Jake's Wake/Kirby's Reunion!

Last weekend in Wichita some friends organized a reunion of the grizzled sots and wised-up former grifters who hung around in Kirby's back in the 8-0s and early 90s. Unfortunately the thing turned into a wake for uber-regular and comic genius Jake Euker, who died earlier in the week. Nonetheless a good time was had, as they say, by all, and in the best tradition of wakes many Jake stories were told and many glasses lifted.
Without naming names:

 Standing outside in the grand parking lot tradition.

 Who is this sultry, leering temptress?

 Someone looks surprised! Perhaps an "off color" remark?

Music! Featuring on vocals a young lady whose parents were regulars before she was even born. Proud papa is on sax at left.

This guy's laughing because he doesn't own the place any more.

For a view of the place in those long-gone, halcyon days, see: http://pocketfulofginch.blogspot.com/2010/03/kirbys-88.html
More to come!

shameless promotion, part III: Heavy Rotation!

Here's the latest thing from Mike Coykendall (http://pocketfulofginch.blogspot.com/2010/02/wow-stuff-in-mail.html):

It's a groovy little pop masterpiece on which Herr Coykendall plays bass and occasionally sings, and which he engineered and mixed to boot. He's backing up M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, better known as She & Him. Ms. Deschanel is a pop songwriter of the first order, with a voice that calls to my mind such voices as Shannon McArdle (late of the Mendoza Line) and Miss Peggy Lee. And the thing has a sound to it that's pure confectionary joy. It's been in heavy rotation at home and work for days now:

She and Him, Volume Two, on Merge Records....buy it now.

And in case you forgot to buy this last time:


"The Unbearable Being of Likeness" is still available from www.fieldhymns.com
And of course he's an ex-Wichitan. So get out there and buy some records, kids!

Kirby's '88

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.

And now, the Deluge

Came back from Wichita with a whole lot of weird stuff to post. First, here's an addition to the collection of Creepy Law Enforcement Figurines.


Strictly speaking, they're Pinkertons and therefore private security, but close enough. This was in a Wichita Flea market. Next, from another thrift store, my brother's major find of the holiday season
That's right, it's a ghostly image of Der Bingle himself. I love how he looks a little surprised, a little scared, and a little bit delighted to boot. And check out that hair! Click to enlarge and savor it in all its Crobyite glory.

Moler's Camera in Wichita

The best job I ever had was working here in the '80s. My pals Bob and Penny Moler still run the place pretty much the way they ran it when I was here. This is old school retailing, and Bob's collection of old cameras and projectors gives it the feel of a roadside museum. Above is a general view of the store, and at left is a movie projector from 1913, rescued from a movie theater in Douglass, Kansas, that burned down in the fifties.

Fairland Café

Here's a picture I took circa 1982 of the alley entrance to Wichita's Fairland Café, a 24-hour hangout for many decades. From my soon-to-be-updated website.