Set the Wayback for KTOW

Last week I was contacted by Mark Brown from the Tulsa World (no relation) who is working on a story about the golden age of radio in Tulsa. Namely, the zebra-striped era of KTOW.

In the Nineties this minor AM country station was commandeered in the name of alternative music by Tim Barazza and company. Later an FM transmitter came online and the upstart station started showing up on the ratings. Something the established players never imagined would happen. It was this unique time and place that is the subject of the forthcoming newspaper article.

It had been years since I’d thought much about KTOW and the phenomenon it wrought. I was never a DJ, but did have fun with a short-lived show on Sunday nights called Night Light. Bowe and I would read weird crap from the newspaper, run spoof commercials for a variety of fictitious local businesses and take live phone calls from listerners. My favorite memory of that was the night we played Battleship over the air. It was amazing how many people called that had never played Battleship! Not surprisingly we won.

I was able to provide Mark contact info for a few of the personalities associated with KTOW. Some were personal friends- like Robert Bowe (Robb on the Radio), Chris Hale (Caesar Vitalis), Tony Dapolito (Sabu), Carole Thompson (Carol Dane) and Tony Mills (Tony Too). Others were acquaintances that I didn’t really know all that well- Sanchez, Linda Berg (Taylor Chance), Joe Stone, etc. There were others I may not remember… sorry!

In case you have a KTOW story to share, or know how to contact some of the other DJs, you can reach roving reporter, Mark Brown at the Tulsa World or [email protected]

****UPDATE****
Hah!

Like magic is this Internet thing- no sooner do I mention a long-ago radio station then suddenly it appears on My Space! Join me in befriending this blast from the alternative music past… KTOW 102.3

Fourth of July Staycation

We decided to have a short Staycation. Like many Americans this Summer we found the idea of venturing far away too… um, expensive. With gas prices and the thermometer both rising rapidly it made sense to consider destinations close to home. With air conditioning.

We started by visiting a strange and novel place unfamiliar to most residents of Tulsa County. It’s called “Downtown Tulsa.” The landscape of this unique area is made up mostly of asphalt ponds and a forest of Art Deco. Tulsans seldom venture here for fear of one-way streets.

Amity- a statue in the Civic Center Plaza, circa late Seventies.Seriously, things are looking up downtown. But don’t look up too long, or you’ll step into an excavation! It seemed like every street was under construction of one sort or another. It appears to be utility infrastructure work is being performed in addition to asphalt renewal. Hopefully it will all be finished soon, and worth the wait.

It Means Roasted Corn
Our first stop was for lunch at a new Mexican restaurant call Eloté. If you’re not familiar with the name, you’ll probably know the location- they are in the old Nelson’s Buffeteria at 514 S. Boston. The menu is not the typical Texican fare, but a refreshing mix of authentic south-of-the-border and nouveau Mex. Eloté emphasizes fresh ingredients, and they use as much local produce as possible.

I had the fish tacos and Jackie ordered veggie tamales with sweet potato sauce. The fish was grilled just right- a little crusty and not too soft. The sweet potato side order is highly recommended. Oh, speaking of sides, eloté is roasted corn, a common snack sold by street vendors in Mexico.

After lunch we strolled Boston Avenue and admired our “art deco main street.” My favorite is still the old NBT Bank Building (now know as 320 Boston Building) with its ornate ceiling and dirigible mooring mast on top. In October this street will very busy as thousands of architecture geeks descend on Tulsa for the National Preservation Conference. We decided coffee and dessert sounded good, so we headed west toward the historic Mayo Hotel.

The main lobby is available to rent for special events, receptions, weddings, etc. That’s been going on for a couple of years. Renovations upstairs are finally underway at the Mayo, something Tulsans have heard over and over through the years. It appears it might actually be happening this time!

Not in Kansas
Another business on the ground floor of the once-grand Mayo Hotel is the Cafe Topeca. Topeca Coffee is from El Salvador and available in the US through this Tulsa business. They roast the beans nearby and serve light snacks and desserts, along with their excellent coffee of course. The atmosphere is calm and inviting. We enjoyed coffee and a creamy cake-thing and lounged for almost an hour.

Oh yeah- they pronounce it tow-PAY-kuh.

After our coffee break we visited the Central Library to pick up a couple of videos and then headed back home. All in all a very enjoyable staycation.

My Town…
more fun links and other tidbits for exploring Tulsa

Our Nation’s Birthday on the Mother Road

Biking by the Round BarnTurned out I had a free morning this Fourth of July. Jackie had most of her morning planned with errands to run, visits to make, etc. I, on the other hand, had not a care in the world.

It had been a while since I rolled out the bike for a solo pleasure cruise. It was a beautiful Oklahoma morning and the weather forecast was favorable, so this seemed like the perfect time. After checking the tire pressure I rolled the BMW out of the garage and saddled up. I honestly had no idea where I was headed as I pulled out of the driveway.

After a few minutes I was rolling down I-44 westbound out of Tulsa. I decided to take a tour down Route 66. I exited to Southwest Boulevard and took the “authentic” pre-1973 route of the Mother Road toward Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Just past Sapulpa there is a very old stretch of 66 that includes a one-lane girder bridge paved with red bricks. I was happy to see the rusty bridge is still there, even if it is looking pretty crusty.

1925 Frisco Overpass over Route 66I’d always wondered how old this few miles of the old road really was. Just then I rounded the bend and found my answer in the form of this familiar old railroad underpass. How I overlooked this in previous years is beyond me. The date 1925 on the overpass would indicate the road must be pretty close to that same age!

I bumped along over the aging concrete until it spit me out on the current alignment of 66 near the junction of Oklahoma State Highway 33 outside of Kellyville. I continued on through Bristow and passed a group of baggers outside of Depew. As I approached Stroud I remembered reading there had been a fire at the Rock Cafe. I decided that would make a good place to stretch my legs and have a shot of water while I surveyed the damage.

Ruins of the Rock CafeWhen I got to Stroud I could see the debris in front of the Rock Cafe from a few blocks away. This was no kitchen fire. As I pulled up I could see the historic 1939 roadhouse was in ruins. The fire had completely destroyed the structure and reinforcements had been erected in an attempt to save the native rock walls. While I was gawking the baggers I had passed earlier came pulling up, also looking wide-eyed. Turns out they had no idea there had been a fire and were stopping at the “Rock” for lunch.

I snapped a few more photos of the devastation before continuing west.

Davenport's brick-paved main streetIn Davenport a sign touts their historic brick-paved downtown. Apparently the entire stretch through the business district is listed as a historic site. Good thing because there’s not much else in downtown Davenport. The Oklahoma sun beat down on block after block of empty storefronts. Rumbling along over the red bricks made me glad we don’t pave roads that way any longer.

At this point I decided to continue on to Pop’s in Arcadia for lunch and fuel. The rest of the ride was uneventful (except for nearly hitting the biggest snapping turtle I have ever seen). As I lugged my way back toward Tulsa the heat of the day was catching up to me. Puffy clouds floated over the wide open spaces between each small town.

As I came back through Sapulpa I decided to leave 66 and take OK-97 north where I could catch Avery Drive. That seemed like a fitting finale for my ride- Avery Drive is named for the man known as the father of the Mother Road, Cyrus Avery.

It all seemed like the perfect way to spend a Fourth of July morning.

Local Grocery Now Open

Jackie and I finally found time to drop by the Blue Jackalope today. It’s a local grocery store near Newblock Park and the brainchild of my friend, Scott Smith. The official opening was May 29th, but we’ve been busy with this and that, so this was our first chance to see it “in action.”

Scott’s loaded the shelves with an eclectic mix of local produce, canned goods, cold drinks and Mexican candy. To satisfy those looking for instant gratification there’s also high-octane coffee and light fare to nosh on. Future plans include more prepared meals and gospel karaoke on Sunday mornings.

The Blue Jackalope is located at 306 S. Phoenix, which is just west of downtown on Charles Page Boulevard. For hours and more info visit www.bluejackalope.com.

Reclamation Party

Last week the demolition of homes along Skelly Drive began in earnest. These were the first houses in the Patrick Henry area to come down to make way for I-44’s expansion. Each evening a hardy few gather to glean plants, fixtures and lumber from the area. It all has an uncanny party atmosphere about it.

Wandering around the rubble I was struck by the sheer waste. With copper and aluminum prices soaring, the valuable scrap being hauled to the landfill was the first thing that caught my attention. Copper wiring, plumbing and air conditioner units had barely been touched. There is literally tons of building materials, doors, windows and fixtures, well worth salvaging, being wasted.

Most of these are duplexes that appear to have been abandoned in a Pompeian manner. Many still had various artifacts of life still present- cookware, cleaning supplies, even furniture. Some yards are well manicured and landscaped. We rescued several loads of plants.

A neighbor stopped by while we were digging up some particularly lush monkey grass. He had asked the workers if he could salvage a ceiling fan from a house soon to be razed. Not no, but hell no was their response. The foreman explained the Oklahoma Department of Transportation requires anyone on the premises to have insurance. So the ceiling fan left in a dump truck with the wood, bricks and porcelain that had once been a home.

The heavy machinery is parked for Memorial Day weekend, so I bet the reclamation party will continue. Party on.