I know that the 4th of July was the official holiday a couple of days ago, but I went to a friends party and it wasn’t really conducive to taking pictures and doing the MBIP blog thing that I do, plus it was nice to go somewhere and have a day off, it was a holiday after all! But I kind of had a two day 4th of July celebration that started on July 3rd, so let me show you some photos from that eventful day in the life of MBIP! And away we go!
Peoria Chiefs Game @ Dozer Park
The day started out right here in beautiful downtown Peoria at Dozer Park to catch the afternoon Peoria Chiefs game. This is my second game of the season, but who’s counting...oh, it appears I am!
I got my ticket checked and it’s in we go! The concession vendors are all out and there’s the statue of the original Peoria Chiefs owner, Pete Vonachen. I made a stop to the concession stand and then took a look out at the game. It’s chilly for July and spitting a little rain, but the die-hard Peoria Chiefs fans are here, like this group right over here...
A motley and fun-seeking crew indeed! Clockwise from left: Ken, Steve, Karen, Kathy and Phil standing front and center in an award-winning Soul Train t-shirt! Okay, now we can officially start the afternoon’s festivities!
And those festivities include another shot of the field as the game moves into another inning. The Chiefs are playing the Clinton Lumberkings, by the way. Rumor has it that the Clinton Lumberkings are the illegitimate spawn of a love child between George Clinton and The Kings of Leon, but I’ll never tell!
One of the most important things about attending a Peoria Chiefs game or any baseball game for that matter (and I should know, this is like the third baseball game I’ve ever been to in my life!) is the well timed food break! I got a hot dog and liberally doused it with mustard from one of my favorite things in Dozer Park, The Condiment Wagon. Steve and Kathy got pretzels with little plastic tubs of melted cheese and of course there’s a plenty of beer in plastic Chiefs cups to wash it all down!
I call this photo: “Phil’s Bathroom Break.” I think it’s Pulitzer Prize material, myself and I bet George Clinton and The Kings of Leon would agree with me!
As I took another shot of the game, Peoria Chiefs owner, Rocky Vonachen came over and said hi to us! I’ve known Rocky since high school and back in the days when he used to throw me out of Rocky’s Hitching Post on Farmington Road and it’s always great to see him and nice of him to stop by and visit!
Mike Wiesehan came up to me and told me he enjoys reading the MBIP blog, which we all know that I love to hear! Mike owns Lippmann’s Furniture, which I discovered is the last family-owned Peoria furniture store! Years ago I was a furniture mover for Epple Furniture, so Mike and I had a nice chat about the furniture business, Peoria, beer and New York. Nice to meet Mike and stay tuned for an upcoming blog on LIppmann’s Furniture!
I happened to see Cracker Jack’s for sale at the concession stand so I had to get some, since this is really a traditional baseball snack. I remember buying Cracker Jack’s as a kid and I loved them. However back then they came in a sturdy box and not some shitty little fucking foil bag and back then the prize you got was something substantial, like a badge or a metal whistle or something. Just take a look at the prize you get in a bag of Cracker Jacks these days, it’s a pathetic little rotten fucking sticker that says: “Knocked To Silly.” I don’t even know what the fuck that means and it’s one horrible-ass excuse for a prize! And check out the bag of Cracker Jack’s, it’s more than half empty after you open it and there’s no peanuts in the bag at all, just a bunch of caramel corn and that shit is stale. I hate the new Cracker Jacks...HATE HATE HATE the new Cracker Jack’s!
I was so upset over the whole new Cracker Jack fiasco that I stopped taking pictures at the game and we ended up back at Steve and Kathy’s house hanging out on their porch. That was nice of them to invite us over and their porch is really cool as is the rest of their house...but boy does Cracker Jack’s suck monkey lungs these days...
I mean this shitty fucking little sticker that makes no sense in what I like to call, “the world,” is supposed to be a fucking prize? FUCK YOU CRACKER JACK’S!
Drugs Delaney CD Release Party @ Twisted Spoke Saloon
Alright, evening has started to settle in and we’re now magically transported to the Twisted Spoke Saloon where I’ve been invited to a party for the release of local band, Drugs Delaney new CD, Black Night Satellite.
Twisted Spoke is a big supporter of live music, just check out the calendar for July’s bands! Very cool! Below is the staff that’s checking everyone into the show, from left: G. Scott, Angie and Ryan, they’re friendly folks and it was nice to meet them. Now let’s go inside and check it out!
Wow, it’s huge in here and I love the dark atmosphere and neon lighting. Pictured below is the owner of Twisted Spoke, Dan and his fiancee, Sami. Dan told me that in addition to live music, cold beer and drinks and gaming machines there’s also a full menu here, so I think we may have to come back soon for a Saturday Night dinner and some live music! Stay tuned for that!
And here’s the stars for the evening, Drugs Delaney! From left: Adam John Kelley: Bass; Andrew William Smith: Vocals and Guitars, Dylon Sekula: Guitars and Nick McNeely: Drums. Drugs Delaney is a great local band who play original tunes written by Andrew and you can check out the new CD: Black Knight Satellite by clicking here and here. And here’s their facecrack page.
Here’s some shots of the band at their merch table in the front of the bar, with Janessa, who’s just one of the pretty waitresses on duty here at Twisted Spoke, a photo of Andrew and Yours Fooly holding the new CD and one more of the band with Janessa, just for good measure!
And now the stage is all lit up, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome...
Drugs Delaney! This is a great local band and I love the new CD, really great original tunes and I suggest you check both the band out live and on record as well!
Here’s Drugs Delaney on the stage after the show, it was great to meet them and I thank them for inviting me to the party! Thanks to Dan and everyone at Twisted Spoke for the hospitality and good times! (And special thanks to Chris Chandler for the live photos of Drugs Delaney! Check out more of Chris’ photography at: The HatHook.)
But seriously, this is supposed to be a fucking prize? Once more, just for the sheer fuck of it all, FUCK YOU CRACKER JACK’S!
Peoria Chiefs/Dozer Park
730 SW Jefferson Avenue
Peoria
309-680-4000
facecrack page
Twisted Spoke Saloon
251 Derby Street
Pekin, Illinois
309-620-8595
facecrack page
Related Posts: Saturday Night @ The Peoria Riverfront Museum 4th Of July BBQ Party, Snakes On A Gumby! Happy 4th Of July From Mike’s Tavern and Tuesday Night @ Dozer Park.