And Fontana!
So the other day I was interviewing the BellRays. Lazy journalists usually describe them as Aretha Franklin singing for the MC5, but I think they're straight-up Led Zep minus the elves. You should check out their site sometime.
Anyway, we were talking about music, life, and other stuff when one of the guys mentioned his hometown was Fontana.
"Isn't there a Super Shop there?" I replied.
If you grew up in Southern California in the '80s, you probably listened to KMET or KLOS. Those were the hesher stations that played Ozzy, AC/DC, Rush, Billy Squier, Journey, and bands like that.
All the time, they'd play this commercial for Super Shop, which sold parts for metal dudes' Trans-Ams, Cameros, and other muscle cars. With a super manly voice, a narrator would reel off the cities where Super Shop had locations while a metal guitar riff zig-zagged in the background until the end when it faded and he said, "...and Fontana."
That radio spot is burned in my head, and I'm not alone. It's like a lithmus test for people over 30 who grew up in Socal. If you know it, it's impossible not to crack a smile.
So the question is: Do I keep that part of the interview in the article? It's such an inside joke that only a small percentage of readers will get it. Of course, I could expand on it in the question, but that might ruin everything.
What do you think?
Anyway, we were talking about music, life, and other stuff when one of the guys mentioned his hometown was Fontana.
"Isn't there a Super Shop there?" I replied.
If you grew up in Southern California in the '80s, you probably listened to KMET or KLOS. Those were the hesher stations that played Ozzy, AC/DC, Rush, Billy Squier, Journey, and bands like that.
All the time, they'd play this commercial for Super Shop, which sold parts for metal dudes' Trans-Ams, Cameros, and other muscle cars. With a super manly voice, a narrator would reel off the cities where Super Shop had locations while a metal guitar riff zig-zagged in the background until the end when it faded and he said, "...and Fontana."
That radio spot is burned in my head, and I'm not alone. It's like a lithmus test for people over 30 who grew up in Socal. If you know it, it's impossible not to crack a smile.
So the question is: Do I keep that part of the interview in the article? It's such an inside joke that only a small percentage of readers will get it. Of course, I could expand on it in the question, but that might ruin everything.
What do you think?
posted by gr at
3:22 PM
omg, i have faint memories of that Super Shop promo spot. Speakin of heshers, you should come over and play Guitar Hero! I've got 2 guitar controllers...
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