The guys in the Poor Boys sure know how to put on a show. After years of bouncing around from venue to venue they seem to have found a home in the Woodland fairgrounds. What a score. I sincerely hope that they are able to maintain this location for the foreseeable future.
Woodland may not be a city whose name is on everyones lips but I think that might be changing. At least for those of us in the Nor Cal automotive community. A sleepy but growing agricultural town with a long history of hardworking blue collar folk. It makes a lot of sense car shows would go over well here. The woodland fairgrounds, while clean and well maintained doesn't look to have been upgraded since it was built. No huge concrete buildings. No weird abstract waterless fountains. Just a few scattered humble and smallish Ag focused buildings. It's got an enclosed park vibe with plenty of trees and a winding asphalt path wide enough for a car and a little more that winds around it.
Turns out it's the perfect recipe for a car show venue. Clean and mostly flat with plenty of shade. Even packed with cars it doesn't feel rigid or forced. More like someones massive back yard hangout, my kind of perfect. As someone who grew up in what used to be a rural farming community. A bunch of guys parked in someone's parents pasture leaning on their cars sipping beers and shooting the shit feels like home to me. I think that sums up the feeling of this show nicely.
The Poor Boys seem to run a relatively tight ship without the bullshit over policing or gang mentality so many others shows and clubs seem to succumb to. I like to think Woodland itself and the Nor Cal mentality is a big part of what makes that possible. This is a working mans show. There was live music that could be heard around the park but it wasn't migraine inducing loud like some shows allow. When it comes to the quality of cars, sure there was a few high dollar rides around. But they were the exception. Local guys from the surrounding cities coming together to catch up with everyones progress. That doesn't mean these cars weren't impressive just not trailer queens if you catch my drift. I have heard some complaints about the pin up show, but I honestly didn't see it and was just starting to walk around to shoot cars when it started so I guess I had tuned it out? While I didn't see the actual pin up show, I could hear the interviews and I did see a few of the girls walking around dressed in kind of a sci-fi alien 60s pin up kinda way? I personally found it kind of charming and fun. While there wasn't a bunch of kids around, there were some. I wouldn't have had any issue with my kids being around any of what I heard or saw but that's me.
Yes, I get that everyone has different feelings about the mixing of cars and pin up but let's be real. Pin up isn't porn there's a difference. In my less than humble opinion the pin up stuff was more vampy fun absolutely not Sturgis level tits out debachery. If I was to paint you a picture, imagine what an OG Star Trek, Captain Kirks interplanetary alien hook up roster convention might look like. A description I think is not only fair and accurate but one I found rather humerus. While I don't know how much draw it adds to the show, I would be kind of bummed if they took the pin up show off the menu. I did hear some complaining that the girls in the show were not really "in the scene" and "cosplaying"? I can certainly understand the locals only mentality we've all felt that way on some occasion. But on the other hand These girls were not only the ones brave enough to be there and on the stage. Maybe if they felt welcome and had a good time the experience could be what brings the fully into the scene? And who wouldn't want a few more ladies in the scene pin up or other wise?
Walking around the show I saw Scott from Blue Collar Customs killer C10 and wazndfered over and came across that killer shaved 66 galaxie 500XL Id parked next to at Sacramento Autorama! I even got to meet its owner. Turns out someone thought because of the 66 Galaxie on supremes that it was my car despite it being a silver grey, having black 500xl interior and sitting on 14s. Seems like the poor guy not only got accused of being me the accuser even wanted him to pony up stickers! I felt kinda bad but in my defense I did post I was gonna be there in the Buick! That and my Galaxie is green but I admittedly don't post pics of myself in the interest of not scaring you all away with my horribly disfigured mug, So I guess something like this was bound to happen. Still it was nice meeting the owner of another 66 Galaxie that was laid out and neat seeing his take on building the same car his own way.
There was also a swap meet but I didn't even head over there. I heard some folks scored good stuff but I was pretty late to the game. This show goes all day long starting in the afternoon at the height of the heat of the day and going late into the night. So call me a wuss if you want but I don't show up until things start cooling off. I could try and say I was being strategic knowing I was driving the Buick and wanting to stay out of traffic and lines. But that would be bullshit. No matter what I was driving I would have waited. Showing up so late I figured my time would be better spent getting the Buick parked in a good spot and shooting content for you guys instead of browsing the leftovers for shit I don't need. Though I did later hear about some killer signage that was there in the morning and was bummed I'd missed out!
While I am talking about the Buick and being honest. She got us there, cruising at or near freeway traffic speeds the whole way. I was pretty stoked but the long drive and the 100 plus heat did ultimately take its toll and she over heated to the point of puking and sputtering out. Just my luck she popped right at the entrance. Thankfully, the folks the Poor Boys had running the gate were kind and gracious and let me push her off to the side to cool down. I was able to walk in get some water after giving her a chance to cool. I walked back out and she lit right up and I was able to cruise her right in. I even got great spot in a small opening area that was being used by a photographer shooting cars and some of the pin up girls. So all in all not a bad spot. Walking around the show running into old friends and making new ones I reminded me how lucky I am to have grown up in Northern California. Our government may be trying to destroy this state as fast as they can but I am going to enjoy it as long as it lasts.
I would say the Midnight Mass show is one of my favorites of the year here in Nor Cal and if you find yourself in the area I highly recommend it!
James
The Lowered HMFIC
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