http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/home.aspxDo you remember when... Bob does. He remembers how things used to be, and he wonders what you remember as well.en-usCopyright 2012, WRTB-FMFri, 18 May 2012 18:05:54 GMTTue, 15 May 2012 19:54:36 GMT1http://emmisinteractive.comThis blog is called Bob Remembers, but let me point out something I don’t remember. I saw this picture (right) and traced it to Todd Houston’s Rockford Rocked Facebook page. Great memories, by the way. It was Cheap Trick and the Boyzz (from Illinoize) on the same stage at Sinnissippi. I wasn’t there, but wish I’d been.  The Mother’s Day Concerts I attended atAnnaPageParkwere mostly a blur, but I do remember seeing Cheater (help me with more names on the bill: Weezer Lockinger?). Survivor was a big national act to grace us with their presence.  It was always a nice Sunday day with some kites flying, lots of pretty young women wearing the new summer fashions for the first time of the year, and those radio DJs announcing the bands. By the way, there were not many mothers in sight, unless they were also sporting the new summer fashions and ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10383619tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10383619Tue, 15 May 2012 19:54:36 GMTIn the early ‘80s my friend Red took possession of his Grandma’s baby blue 1964 Dodge Dart. It was a four door with a slant six and pushbutton transmission. The latter was discontinued after that year, probably because a pushbutton would often stick. Despite being a “Grandma car”, it was Red’s pride and joy akin to the passion Judge Reinhold’s Brad had for his “cruising vessel” in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Many Friday or Saturday nights we’d bring the Dart home by cruising the strip of Belvidere where the model was produced until 1976. Sometimes we’d get a special look from an older guy that we just knew worked the assembly line. On several occasions in other towns someone would say, “Nice Falcon”. We weren’t sure if that was ignorance or somebody pointing out the similarity of the hoods of the Dodge and Ford models. They each possessed a ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10381249tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10381249Tue, 08 May 2012 21:28:31 GMTWhether it was at Alpine and Linden (before or after the fire) or on the second floor of State and Madison, Bruce Hammond’s joint was a definite hang for several reasons. Just to go there and enjoy a good short, two-hour conversation with Bruce was worth the drive.  The first thing that struck me in the strip mall location is that this place had about any oddball beer you could imagine. Before the craft brew craze they had an unheard of 16 beers on tap. It’s the first place I experienced the true joy of diversity that is a Black and Tan. Bored of draft? You couldn’t go wrong with a bucket of Little Kings.  Wow, and the bands that played “Endless Night”. Some you might remember: Saraya, Balaam and The Angel, Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. Others did even better: Mother Love Bone (Precursor to Pearl ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10378790tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10378790Tue, 01 May 2012 21:30:24 GMTBefore social media and websites, you would hear a radio station tease that they had a major concert announcement (insert time/day). The announcement would be made, they’d play the biggest hit from the band and tell you tickets would go on sale (insert time/day). This sounds odd from today’s practices, but then if you reaaaally wanted good seats, you work camp out at the Metro Centre box office or one of the Ticket Masters (or Ticketrons) in town. When I would arrive to stake my claim in line, there he would be and always with a smile and words of excitement. Everyone knew him as Verne. Verne was Rockford’s biggest music fan. Verne K. Smith died last year leaving memories throughout the stateline. Remember seeing that band at Hurricane Harry’s, Reflections, one of the Cubby’s, The Circle K, The Midway, Rush Street or Hard Times. Verne was there and most ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10374682tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10374682Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:32:43 GMTWhen the Metro Center (BMO Harris Bank Center) opened its doors in 1981, an era of entertainment ended. The place to gather for any big event in Rockford (unless it was a summer Speedway Jam) was the Illinois National Guard Armory on Main Street in Rockford. The Guard occupied the 1937 Art Deco building until the Machesney Park facility opened in ’93. The now-empty national landmark can be found on the other end of the Museum Campus (Discovery Center/RAM) parking lot. I remember dad taking me to a few gun shows there. I’m not sure you could sell some of the metal unloaded there back in the day. I can still smell the maple-meaty-greasy aroma of Pancake Day. Until the Orange Box opened its doors, The Rockford Armory was the place to put on a concert. Big names in the hall included Cheap Trick, Kiss with opening act Rush, Angel, ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10372068tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10372068Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:12:47 GMTBefore you DVR’d it or Tivo’d it, it was VCR’d. I still have one of those marvels of analog technology in my basement entertainment center. I survived an ordeal with my nephew’s Matchbox car and came back to life after several cleanings and professional demagnetizations. Occasionally I’ll pop in a tape I recorded featuring an old MTV Unplugged or one of the great Rockumentaries VH1 used to show before Behind The Music came around. I have some local TV from the 80’s and 90’s that reminds me, in some ways, we’ve progressed as a society. The VCR has been around since the ‘70s and for several years, two incompatible formats duked it out for consumer acceptance. My cousin Greg insisted and still believes that the Sony Betamax would rein supreme over VHS because of its superior picture and sound. I’m pretty sure it’s still in his basement below his Laserdisc ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10369412tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10369412Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:41:40 GMTA peanut-shaped crispy cookie outside and sweet peanut butter crème inside. I can still taste this Mr. Peanut creation. Bags and boxes of PB Crisps would often change position in the snack isle at Eagle’s, but I’d seek them out and stock up. Then, one day they were gone. Their absence was much more of a blow then the demise of Crystal Pepsi. Just what makes a product disappear from the marketplace? I can see why Planters finally nixed Coconut Balls. That name ranks up there with an actual candy called Dingleberry Clusters. P.B. Crisp was a nice name that accurately described what they were. Yeah, Nutter Butters are curvy, but P.B.’s were the actual size and shape of a peanut. The closest you could get was to bite in on the shell of an actual peanut. That’s something I wouldn’t recommend if you need more of a description watch ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10367300tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10367300Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:00:51 GMTHang out with an 8 to 10 year old long enough and the conversation will eventually take a turn toward the grotesque. Anything sticky, slimy, mucousy, rotten, moldy, lice-filled and from the toilet is fair game. When I was that age the best way to indulge and constantly rejuvenate my inner grossness was to collect Wacky Packs. Topps offered these collectable cards and stickers with a fat piece of bubble gum (official name Wacky Packages). Wacky Packs were parodies of household items already in the fridge or pantry, under the sink, in the medicine cabinet, or even in the garage. General Mills Wheaties, “The Breakfast of Champions” was instead Generally Moldy Weakies, “The Breakfast of Chumps”. Cream-Filled Hostess Twinkies degenerated into Brain-filled Hostile Thinkies. The illustrations were sick enough to satisfy any pre-pubescent boy. See for yourself from wackypacks.com. Wacky Packs were the nightmare of many a parent, and not ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10293920tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10293920Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:19:37 GMTYou can’t go anywhere without spotting somebody sportin’ a do-rag. You can now buy one all ready to go that includes the logo of your favorite consumer product. Go back in time around thirty years and bandanas went along with heavy metal. How did a fixture of the old west end up attached to the person of one David Lee Roth? After many minutes of tireless research, I’ve failed to find the obvious link. I know I first saw singers sporting the classic red hanky around the neck in the early ‘80s. That was the era of parachute pants and loose, strangely-tailored t-shirts with Asian symbols on them. Both could be found at Merry-Go-Round or Chest King. Soon we’d enter Bandanarama time when those of every color of the spectrum would be tied around the arms and down the legs. The fad continued until the then homophobic Metal World heard ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10362101tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10362101Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:38:18 GMTBefore buffets were for the power-eater, Bishop’s was a nice place for the family to eat. I’m not sure how much things cost back then, but I believe you were charged per item. I do know that I could fill up my tray with just about anything and my dad wouldn’t give me a pained look. I took turkey, ham, roast beef and mashed potatoes with half turkey/half “brown” gravy. My friend Chris told me the brown came from the stuff scraped off the grill. I just knew it was tasty. I’d grab several rolls and a piece of corn bread with 5 squares of real butter. I’d spoon into some green vegetable I was forced to gulp down and some type of fruit swimming in sugary syrup. Oh, yes the dessert table was next. I’d take two and see if mom would notice. It’s my belief that all the ...http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10359504tellbob@953bobfm.com (Bob)http://www.953bobfm.com/Blogs/BobRemembers/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10359504Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:41:44 GMT