SAT. MAY 18, 2002

Back in 1995, Austin officially became know as SPAMTOWN, USA – Austin Minnesota, that is. Austin, Texas however, has been aspiring to that title since way back in 1978 when a motley group of potted pork lovers at the Soap Creek Saloon threw together the first-ever SPAM-O-RAMA. It wasn’t until the mid eighties that the legal types got involved and replaced the O with an A, but by then, the folks at Hormel HQ knew the fat was in the frying pan, so to speak. Ever since, our namesake to the north has only feinted at the kind of knuckleheaded slacker whimsy that brought us SPAMARAMA®.

Sure, Austin, Minnesota dedicated a SPAM® Museum in 2001 and hired some serious celebrity heavyweights like Marion Ross and Barbara Billingsley to pay homage to the pork, but compared to the wacky absurdity of SPAMARAMA®, that all just seems like disingenuous marketing tripe. Here in Austin, Texas the SPAMsters are as much about putting a pig on a poster as they are about putting potted pork on your plate, and that’s as it should be. Carving up pigs and squeezing them into tiny tin cans is serious business and bound to play on your conscience. Down here, several states removed from the carnage, we’re never too sullen to put on a potted pork party. That’s why you can count on a fun time out at Waterloo Park this Saturday. Not only will you enjoy music by Steven Bruton, the Damnnations, Greezy Wheels, and the Uranium Savages, you’ll also witness wacky events like the SPAM®alympics, the SPAM® jam, and feast on samples from the world famous SPAM® Cook-off. It’s enough to drive you to vegetarianism but is that so wrong?