Gophers and Cheese

Heavy Thursday returned to Litt Pinball Bar in uptown Minneapolis in June 2026.  It started off very wet, but the sun came out and the bands went on as planned. Zac rode up in the rain. The rain meant bike night was off to a slow start but it didn't keep everyone away. I see a rainbow! There's the sun! American Muscle's van: American Muscle They played using (and licking, sorry no pics) some of Psychic Vampire's equipment. Psychic Vampire : There's no Heavy Thursday in July, just Full Tilt Boogie .  Don't miss it!!!

The Rockers Spring Social was hosted by Ton-Up Minneapolis at the Eagles #34 in Minneapolis on June 7, 2026.  There was a good turnout in spite of some threatening storms.

Heavy Thursday kicked off its series of 2026 bike nights at 331 Club in Northeast Minneapolis.  This bike night moves around so you need to follow Heavy and pay attention to where it will be each month.  I rode my 2004 Sportster.  Later this year, this bike and I will be celebrating 20 years together, which is crazy.  Time flies!

I bought my first bike (2004 Sportster) in October 2006 and the first big motorcycle show I attended was the Progressive International Motorcycle Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center in February 2007.  This was 3 years before I started the blog.  I was pretty active on the xlforum at the time (trying to learn and contribute) and was excited to share photos of the debut of the Harley Davidson Nightster.  I think this was one of its first public appearances.

The 2008 Progressive International Motorcycle Show was held in Minneapolis at the Convention Center February 2, 2008 and it was the second year I attended the show.  Harley debuted the Cross Bones at this show.

We're back in the pre-blog days now... Here are never-before-posted photos of the 2009 Progressive International Motorcycle Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  I like how they had artwork in the background but wish I got down lower to take these photos.  My photography skills were not as good back then.  I was also taking photos with flash, which makes the photos feel even more dated.

I never posted photos from the first four years I attended the Progressive International Motorcycle Show (2007-2010) as they all occurred before I even started the blog.  I would go on to attend every year through 2020, which was the last time it was held in Minneapolis.  Here we go!

Before I get to posting YouTube slideshows , I like to go back through my photos and see if there are any early shows that I never posted or only posted black-and-white photos from.  The Progressive International Motorcycle Show was the first local event I started regularly attending, back in 2007, 3 years before I started the blog.  For the first year or two of the blog, I only posted photos in black-and-white so let's all time-travel back to 2011 and see what the show was like in full color with fresh edits.

10 years ago, the very last Bearded Lady Motorcycle Freakshow was held in Northeast Minneapolis on July 18, 2015.

Continuing coverage from the Bearded Lady Motorcycle Freakshow (BLMFS) 2014, only 11 years late!