Smells Like The Early 90's

Nirvana / Bikini Kill / Fitz Of Depression concert poster
OK Hotel - Seattle, WA  (April 17, 1991)
Thirty-five years ago at a concert held in a small Seattle venue, Nirvana performed Smells Like Teen Spirit in public for the first time.  It would go on to be released as a single five months later, and it was one of the biggest rock songs in the world by Christmas.

A setlist from this show that is believed to have been hand-written by Dave Grohl on the back of a flyer that advertised guitar lessons sold at a 2023 auction for over $50,000.

Someone also discovered a cassette tape recording of the entire show.  The audio quality is not great, as you might expect from something that was very likely recorded on a cheap tape recorder sitting on a table somewhere, but it's a piece of music history and absolutely worth listening to.

I'm Not Dead And I'm Not For Sale

Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop
Stone Temple Pilots (1996)
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you've probably noticed that this is the first post that I've published in 2026.  I haven't given up on the blog.  Hell, I've invested twenty six years in this, so I can't stop now.  I've just been a little busier than usual over the past few months, and most of my down time has been spent either working on my basement arcade, watching movies, or sleeping.  There are quite a few posts saved in queue that I still have to finish and publish, so there will be quite a few backdated posts appearing over the next few weeks.  Having said that, I couldn't put off the opportunity to acknowledge one of my favorite albums of the 90's.

Tiny Music was released thirty years ago today.  I was already a big fan of Stone Temple Pilots at the time, so I picked this up at Gallery Of Sound within a few days of it hitting the shelves and have listened to it from front to back countless times in the years that followed.  Every track is incredible.  My favorites are Big Bang Baby, Lady Picture Show, Adhesive, and Seven Caged Tigers, and this song which is in my top favorite STP songs from any album:

Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart
Stone Temple Pilots (1996)

Don't cut out my paper heart

I ain't dyin' anyway

Take a look at Eiffel towers

Never trust them dirty liars

Sippin' lemon yellow booze

Old Lead Belly sings the blues

All dressed up on wedding day

Keep on trippin' anyway

I am, I am, I said I'm not myself

I'm not dead, and I'm not for sale

So keep your bankroll lottery

Eat your salad day, deathbed motorcade

Fake the heat and scratch the itch

Skinned-up knees and salty lips

I'll breathe your life, Vicks vapor life

And when you binge, I purge alike

Let go, it's harder holdin' on

One more trip and I'll be gone

So keep your head up, keep it on

Just a whisper, I'll be gone

Take a breath and make it big

It's the last you'll ever get

Mmm, break your neck with diamond noose

It's the last you'll ever choose

I am, I am, I said I'm not myself

I'm not dead, and I'm not for sale

Hold me closer, closer, let me go

Let me be, just let me be

I am, I am, I said I'm not myself

I'm not dead, and I'm not for sale

So keep your bankroll lottery

Eat your salad day, deathbed motorcade

The Neon Glow Of Acme

Hazleton Shopping Center

Broad Street - Hazleton PA
This incredible photo, shared on Facebook by Scott Hill, was taken either in the late 50's or early 60's.  It shows the roadside signs that once stood at the Hazleton Shopping Center.  I love how it shows the neon lights reflecting off of the wet parking lot.  The Acme Food Market was still in business when I was a kid.  It became an Insalaco's at some point in the late 80's or early 90's and is currently a Food Universe store.

The orange Rexall Drugs sign to the right is a little difficult to read at the top, but if you look closely, you'll see that it's for a drugstore called Rea & Derrick.  This is where my grandmother worked for many years.  In the background at the bottom left corner of the Rea & Derrick sign is the neon sign for the Sears that was at the opposite end of the shopping center.  Both the Rea & Derrick and Sears were still open when I was a kid in the 80's.  Sears closed first and became a Blockbuster Video for many years.  That location is a UPS Store today.  The Rea & Derrick became a CVS in the late 80's or or early 90's, but it's a Rent-A-Center today.

You're Doomed If You Stay Here

Happy Friday the 13th!

Are You Also Divergent, Friend?

Twelve Monkeys
Universal Pictures (1995)
This Terry Gilliam classic is turning thirty years ago today.  It's one of my favorite sci-fi and post-apocalyptic films that I've ever seen.

A Token Gift

Birthday Gift Coupon
Aladdin's Castle
Oli Oliver of the Aladdin's Castle Arcade group discovered this card while working on a Spy Hunter pinball machine.

A Wearable Menu

Big League Hat Menu
Howard Johnson's (1963)
I found this children's menu at the Slatington Marketplace over the weekend.  It has a series of cuts that fold the menu out into a hat that could be worn.  My dad still raves about their fried clams to this day.  Everything else on the menu looks pretty good too, but shouldn't the Miss Muffet lunch be curds and whey?

Click here to enlarge the front and back.

I'm In A Situation I Can't Begin To Explain

Four Rooms
Miramax (1995)
This bizarre comedy anthology from Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino premiered in theaters on Christmas Day thirty years ago.

Merry Christmas

God Bless Us, Every Kernel

Mickey's Christmas Carol Coloring Book
Orville Redenbacher (1983)
During the holiday season of 1983, shoppers could pick up a free Mickey's Christmas Carol coloring book with the purchase of two jars of Orville Redenbacher popcorn.

These days, you can usually find these coloring books on eBay for ten dollars or less, but you'll have to supply your own popcorn.

Yuletide In The Shire

Yuletide In The Shire
Everstar (2003)
This is my favorite Christmas album.  I picked it up during Musikfest 2008 at a Celtic shop called Donegal Square, along with a few other similar CDs, and my wife and I have listened to it every holiday season ever since.

There's not a lot of information online about the recording artists.  The only thing I can find for sure is that they released one other album called Enchanted Journey in the same year.  The website for the label, Sequoia Records, is still online, but it's just a placeholder page with a message that the site is closed for maintenance, along with a few links to listen to the music that they have produced on various streaming services.

Yuletide In The Shire is available to stream on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon, Pandora, and many other sources.  It's a very mellow and peaceful holiday listening experience that I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

A Sad End To An Incredible Life

Rob Reiner
1947 - 2025
Writer, actor, and director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer were found dead yesterday as a result of stab wounds in their Los Angeles home.  His career spans seven decades which include his iconic role as Meathead in All In The Family, and a directorial resume that includes This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men, and most recently Spinal Tap II which was just premiered three months ago.

World's Best Spaghetti

Carmen's Family Restaurant sign
Broad Street - Hazleton, PA
On the way to my dad's house yesterday, I noticed that the old sign painted on the side of the Lehigh Tire building is in the process of being covered up by aluminum siding.

Carmen's Family Restaurant opened in 1962 and remained a fixture of the Hazleton area for over forty years.  It was an excellent restaurant with delicious Italian food and a seafood buffet that was second to none.  My dad worked here in the late 70's when he was in college, and I worked here in the mid 90's when I was in high school.  It's also the place where my parents first met.

Carmen's Bakery & Deli remains in business across the street from where the restaurant once was.  They have incredible pitza that crushes both Senape's and Longo's.  They also make excellent breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and other baked goods.

Although the restaurant closed twenty years ago, this sign has remained visible ever since it was first painted, presumably in the early to mid 60's.  However, it appears that this too will be only a memory as soon as the siding is finished.

The Last Song And Dance Man

Dick Van Dyke
Born: December 13, 1925
Happy 100th birthday to the incredibly talented star of my favorite sitcom of all time.

Two Corpses, Everything's Fine

Clue
Paramount Pictures (1985)
The first motion picture based on a board game is turning forty years old this week.

Yeah, And I'm A Kumquat From Queens

The Jewel Of The Nile
20th Century Fox (1985)
The Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner sequel to Romancing The Stone premiered in theaters forty years ago today.

I'm Bananas For This Coffee

Bananas Foster
Bones Coffee Company (2025)
This is the best flavored coffee I've ever had and they're getting rid of it soon.  Guess I'm going to have to clear out a few shelves in the cupboard.

The Whole Bloody Affair

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
Cinemark - Moosic, PA (2025)
The original Volume One and Volume Two releases of Kill Bill are two of my favorite movies of all time.

I saw these both in the theater during their initial run in theaters and at the Mahoning in 2021 for the first Tarantino A-Go-Go weekend, and I've watched them countless times on DVD over the past two decades, but the cut that has been released to theaters this month is something that has never been seen before.  The Whole Bloody Affair is a combination of Volume 1 and Volume 2 with extended scenes and cuts to make the two films flow together as a single movie.

So, I don't think I'm going to be alone in the opinion that this is now the definitive version of Kill Bill.  No disrespect intended to the original films, but I love the fact that The Whole Bloody Affair doesn't reveal to the audience that BB is still alive until The Bride discovers her at the end of the film.  Also, while I understand that the Volume 1 switch to black and white during The Bride's battle with the Crazy 88's was done to secure an R rating, I thought it felt kind of gimmicky and took away from the scene, so I'm glad to see it gone in this version.

I have only two very mild criticisms about The Whole Bloody Affair.  First, I think they should have eliminated the gimmick where they beep out The Bride's name and the schoolhouse reveal after Elle Driver says it for the first time.  It came across to me as cutesy and unnecessary when Volume 1 was still in theaters, but now that they've been combined into a single film, it seems completely pointless.  The other thing I could have done without was the Yuki's Revenge cartoon after the end credits.  I'm sure it might be entertaining to kids who play whatever video game it's based on, but it just kind of dumb.

Neither of these things are big deals at all though.  The Whole Bloody Affair is an incredible experience that made two of my favorite films better.

I Come From A Planet A Long Way From Here

I found this little guy at the bottom of a tote when I was packing up Christmas decorations last year.  It's a keychain that my grandmother gave me when I was a teenager.  Grandma could be a handful, but she was a generous woman with a good heart.  She knew that I liked aliens, so when she found something with an alien head, she's get it and put it away for me to give to me for Christmas, or my birthday, or just because she thought that I'd like it.

This also reminded me of one of my favorite Christmas songs.  It's not one that I hear on the radio too often, but it's has an ethereal and soothing sound that stops me in my tracks every time I hear it.  It was released by Chris de Burgh in 1975.  The singer/songwriter is probably best known for The Lady In Red and Don't Pay The Ferryman, but I think this is the song of his that I like the best.

A Spaceman Came Traveling

Chris de Burgh (1975)

A spaceman came traveling on his ship from afar

Twas light years of time since his mission did start

And over a village he halted his craft

And it hung in the sky like a star, just like a star

He followed a light and came down to a shed

Where a mother and child were lying there on a bed

A bright light of silver shone round his head

And he had the face of an angel, and they were afraid

Then the stranger spoke, he said "Do not fear

I come from a planet a long way from here

And I bring a message for mankind to hear,"

And suddenly the sweetest music filled the air

And it went

La la la la la la la la la la la

Peace and goodwill to all men, and love for the child

This lovely music went trembling through the ground

And many were wakened on hearing that sound

And travelers on the road, the village they found

By the light of that ship in the sky, which shone all round

And just before dawn at the paling of the sky

The stranger returned and said "Now I must fly

When two thousand years of your time has gone by

This song will begin once again, to a baby's cry"

And it was

La la la la la la la la la la la

Peace and goodwill to all men, and love for the child

Oh, the whole world is waiting

Waiting to hear the song again

There are thousands standing on the edge of the world

And a star is moving somewhere

The Sun Will Rise Another Day

Merkin Ball
Pearl Jam (1995)
This two song EP from Pearl Jam which was released as a companion to Neil Young's Mirror Ball is turning thirty years old today.  

Long Road
Pearl Jam (1995)

And I wished for so long, cannot stay

All the precious moments, cannot stay

It's not like wings have fallen, cannot stay

Still something's missing, cannot say

Holding hands are daughters and sons

And their faiths are falling down, down, down, down

I have wished for so long

How I wish for you today

Will I walk the long road?

Cannot stay

There's no need to say goodbye

All the friends and family

All the memories going round, round, round, round

I have wished for so long

How I wish for you today

And the wind keeps roaring

And the sky keeps turning grey

And the sun is set

The sun will rise another day

I have wished for so long

How I wish for you today

I have wished for so long

How I wish for you today

Will I walk the long road?

We all walk the long road

Steamrolling Toward The Holidays

Mannheim Steamroller
FM Kirby Center - Wilkes-Barre, PA

More From The Toy Store In The Mall

Black Friday Circular
KayBee Toys (1990)
This advertisement for a sale that began on the day after Thanksgiving 35 years ago was shared on Twitter by Dinosaur Dracula.  Check out the early draft of box art from Super Mario Bros 3.

Things To Be Thankful For

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays.  Despite it being a next door neighbor to Black Friday on the calendar, the holiday itself hasn't been overly commercialized.  The only ads that you're likely to see relating to Thanksgiving will be from the grocery store, and there's no expectation of greeting cards, flowers, gifts, or any other grand gestures.  It's just a time to share a nice meal with your family and reflect on what you are grateful for.  I have many things to be grateful for, including the fact that my little buddy is a healthy and happy 13 year old Schnoodle.

I'm also thankful for the unconventional holiday traditions that my wife and I share.  Just about everyone else on the planet would probably think it's ridiculous to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades and the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special with the original commercials from VHS recordings in the 198, but it has pretty much become second nature for us.  This isn't limited to Thanksgiving.  We have a pretty extensive collection of broadcast recordings with the commercials that we watch at various points throughout the year.  Watching these feels a bit like time travel.  When you turn out the lights and put one of these on, it's easy to lose yourself in the past for a few hours and forget that you're a quarter of the way through the 21st century.

Of course, I am thankful for the delicious food and the incredible family that I have to share it with.  I'm also thankful for my home away from home, the Mahoning Drive-In Theater, where I've met friends who I consider family, had countless hours of fun, and where I picked up the wine we had with our Thanksgiving dinner.

 

Finally, I'm thankful for the existence of movies in general.  I would never refer to myself as a cinephile.  While I appreciate when a film is expertly directed and has interesting shots and good use of lighting and color, the truth is that I really don't understand much about the craft at all beyond that I know what I like when I see it.  The draw for me when it comes to movies is that it tells a story.  I'm a sucker for a good story, whether it comes in the form of a book, a song, a film, a piece of art, or any other form that it can take.  Sometimes those stories are deep and meaningful and make you reflect on your own life.  Sometimes they're just fun and silly.  Son In Law falls in the latter category, and it's another Thanksgiving tradition to watch Pauly Shore head down to the farm with the district attorney from My Cousin Vinny and Ham Porter from The Sandlot.

Marie Is In The Trunk

Planes, Trains & Automobiles
The Gap Theatre - Wind Gap, PA
With the closure of the Cinema & Drafthouse in West Hazleton in September, our annual Thanksgiving Eve tradition of going to see Raymond The Amish Comic has come to an end.  It's too early to know if The Gap are going to make this screening an annual event, but if they do, this year might be the start of a new tradition.

I've made it a point to watch Planes, Trains and Automobiles every year during the Thanksgiving season since I first saw it when I was a teenager, but I've never had the opportunity to see it in a theater before tonight's 35mm screening.

Prior to the film, they screened a 35mm print of the 1972 Woody Woodpecker cartoon For The Love Of Pizza.  According to Fandom, this cartoon premiered eight years to the day before I was born.

 

Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of the funniest comedies I've ever seen.  Steve Martin plays the perfect straight man to John Candy in a heartwarming story that has kept audiences coming back for over 35 years.  I'm very glad to have finally had the opportunity to see it on the big screen.