Proctor Late Night

You have a place in Proctor, MN

Andrew Olson

Reader Weekly

The nightlife, bars, and proximity of Proctor make it the hidden nightlife gem of the Northland.

Two weeks ago I was baptized into the Proctor bar scene by chance. To someone who earned their drinking wings in the Saint Cloud scene though, I have to say it felt more comfortable than Duluth. It was the kind of place with a few close bars, live music, karaoke, and friendly people.

On Friday evening after warming up in Canal Park and The Reef a friend of mine asked if I wanted to see his hometown of Proctor. I had heard of the Powerhouse Bar and wondered what the town was like.

Arriving in Proctor at 11 p.m., we began our odyssey at The Powerhouse Bar to a band playing classic rock. After getting my Blue Moon very quickly I noticed my friend had already bumped into someone he knew. The typical exchange occurred and they were old friends within moments.

Before I could finish my large beer fully though, my friend told me to abandon it so we could go next door to Rascal’s Lounge. There were only a handful of people there, so we took our beers with us and headed to The Keyboard Lounge.

The Keyboard Lounge was packed with a lot of people and karaoke. My friend immediately grabbed the book and had a selection to the D.J. before my Rascal’s beer was finished. He also was called up after a few minutes and was belting out, “Brown Eyed Girl” with back-up vocals by locals.

Seeing that I had a chance to go up and get a turn to sing, I decided to do the rock staple of karaoke, “American Pie.” A great sing along song, it ended the night on a high note.

Sure this isn’t your typical band review, but go out to Proctor this weekend and enjoy the friendly people and great bars. The Keyboard has Karaoke, Schlock is playing at The Powerhouse, and Rascal’s is right next door. I am going to go back soon and learn more about this hidden treasure.