Key West is stuck in the '80s, too
After four very hot days in Key West with Vegas Girlfriend, I can report this: Key West is very much stuck in the '80s too. How so?
- We're pretty sure half the island was last painted in 1984.
- There's a Mexican restaurant on Duval Street that does nothing but play Simply Red music all day. It was fun ... for about 30 minutes.
- There's a Walgreens on Duval that has the World's Smallest Pharmacy. I'm not sure why it's so small, but the store seems to play nonstop Frankie Goes to Hollywood every day. You'd think it'd be easier to sell Viagra and birth control to the tourists while playing Relax every hour.
- I seriously heard every song from the '80s played by either street musicians or the hacks on stools inside every bar. EXCEPT the great Sweet Freedom by Michael McDonald from the movie Running Scared. So that's why I posted the requisite Key West song on today's blog.
So I'm back in town but technically still on vacation, so expect more guest bloggers in the coming days, along with a few fresh items from myself and maybe even a guest spot by Vegas Girlfriend.
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
E-mail Steve Spears:
wow, you are just da sheeeat, steve, I mean your writing skills are just over the top and when you refer to human beings as "hacks" you just sound like Hemmingway....get over yourself, little twit. Ya really are not all that, by the number of posts...count em...
Posted by: steve | May 16, 2009 at 09:30 AM
I love the shorty-shorts. Trust me, if I could find a pair, I'd buy them and wear them with pride. I hate these long shorts we're forced to buy these days. Truth be told, when I'm here at the Spears Lair, I stick with the short gym shorts. (That's part of the whole creepy "sleepy sleepy" story that Sean always alludes to.)
As for Capt. Tony's, we didn't make it in there. The town was thick with cruise ship passengers every day, and they were gravitating toward the usual spots. Vegas Girlfriend is sorta anti-touristy spots, so we nixed a few of the traditional spots.
Posted by: Spears | May 15, 2009 at 06:28 PM
Hey Steve!
How is Capt Tony's without... Capt Tony? I was kind of worried that it would lose it's appeal.
Also, my guess is that if you hit the big tourist traps then you would have heard some Buffett tunes.
Posted by: Ray | May 15, 2009 at 05:49 PM
Sweet tune. Always loved that song and the movie. A "Running Scared" podcast would be rad.
Spearsy, did you wear the Gregory Hines short-shorts at any point?
Posted by: Blaine | May 15, 2009 at 05:37 PM
I don't think I heard a single Buffet tune the whole time. But plenty of REO Speedwagon. Suck on that, Parrotheads.
Posted by: Spears | May 15, 2009 at 04:41 PM
What, no Jimmy Buffet overloading your ears in Key West? Has our favorite son lost his luster?
Posted by: Conch in Spirit | May 15, 2009 at 03:36 PM
What, no Jimmy Buffet overloading your ears in Key West? Has our favorite son lost his luster?
Posted by: Conch in Spirit | May 15, 2009 at 03:36 PM
No tiki fun for us this trip. We took the Key West Express from Fort Myers to Key West, thus bypassing the madness of South Florida in general.
Posted by: Spears | May 15, 2009 at 03:29 PM
Spearsy,
Hope you took VGF to MAI-KAI TIKI LOUNGE/Restaurant/Polynesian Show on Federal Hwy in Ft. Lauderdale on the way there or back.
Posted by: Tiki Lover | May 15, 2009 at 02:03 PM
Steve,
You gotta do a Running Scared podcast someday. What a great 80s movie! Crystal, Hines... greatness!
Posted by: Buffalo Jeff | May 15, 2009 at 01:45 PM
if I could be in Key West, I'd tolerate the Simply Red.
Posted by: Bassnote | May 15, 2009 at 01:34 PM
Really?
Hmmm..
It may be time to Play some Road gigs from the Keys!
Posted by: Crockett | May 15, 2009 at 01:07 PM