Where a kid can be a kid...

The other day, on one of his regular treasure hunts at the local Goodwill, my brother Peter came across a rare find: a 45 of two songs by the Rock-a-Fire Explosion, aka the "band" who, back in the day, entertained millions at various Showbiz Pizza locations nationwide. Listening to this record set off the Stran Kids Obsess-o-meter... and here's what we discovered:

http://rock_afire.tripod.com/index.html

This is a website devoted to the phenomenon of Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese and its heyday back in the '80s when anybody who was anybody had their birthday party there. The Chuck E. Cheese we frequented was off of Highway 100, next to Southtown Cinema, just north of the location of our other social scene, Wisconsin Skate University!

I have so many fond memories of parties there as a kid, playing my favorite video game, Dig Dug, winning a pile of tickets from Skee-Ball, eating the delicious-in-my-memory-but probably-cardboard-tasting pizza, and splurging on candy with whatever tickets we could scrape together. I have a very distinct memory of the time I realized I had removed a loose tooth via a green apple Now'n'Later. But oh, the stage shows! The creepy yet endearing characters! Munch's Madhouse with the seizure-inducing strobe lights! The BALL PIT!!! Oh man. This website is so useful in jogging one's memory about the sights, smells, and tastes of our childhood. Every character who appeared in any of the Chuck E. Cheese/Showbiz shows is listed, every show routine is described, and the be-all and end-all: RADIO SHOWBIZ!!!! That's right-- every song sung by our beloved Billy Bob & Co., Chuck E., Pasqually & Jasper, can be heard via Live365!!!!

If you have fond memories of golden tokens, flashing lights, and eardrum-shattering noise, check this site out. It's the next best thing to having a time machine...