s just too expensive to run again. We then acknowledge the passing this week of former Duluth and Superior Mayor Herb Bergson, who passed away Feb. 10. We air an in depth interview from 2019 as Bergson joined our program and spoke with Washington about his legacy, accomplishments and challenges over his career, and how he was passing time in retirement.

A look back at the week’s news highlights with Duluth News Tribune executive editor Rick Lubbers and Wisconsin Public Radio Superior-based reporter Danielle Kaeding.

This week it’s a celebration of winter on “Simply Superior.” Where else but in our region can you follow the longest and most storied dogsled race in the Lower 48, sing along with a band playing musical instruments made out of ice, and give well-wishes to your neighbors as they head off to compete in the Winter Olympics? Those activities and more are explored this week on our program as host Robin Washington reviews decidedly cold-weather activities of the season. Included are the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon to the sounds of ice musical instruments at the Lake Superior Ice Festival and a chat with Superior’s own U.S. Olympic Curling Team captain. Plus, more traditional music is on the bill with North of Nashville, a songwriters’ showcase this weekend at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC). Among the local talents are Buffy Lawson, whose songs have been recorded by Willie Nelson, Randy Travis and Dolly Parton, and Simply Superior favorite Shane Nelson, a perennial songwriting contest winner making his own mark on the music scene.

A look back at the week’s news highlights with Duluth News Tribune executive editor Rick Lubbers and Wisconsin Public Radio Superior-based reporter Danielle Kaeding.