Friday, February 20, 2009

The Wish Bar Waterfall






First off, I found some mention of Sterling beer on Google, surprisingly little, considering it is the Old Style of Kentucky. So now I know Charles was weaned on Schlitz and yes, Bob, that one building is Schuba's, so Rich Who Won The Nebula's comment about Schlitz-built buildings holds true.

I had forgotten about the waterfalls. We even had one in our basement. The thing looked like the water moved because of white and blue lights on the back of the sign. There is a Polish tavern on the corner of Iowa and Western that I call The Wish Bar. Place smelled like aloe from the factory workers who shot pool. There was a Hamm's waterfall behind the bar. One night it seemed as if someone had played "The Money Polka" about twenty times in a row, and I wished that the music would stop. Bam, just like that, a power failure. Torrential downpour. No more accordion music, no more waterfall. I drank my soda in silence and then ordered another.

7 comments:

Lana Gramlich said...

I liked those waterfall things when they first came out. Now they just seem unbearably cheesy.

Anonymous said...

Heya Wayne,

I counted two signs, but still sign.

I hate what they've done to beer ads and promotions. Beer used to be the honest working man's solace and paradise. Now they market it as the doofus' alibi -- fuel for the fool. I do have a fondness for that Miller Lite guy delivery man comes into places shouting and admonishing everyone in sight. But Schlitz had the right idea: "Let's get together with a glass of Schlitz. A friendly glass of Schlitz ... " America, where did you go wrong?

-- Rich

Charles Gramlich said...

I've had Sterling beer, I do believe. As I remember it was much like making love in a canoe.

Sidney said...

They used to always cut off the cartoon ads with the bear on local TV for a kid. Somehow you'd see a snippet of it then it would be replaced by a local car dealer's ad or something. I didn't know what the bear was advertising for years.

Steve Malley said...

Wow. Something like that happened, I do believe I'd be like Jay and Silent Bob in DOGMA.

Not that gorgeous, big-tittied women would just fall out of the sky but, you know, long as you're on a roll...

Capcom said...

Wow, we used to love those Hamm's TV commercial cartoons in my family. X-D

"From the land of skyblue waterrrrrrrrs...!"

My dad had one of those "moving" waterfall clocks in his den. Sweet memories.

James Robert Smith said...

Did you guys really listen to Polka music? Do you have many polka records? I love that stuff.