Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Another Kind of Drive-In



You probably remember the Barrel Drive-In along Highway 18 in Clear Lake. The DJ's from KRIB would sit in the booth atop the drive-in all summer and take requests, kind of like California's Wolf Man on a much lesser scale.

And at some point during the broadcast you'd hear "Kay-Arh-Aye-Beeeee!! - Fourteen - Ninety On Your Diiiiiiial!"

Does that radio station exist anymore? The current Barrel, shown above from a Facebook page, doesn't quite reflect the right memory, but it is the Barrel, and so be it.  Because they played our music.

Mike Lien was the foremost air guitar, lip-synching guy in the class, even having the Elvis snarly lip down pat. In 1956 when Tennessee Ernie Ford's popular "Sixteen Tons" came out, and was played, I'm sure, on KRIB, Mike ran with the words to create his own version.

The lyrics read "If you see me coming, better step aside. A lotta men didn't and a lotta men died . . . " Mike changed it to "If you see me coming, better step aside. Bottleman didn't and Bottleman died!" Bottleman, of course, being DuWayne Bottleman, one of our grade school classmates.  But you never heard it played that way at the Barrel.

Richard Holstad has video of the place, taken in one of his trips back home. It won't replace seeing the original, but if you should have a chance to view what he has, feel free to sing along, "Kay-Arh-Aye-Beeeee!!"

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