Jay Gabler
@jaygabler.com
Writer, editor, etc. Arts and entertainment reporter for the Duluth News Tribune, co-founder of The Tangential. Views expressed are mine alone.
Our new neighbors are a couple of real bros.
Lynx brothers move into Lake Superior Zoo
Floki and Bjorn arrived in October from the Pittsburgh Zoo. They are Canada lynx, a species whose native habitat includes the Northland.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Our new neighbors are a couple of real bros.
For journalists, "the Northland" is useful as a concise way to describe the Duluth media market: an area of the country where "going to the city" means going to the Twin Ports.
Front Row Seat: Where did 'Northland' come from?
People in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin have been using "the Northland" to describe this region since the late 19th century. The term's origins, though, remain mysterious.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:59 PM
For journalists, "the Northland" is useful as a concise way to describe the Duluth media market: an area of the country where "going to the city" means going to the Twin Ports.
Truly the wildest thing about Die Hard is that they're having their company party *on Christmas Eve*
December 11, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Truly the wildest thing about Die Hard is that they're having their company party *on Christmas Eve*
Rereading “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and realizing those kids spent that whole time with their feet absolutely soaking wet in Oxfords.
December 10, 2025 at 4:43 AM
Rereading “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and realizing those kids spent that whole time with their feet absolutely soaking wet in Oxfords.
If you can't get a monorail, go for those astrotourists.
Cook County a growing hub for astrotourism
An increasing number of people are out chasing the northern lights and other celestial phenomena in northern Minnesota. Duluth gets pretty dark, but drive a couple hours north to see an even more spec...
www.duluthnewstribune.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:53 PM
If you can't get a monorail, go for those astrotourists.
The movie includes a scene where the cops are searching a creepy compound when one calls ominously, "Hey, Karl! Sauna's on." What they find inside is anything but hygge.
Front Row Seat: 'Stone Creek Killer' is Iron Range noir
Filmmaker Robert Enriquez made his new movie — about a hard-drinking cop pursuing a serial killer — mostly in Chisholm. It hits streaming services, and some theaters, the day after Thanksgiving.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:27 PM
The movie includes a scene where the cops are searching a creepy compound when one calls ominously, "Hey, Karl! Sauna's on." What they find inside is anything but hygge.
Something I didn't realize about being a parent is that when your kid comes home from daycare and you look at their clothes, you actually hear the laundry commercial voice in your head.
"When kids play THIS HARD, ordinary detergent won't cut it!"
"When kids play THIS HARD, ordinary detergent won't cut it!"
December 1, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Something I didn't realize about being a parent is that when your kid comes home from daycare and you look at their clothes, you actually hear the laundry commercial voice in your head.
"When kids play THIS HARD, ordinary detergent won't cut it!"
"When kids play THIS HARD, ordinary detergent won't cut it!"
I'm doing a fun little presentation on Duluth's Christmas traditions Tuesday evening at Ursa Minor!
A Very 100 Things To Do In Duluth Before You Die Christmas
Event in Duluth, MN by Jay Gabler, Writer and 2 others on Tuesday, December 2 2025
www.facebook.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:28 PM
I'm doing a fun little presentation on Duluth's Christmas traditions Tuesday evening at Ursa Minor!
Thank you Darren Danielson for being the trustworthy, calming presence we need during news teasers during The Bachelor. Also, thanks for giving me one of the best kickers of my @duluthnewstribune.com career.
Darren Danielson signs off after four decades on Duluth TV
WDIO's news anchor since 2011, Danielson previously anchored broadcasts at WDSE and KDLH. After his Dec. 5 retirement, Danielson will be among the viewers watching Dillon Morello take over.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Thank you Darren Danielson for being the trustworthy, calming presence we need during news teasers during The Bachelor. Also, thanks for giving me one of the best kickers of my @duluthnewstribune.com career.
Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country” just played in a Facebook ad, and I am here to tell you that the idea everyone in the North Country is constantly on Facebook is absolutely correct. #MacysParade
November 27, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country” just played in a Facebook ad, and I am here to tell you that the idea everyone in the North Country is constantly on Facebook is absolutely correct. #MacysParade
You know it's a serious storm when...
Bentleyville temporarily closes due to 'significant' storm damage
Organizers hope the popular attraction will reopen on Thanksgiving after being closed Wednesday.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:08 PM
You know it's a serious storm when...
Previous honorees have included the likes of Ber, Durry, Nur-D, Yam Haus, Baby Shel, Caroline Smith (now known as Your Smith) and GRRRL PRTY — a hip-hop group featuring Lizzo.
First Avenue's Best New Bands include two with Duluth roots
Sallyforth (featuring Hattie Peach and Emma Jeanne) and Sophie Hiroko will take the Mainroom stage Jan. 17. Hiroko also received Picked to Click honors in Twin Cities publication Racket.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Previous honorees have included the likes of Ber, Durry, Nur-D, Yam Haus, Baby Shel, Caroline Smith (now known as Your Smith) and GRRRL PRTY — a hip-hop group featuring Lizzo.
Duluth is having the kind of snow that makes you want to tip your head up to the sky and sing, “Lu lu lu, lu lu lu lu lu…”
November 26, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Duluth is having the kind of snow that makes you want to tip your head up to the sky and sing, “Lu lu lu, lu lu lu lu lu…”
I learned a LOT reporting this story.
Sámi Cultural Center moves to UMD after loss of Lakeside home
As the Sámi Cultural Center of North America becomes a UMD entity, the original nonprofit will continue with a new moniker. Leaders hope increased reach and collaboration will result.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:17 PM
I learned a LOT reporting this story.
Signing at The Bookstore at Fitger’s today and they set me up with a really optimistic number of pens
November 22, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Signing at The Bookstore at Fitger’s today and they set me up with a really optimistic number of pens
"The Mastermind" is a sly, carefully crafted film about a man who can't seem to catch a break. In time, we come to realize he's in a prison of his own making.
Movie review: 'The Mastermind' settles in with small-time crook
In Kelly Reichardt's new film, Josh O'Connor plays a Massachusetts dad who plans an art heist. When his plans hit a snag, the movie becomes a contemplation of responsibility.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:24 PM
"The Mastermind" is a sly, carefully crafted film about a man who can't seem to catch a break. In time, we come to realize he's in a prison of his own making.
If he was from Minnesota, the beer would be "Ope! Pope"
Chicago-brewed "Da Pope" beer is now in Pope Leo’s fridge, thanks to Gov. Pritzker. blockclubchi.co/4r7wDfN
November 20, 2025 at 3:24 PM
If he was from Minnesota, the beer would be "Ope! Pope"
In 1957, Duluth retailers began efforts to brand "the Christmas City of the North." That caught on better than the other moniker they rolled out that year: "the City of Selection."
Christmas list 2025: 15 things to do in Duluth
While you're making your gift list, don't forget to treat yourself to some of the many ways to celebrate the holidays in the Christmas City of the North.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:23 PM
In 1957, Duluth retailers began efforts to brand "the Christmas City of the North." That caught on better than the other moniker they rolled out that year: "the City of Selection."
Website: "Please choose a password. MUST INCLUDE A SPECIAL CHARACTER."
Me: [chooses password]
Website: "Not *that* special character, you freak."
Me: [chooses password]
Website: "Not *that* special character, you freak."
November 19, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Website: "Please choose a password. MUST INCLUDE A SPECIAL CHARACTER."
Me: [chooses password]
Website: "Not *that* special character, you freak."
Me: [chooses password]
Website: "Not *that* special character, you freak."
"People around the world, they got beaver fever. What can I say?"
We Want Beavers! How a Midwest-Grown Indie Film Went Global
Hundreds of Beavers, made in Wisconsin and Michigan for $150,000, has become an "instant cult classic."
artsmidwest.org
November 19, 2025 at 4:07 PM
"People around the world, they got beaver fever. What can I say?"
Devastated that Gordon Lightfoot didn't crack the Hot 100 this week
November 19, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Devastated that Gordon Lightfoot didn't crack the Hot 100 this week
You just know there's a producer out there thinking, "You know what would be really edgy? If we turned this into a movie, but gender flipped! Maybe we can get Streep."
As Summers Sought Clandestine Relationship With Woman He Called a Mentee, Epstein Was His ‘Wing Man’ | News | The Harvard Crimson
When former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers was pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he described as a mentee, he turned to a longtime associate for guidance: convicted sex offender Jef...
www.thecrimson.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:52 PM
You just know there's a producer out there thinking, "You know what would be really edgy? If we turned this into a movie, but gender flipped! Maybe we can get Streep."
"It Was Just an Accident" is a timely reminder that it's hard to be human in a dehumanizing situation. Each person bears responsibility for their actions, but there's also a larger responsibility that falls upon the people who brought those situations into existence.
Movie review: 'It Was Just an Accident' examines moral responsibility
The subversive movie by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi follows a group of former associates weighing whether to take revenge on a man who grievously wronged them. It opens Nov. 14 at Zeitgeist.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:59 PM
"It Was Just an Accident" is a timely reminder that it's hard to be human in a dehumanizing situation. Each person bears responsibility for their actions, but there's also a larger responsibility that falls upon the people who brought those situations into existence.
"Weird Al" is coming to the Minnesota State Fair, but first...Duluth!
'Weird Al' Yankovic announces Amsoil Arena concert for 2026
The master of pop song parody will perform at Duluth's largest indoor concert venue on June 26. A couple months later, he'll play the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
"Weird Al" is coming to the Minnesota State Fair, but first...Duluth!
If you get nothing else from this story, you'll find out what KBJR stands for.
Northlandia: Merv Griffin's ode to Duluth, 'Christmas City'
Merv Griffin's 1962 visit to Duluth made headlines, but its lasting impact was a song the entertainer subsequently recorded for a holiday parade. The invention of "Jeopardy!" was a bonus.
www.duluthnewstribune.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:35 PM
If you get nothing else from this story, you'll find out what KBJR stands for.