<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms">Send us a text</a>This week on Free Nights and Weekends, we step back inside the cathedral of 80s childhood: Toys “R” Us. If you grew up in that era, this wasn’t just a store — it was the place where your pulse spiked, your hopes soared, and your parents quietly questioned every decision that led them into that building. Those sliding glass doors opened like the gates of Oz, releasing that unmistakable cocktail of plastic, rubber, cardboard, and unspoken financial dread.And yes, the South Oklahoma City Toys “R” Us was built at the ass end of the Valleybrook strip clubs. It was the 80s — there was a working oil well in the field next to it. Don’t worry about any of that. We’re taking the full aisle-by-aisle pilgrimage: the action figures whose legs were held on by sacrificial rubber bands, the towering bike wall, the blue-shirted teenager with The Keys, and the mystical video-game slip system that somehow felt safer than airport security. We revisit the RC aisle chaos, the eternal Saturday traffic jam, and the infamous toy-grab sweepstakes every kid mentally rehearsed.That backward “R” wrecked native Russian speakers, because in Cyrillic that letter literally means “ya.” So for Russian kids? “Toys Я Us” read as “Toys I Us.” Which makes no sense unless Geoffrey the Giraffe was trying to send a deeply existential message. But they boycotted the ‘84 Olympics anyway, so whatever.We also look at the surprising comeback of Toys “R” Us — why the world is trying to resurrect it, and what that says about nostalgia, retail, and the parts of childhood we’re all quietly trying to get back.If this place was your childhood escape, this episode is basically a return service — zero guilt, all joy, no line at checkout. <a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'>Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook </a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'> </a> Our <a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'>Website</a> Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of <a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'>Supernal Endgame</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This week on Free Nights and Weekends, we step back inside the cathedral of 80s childhood: Toys “R” Us. If you grew up in that era, this wasn’t just a store — it was the place where your pulse spiked, your hopes soared, and your parents quietly questioned every decision that led them into that building. Those sliding glass doors opened like the gates of Oz, releasing that unmistakable cocktail of plastic, rubber, cardboard, and unspoken financial dread.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And yes, the South Oklahoma City Toys “R” Us was built at the ass end of the Valleybrook strip clubs. It was the 80s — there was a working oil well in the field next to it. Don’t worry about any of that. We’re taking the full aisle-by-aisle pilgrimage: the action figures whose legs were held on by sacrificial rubber bands, the towering bike wall, the blue-shirted teenager with The Keys, and the mystical video-game slip system that somehow felt safer than airport security. We revisit the RC aisle chaos, the eternal Saturday traffic jam, and the infamous toy-grab sweepstakes every kid mentally rehearsed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That backward “R” wrecked native Russian speakers, because in Cyrillic that letter literally means “ya.” So for Russian kids? “Toys Я Us” read as “Toys I Us.” Which makes no sense unless Geoffrey the Giraffe was trying to send a deeply existential message. But they boycotted the ‘84 Olympics anyway, so whatever.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We also look at the surprising comeback of Toys “R” Us — why the world is trying to resurrect it, and what that says about nostalgia, retail, and the parts of childhood we’re all quietly trying to get back.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If this place was your childhood escape, this episode is basically a return service — zero guilt, all joy, no line at checkout.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Our &lt;a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'&gt;Supernal Endgame&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text This week on Free Nights and Weekends, we step back inside the cathedral of 80s childhood: Toys “R” Us. If you grew up in that era, this wasn’t just a store — it was the place where your pulse spiked, your hopes soared, and your parents quietly questioned every decision that led them into that building. Those sliding glass doors opened like the gates of Oz, releasing that unmistakable cocktail of plastic, rubber, cardboard, and unspoken financial dread. And yes, the South Oklah...

Inside the Cathedral of 80s Childhood: Toys “R” Us

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms">Send us a text</a>This week on *Free Nights and Weekends*, Scott is joined by longtime friend and veteran musician Rick Toops — and the two dive headfirst into one of the wildest pop-culture stories of the late ’80s: the rise, fall, and unexpected comeback of Milli Vanilli. Yep. You read that right. Fab Morvan — one half of the most infamous duo in pop history — is nominated for a Grammy. Again. And it just so happens Rick was there, in Oklahoma City, watching Milli Vanilli perform at the Myriad right before the scandal broke. The crowd. The energy. The lip-syncing. The clues. The chaos. Rick walks Scott — and you — through the entire surreal experience. In this episode:  The night Milli Vanilli came to Oklahoma City. Rick’s behind-the-scenes musician perspective. How the duo shot to global superstardom * The fallout after the tapes stopped matching the lips * And how, somehow, decades later… redemption comes knocking at the Grammys It’s nostalgic, it’s ridiculous, it’s musical, and it’s right here!<a href='https://www.reverbnation.com/ricktoops'>Rick is a better keyboardist than all of us!</a> <a href='https://www.reverbnation.com/ricktoops'>Listen here!</a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'>Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook </a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'> </a> Our <a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'>Website</a> Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of <a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'>Supernal Endgame</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This week on *Free Nights and Weekends*, Scott is joined by longtime friend and veteran musician Rick Toops — and the two dive headfirst into one of the wildest pop-culture stories of the late ’80s: the rise, fall, and unexpected comeback of Milli Vanilli. Yep. You read that right. Fab Morvan — one half of the most infamous duo in pop history — is nominated for a Grammy. Again. And it just so happens Rick was there, in Oklahoma City, watching Milli Vanilli perform at the Myriad &lt;em&gt;right before the scandal broke.&lt;/em&gt; The crowd. The energy. The lip-syncing. The clues. The chaos. Rick walks Scott — and you — through the entire surreal experience. In this episode:  The night Milli Vanilli came to Oklahoma City. Rick’s behind-the-scenes musician perspective. How the duo shot to global superstardom * The fallout after the tapes stopped matching the lips * And how, somehow, decades later… redemption comes knocking at the Grammys It’s nostalgic, it’s ridiculous, it’s musical, and it’s right here!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.reverbnation.com/ricktoops'&gt;Rick is a better keyboardist than all of us!&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href='https://www.reverbnation.com/ricktoops'&gt;Listen here!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Our &lt;a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'&gt;Supernal Endgame&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text This week on *Free Nights and Weekends*, Scott is joined by longtime friend and veteran musician Rick Toops — and the two dive headfirst into one of the wildest pop-culture stories of the late ’80s: the rise, fall, and unexpected comeback of Milli Vanilli. Yep. You read that right. Fab Morvan — one half of the most infamous duo in pop history — is nominated for a Grammy. Again. And it just so happens Rick was there, in Oklahoma City, watching Milli Vanilli perform at the Myriad...

Live at the Myriad! Well… “Live”; Milli Vanilli Is Sort Of Up For A Grammy Again

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms">Send us a text</a>This week on the Free Nights and Weekends Podcast, Scott dives straight into the retail mayhem of a true Gen-X Black Friday — back when parents fought strangers for Cabbage Patch Kids, Atari games were stacked like sandbags, and leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches were the fuel that powered America’s bravest shoppers.From 1983’s infamous Cabbage Patch riots to bargain-bin Atari cartridges and the sacred post-Thanksgiving sandwich that kept families alive in mall parking lots, Scott breaks down the holiday madness.Strap in, layer up, and meet us by the Orange Julius. It’s Black Friday in the 80s… and it was glorious.<a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'>Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook </a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'> </a> Our <a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'>Website</a> Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of <a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'>Supernal Endgame</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This week on the &lt;b&gt;Free Nights and Weekends Podcast&lt;/b&gt;, Scott dives straight into the retail mayhem of a true Gen-X Black Friday — back when parents fought strangers for Cabbage Patch Kids, Atari games were stacked like sandbags, and leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches were the fuel that powered America’s bravest shoppers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From 1983’s infamous Cabbage Patch riots to bargain-bin Atari cartridges and the sacred post-Thanksgiving sandwich that kept families alive in mall parking lots, Scott breaks down the holiday madness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strap in, layer up, and meet us by the Orange Julius. It’s Black Friday in the 80s… and it was glorious.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Our &lt;a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'&gt;Supernal Endgame&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text This week on the Free Nights and Weekends Podcast, Scott dives straight into the retail mayhem of a true Gen-X Black Friday — back when parents fought strangers for Cabbage Patch Kids, Atari games were stacked like sandbags, and leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches were the fuel that powered America’s bravest shoppers. From 1983’s infamous Cabbage Patch riots to bargain-bin Atari cartridges and the sacred post-Thanksgiving sandwich that kept families alive in mall parking lo...

Thanksgiving Leftovers: The Fuel of War

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms">Send us a text</a>Scott takes a solo dive into 1980s photography: Fotomat drive-up kiosks, disposable cameras, one-hour photo labs, and the unforgettable feeling of opening a yellow envelope filled with freshly developed prints. From mystery film rolls to the family photo album era, this episode explores what we lost when photos stopped taking time — and why those imperfect old snapshots still matter.<a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'>Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook </a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'> </a> Our <a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'>Website</a> Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of <a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'>Supernal Endgame</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Scott takes a solo dive into 1980s photography: Fotomat drive-up kiosks, disposable cameras, one-hour photo labs, and the unforgettable feeling of opening a yellow envelope filled with freshly developed prints. From mystery film rolls to the family photo album era, this episode explores what we lost when photos stopped taking time — and why those imperfect old snapshots still matter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Our &lt;a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'&gt;Supernal Endgame&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text Scott takes a solo dive into 1980s photography: Fotomat drive-up kiosks, disposable cameras, one-hour photo labs, and the unforgettable feeling of opening a yellow envelope filled with freshly developed prints. From mystery film rolls to the family photo album era, this episode explores what we lost when photos stopped taking time — and why those imperfect old snapshots still matter. Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook   Our Website  Original music provided by a few of the gen...

The Dog, The Thumb, and The Yellow Envelope

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms">Send us a text</a>Michael Knight is back on the highway—whether we asked for it or not. In this week’s episode of Free Nights and Weekends, Scott and Adam dust off the Trans Am, fire up the red scanner light, and dive head-first into all things Knight Rider. We break down the original 1980s phenomenon, the cultural impact of KITT (television’s sassiest AI long before Alexa got snippy),  and the bizarre but real announcement of a Knight Rider movie reboot. <a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'>Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook </a><a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'> </a> Our <a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'>Website</a> Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of <a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'>Supernal Endgame</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2365977/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Michael Knight is back on the highway—whether we asked for it or not. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this week’s episode of &lt;em&gt;Free Nights and Weekends&lt;/em&gt;, Scott and Adam dust off the Trans Am, fire up the red scanner light, and dive head-first into all things &lt;em&gt;Knight Rider&lt;/em&gt;. We break down the original 1980s phenomenon, the cultural impact of KITT (television’s sassiest AI long before Alexa got snippy),  and the bizarre but real announcement of a Knight Rider movie reboot. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/share/1B6NHWhz4h/?mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;Free Nights and Weekends on Facebook &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559558204686&amp;amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d'&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Our &lt;a href='https://www.fnawpodcast.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Original music provided by a few of the gentlemen of &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/supernalendgame/'&gt;Supernal Endgame&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text Michael Knight is back on the highway—whether we asked for it or not.  In this week’s episode of Free Nights and Weekends, Scott and Adam dust off the Trans Am, fire up the red scanner light, and dive head-first into all things Knight Rider. We break down the original 1980s phenomenon, the cultural impact of KITT (television’s sassiest AI long before Alexa got snippy),  and the bizarre but real announcement of a Knight Rider movie reboot.  Free Nights and Weekend...

KITT, Knight Rider, and the Return of a Legend

GenX stories from the 1980's Oklahoma suburbs.&nbsp;

Free Nights And Weekends

Details

Recent Episodes