The 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City closed more than five years ago. But its bowling lanes live on in the form of limited-edition electric guitars by a well-known builder in Nashville. Bobby Clark of Dr. Mojo Guitars has created the 66 Bowl solid-body electric guitar from the original pine lanes. The custom-made guitars, which resemble a Fender … Continue reading 66 Bowl lanes being made into electric guitars
Category: Music
An oldie with the Dixie Chicks
The YouTube account that posted this today proclaims this 20-plus-year-old clip as "rare." I see no reason to disbelieve that. It's Ray Benson of the western swing band Asleep At the Wheel singing "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" with an early edition of the Dixie Chicks on the "American Music Shop" television show, which … Continue reading An oldie with the Dixie Chicks
New neon at Soul City in Tulsa
Give credit where credit's due -- Soul City along 11th Street (aka Route 66) in Tulsa decided to go old-school with a new neon sign, and it succeeded. Soul City -- which is a combination art studio, jewelry store, vintage furnishings supplier, restaurant and nightclub -- recently installed this terrific-looking neon sign that's a great … Continue reading New neon at Soul City in Tulsa
Trains return to Erick for the first time in years
Residents of Erick, Oklahoma, saw a passenger train come through their town for the first time in nearly 50 years Friday as Farmrail commemorated the opening of rail service between there and the fellow Route 66 town of Sayre, Oklahoma, for a fracking-sand manufacturer, according to The Oklahoman newspaper. The passenger train was just for … Continue reading Trains return to Erick for the first time in years
New Mexico won’t maintain Route 66’s Singing Road
The New Mexico Department of Transportation won't keep up the so-called Singing Road on Route 66 east of Albuquerque because the agency has more-pressing matters, reported KOAT-TV in Albuquerque. The singing road is a set of rumble strips on the edge of Route 66 just west of the Sandia Mountain village of Tijeras. When the … Continue reading New Mexico won’t maintain Route 66’s Singing Road
“Route 66” from behind the wheel
If you're going to perform Bobby Troup's song about cruising the Mother Road, what better way to do it while behind the wheel? They are the Blues Point Vocal Group of Australia, who clearly take a lot of stylistic inspiration from the Manhattan Transfer. Route 66 from George Washingmachine on Vimeo. The advent of small … Continue reading “Route 66” from behind the wheel
23,000 attend Birthplace of Route 66 Festival
About 23,000 people visited downtown Springfield, Missouri, during the past weekend's Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, only in its fifth year of existence. About 5,000 also attended the Route 66 parade during the festival, according to city officials cited Sunday by KSPR-TV in Springfield. More than 400 entries were in the parade. Business owners, including … Continue reading 23,000 attend Birthplace of Route 66 Festival
The Nat may have a new owner soon
Tucked deep into a KFDA-TV story about The Nat in Amarillo, Texas, is the news the historic venue's current tenant intends to buy it as soon as her lease expires. Here's the relevant excerpt about Kasey Tam, who runs The Nat as an antique store: Tam is leasing the building currently. Her lease agreement expires … Continue reading The Nat may have a new owner soon
The Road Crew to perform, release CD at Springfield festival
The Road Crew, a Nashville-based music group that's been strongly associated with Route 66 for years, will perform at the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Missouri, on Aug. 15-16 and release its new CD, "Under the Neon," that weekend. This video on The Road Crew's YouTube channel is as good of an introduction … Continue reading The Road Crew to perform, release CD at Springfield festival
Pond ceremony will honor man’s heroism over Route 66
The headquarters of a medical society on Monday will rename its pond after a man for his heroic -- and ultimately fatal -- deed over Route 66 exactly 85 years ago in the Chicago area. The North American Spine Society of Burr Ridge, Illinois, at 10 a.m. Monday will name its pond after Bruno F. Schustek … Continue reading Pond ceremony will honor man’s heroism over Route 66