On Iowa with Marc Morehouse

Periphery week 4

I have a lot of personal history with Madison. Started visiting the place when I was in high school, going to see bands. Think mid-1980s post-punk, Replacements, Husker Du, Minutemen, et al.

I met my wife in the Wisconsin Dells. We were lifeguards at Noah's Ark Water Park. The place I lived in then was a hellhole and it's STILL standing.

We had some trouble with the columnist one road trip, but I don't have authorization to go there.

From the iPod:

1. "Dream Vacation" -- Gear Daddies. The chorus is "(something, something) dream vacation in the Dells." I once had this band over to the apartment in lived in during my ill fated grad school year in IC. They might be septic servicemen by now.

2. "The Badger Song" -- The Dead Milkmen. It's just a goofy song about a badger. The U-Dub would never endorse this;

3. "Halloween Head" -- Ryan Adams. Oct. 1, Iowa Memorial Union. I'll be the old guy there. Ear muffs, people. Ear muffs.

4. "Badly Bent" -- The Tractors. This is not a song about a dented tractor. This is a song about what happens when you spend 12 hours tailgating.

5. "Unsatisfied" -- The Replacements. This song is too cool for my kids.

Libation

Autumnal Fire (from Madison's Capital Brewery) -- Kinda sweet doppelbock. Brown sugar, cakey and dry as it warms up. Caramel and maple candy also present. Finishes with a whisper of warming booze. Capital Brewery says, "A blazing rich beer, this is a doppelbock based on an Octoberfest personality. Warm and intriguing, the perfect "Brandy Snifter" beer."

If that isn't tailgate, I don't know what is.

I don't ask this very often, but e-mail me the best and most interesting meats you eat around the tailgate scene. I'm guessing there are some interesting menus up there.

BTW, you did get the Daniel Murray hint, right?

Hayden Fry

Hayden isn't from here. Ya'all know he's a Texan to the bone. But I just heard a promo for the Larry Cotlar Show on KXnO, a Des Moines sports radio station. Larry had Hayden on before the Iowa State game last week. Hayden called for a boycott of the ISU game, citing the $90 ticket and how that kicks Iowans in the wallet.

The $90 ticket is up to you guys, so is the season tickets deal. I see both ends of the argument.

But one thing I've always thought about Hayden is that he "gets" Iowa and Iowans. From the "ANF" stickers down to how he connected with fans, he always seemed to hit the right note with ya'all.

Daniel Murray

During the one time we got to see him kick during fall camp, I thought his leg was weaker than Austin Signor's but that he was a tad more accurate.

We'll see what kind of kicker Daniel Murray is Saturday.