I took these pictures of Kirby's Beer Store in April '88, shortly before leaving Wichita for good. Above is one I've posted before of a dissolute bartender.
And here's the legendary northeast corner, home of many a session of tonsil hockey and drunken loutishness. GLOBE OF FROGS!
And from the men's room, the ancient condom dispensers, for those who were about to be lubricated.
Remember that ceramic thing with the matchbooks? For a while people amused themselves by writing predictions in the matchbooks, as though they were fortune cookies. My favorite was "You will have a very disturbing wet dream about the disinterment of Miss Lucille Ball." 
Look! Regulars!
Many, many manhours wasted on the pinball machine, not to mention quarters.
The walls, covered with crapola.
That same dissolute bartender. Does that look on his face remind you of the sleeve of "Lust for Life?"
The TV, above the legendary jukebox. Note the print of Marilyn Mao.
More crapola, plus a view of that amazing jukebox, which contained among many, many other gems the 45 from my GI Joe astronaut circa 1968 of John Glenn's Mercury-to-Earth transmissions.I hope you've enjoyed this trip in the way-back machine.
Looks like my kind of place.
ReplyDeleteKirby's... good times! Best summer EVER... borrowing Scott's little sportscar and being a Kirby's baseball team groupie.
ReplyDelete'dissolute bartender'???
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry old bean.
If a bartender is dissolute it is entirely the fault of the clientele who are clearly not imbibing sufficient quantities of alcohol.
Therefore, as a former member of said clientele it is at least partially your fault.
Disgraceful behaviour.
Be ashamed.
Love sausage $1.50 mmmm.
ReplyDeleteI vividly remember a tiny (five member, maybe) army of ants crawling over a polish dog in a little red plastic basket one evening circa 1986.Mmmmm indeed.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite people ever. I loved that Taxi Pinball. And where else in the world would you find Yoko Ono on a 45 rpm Juke?
ReplyDeleteLooks like home. Wish I could sit down at that bar again and have Mark pour me a beer.
ReplyDelete