With more than 450 episodes in the archives, I decided to dig back through them and pick out 10 of our best Halloween-related shows. Whether you want to relive the Halloween nights of the 1970s, revisit your favorite scary movies, or hear Todd and me wandering through dark, supposedly haunted buildings, there’s something here to get you in the Halloween spirit.

Here are our Top 10 Halloween episodes, in no particular order.

1. Halloween Memories of the 70’s

October 20, 2017

This is probably our most nostalgic Halloween episode. Todd and I remember trick-or-treating in our Enid neighborhoods, wearing those cheap plastic costumes with rubber-band straps, walking crooked sidewalks beneath huge trees, and collecting everything from candy bars to popcorn balls and caramel apples. We also revisit the homemade haunted cardboard maze we built as kids and laugh about how different Halloween was back then.

2. 1978 “Halloween” the Movie!

September 11, 2018

John Carpenter’s 1978 classic is one of my all-time favorite horror movies, and Todd and I take a deep dive into what made it so frightening. We discuss Michael Myers, the unforgettable soundtrack, the suspenseful scenes, and why the movie was so effective without relying on elaborate special effects or excessive blood. One thing I’ve always loved is how much the movie’s neighborhoods remind me of growing up in Enid, Oklahoma.

3. The Exorcist: A Great 70’s Horror Movie

October 2, 2018

Few movies caused as much controversy in the seventies as The Exorcist. Todd and I revisit the 1973 horror phenomenon, its disturbing scenes, memorable music, and stories of moviegoers becoming physically sick or leaving theaters. We were too young to see it when it first came out, but we remember the publicity surrounding it. Todd also shares how his older brother and a friend reportedly laughed their way through the movie!

4. Amityville Horror

September 15, 2020

The 1979 movie The Amityville Horror was inspired by claims of paranormal activity in a Long Island home where a family had been murdered. Todd and I explore the movie, the history behind the infamous house, and the stories surrounding its supposed haunting. I also share a personal connection: I once bought a large old house in Enid for $35,000 that reminded us of the Amityville house. We even played adult hide-and-seek inside it!

5. Classic Horror Movies with Jeff Owens!

October 24, 2023

We invited our old Enid school friend Jeff Owens, host of the Classic Horrors Club Podcast, to join us for a trip through the classic monster movies we watched during the seventies. We revisit The Blob, The Birds, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Psycho, and plenty more. We also remember Oklahoma horror host Count Gregor, old Enid movie theaters, and watching scary movies at the drive-in. There are plenty of laughs and some great behind-the-scenes movie trivia.

6. 1970s Made for TV Movies That Were Scary!

October 18, 2022

You didn’t have to visit a movie theater to get scared in the seventies. Some of the creepiest movies were shown right in our living rooms! Todd and I revisit television thrillers including Duel, The Night Stalker, Trilogy of Terror, and The Screaming Woman. Todd gives an especially memorable description of The Screaming Woman, a 1972 TV movie starring Olivia de Havilland that frightened him as a kid and still gave him a jump when he watched it again years later.

7. Scary Movie Soundtracks

October 25, 2022

Sometimes the music is scarier than the movie! In this episode, Todd and I explore the unforgettable sounds that made horror movies so effective. We play and discuss some of our favorite frightening themes, including John Carpenter’s Halloween music and Tubular Bells from The Exorcist. We even rank our favorites and reveal which scary movie soundtrack takes our top spot.

8. Halloween Murders – Listener Discretion Advised!

October 15, 2024

This is easily one of our darkest Halloween episodes. Rather than discussing fictional horror, Todd and I researched actual murders that occurred on Halloween during the seventies, including disturbing cases involving children. The stories were so upsetting that Todd admitted he couldn’t finish researching all of them. In fact, one of the stories bothered him enough that he experienced a rare nightmare, which he describes during the show. Be warned: this episode is definitely not for everyone.

9. Halloween Live 2021

October 31, 2021

Todd and I decided to turn his podcast studio into a spooky Halloween headquarters for a live broadcast. We decorated the place, set up a Ouija board and other ghost-hunting equipment, and invited listeners to join the fun on Facebook Live. One of the highlights is our story about the abandoned building in Enid that local teenagers called the insane asylum. We remember our old high school Elmo Club and the frightening initiation that involved sending a new member into the abandoned building’s basement at night!

10. Happy Halloween Live Ghost Hunt

October 31, 2023

For this Halloween special, Todd and I took the podcast on location inside a huge, dark, three-story abandoned building in downtown Enid. Armed with flashlights, microphones, and a little courage, we wandered through the empty rooms and creepy stairways while broadcasting live. We searched for spooky props, tried communicating with ghosts, and joked about what might be lurking in the darkness. It was a fun, unpredictable adventure and one of our more unusual Halloween episodes.

Ten Episodes of Halloween Fun!

These episodes represent years of Halloween memories, movie discussions, spooky stories, and adventures with Todd. Some are funny, some are nostalgic, and a few are downright creepy. But they’re all part of what made The 70’s Buzz Podcast so much fun to record.

If you’re looking for something to listen to as Halloween approaches, pull up our podcast archives and enjoy a different Halloween episode each day leading up to October 31.

And for me, revisiting these shows is about more than Halloween. It’s also a chance to hear Todd’s voice again, laugh at some of our old conversations, and remember all the fun we had making this podcast together.

Happy Halloween, Buzzheads! And remember, the seventies were The Greatest Decade Known To Man!

Find The 70’s Buzz Podcast on your favorite podcast app or visit 70sBuzz.com.

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Fall was the kickoff of our big adventure. The air became cooler and the leaves on the huge trees in the front yards began to turn and fall. The days began to get shorter and the sun would go down earlier and earlier every evening.

My lifelong best friend, Stayton PettyJohn, moved to Enid in the summer of 1974 as we were entering sixth grade at McKinley Elementary School. We became fast friends almost immediately especially after I found out he had a trampoline.

By the fall of 1976 we had heard about a local church that had created a big cardboard maze for the youth group at Halloween. We were not a part of the group but thought it would be fun to create our own haunted maze in Stayton’s garage.

Our big adventure was building the haunted cardboard maze inside the old, multi-room garage. Stayton’s dad would relinquish the dusty garage around this time each year and leave his cars parked in the driveway. We would have full reign over the entire space.

The haunted maze would become our after school and weekend obsession for over a solid month. We’d spend hours in the garage sometimes completely losing track of time. We would clean out all of the rooms to make way for the large boxes.

The quest would begin with our carefree hunt for the biggest and best cardboard boxes in town. We were both in junior high and couldn’t drive so we relied on our trusty bicycles to get us around town. You know the ones, bright colored paint, banana seats, chopper style handle bars, goofy white grips and chrome fenders. Real junior high nerd bikes straight out of the seventies!

My bike was multicolored with reds, oranges and blues while my best friends was mostly green. We would ride these modes of monster transportation all over town searching out appliance stores, furniture stores, dumpsters and the most coveted place of all, the funeral homes. You see, couch boxes were good, refrigerator boxes were great, but coffin boxes were the pièce de résistance of our haunted maze.

There was one slight problem when finding these magnificent boxes. Getting them back to the garage on our bikes became a small adventure in itself. To this day I wish there was a photo of us lugging a coffin box, balanced between our two bikes, down the street.

With most boxes, we could unstaple them and fold them up like pancakes. We would stick as many as we could under one arm and pedal like heck while steering with the other arm. I remember dropping boxes along the way and having to make several stops just to rest and get a new grip.

Coffin boxes were virtually impossible to tear apart and fold like a pancake but we sure weren’t going to have a haunted maze without at least one genuine cardboard coffin box. A box that large usually created an entire room inside our maze. It was something we had to have.

This ritual of box hunting would begin in late September and continue well into October. The ground would be covered with dry, crunchy leaves in different hues of red, orange, brown and yellow. The air would be cooler and the skies would become a little grayer.

With the garage our own, we would shut the doors, flip on the heater and start creating our masterpiece. There are many songs, that to this day, will immediately take me back to those carefree times. I can hear them now, Thelma Houston, belting out “Don’t Leave Me This Way” and Rita Coolidge singing, “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher.”

Creating the maze was the second part of the adventure. We spent hours piecing boxes together just so they would create the perfect turn, dead end or straight away. Our only tools were box cutters and duct tape. With the radio blaring we would work day and night creating holes in the boxes for hand grabbing, dangle things from the top and scatter slimy things all along the floor.

The garage that we used for the haunted maze was divided into four sections. The first area was the entry where we’d let the uneasy children stand and listen to the screams of others. This room was filled with things on the walls, a black light and one of friends hidden in an area where the dogs slept.

The parking area of the garage had most of the maze in it. It was large enough that the maze could wind back and forth with an actual dead end every now and then. We had scary music playing throughout and we were all sticking our hands in one hole or another.

That large room led into a smaller room which was my area. The kids would still be trapped in the maze as they entered my area. I would have a spot with a false wall that I could remove and grab whoever I wanted. It was so much fun hearing the kids scream. After my room there was another small room that would allow the kids to finally stand up again.

The last room had a door that opened into the backyard. As the kids would exit the maze and think their horror was over, we’d have a scary character come out of nowhere and chase them all way back to the front of the garage. It was the perfect setup for a haunted maze inside a scary looking garage.

It seems like we would even take the opportunity to spend the night in the maze on a weekend or two. All of this preparation would continue up until the very day of Halloween itself. Of course we would have our friends over to do a run through before we would allow any stranger to enter our maze of horror. Many days were spent just hanging out and talking in the big, coffin box rooms.

On some occasions one of us would end up working on the maze alone. Those times were few and far between. Not only because we were always together but every now and then you’d catch a noise you couldn’t explain and that old garage would get just a little bit scarier.

Outside preparation included raking leaves into large piles that looked like graves. We even created cardboard tombstones for the head of each pile. We also had a few random plastic body parts that we’d half bury in the leaves. It was always a pretty cool looking graveyard.

Once Halloween was upon us we would go out onto the cold cracked sidewalk, in costume, and lure the neighborhood kids down the long dark driveway to the old tattered garage. Each kid, brave enough, would then enter the maze and crawl for his life to the end. There was no escape once you entered and most kids left running and screaming out the exit.

As the kids would crawl through the maze we would run to our designated locations and setup to scare them. We had special boxes that only we could get to and they had the holes cut in them. We’d reach out for the trick-or-treaters and dangle things in front of them. In some spots we’d bang the box or shout really loud. It was all about giving the kids the unexpected.

We would laugh so hard that we would make ourselves cry. Seeing the scared little rug rats running for their lives was all we needed to see to know that we had accomplished what we had set out to do. We were the best of friends and we enjoyed creating things together that entertained others. Those memories I’ll never forget and I can only hope that every kid finds his own great cardboard box adventure.

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We quickly discovered that the 70s had plenty to choose from.

Some songs are legitimately disturbing. Others just have spooky titles or that strange nighttime atmosphere that works perfectly when the days get shorter and Halloween gets closer.

And yes, we’re bending the rules once.

1. Monster Mash – Bobby “Boris” Pickett

It wasn’t originally a 70s song, but there was no way I could leave it off. “Monster Mash” was first released in 1962 and became a #1 hit, but it came roaring back during the 70s, climbing back into the U.S. Top 10 in 1973. As kids, it was one of those novelty records we heard over and over, so it absolutely belongs on a playlist representing what we actually listened to during the decade.

2. Spooky – Atlanta Rhythm Section

The Atlanta Rhythm Section version arrived in 1979 and peaked at #17 in October—perfect timing. Despite the title, it isn’t really a horror song at all. It’s about a mysterious woman, with a little Halloween imagery thrown in. The song itself goes back even further, beginning as an instrumental before lyrics were added to an earlier version.

3. Psycho Killer – Talking Heads

Released in 1977, “Psycho Killer” gives us one of the decade’s most obvious October titles. It only reached #92 on the Billboard Hot 100, but became one of Talking Heads’ signature songs. One fun bit of trivia from the episode: the song contains French lyrics and apparently began life in a much more ballad-like form before evolving into the twitchy version we know.

4. Black Magic Woman – Santana

Santana’s 1970 version has that eerie guitar sound that immediately gives it a late-night October feel. What a lot of listeners may not realize is that Santana didn’t originate the song. It came from the Peter Green era of Fleetwood Mac before Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham ever joined the band.

5. Welcome to My Nightmare – Alice Cooper

You really can’t build a 70s Halloween playlist without Alice Cooper. “Welcome to My Nightmare” was released in 1975 and the album became one of Cooper’s biggest records. Even better for horror fans, the album includes a spoken section performed by Vincent Price.

Alice could probably fill half this playlist by himself. CTD also nominated “Cold Ethel,” “Dead Babies” and “I Love the Dead,” all of which prove that Cooper was willing to write about subjects most artists wouldn’t have gone near at the time.

6. Witchy Woman – Eagles

Released in 1972, “Witchy Woman” reached #9 on the Billboard charts. Don Henley and Bernie Leadon wrote it, with Leadon having started the idea before joining the Eagles. The combination of the title, the vocal and that mysterious atmosphere makes this one an easy October choice.

7. Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield

You don’t need lyrics to make a song creepy.

Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” became permanently associated with The Exorcist. The minute that melody starts, anyone familiar with the movie immediately gets that uneasy feeling. Oldfield was only 21 when he created the music, and according to the trivia we discussed, he was apparently so frightened by The Exorcist that he wouldn’t watch the movie.

8. Frankenstein – The Edgar Winter Group

“Frankenstein” was a huge instrumental hit in 1973, but the title wasn’t originally inspired by the monster. The song reportedly got its nickname because engineers had to piece so many different musical sections together—essentially stitching the recording together like Frankenstein’s monster.

That’s almost better than if the song had actually been about Frankenstein.

9. Halloween Theme – John Carpenter

John Carpenter didn’t just direct Halloween—he wrote its unforgettable theme.

The 1978 instrumental is one of those pieces of music you recognize almost instantly. Carpenter created the music himself with synthesizer assistance and humorously credited it to the “Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra,” even though there really wasn’t an orchestra.

If you’re building an October playlist, this one is mandatory.

10. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

The title song from Black Sabbath’s 1970 debut may be one of the darkest sounding recordings on this entire list. That opening atmosphere, the rain, the bell and Tony Iommi’s riff created something that must have sounded downright sinister in 1970.

11. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Öyster Cult

One of the greatest rock songs of the decade also happens to fit October perfectly.

Blue Öyster Cult released “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” in 1976. There’s also a great connection to Halloween: the song can be heard on the car radio as Laurie and Annie drive through Haddonfield while Michael Myers follows them.

12. Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon

This is my personal #1.

I loved “Werewolves of London” when it came out in 1978 and still think it’s one of the greatest October songs ever recorded. There’s also a Fleetwood Mac connection that probably explains part of the groove—Mick Fleetwood played drums and John McVie played bass on the recording.

It started almost as a joke after Phil Everly suggested the idea of writing a song about werewolves. Somehow that joke turned into a classic.

A Few Darker Deep Cuts

CTD dug deeper than I did and pulled out several songs that don’t usually appear on Halloween playlists.

AC/DC’s “Night Prowler” from Highway to Hell is an exceptionally dark 1979 track. Cheap Trick contributed “Gonna Raise Hell” and the much creepier “The Ballad of TV Violence,” originally titled “The Ballad of Richard Speck.”

He also nominated the eerie “Prelude” from Gene Simmons’ 1978 solo album, featuring Janis Ian, which CTD remembered as especially unsettling when it unexpectedly came on during the night.

Then there’s Vicki Lawrence’s “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” It doesn’t sound like a Halloween song at first, but once you actually follow the story, you realize you’re listening to a murder mystery involving betrayal, revenge and wrongful conviction. That’s plenty dark enough for October.

The 70s Buzz October Playlist

Put all of our choices together and you’ve got a pretty great October soundtrack:

1. Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon
2. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Öyster Cult
3. Halloween Theme – John Carpenter
4. Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield
5. Welcome to My Nightmare – Alice Cooper
6. Witchy Woman – Eagles
7. Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
8. Black Magic Woman – Santana
9. Frankenstein – The Edgar Winter Group
10. Spooky – Atlanta Rhythm Section
11. Monster Mash – Bobby “Boris” Pickett
12. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
13. Night Prowler – AC/DC
14. Gonna Raise Hell – Cheap Trick
15. The Ballad of TV Violence – Cheap Trick
16. Cold Ethel – Alice Cooper
17. Dead Babies – Alice Cooper
18. I Love the Dead – Alice Cooper
19. Prelude / Radioactive – Gene Simmons
20. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia – Vicki Lawrence

That’s enough music to get you through a pretty good October night.

We originally set out to create a Top 10 list, but between the two of us we ended up with nearly 20 songs and very little overlap—which probably means we could easily build another volume.

So now it’s your turn.

What 1970s song did we forget that absolutely belongs on the ultimate October playlist?

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The story started years before the song was written. My friend Staten moved to Enid when we were in sixth grade and already played guitar. Eventually he got an electric guitar, and I decided I needed one too, even though I barely knew how to play. My mom bought me a Kalamazoo electric guitar, and Staten and I spent plenty of time learning songs and messing around with chords. By junior high we had become friends with Todd Wheeler, who could sing and play piano. Once we got to high school, I met Alan Goodson, who played bass, and he introduced me to his friend Kyle Sherm, who played drums. Suddenly we had everything we needed for a band.

We practiced in garages and dens around Enid and played songs by bands like Kansas, Thin Lizzy, REO Speedwagon, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and the Rolling Stones. Eventually I wanted us to write something of our own. I usually started songs by picking around on my guitar until I found something I liked, and that’s how “Midnight Dreamin’” began. I came up with the opening and, as I remember it, the title. Staten added chords and helped develop the song, Todd added more lyrics, and eventually Alan and Kyle learned their parts. Before long, “Midnight Dreamin’” became one of the original songs we played alongside our covers.

Our band wasn’t originally called Reality. For a while we were Rocinante, named after Don Quixote’s horse. It sounded pretty cool and mysterious to a bunch of teenagers in the late ’70s, so I even had business cards printed with the name. The problem was that nobody could pronounce it, and every time we explained what it meant, the reaction was usually less than exciting. Eventually we decided we needed something simpler. Around that time we had another original song called “Train to Reality,” and somewhere along the way we decided that Reality would make a much better band name. I went back to the print shop and had another batch of business cards made.

One of our biggest moments came when we auditioned for the Enid High talent show with “Midnight Dreamin’.” Instead of doing a cover, we played our own song. Back then it was much more of a straight rock song, with electric guitars and drums kicking in after a quieter opening. Apparently we were a little too loud for at least one of the judges, and we barely missed making the show. Still, we had performed an original song in front of an audience, and for a bunch of teenage guys with guitars, that was a pretty big deal.

By our senior year, Reality started fading away. We had girlfriends, jobs and other things taking up our time, and we weren’t practicing much or playing many shows. We had pooled our money to buy a Peavey PA system, lights, flash pots and even a siren, but eventually the band broke up around 1981. Everybody went their separate ways, and “Midnight Dreamin’” basically disappeared into an old folder of handwritten lyrics and memories.

Decades later, Todd and I started The 70’s Buzz Podcast, and naturally we began revisiting a lot of those old stories. At one point we talked about having Todd’s son Derek record “Midnight Dreamin’,” but life got busy and nothing ever came of it. Then AI music tools arrived. After hearing one of our podcast listeners use AI to create full-band arrangements of his original songs, I had an idea. I called Staten and asked him to make a simple acoustic recording of “Midnight Dreamin’” and send it to me. I uploaded it into Suno and asked for a 1970s-style rock arrangement.

Hearing a full-band version of that song for the first time since around 1980 hit me harder than I expected. I got chills. It suddenly sounded like a real song again instead of something that had only existed in our memories. I experimented with several arrangements, including rock, cinematic and acoustic versions. Eventually Staten, Todd and I all agreed that an adult acoustic version was our favorite.

Before we could take things much further, Todd passed away. That changed the meaning of the project. We eventually shared the AI-assisted version on The 70’s Buzz Podcast, and people liked it, but I still wanted a recording made by the people who had actually created the song. When our 45th high school reunion came around and Staten was going to be in Enid, we decided it was finally time to do it.

Plans to use a regular recording studio fell through, so I converted part of Shaggy Duck Studio into our own little recording space. Staten brought guitars and a cajon, and we used Todd’s microphone from The 70’s Buzz Podcast to record the vocals and instruments. We borrowed a keyboard, discovered that it had all the sounds we needed, and started building the song one track at a time. Staten played acoustic guitar and sang, I added another acoustic guitar track, and Staten layered in bass, strings, drums, percussion and additional vocals. By the time we finished, we had probably a dozen or more tracks.

Somehow, inside that little studio in Enid, two guys in their 60s finished a song they had started as teenagers.

We used an old photograph of Reality to create a new logo and album cover, filed the paperwork and officially copyrighted the song. We also updated a few words in the lyrics, partly because some lines sounded different coming from married adults than they did coming from teenage boys, and partly because I could see “Midnight Dreamin’” fitting into The Banana Seat Squad if that story ever becomes a movie.

What makes the song especially meaningful to me is that Todd is still a part of it. His lyrics are there, his history is there, and the microphone we spent years talking into together on The 70’s Buzz Podcast is the same microphone we used to finally record the song. I think he would have loved that.

So after nearly half a century, “Midnight Dreamin’” by Reality is finally going out into the world. It started with a few high school kids in Enid, Oklahoma, playing guitars and dreaming about having a band. It took about 47 years longer than we expected, but we finally finished what we started.

Sometimes the old dreams aren’t really gone. They’re just waiting for you to come back and finish them.

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I’m talking about the first annual BuzzHead Bash in Enid, Oklahoma, happening around the Vance Air Force Base Air Show on July 24, 2027. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be in town, a bunch of the Enid gang will already be here, and I’m hoping a whole bunch of BuzzHeads from around the country will make the trip too.

Even if only a handful of people show up, we’re doing it. If one person comes, we’ll have fun. If 20 people come, we’ll figure it out. The idea is not to create some gigantic, overly organized convention. I want this to feel more like a big weekend get-together with people who have been listening to the podcasts, interacting online and becoming part of this weird little BuzzHead family over the years.

And yes, July 24 also happens to be my 28th wedding anniversary. Denise and I almost never celebrate our anniversary on the actual weekend anyway, so we’ll probably do something the week before. I’ll be in Enid and ready for the Bash.

Start Thinking About It Now

If there’s even a decent chance you’re coming, I’d love to hear from you. You don’t have to be 100 percent certain. If you’re 80 percent sure, tell me that. If you’re 30 percent sure, tell me that too.

What I’m trying to figure out right now is logistics. How many people might need rides from airports? How many vehicles will we have? Where should people stay? Where should we eat? What can we do around Enid? The answers to all of those questions depend heavily on how many people are actually thinking about coming.

You can call the BuzzHead Hotline at 601-568-2220 and leave me a message, or email me at buzz@buzzheadmedia.com.

By the way, yes, that is a Mississippi phone number even though I’m in Oklahoma. I set the hotline up through Google Voice, and there weren’t any Enid numbers available. I started looking for a number I liked and found one ending in 2220. It happened to be a Mississippi number, and oddly enough, there is also an Enid, Mississippi. So I decided it was meant to be.

When Should You Come?

My suggestion is to arrive in Enid on Friday, July 23 if you can. That would give everybody time to get settled, hang out Friday afternoon and evening and get to know each other before the big air show on Saturday.

Saturday morning we can do some Enid stuff before heading out to Vance. Once we get to the base, we’ll probably spend most of the day at the air show and stick around for the Thunderbirds. Afterward, we can head back into town and do something Saturday night, whether that means Callahan’s or wherever else we decide to land.

Sunday can be another relaxed Enid day. We can have brunch, explore a little more and let people start heading home as they need to.

If you want to make a bigger trip out of it, come Thursday. If you need to stay until Monday, that’s fine too. There’s no rigid schedule yet. Friday through Sunday will probably be the heart of the Bash, but we can build things around whoever decides to come.

Yes, We Need to Record a Podcast

At some point during the weekend, I absolutely want to get as many BuzzHeads together as possible and record an episode of the 70’s Buzz Podcast.

Imagine eight, 10 or 12 of us sitting around together with a couple of cameras and a microphone we can pass around. Everybody can introduce themselves, talk about the podcast, tell some 70s stories, talk about Enid and just see where the conversation goes.

Travis the Tailor has also suggested this might finally be the perfect time for the legendary “gummy episode.” We’ll see about that. Nobody has to participate in anything they don’t want to do. You can have a drink, not have a drink, eat a gummy, not eat a gummy or just sit there and enjoy the chaos.

But if you’re coming to BuzzHead Bash, don’t be too shy. There’s a pretty good chance I’m going to try to get you on a podcast.

Book Your Hotel Sooner Rather Than Later

One thing I would not wait too long on is lodging.

The Thunderbirds are a major draw, and when they come to town there will be people traveling to Enid from all over Oklahoma and probably beyond. Hotel rooms could start filling up, and prices could potentially rise as the weekend gets closer.

One hotel I’m looking at is the Western Inn and Suites at 210 N. Van Buren. It’s not a fancy high-rise resort, but the location is almost perfect for what we’re doing. It’s close to the West Broadway neighborhood where we grew up, close to Kip’s Warehouse and not far from downtown.

Rooms are generally affordable, and it would be pretty fun if a big group of us ended up staying in the same place. There’s even a swimming pool, which might come in handy considering this is Oklahoma in late July.

Another option is the GLō Best Western in downtown Enid. It’s more upscale, more expensive and right downtown. You would be close to restaurants, bars and much of what we’ll probably be doing during the weekend.

There are plenty of other hotels around Enid too, so nobody has to stay at one particular place. We may also want to look at Airbnb or Vrbo options if enough people want to split a house.

The important thing is to think about booking early, preferably somewhere with a reasonable cancellation policy.

Getting to Enid

There’s no commercial airport in Enid, so if you’re flying, you’ll need to fly into another Oklahoma or regional airport and make the drive.

Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Wichita are all roughly two hours from Enid. Stillwater has a smaller airport and is closer, but flights may be more limited.

Tulsa might be one of the easiest options because the drive from Tulsa to Enid is fairly simple. Oklahoma City obviously has plenty of flights, but you’ll also have more city traffic to deal with. Wichita is another good possibility and offers a pretty straightforward drive south.

Once I know who is coming and where everyone is flying, I can start helping coordinate things. Maybe several people arrive in Tulsa around the same time. Maybe one person rents a car and another person can ride with them. Maybe I make an airport run and grab several people at once.

That’s why I’d really like people to start letting me know their plans as early as possible.

If we do end up picking people up in Tulsa on Friday, there’s also the possibility of making a stop at the Outsiders Museum on the way back to Enid. That could turn the airport run into part of the adventure.

There’s More to See Than Just the Air Show

The Thunderbirds are obviously the centerpiece of the weekend, but there’s plenty more we can do.

I want to show people around Enid, especially some of the places connected to the stories we’ve told on the podcasts. We can cruise through the old West Broadway neighborhood, visit downtown and hit some of our favorite local places.

If people come a day early, we could even make a Northwest Oklahoma road trip out of it. There are some very strange and interesting places around this part of the state, including the Great Salt Plains, Little Sahara, Gloss Mountains and Alabaster Caverns.

At the Great Salt Plains, you can even dig for crystals. We could potentially spend Thursday doing a big loop through Northwest Oklahoma, seeing several of those places and getting back to Enid that evening.

It all depends on who comes and how much time everybody has.

Let’s Make This a Thing

For now, the important date is:

July 24, 2027 — Enid, Oklahoma.

The first annual BuzzHead Bash.

Come Friday if you can. Stay through Sunday. Come Thursday if you want even more Enid and Oklahoma adventures.

We’ll hang out, eat, tell stories, record a podcast, go to the air show, watch the Thunderbirds and probably come up with a few things I haven’t even thought about yet.

Most importantly, this will be a chance for a lot of people who have talked online, emailed, called into the podcast and listened for years to finally get together in the same place.

If you think you might come, call the BuzzHead Hotline at 601-568-2220 or email buzz@buzzheadmedia.com. Let me know how likely you are to make it, where you might be coming from and any ideas you have for the weekend.

I’m ready to quit saying “maybe” and just declare it:

The first annual BuzzHead Bash is happening. See you in Enid in July 2027.

PODCAST

Listen to “The 1st Annual BuzzHead Bash!” on Spreaker.

The post The First Annual BuzzHead Bash Is Happening in Enid! appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

For me, a lot of those memories are tied to the 1970s, West Broadway in Enid, banana seat bikes, old friends, neighborhood adventures, and the kind of freedom kids had back then. We rode bikes, explored creeks, built things, made up games, got into a little harmless trouble, and created memories we had no idea would still matter decades later.

One of the things I’ve been thinking about a lot is how certain objects can unlock entire chapters of your life. A banana seat bike is not just a bike. An old recording is not just audio. A childhood street is not just a street. Those things become little time machines.

When I think back on those days, I remember the feel of riding through the neighborhood, the look of old stores, the smell of certain places, and the faces of friends I hadn’t seen in years. Some memories are fuzzy, but others are so clear they almost feel like yesterday.

That’s really where The Banana Seat Squad came from. It started as nostalgia, but it became something bigger. It’s about friendship, childhood, imagination, and that short window of life when the world felt wide open. Five boys riding around Enid in the summer of the 1970s may not sound like much, but to us, it was everything.

As I’ve worked on the story, I’ve found myself reconnecting with pieces of my own past. Old friends. Old places. Old ideas. Even old recordings. Some of it makes me laugh. Some of it catches me off guard. And some of it reminds me how lucky we were to grow up when we did.

The funny thing is, technology is now helping bring some of those memories back to life. Old recordings can be digitized. Stories can be written down. Songs can be created from ideas that have been sitting in your head for years. The memories may be old, but the tools we have today give them new life.

That’s the part I love most. The past does not have to stay boxed up in the attic. You can pull it out, dust it off, and turn it into something new.

Maybe that’s why I keep going back to those childhood memories. Not because I want to live in the past, but because there are still stories there worth telling. There are still lessons there. There is still joy there.

And sometimes, all it takes is a banana seat bike, an old neighborhood, or a long-lost memory to remind you who you were — and maybe even who you still are.

Listen to the podcast to hear about some of the things I have reconnected with including:

OTSASCO Flying O Banana Seat Bike
Kalamazoo KG-2A Red Electric Guitar
Quit Smoking PSA
1960s Baby Ruth TV Commercial
Grentech Coyote II Skateboards
Vinyl Albums
Cassette Tapes From The 70s
Wild Wild West Metal Lunch Box
Recording Midnight Dreamin With AI
Finding My Childhood House in Burns Flat, OK
Tracking down the Vitex Bush or Chaste Tree
Finding Mike Stearman and Eric Wright Online
DVD’s of The Warriors and Phantasm
Scotty Dog Magnets
Bruce Bradley’s Super 8 Film From 1977
Touring Stayton and Brendan’s Childhood Houses

PODCAST

Listen to “Getting Nostalgic About Nostalgia” on Spreaker.

VIDEO

The post Getting Nostalgic About Nostalgia appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

One of those ideas is a retail shop called Zoinkies!

Not just a t-shirt shop. Not just a vintage store. Not just a record store. Not just an arcade. More like a retro clubhouse. A place filled with the sights, sounds, colors, smells, and memories of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

A store you could walk into and instantly feel like you had stepped back into your childhood bedroom, your cousin’s basement, the local TG&Y, the mall arcade, the record section at Gibson’s, the school playground, and a Saturday morning cartoon commercial all at the same time.

That’s the dream.

The Zoinkies! Retro Fun Shop would be packed with the kind of stuff that made growing up in those decades so fun. Not necessarily expensive stuff. Not necessarily rare collector stuff, although there would be some of that too. I’m talking about the everyday things that were just part of life back then. Frisbees. Dodge balls. Metal lunch boxes. Lava lamps. Bean bag chairs. Banana seat bikes. Skateboards. Things that immediately bring back a memory the second you see them.

That is the magic of nostalgia. It does not always take much.

You see an old metal lunch box with The Six Million Dollar Man or Scooby-Doo or Star Wars on it, and suddenly you are not standing in a store anymore. You are back in grade school, sitting at a cafeteria table, opening a bologna sandwich wrapped in wax paper, trying to trade your apple for somebody’s pudding cup.

You see a banana seat bike and you can almost feel the sidewalk under your tires. You remember riding around the neighborhood with no helmet, no phone, no GPS, no parents tracking your every move, and no real plan other than, “Let’s go see who’s outside.”

That’s what I would want Zoinkies! to be.

Not just a place to buy things. A place to remember things.

A Store Full of 60s, 70s, and 80s Stuff

The whole store would have a retro vibe, but not in a museum kind of way. I would not want it to feel stuffy or precious. I would want it to feel fun. Bright colors. Big signs. Groovy fonts. Maybe orange, avocado green, brown, gold, turquoise, hot pink, and electric blue all fighting for attention.

It should feel like the kind of place where you walk in and immediately say, “Oh man, I remember that!”

There would be shelves full of retro items from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Some would be original vintage pieces. Some would be new items made in the old style. I would want a mix because the point would not be to create a museum where you are afraid to touch anything. The point would be to let people reconnect with things they loved.

There would be Frisbees, dodge balls, yo-yos, View-Masters, mood rings, pet rocks, lava lamps, black lights, bean bag chairs, posters, board games, and weird little impulse items you forgot existed until you saw them again.

The kind of stuff that used to hang on spinning racks near the front of a store.

The kind of stuff kids begged their parents for.

The kind of stuff you bought with allowance money, birthday money, or coins you saved in a jar.

Vinyl Records, 8-Tracks, and Cassettes

Of course, Zoinkies! would need a music section.

You cannot do a proper retro store without records. Vinyl has already made a major comeback, but in a shop like this, the vinyl section would not just be about music. It would be about album art, memories, and the experience of flipping through bins.

There is something very satisfying about standing in front of a crate of records and flipping through them one by one. Fleetwood Mac. Boston. KISS. Kansas. The Eagles. Elton John. Queen. The Cars. Van Halen. Journey. REO Speedwagon. Styx. Foreigner. Heart.

You see the cover and instantly remember where you were when you first heard those songs.

And I would not stop at vinyl.

I would have 8-tracks and cassettes too.

Not because everybody is going to go home and fire up an 8-track player, although a few people probably would. But because those formats are part of the story. An 8-track tape sitting on a shelf just looks cool. A cassette takes you back to boom boxes, mixtapes, Walkmans, pencil rewinds, and recording songs off the radio.

A cassette tape was not just music. It was personal.

You made a tape for your car. You made a tape for your girlfriend. You made a tape of your favorite songs from the radio and tried to hit stop before the DJ started talking.

That is the kind of memory a retro store should trigger.

New T-Shirts With Retro Designs

Zoinkies! would also have new t-shirts with retro designs. That part is important because not everything in the store would need to be old.

Some things would be new, but inspired by the old days.

I would want shirts that look like they came from an old iron-on shop at the mall. Big bold lettering. Cartoon mascots. 70s stripes. Distressed graphics. Fake cereal brands. Arcade slogans. Old-school summer camp vibes. Drive-in movie designs. Roller rink shirts. Groovy roadside attraction designs. Weird little characters that look like they could have been on a sticker in 1978.

The t-shirt section could be the bridge between nostalgia and modern retail.

Somebody might come in to look at old records or candy, but leave with a shirt that says something like:

We Ate Candy for Breakfast in the 70s

Or:

Saturday Morning Professional

Or:

Powered by Pop Rocks and Arcade Tokens

That’s the kind of merchandise that lets people wear the memory.

The Arcade Corner

Now we get to one of my favorite parts.

Zoinkies! would need an arcade corner.

Not a giant arcade. Not a Dave & Buster’s situation. Just a corner that feels like the back room of an old pizza place or the side wall of a skating rink.

There would be a few pinball machines. Maybe Asteroids. Pac-Man. Galaga. Maybe Donkey Kong or Centipede if there was room.

The sounds alone would make the store better. The electronic beeps. The pinball bumpers. The clack of flippers. The explosion sounds from Asteroids. That little Pac-Man waka-waka-waka noise coming from the corner.

That sound is part of childhood for a lot of us.

Arcades were social media before social media. You stood around and watched somebody else play. You put your quarter on the machine to claim next game. You tried to make one quarter last as long as possible. You watched the older kids because they knew all the patterns and tricks.

And if you ever got your initials on the high score screen, you were a legend. At least for a day.

That arcade corner would give people a reason to hang around. And that matters. The best retail shops are not just places where people buy things. They are places where people linger.

Comic Books and Retro Heroes

The store would also have a comic book section. Not necessarily a giant comic shop, but a cool section with retro comics from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Spider-Man. Batman. Superman. The Hulk. Archie. Richie Rich. Casper. Hot Stuff. Sad Sack. Mad Magazine. Cracked. Maybe some old horror comics, sci-fi comics, westerns, and movie tie-ins.

Comic books were such a big part of childhood because they were cheap, colorful, and easy to get lost in. You could buy one at a drugstore, grocery store, or convenience store and spend the afternoon reading it on your bed or under a tree.

And the ads were half the fun.

Sea-Monkeys. X-ray specs. Charles Atlas. Giant monsters. Spy gear. Toy soldiers. Magic tricks. Hostess fruit pie ads with superheroes.

A retro comic section would not just be about valuable issues sealed in plastic. It would be about the joy of digging through boxes and finding something that makes you smile.

The Retro Candy Section

This might be the most dangerous section in the whole store.

The candy section.

I would fill it with retro candy. Whatchamacallit. Zots. Zero bars. Bottle Caps. Pop Rocks. Candy cigarettes, if you can even still do that. Wax bottles. Necco Wafers. Razzles. Sugar Daddy. Charleston Chew. Bit-O-Honey. Lemonheads. Boston Baked Beans. Fun Dip. Pixy Stix. Atomic Fireballs. Chick-O-Sticks.

Candy is one of the fastest ways to time travel.

You can hear an old song and remember the past. You can see an old toy and remember the past. But when you taste something from your childhood, it hits differently.

Pop Rocks are not just candy. They are a science experiment in your mouth.

Bottle Caps are not just candy. They are a reminder of being a kid with sticky fingers and a pocket full of change.

A Zero bar is not just a candy bar. It is a weird little mystery wrapped in silver.

The candy section would be great for kids, but honestly, it would be even better for adults. Because adults are the ones who would walk in, see something they have not seen in 40 years, and immediately buy three.

One to eat.

One to take home.

And one just because.

Magazine Rack Memories

Another section I would love to have is a retro magazine area.

Old TV Guides. Rolling Stone. Reader’s Digest. Mad Magazine. National Lampoon. Life. Time. Sports Illustrated. Popular Mechanics. Seventeen. Tiger Beat. Maybe even some old Playboys in a restricted or clearly separated adult section, because whether people admit it or not, that was part of the magazine rack culture of the era.

Magazine racks used to be a big deal.

Before the internet, magazines were how you kept up with pop culture, celebrities, cars, music, fashion, sports, movies, and weird stories from around the world. You went to a store and stood there flipping through magazines like it was a public library with fluorescent lights.

TV Guide was especially huge. That little magazine was basically the remote control for the entire week. You checked what was coming on, circled shows, looked for movies, and planned your night around three or four channels.

Now everything is streaming, searchable, skippable, and available instantly.

But back then, if The Wizard of Oz or Willy Wonka or Planet of the Apes was coming on TV, you had to know when it aired. You had one shot. If you missed it, that was it.

That is a completely different relationship with entertainment.

Posters, Pinups, Rock Stars, and Black Lights

The poster section might be the most visually fun part of the store.

It would have pinup posters, rock star posters, movie posters, black light posters, sci-fi posters, fantasy art, van art, skateboard art, and maybe those big personality posters everyone had on their walls.

The 70s and 80s were poster decades.

Bedroom walls told the story of who you were. Farrah Fawcett. Cheryl Tiegs. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. KISS. Star Wars. Rocky. Bruce Lee. Pink Floyd. Led Zeppelin. Lamborghini Countach. Black light mushrooms. Dragons. Wizards. Surfers. Skateboarders.

Posters were identity.

Before people customized their online profiles, they customized their bedrooms. Your posters told visitors what kind of music you liked, what movies you loved, who you had a crush on, and what fantasy world you wanted to live in.

A poster section in Zoinkies! would not just sell wall art. It would sell the feeling of being 13 years old and finally getting to make your room look like you.

Groovy Clothes: Old and New

There would also need to be a groovy clothes section.

Some vintage. Some new.

Bell-bottoms. Ringer tees. Track jackets. Satin baseball jackets. Tube socks. Corduroy. Denim jackets. Old-school sneakers. Retro sunglasses. 70s-style button-ups. Maybe even some loud patterned shirts that look like they belong in a disco, a bowling alley, or on a game show host.

Clothes are tricky because original vintage sizes and condition can be all over the place, so I would want a mix of authentic pieces and new clothing inspired by the era.

The goal would not be to dress everyone like they are going to a costume party. The goal would be to let people add a little retro flavor to their everyday life.

A ringer tee. A pair of striped socks. A 70s-style jacket. A shirt with a ridiculous pattern. Something that says, “I remember when things were a little more colorful.”

Games and Toys

The toy and game section would be a blast.

Board games like Rebound, Stratego, Trouble, Sorry!, Life, Clue, Risk, Battleship, Connect Four, Operation, Mouse Trap, Twister, and KerPlunk.

Toys like GI Joe, Hot Wheels, Matchbox cars, Stretch Armstrong, Evel Knievel stunt cycles, Star Wars figures, Fisher-Price Little People, Weebles, Nerf footballs, cap guns, Slinkys, yo-yos, and those cheap plastic toys that somehow became priceless in our memories.

This section would probably be where people spend the most time saying, “I had that!”

That phrase would basically be the unofficial motto of the store.

“I had that!”

“My cousin had that!”

“My brother broke one of those!”

“I got that for Christmas!”

“I always wanted one of those!”

That is what makes retro retail fun. It is not just shopping. It is memory excavation.

Groovy Art, Pop Paintings, Pottery, and Macramé

Another section I forgot to include — and honestly, it might become one of the coolest parts of the whole store — would be a groovy retro art section.

Not fine art in the quiet-gallery-white-walls kind of way. I’m talking about colorful, playful, funky, conversation-starting art. The kind of stuff that looks like it belongs in a 1970s apartment, a record store window, a college dorm room, a funky coffee shop, or the background of an old variety show.

Zoinkies! would have retro and pop art style paintings with bold colors, thick outlines, cartoon energy, and subjects pulled from old-school pop culture. Think lava lamps, roller skates, cassette tapes, drive-in signs, banana seat bikes, cereal bowls, arcade machines, space-age shapes, peace signs, flowers, smiley faces, shag vans, old TVs, and weird little characters that look like they wandered out of a Saturday morning cartoon.

Some of it could be original art. Some could be prints. Some could be small affordable pieces people can grab on impulse. I would want it to feel accessible, not intimidating. Art should not always feel like something you need a museum degree to understand. Sometimes art should just make you grin.

There could also be pottery with a retro twist. Funky mugs, weird little bowls, colorful ashtray-style catchalls, planters, mushroom shapes, drip-glaze pieces, and handmade items that feel like they came from an old craft fair in 1976. Not everything has to be perfect. In fact, the charm would be in the handmade feel. A slightly lopsided mug with orange and brown glaze might have more personality than something perfectly manufactured.

And then there is macramé.

You cannot have a proper groovy retro section without macramé.

Macramé wall hangings, plant holders, owls, beads, knots, fringe, and all the earthy handmade stuff that made 70s living rooms look like someone had invited a craft festival inside. Add a few hanging plants, maybe some spider plants or fake greenery, and suddenly that corner of the store feels like your cool aunt’s house in 1978.

This section could also open the door for local artists and makers. Zoinkies! could feature people creating retro-inspired art, pottery, fiber art, prints, and handmade goods. That would give the shop a fresh inventory flow while still keeping the vintage spirit. It would not all have to be actual old stuff. Some of the best pieces could be new creations inspired by the old vibe.

That might be the real sweet spot: old memories mixed with new creativity.

A groovy art section would also make Zoinkies! more than a nostalgia shop. It would make it a place where the retro spirit is still alive and being reimagined. The 60s, 70s, and 80s were loaded with bold design, wild colors, handmade crafts, and pop culture imagery. There is no reason that energy has to stay trapped in the past.

The Real Reason a Store Like This Would Work

On paper, this sounds like a store filled with old stuff.

But emotionally, it is something bigger.

A store like Zoinkies! would work because people are craving experiences. They can buy almost anything online. They can order records, t-shirts, candy, toys, posters, comics, and vintage items from websites. That is not the hard part.

The hard part is creating a place people want to visit.

A place that makes them feel something.

A place where parents can bring their kids and say, “This is what I had when I was your age.”

A place where friends can walk around for an hour just laughing and telling stories.

A place where someone can buy a t-shirt, play Galaga, grab a Zero bar, flip through records, and leave feeling a little younger than when they walked in.

That is the real product.

The product is not candy.

The product is not records.

The product is not posters.

The product is the feeling.

Why I Like the Idea

I think I like the idea of Zoinkies! because it combines so many things I already love: nostalgia, art, t-shirts, pop culture, music, movies, comics, old toys, weird candy, and the general feeling of growing up in a time when entertainment felt more physical.

You held the record.

You read the comic.

You rode the bike.

You played the arcade machine.

You put the poster on your wall.

You wore the shirt.

You saved the ticket stub.

Today, everything is digital. And digital is great. I make a living in digital media. I love technology. I use AI. I use websites and social media every day.

But there is still something powerful about real-world objects.

A metal lunch box has weight.

A record has texture.

An arcade button has resistance.

A comic book has a smell.

A lava lamp has a glow that no phone screen can duplicate.

Zoinkies! would be a reminder that the physical world still matters.

Would I Really Open It?

That is the big question.

Would I really open a store like this?

Maybe.

Probably not in the giant, risky, quit-everything-and-open-a-big-retail-space kind of way. That sounds like a good way to turn a fun idea into a financial ulcer.

But as a smaller concept? A pop-up shop? A booth? A weekend retro market? A seasonal store? A corner inside another business? An online store with occasional real-world events?

That sounds more interesting.

Maybe Zoinkies! starts as t-shirts and retro designs online. Then it becomes a booth at events. Then a pop-up shop. Then maybe a small physical location that is open limited hours. Maybe it is part retail, part photo op, part arcade, part nostalgia museum, part hangout.

That is the modern way to think about it.

Not just “open a store and hope people come.”

Build a brand. Build the audience. Build the story. Test the idea. Let people fall in love with it first.

Then see where it goes.

Final Thought

The older I get, the more I realize that nostalgia is not really about wanting to go backward.

It is about carrying the best parts forward.

A place like Zoinkies! would not be about pretending it is 1978 again. It would be about remembering what was fun, colorful, weird, simple, exciting, and tactile about those years, and bringing a little bit of that into today.

Because sometimes we do not need another sleek modern store.

Sometimes we need a place with lava lamps, Pop Rocks, pinball machines, black light posters, banana seat bikes, comic books, and a big goofy sign over the door that says:

Zoinkies!

And honestly, I would shop there.

PODCAST
Listen to “My Zoinkies! Retro Fun Shop Idea” on Spreaker.

VIDEO

The post My Zoinkies! Retro Fun Shop Idea appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

But then there are other things that just slowly fade away.

No big announcement. No farewell tour. No official last day. They’re just there one year, less common the next, and then one day you realize they’re basically gone.

That’s what happened to a lot of the little everyday things many of us grew up with. Not giant historic moments. Not major inventions. Just regular pieces of life that used to be woven into our routines. They were in our homes, our cars, our stores, our neighborhoods, and our weekends. They helped shape the look, sound, and feel of ordinary life.

Some of them were practical. Some were fun. Some were tacky. Some probably needed to go. But taken together, they gave everyday life a texture that feels very different from the world we live in now.

Here are 25 everyday things that have quietly disappeared.

1. Video and DVD rental stores

There was something special about walking into a video store on a Friday night and browsing the shelves. You didn’t just click a title and start watching in ten seconds. You wandered around. You judged movies by the cover. You hoped the new release wasn’t already gone. And if you found a hidden gem, it felt like a victory. Video rental stores turned movie night into an event.

2. Phone books

For years, every house seemed to have a big phone book somewhere near the kitchen phone. If you needed a number, you looked it up yourself. Businesses, neighbors, restaurants, repair shops—it was all packed into those thick pages. Younger people today may never understand how normal it was to flip through a phone book to find a plumber, a pizza place, or an old friend.

3. The lady in the elevator

There was a time when some nicer stores, hotels, and office buildings actually had an elevator operator—a well-dressed lady or gentleman who sat or stood inside the elevator and controlled it for you. It sounds almost unreal now, but it was once considered helpful, proper, and classy. Even elevators used to feel more personal.

4. Record stores

Record stores were more than stores. They were destinations. You could spend an hour flipping through albums, looking at cover art, reading song lists, and discovering music you didn’t know existed. Record stores had personality. They smelled like cardboard, vinyl, and possibility. Buying music used to feel like a ritual, not just a download.

5. Black & white TVs

A black and white TV was once a totally normal thing to have, especially in a bedroom, kitchen, or second room. The picture wasn’t sharp. The screen wasn’t big. And nobody cared. It was still television. Those old sets remind us how much less people expected from entertainment—and how grateful they were just to have it.

6. Fish and birds being sold in department stores

Back in the day, some department stores had pet sections where you could buy goldfish, parakeets, turtles, and other small animals. It seems strange now to think of shopping for socks, a lamp, and a pet bird in the same building, but that kind of thing used to happen. Department stores were full of surprises.

7. Ticket stubs to concerts and events

Physical ticket stubs used to be tiny souvenirs. People saved them in drawers, wallets, scrapbooks, and memory boxes. A worn ticket stub from a concert, movie, or ballgame could instantly take you back to that night. Digital tickets are convenient, but they don’t carry the same emotional weight as a little printed piece of paper you actually held in your hand.

8. Parking meters

Parking meters are still around in some places, but old-school meters with the coin slot and turning knob used to be everywhere downtown. You’d dig for change, feed the meter, and hope you got back in time. They were a small but familiar part of city life, especially in shopping districts and old downtown streets.

9. Local radio DJ’s on 24/7

There was a time when local radio really felt local. DJs had personalities. They lived in town, talked about local events, gave shout-outs, took requests, and felt like part of the community. Today, much of radio is voice-tracked, syndicated, or automated. It still exists, but the era of live, local personalities being part of daily life around the clock has faded.

10. Software not subscriptions

You used to buy software once and own it. That was the deal. You bought the box, brought it home, installed it, and used it until your computer couldn’t handle it anymore. Now, so much of the software world runs on monthly or yearly subscriptions. It may be more convenient in some ways, but it also means you often feel like you’re renting tools instead of owning them.

11. Full size spare tires

Cars once came with real spare tires that could actually get you somewhere. Not a donut. Not a repair kit. A full-size spare. It gave you peace of mind, especially on long drives. Today, many vehicles skip them altogether to save space, weight, and cost, but it’s one more example of practicality quietly shrinking.

12. Saturday morning cartoons

For kids growing up in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and even into the 90s, Saturday morning cartoons were a weekly event. You didn’t stream cartoons whenever you wanted. You got up early, grabbed a bowl of cereal, and planted yourself in front of the TV. It was a ritual. It was part of childhood. And it gave Saturday mornings their own kind of magic.

13. Tall TV antennas above everyone’s house

There was a time when neighborhoods were dotted with tall metal TV antennas rising above rooftops. They were part of the visual landscape. If your reception was bad, somebody might even have to go outside and turn the antenna while someone inside yelled, “Right there! Leave it!” Those antennas remind us of a time when television didn’t come through a cable, dish, or app.

14. Ash trays

Ash trays used to be everywhere—living rooms, restaurants, cars, motel rooms, waiting rooms, and office desks. They were so common that nobody thought twice about them. Some were plain, some were decorative, and some were oddly stylish. Their disappearance says a lot about how much daily life and public habits have changed.

15. One liter pop bottles

One-liter glass or plastic soda bottles used to feel standard. Families bought them, reused them, returned some of them for deposits, and poured drinks into actual glasses at home. There was something satisfying about a cold one-liter bottle sitting in the fridge. The packaging of soda has changed over the years, but those bottles were once part of daily life.

16. Music on cassette

Cassette tapes were portable, personal, and wonderfully imperfect. You could make mixtapes, record songs off the radio, and carry your music with you in a way that felt more hands-on than streaming ever will. Cassettes got tangled, wore out, and sounded rough sometimes—but they were part of the experience. Music felt physical.

17. Evening newspapers

There was a time when many towns had both a morning and an evening paper. The evening paper gave people something fresh to read after work, often covering local news, sports, and late-breaking events. As media habits changed, evening editions quietly vanished in many places. It was one more rhythm of daily life that disappeared.

18. Drive-In movies

Drive-ins were more than a place to watch a movie. They were an atmosphere. Families piled into the car. Teenagers hung out. Kids wore pajamas in the back seat. The giant outdoor screen, the snack bar, the little speaker hanging on the window—it all felt uniquely American. Some still exist, but far fewer than before.

19. Green Stamps

S&H Green Stamps were once a big deal. People collected them from grocery stores and gas stations, licked them, stuck them into booklets, and saved them up to redeem for merchandise. It took patience, but it felt rewarding. Green Stamps turned ordinary shopping into a kind of game.

20. Fuzzy covers on toilet seats

These were once surprisingly common in homes, especially in the 70s and 80s. Fuzzy toilet seat covers and matching bathroom rugs somehow became acceptable decorating choices. They were colorful, soft, and a little odd. Looking back, they feel like one of those trends that could only have existed in a certain era.

21. Wood-paneled walls

Wood paneling used to be everywhere—living rooms, dens, basements, offices, and family rooms. It gave spaces a warm, dark, cozy look, even if it also made some rooms feel like caves. For a long stretch of time, wood paneling was considered stylish and modern. Now it instantly evokes another era.

22. Bench seats in cars

Bench seats used to make the front of a car feel like a couch on wheels. Families could slide across the seat, couples could sit close, and riding in the car had a different physical feel than it does now. Bucket seats may be more efficient, but bench seats had a roomy, relaxed vibe that’s mostly gone.

23. Spinner racks of paper maps

Before GPS and smartphones, spinner racks of folded road maps were a familiar sight in gas stations, truck stops, and convenience stores. If you were taking a trip, you might stop and buy a state map or road atlas. Traveling required more planning, more guessing, and more unfolding giant sheets of paper in the car.

24. Dragging the local strip

For generations of teenagers, one of the main things to do on a weekend night was to “drag the strip”—cruising up and down the same street, seeing who was out, waving at friends, checking out cars, flirting, and just being part of the scene. It sounds simple, but it was social life on wheels. In many places, that tradition has largely faded away.

25. Fake plastic fruit on the table

There was a time when decorative fake fruit bowls sat proudly on kitchen tables and counters. Grapes, bananas, apples, pears—all plastic, all shiny, all pretending to be edible. It was home décor, somehow. Today it feels funny and a little kitschy, but once it was a perfectly normal touch in a lot of homes.

Looking back, what’s interesting is that most of these things were never considered extraordinary while we had them. They were just normal. Everyday. Familiar. Part of the background.

But when enough of those little background things disappear, the feeling of everyday life changes with them.

That’s really what nostalgia often is. Not just missing the big moments, but missing the texture of ordinary life. The objects, routines, sounds, and sights that quietly framed our days. A record store. A one-liter pop bottle. A phone book on the counter. A Saturday morning in front of the TV. A ride down the strip with nowhere important to go.

None of these things seemed huge at the time. But together, they helped make life feel a certain way.

And maybe that’s why they’re still worth remembering.

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Back in high school in the 1970s, my friends and I had a real garage band. We never really played out anywhere, but we had a blast. We practiced, we jammed, and we even wrote a few original songs. It was loud, messy, and perfect.

Now here we are decades later… and the world is wild.

Because of the advancement of AI, we can take a song we wrote and played back then and have it reproduced in a professional-sounding manner today. Not “replacing” the humans — just upgrading what we already created, like taking an old demo tape and finally making it sound like it always deserved to sound.

One of those songs is “Midnight Dreamin’” — which we’ve copyrighted and will be releasing soon. And honestly? I’d love for someone to record it and put it on an album.

But while I was writing my book, something else happened.

I kept coming up with these little short phrases — random words, memories, and ideas that were pure 70s. They were basically “sticky note reminders” so I wouldn’t forget to work them into the story.

Then a few years ago, I read through some of them and realized:
This isn’t just book fuel… this is song fuel.

So I decided my ultimate 70s book needed a matching ultimate 70s song — a true homage to the decade. A song packed with references that people who grew up in the 70s will instantly recognize… and younger people might not understand at all, but they’ll be curious.

That’s the point.

The lyrics are fun. They’re loaded with little time-capsule moments. And it’s the kind of song you want to sing along with even if you’re like, “Wait… what in the world is a clacker?”

Now that the lyrics are finished, I’ve pinned down the sound I want and sent everything to Stayton. He’s going to record it as an original song made 100% by humans — the way we would’ve done it back in the day.

Then I’m going to feed that human-made recording into an AI program and use AI as a tool to add extra instruments and polish it into a professional recording.

After that, the plan is to pitch it to artists who might want to record it and release it — just like “Midnight Dreamin’.”

This song is copyrighted. And once we have the final locked-in version, I’ll release it so you can help me get it into the right hands.

In the podcast episode, I walk through the verses and explain the references for anyone who didn’t grow up in the 70s — and for those of us who did, it’s a straight-up trip down memory lane.

And at the end of the episode, I’ll play part of the song so you can hear what it might sound like.

Alright… let’s get into it.

[Open]
Hey, Hey, Hey! These were the seventies! – This is an homage to the Fat Albert Saturday morning cartoon

[Verse 1]
We were marooned with a Skipper, – Although made in the 60s we watched the Gilligan’s Island reruns religiously

Used a fondue dipper, – Fondue was a quintessential party food in the 1970s

Heard a Monkee named Davy Jones. – The Monkees was a TV show ending 1968, reruns kept the group’s popularity alive in the 70s

—

There was a bunch named Brady, – The Brady Bunch was possibly the most popular kid sitcom in the 70s

That bionic lady, – The Bionic Woman is a classic 1970s sci-fi action series (1976–1978) starring Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers

A trek with a doctor Bones. – Star Trek found a new audience in the 1970s, making it a cult classic and establishing the fan base of Trekkies

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
We took a stairway to heaven, – “Stairway to Heaven” is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 8 November 1971

Thanked 7-Eleven, – “Oh Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven” is a famous, long-running advertising slogan for the 7-Eleven convenience store chain

We Hustled just for fun. – “The Hustle” is a disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It went to No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100

—

The Banana Splits danced, – The four Banana Splits are Fleegle (a dog), Bingo (a gorilla), Drooper (a lion), and Snorky (an elephant)

While Tattoo romanced, – Hervé Villechaize, the actor who played Tattoo on Fantasy Island, he yelled “De plane! De plane!”

During seasons in the sun. – “Seasons in the Sun” is a 1974 international hit song by Canadian singer Terry Jacks, topping charts in over 12 countries

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
We ate boxes of Zingers, – Dolly Madison snack cakes (chocolate, vanilla, raspberry) often advertised with Peanuts characters

Wore t-shirts with ringers, – Ringer T-Shirts exploded in popularity in the 1970s

Hung angels made by Charlie. – TV’s Charlie’s Angels were Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith, also popular pinup poster girls

—

There was a band out of Boston, – Boston is an American rock band formed in 1975 in Boston, Mass

A punk named Rotten, – Johnny Rotten was British-born singer and lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols

The Beach Boys were gettin gnarly. – The Beach Boys are an American surf rock band

[Bridge]
Amazed by Evel’s feats, – Evel Knievel was a defining 1970s cultural icon, famous for death-defying motorcycle jumps

Sat on banana seats, – Banana seats, defining 1970s youth culture, were long, padded, and tapered bicycle saddles

Everything was avocado green. – Avocado green was a defining, ubiquitous color in 70s interior design, symbolizing earthy tones

—

There were Barbies, G I Joes, – Iconic 1970s “dolls” for boys and girls

And bell bottom clothes, – Bell bottoms were iconic wide-legged pants, symbolizing counterculture, disco, and rebellion

Jarts with Clackers were obscene. – Jarts and Clackers were iconic, high-risk toys of the 70s that defined a “survival of the fittest” era

[Verse 4]
We welcomed back a Kotter, – Welcome Back, Kotter was a popular sitcom about a teacher and his unruly students known as the “Sweathogs”

Knew Presley’s daughter, – Lisa Marie Presley was a famous child in the 1970s, known as the only daughter of Elvis Presley

And found old Scooby Doo. – The iconic theme song phrase from the 1970s cartoon is “Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you?”

—

Space Food sticks with Tang, – Space Food Sticks and Tang were space-themed products marketed to children as futuristic and astronaut-approved

The Orphans were a gang, – The Orphans are a minor, low-ranking street gang in the 1979 film The Warriors

Bonds compatriot was Q. – Q provided James Bond with a variety of specialized gadgets for his missions as 007

[Chorus]

[Verse 5]
Meat Loaf by the dashboard, – “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” released on Meat Loaf’s 1977 album Bat Out of Hell, is a, 8-minute rock epic

Vader was a Sith Lord, – Darth Vader first appeared as a terrifying Sith Lord in the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope

Halloween was a movie. – John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) is the definitive 70s slasher movie, featuring Michael Myers’

—

Knee high were our tube socks, – Tube socks were knee-high length, white cotton-blend fabric socks with distinctive red, blue, or yellow stripes at the top

Kids played with Pet rocks, – The Pet Rock was a 1975 fad that sold over 1 million, $4 smooth stones as, “hassle-free” pets

Shag made everything so groovy. – Shag carpet, known for its deep, plush, long fibers, came in vibrant or earthy colors

[Chorus]

[Verse 6]
We were raised on Watergate, – The 1972 political scandal at the Watergate Hotel that caused President Nixon to resign

Told we had to clean our plate, – Children were expected to eat everything served because “there are starving children”

Quint had the biggest jaws. – Quint is the grizzled, obsessive shark hunter in the 1975 film Jaws who operates the boat, the Orca

—

There was Saturday Night Fever, – The 1977 disco movie that defined the 70s dance craze starring John Travolta

The Wright dream weaver, – Gary Wright released the song Dream Weaver in 1975

Bandit broke the speeding laws. – Smokey and the Bandit movie in 1977. Smokey drove a Pontiac Trans Am

[Chorus]
Sunshine rays were never wasted, – Meaning we rarely let a sunshiny day go by without being out in it doing something

Ripe melon juices never tasted, – Kids were always eating watermelon and cantalope in the summer

As sweet as the memories, – Growing up in the 70s left us with the best memories

Of those seventies summers. – Carefree 70s summers were the highlight of the year

[End]
Those were the seventies,
Oh how we love the memories,
Take us back to our old friends,
One last time before it ends.

That’s it! Listen to the song at about the 44:22 mark of the podcast or video below. Let me know what you think!

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The post Writing the Ultimate 70s Tribute Song appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

Todd and I grew up in the 1970s, right here in Enid. I grew up running around with five friends on W. Broadway, the kind of childhood where you played outside until the streetlights felt like a warning shot. Those memories stuck with me. And without realizing it, they slowly became the foundation of something much bigger.

Now here we are: The 70’s Buzz Podcast is about to hit one million downloads.

This episode is special because it’s not just a celebration of a number it’s the story of how we got here.

The early itch to build something

I started working for myself in 2003, right when blogging was starting to feel like the next big thing. I wanted to create my own thing, something I controlled and I experimented like crazy.

At one point, I went all-in on a venture idea: creating 100 websites and blogs and earning money through advertising. It was a grind, but it taught me the most important lesson I’ve ever learned as a creator:

You don’t find the thing by thinking about it. You find it by doing a lot of things until one grabs you back.

In June 2004, I started CurtisTucker.com to blog about being an entrepreneur, a stay-at-home dad, and what it was like growing up in the 70s. That site became a place for my voice even if I wasn’t always consistent with it.

My first podcast experiments (before it was “a thing”)

Back in 2005, I recorded a few test podcast episodes just to see what it was all about. Podcasting was still early, and honestly… there wasn’t much traction yet. So I stopped.

But I never stopped being drawn to the idea of talking into a mic and building something that felt like radio but on my own terms.

The Enid Buzz years opened new doors

Around 2014, I was deep into Enid Buzz and looking for new things to build. That’s when I asked Todd if he wanted to do a video show called E-Talk. We filmed in a coffee shop, talking about Enid, bringing on guests, interviewing people. It was fun, it was real, and it proved something important:

Todd and I had chemistry on mic and on camera.

I also started doing a live morning show with Alan Clepper on KOFM, about 30 minutes a day, four days a week just talking about random things and what was happening in Enid. I was doing it for fun as part of Enid Buzz.

Then in 2015, I had the opportunity to go interview Garth Brooks, and I took Todd and a few other guys with me to Tulsa. That trip is one of those “bookmark” moments—when you realize you’re building experiences, not just content.

In 2016, I started doing a weekly Friday radio spot with Joe Friday on KNID talking about what was happening in Enid… until I was eventually told the new station manager wanted Joe Friday to stop doing the show with me.

By the end of 2016:

• E-Talk was done

• I wasn’t on local radio anymore

• But Todd and I still had the itch to do something

A ghost hunt, a supermoon, and the moment everything clicked

In October 2016, Todd and I went on a ghost hunting event and livestreamed it on Facebook. We were still experimenting, still searching for the “right” show.

We even had a vision: recording a radio-style show looking out of a big window in downtown Enid, talking about adventures and interviewing people.

We just didn’t have a place.

Then in November 2016, I got a wacky idea while chasing a photo: I wanted to take pictures of the supermoon from the top of Enid’s tallest building, the Broadway Tower. I asked the person managing it if Todd and I could go to the roof.

She said yes.

Up on that roof, while we were taking photos, I mentioned our idea of doing a weekly show from a downtown space with a big window. She suggested we ask the building owner—because Broadway Tower was almost empty.

And just like that, the thing we didn’t have… suddenly appeared.

Our first studio and the birth of BuzzHead Radio

In January 2017, Todd and I agreed on a very cheap rate for the front space at Broadway Tower. It had a huge window. People could see us recording if we set up near it.

We moved into our first real studio/office.

I loved the idea of radio, so I started BuzzHead Radio as part of Enid Buzz. We bought microphones, set up a podcast table, and started testing.

I think the first night we tested was February 10, 2017.

A week later, on February 17, 2017, Todd and I recorded our first proper audio show. The first episode was about King Kong.

The next episode featured our first guest, Tammy Wilson, and we talked about ghost hunting.

We did more random shows too including some interviews, some local stories, and yes… a few episodes about our memories growing up in the 70s.

The setback that accidentally helped us

Then Broadway Tower had a fire and lost electricity. We couldn’t record until it was fixed, so we stopped for a few months.

But here’s what’s funny: sometimes a setback doesn’t end something, it forces it to become something better.

By May 2017, we were back in the studio. I was still doing the KOFM radio show, but I could tell podcasting was growing and my own project deserved more focus, so I eased my way out of KOFM.

And then came the real turning point.

The decision that created The 70’s Buzz Podcast

I started hearing more about podcasting getting big, and I asked Todd if he wanted to meet every Tuesday night and record a podcast.

Todd didn’t even know what a podcast was at that time.

But Tuesday worked because neither of us had family at home that night which made it our night.

We decided to stop BuzzHead Radio and concentrate on one subject instead of a bunch of random topics.

That subject was simple and powerful:

Growing up in the 70s.

On May 30, 2017, we recorded the Green Stamp Store episode, plus several others over the next few weeks.

In June 2017, we uploaded Green Stamp Store to Spreaker and we were officially a published podcast. We had multiple episodes recorded, so we uploaded them kind of randomly over a few days… and yes, a few were out of order.

It wasn’t perfect. But it was real.

New studio, new consistency, and never looking back

In July 2017, we started looking for a new place to record because of issues at Broadway Tower. We found a spot high up in the Independence Tower. We took a short break from recording and uploading.

We moved the studio in August and started uploading again on September 16, 2017.

And here’s the part I’m proud of:

We haven’t really missed a week since. Even during COVID.

We had heard the average podcast ends by episode 7, so we told ourselves we just had to get past that number. By the end of September 2017, we were past 7 episodes and rolling.

The numbers now (and why they matter)

As of February 12, 2026:

• 429 episodes

• 998,792 downloads

• We’ll hit one million downloads before next week

Our most popular episodes are our 70s song episodes.

Our biggest countries:

• United States

• Australia

• Canada

• United Kingdom

And the platforms that get the most play:

• Spotify

• iHeartRadio

• Apple Podcasts

• Amazon Music

We’ve also evolved how we connect with listeners: now we do a Facebook Live every second Tuesday of the month.

One million isn’t the finish line

One million downloads is a milestone, no doubt. But it’s not just “a number.” It represents something bigger:

• People choosing to spend time with us

• People who miss the 70s

• People who love stories

• People who grew up like we did or wish they had

And honestly… it represents the power of consistency. Not perfection. Not fancy studios. Not “waiting until you’re ready.”

Just showing up, week after week, and letting the thing grow.

So if you’ve listened even once, shared an episode, told a friend, or jumped into a Facebook Live… thank you. You’re a real part of this story.

And if you’re new here?
Welcome. You’re showing up right as we hit one million and that’s a pretty fun time to jump in.

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