The Iceholes (...that's Ice Holes!)

Band History:

It all started one wintry weekend in 2004. A group of long-time friends escaped the Twin Cities for a trip to Baudette and some first-class ice-fishing. After arriving at the Borderview Lodge, the group of friends spent the evening unpacking, playing guitars, smoking cigars, consuming & imbibing and planning the next day's fishing schedule: up at 5:00 am, breakfast at the Borderview, loaded onto the Bombardier at 6:30 and in dropped-off at the Icehouse by 7:00 am (for a full day of walleye, sauger and the occasional eelpout).

After catching approximately a dozen or so sauger and walleye, the fellas decided to warm things up with a few guitars, some parodies, and plenty of beer and booze...the perfect combination of a slow day in the IceHouse and too much time on their hands.

Later that night, after returning to their cabins to clean up and have dinner back at the Borderview, the guys walked into the bar and asked the Bartender if they could play some music on the make-shift bar stage. The bartender said "no problem, but remember that an anniversary party is taking place in the next room"

This was music to these drunken men's ears -- after singing La Bamba, completely lacking the correct lyrics but bringing the crowd of other fisher-people to their feet, the group went on to play songs including a re-worked version of "The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald" including lyrics mentioning Baudette, Bombardiers, and the Borderview Lodge, Margaritaville (for a $5 tip) and other songs. Soon, they had worked their way into the anniversary party room, where much to their surprise, it turned out that the man who had been their fishing guide was the very same man celebrating his anniversary.

As the band finished for the night and began to exit, the bartender asked one of the members of the band what their name was?

Chuck Kolars (the man who would later be referred to as "the Pete Best" of the IceHoles) answered in his inimitable way: "Oh....Brian Ruhl....that's Brian Ruhl and The IceHoles"....and they all left. The current members include Matt Tews, Roy (The Dr.) Nelson, John Crane (the guy who found the Borderview Lodge to begin with) and Brian Ruhl.

And "the legend lives on from the Borderview on down..."
.