Eric Renderking Fisk - 2004  

Back in January of 2004, our good friend Dalexs (Screen name of a moderator and great member of IndyGear) started the thread "Boston Crew aka Joe's Stock," coming up with a great idea of all of us in the area meeting for one night to put some names to some faces. While we were making plans, on January 20th, (10:16 pm) I posted: "In Woburn - "On The Boarder" is good, but almost always crowded. Yet "Joe's" closer to the highway is perfect. It has the "Golden Era" motif and plenty of room."

After making the suggestion, that's where this gathering was eventually held.

I made the suggestion for two reasons. First, I just have a fond memory of my future wife and I stopping there a few times during our weekend adventures before going back to the apartment on Washington Street. Joe's reminds me of one of the best, most perfect time of life when I finally met someone who gets me, and gets what this whole "Vintage Thing" is all about.

Second; When I was working in Genuity in Woburn, "Joe's American Bar and Grill" was one of my favorite places to go. Working at Genuity was a great experience, it was a wonderful place to learn and grow while working hard, and that company had evolved from BBN - the company that built the first back-bones of the Internet decades before for the Government - but (you knew that was coming...) I needed a place to go to after work or during lunch/ breaks to decompress and get my "Vintage Vibe" on. Genuity was a very modern work environment, very "Stanley Kuberick 21th Century" - Utilitarian and Sterile. "Joe's" was a great place to get back to my favorite altered state, the Woburn Restaurant has a great atmosphere with natural wood and brass fixtures. Genuity was also where I was working when signed up on COW the first time around, before it moved to the server it's on today.

I thought that having a Summit with fellow Retro's and members from COW would be appropriate, bringing people from one aspect of my life into another, but also this place was perfect for this type of gathering. "Joe's" The American Bar And Grill feels exactly the way I imagined that a place would look and feel like during our favorite era, What a pub during The Golden Era must have been like, and I have a suspicion that the guy who owns this chain is one of us...

I made the suggestion, meeting at "Joe's" worked out and some of us met that night on February 21st, 2004. I only wish we did it again. I would love to meet these people again at the same location, or any other "Joe's American Bar and Grill..."

Pictured above- Before we left for the summit, Webley met me at my house. Here's Webley and my self on The Road with "The Traveling Journal." This was (and still is) a part of an on-going project from "IndyGear's Club Obi-Wan." I just wrote my entry (something I wish I could redo...) and entered in some stuff about myself and what this group means to me.

Webley is one of the people I've known for the longest time, we've followed each other from one site to the next, being apart of some controversies on one site that changed fandom forever... something I'll explain someday when the opportunity's right. Not always on the same side of political debates, but we've always been on the side of Adventure.

Webley and I also have something in common. We've both been on our own, traveling across country a few times with little besides our wits, courage and resourcefulness. I worked as I drove cross country, he hitch-hiked. But we both share similar experiences.

Believe it or not... shortly after those pictures were taken, the sun set. It was a particularly wet and rainy winter night. Felt more like early spring then mid-winter.

Pictured  here, Skip (Now goes by the name of "Modern Jones,) "Indiana Fist," Tim "Hemingway" Steiner, Webley, my self, and Dalexs. What I remember from the night was great. I met Dalexs before, and I had Web over at the house once before... the rest of the guys I've known for a while and posted with them for quite a while.

Hanging out with fellow Retro's is always an experience. It's been too long since that night with out writing more, but it was a pleasure to talk with folks that I share a common interest with. We didn't talk much about IndyGear or Vintage Wear, but I do remember we talked about where to get "Close Enough" items and current events, and which dark beer was better.

The Group of us outside...

As of this writing, I'm trying to find more pictures and text from those that were there. You can read the whole story about this evening on Club Obi-Wan: "Boston Crew aka Joe's Stock," and be sure to check this page again for more up-dates, and maybe even a link to where we'll be gathering next time. I would also like to post here others members thoughts and memories about the experience, regardless of how short it was.

Once more, I think we should do this again soon...

Joe's American Bar & Grill 
311 Mishawum Rd, Woburn, MA 01801 
(781) 935-7200