Greetings and Salutations,
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “wonder” as a cause of astonishment of admiration. When I saw that our destination for Welcome to Thursdays this week was titled “Wonder Bar” I knew that there must be something special about this place. After doing a little more digging I found my answer. You see Wonder Bar knows exactly what it is and it is exactly what you need: a friendly environment, great staff, and well-priced drinks. If that’s not enough, Wonder Bar is trying to make its way into the Guinness Book of World Records by holding the largest simultaneous beer can opening. It was set to take place this past October, but has since been postponed to next year. Sometimes you just need to give in to your sense of wonder and explore – so why not start with coming out this Thursday to the Wonder Bar!
Speaking of Wonder Bar, it brings me back to a fantastic tale that involves Thursdays’ very own Kyle Stangel and his journey out of the darkest void of repetition and blandness. You see Kyle once fell into a dark void, a void that lacked flavor, adventure, and an overall sense of life itself. When I moved back to Milwaukee I was very excited to enjoy the city with my cousin, but what I was greeted with was something very cold, grey, and bland.
He lived alone, worked as a cardboard box constructor, and stayed in on the weekends watching a 1989 Microsoft Word tutorial on repeat (see it to believe it here). This, of course, concerned me considerably and I knew I had to take drastic measures to get him out. I decided to trick him into believing that I had gotten us tickets to a cardboard box convention, when in reality I was taking him to the one place that could cure him: the Wonder Bar.
As we approached the bar, the illuminating light of the sign distressed Kyle – he immediately knew something was not right. With time no longer on my side, I quickly started chanting various fonts from the 1989 version of Microsoft word, “TIMES NEW ROMAN”, “HELVETICA”, “CALIBRI”! Mesmerized by this, Kyle started following yet again.
Kyle Pre- Wonder Bar
We entered the bar and all the light reflecting off the cans of beer in the fridge hit us like a fresh sunset on a Sheboygan evening. I quickly ordered two tall boys of Milwaukee’s finest, Schlitz, and convinced Kyle to take a sip. The second the beer touched his lips, it was as if I ignited the fiery heat of a thousand volcanoes, Kyle’s eyes opened as if he had never seen before. He went on to drink 12 more tall boys that night and was taken on a journey.
Today Kyle is in a much more rewarding job, has an amazing wife (Annie Stangel WTT Member # 9), watches much more rewarding content on TV like the cinematic masterpiece Shrek, and is a co-founder to one of the best darn social clubs in Milwaukee! Schlitz and the Wonder Bar saved my cousin that night and I will forever be grateful.
Kyle Post-Wonder Bar
Cheers my friends!
Your co-founder and friend,
Jeremy Jay Blandin
*Keeping your glass filled and spirits high one Thursday at a time, this is Welcome to Thursdays: a local social group determined to make your Thursdays more fun. Each week, The Squeaky Curd features a Milwaukee County bar that we gather at on Thursday evening. Join us Thursday, December 6, 2018 at Wonder Bar, 5520 W Vliet St (Washington Heights), at 7:30pm.*