I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
July 8, 1999
By Devlyn Brooks
Walker's annual Moondance Jam festival -- opening today and running through Saturday -- should top 50,000 in attendance for the second straight year, again making it the largest rock festival in Minnesota.
The 8-year-old festival first earned this title last year.
Not too shabby of an accomplishment for an out-of-the-way, Northwoods concert that attracted 1,500 fans for Moondance Jam I.
These types of numbers make the three-day jam session of national and regional acts Walker's biggest tourist draw of the year.
As far as commerce goes, Leech Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stacey Lundberg says that Moondance Jam week is one of the two busiest weeks her community sees.
The other is the Fourth of July weekend, and this year with the two coming back to back, it has meant two weeks of scurrying.
"Moondance tightens things up as far as accommodations," she said. "We've been having problems placing people since April. This has a tremendous impact on the businesses."
In fact, trying to accommodate 50,000 people in Walker could be considered a near miracle.
There are concert-goers staying in Detroit Lakes, Brainerd and Bemidji, Lundberg said. For those staying in Bemidji and Brainerd, the festival has even arranged packages that include a shuttle bus that runs to and from the concert daily -- removing the need to fight traffic that bottlenecks Walker each year.
"The summers are busy to begin with," Lundberg said, "but this is almost paralyzingly busy for a town this size. But paralyzingly in a good way."
Adding to the confusion this year is the Moondance Jam's newest feature -- a Pre-Jam concert held Wednesday night.
Moondance has always been scheduled on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But Lundberg said the additional Pre-Jam concert -- which featured national act Mitch Ryder this year -- was an attempt to satisfy Jam-goers who wanted to see more regional bands.
"I'm looking out my window, and traffic is at a stand still," Lundberg said about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, referring to the extra people attracted by the Pre-Jam concert. "This definitely puts us on the map. This Moondance thing is becoming big."
Moondance Jam VIII festivities begin each day about noon, with regional acts playing in the Main Tent. National acts will begin about 3 p.m. each day.
Here is a schedule of the national acts for each day of the three days:
Today
3 p.m. -- John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band
4:30 p.m. -- Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas
7 p.m. -- .38 Special
9 p.m. -- Eddie Money
11 p.m. -- R.E.O. Speedwagon
Friday
3 p.m. -- Lamont Cranston
4:30 p.m. -- Chris Duarte Group
7 p.m. -- Elvin Bishop
9 p.m. -- Hank Williams Jr.
11 p.m. -- Lynyrd Skynyrd
Saturday
3 p.m. -- The Outfield
4:30 p.m. -- Blue Oyster Cult
7 p.m. -- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
9 p.m. -- Electric Light Orchestra Part II
11 p.m. -- Cheap Trick
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