Revisiting Wonderland
Stepping from the bright sidewalk sunshine into the dimly lit confines of 110 W Main Street, my first thought was “wow, this place smells exactly the same” - a distinct mix of incense and musty cardboard. The layout had changed - the cash register that once sat dead center atop a glass display case filled with water pipes, whippets and other paraphernalia was now moved to the far left side - but the overall hippy vibe was still intact. Also gone were the massive wall racks of cassette tapes where I’d spent countless hours of my youth scanning the titles. I vividly recall being a teenager and stumbling across a tape of Turns Into Stone—a compilation of The Stone Roses singles and B-sides —excitedly spinning around to show my friend, who was standing in front of a large Urban Dance Squad poster. It’s weird the details that stick to one’s memories.
I’d been going through a rough patch in my head, trying but failing to shake this nagging feeling that things in my world were unraveling, unsure whether it was the threads on a rope bridge slowly breaking apart, or more like a sweater becoming undone, a skin shedding. It was in this mindset that I found myself back in Newark, Delaware—a small college town where I spent much of my late teens/early 20s—to play a free afternoon show at Wonderland Records with my band, Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen.
Life in a college town can be both cyclical and surreal—years fly by but the strangers never get older—the faces on the latest crop of college kids somehow familiar yet unrecognizable. Since I’d been gone, old friends had moved away, whole streets had been torn down and reconstructed, former haunts and landmarks of past glories replaced. But what right do I have to complain—after all, I left too.
But thankfully, Wonderland Records has remained, still going strong since first opening its doors in 1972. A bit of a time capsule, it’s retained the independent spirt that was once the life blood of this town, before the University of Delaware started snatching up properties and pressuring the local government to drive out the dive bars and diners, to clean things up with name brand chain stores, to make the town more attractive to potential students and their parents. Maybe its location is the reason for the shop’s survival—sometimes being on the other side of the train tracks has its advantages.
The other band scheduled to perform had to cancel, so with the afternoon’s entertainment falling squarely on our shoulders, we played an extended 90 plus minute set of rock-n-roll, leaving puddles of sweat on the stage. Performing live has a way of clearing out my head and I felt reinvigorated and back on course.
I hung around for a bit afterward, talking and reminising with the locals, when one of the employees asked “What local bands were you in again?”
“Well, I was in The Situation, Obese Pharaohs of Funk…”
“Wait” he shouts before quickly running off behind the counter to retrieve a dusty relic. It’s an original copy of Matlock, a 7 inch vinyl single my first band OPF released back in 1994
“Damn” I sigh, “This was the first record I ever played on. Could it really have been 31 years ago?” That’s the funny thing about time—as you get older, it becomes less linear, more circular. What happened 30 years ago feels like yesterday, and sometimes yesterday feels like 30 years ago.
I sign it for him, explaining how we silkscreened the covers ourselves on mylar purchased at the dollar store, then hand cut and assembled them in my mom’s living room, full DIY style. Memories start flooding back as I remember the apartment directly above Wonderland, where OPF was interviewed by Big Shout Magazine for their “Alternative Pick” shortly before Matlock was released. And I think about OPF’s drummer Jeremy Tuschak, a talented musician who passed away at just 39 years old, gone much too soon. And our friend Nick Rotundo, who recorded those 3 songs on his 8 track reel to reel so many years ago, who passed away at 44 in 2017.
Before I knew it, it was time to head home. I thanked everyone at Wonderland once again for having us, grabbed my guitar, then headed back outside into the sunshine, taking a moment to let my eyes readjust to the brightness and to fill my lungs with cool autumn air. And in that moment, I must admit, it felt good to be back in town.
Artwork Spotlight
Automatic Reversal Technology
Fresh from the oven, here’s my latest piece of cut paper collage art, created with images hand cut via xacto knife from vintage magazines, then dry adhered to paper with a gel medium. The original is roughly 9 x 13 inches and was completed November 2025.
Collage Workshop
Thank you to everyone who attended my recent collage workshop at Blank Space Community Center in Yardley, PA. I had a great time cutting, pasting and conversing with you all. In fact, I had so much fun, we’re working on another event for February. Stay tuned for further details.
Check This Out
The folks behind The Weird Show have been tirelessly promoting and celebrating collage art since 2010. I’ve been fortunate enough to show my work at several of their exhibitions over the years. They recently launched a new online gallery, and their first exhibit Phantom Tigers and Parallel Papers is a banger. It features some excellent artwork by Susan Blasco, Andrea, Burgay Jack Felice, Alma Haser, Paul Henderson, Miko Hornborg and Mark Wagner. Take a minute and check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
Rest in Peace Mani
Speaking of The Stone Roses, I was sadden to hear about the passing of the band’s legendary bassist, Gary “Mani” Mounfield. Easily sitting comfortably on my list of top five favorite bass players, his style and sense of groove were a huge inspiration to me as a musician. I was lucky enough to catch him live numerous times, both with the Roses (Philly in 1995, then at their triumphant reunion show at Madison Square Garden in 2016) and with Primal Scream during the XTRMNTR tour. Never got the chance to officially meet him myself—although I did physically bump into him as he headed backstage after soundcheck at 9:30 Club but I was too starstruck to utter anything close to a coherent sentence— but over the years, I’ve never heard anyone (mutual friends or industry people) utter a nasty word about the man. He was well loved and revered for both his talent and his heart.
Rest in peace Mani. Thank you for the music and the inspiration.
Upcoming Live Shows
Fri December 5 / Mike’s Tavern, Reading, PA w/ Drew and the Blue
Sat December 13 / Starving Artists Cafe, Stockton, NJ special solo acoustic holiday show w/ Anthony Porter. 1-3 pm.
Sat December 13 / The Water Tower in Oaks, PA (special holiday show w/ The Modbeats)
Sat January 3 / Dawson Stree Pub, Manayunk, Pa w/ The Backroad Drifters
Fri January 16 / Metropolis Collective, Mechanicsburg, PA w/ The Downstrokes
Sat March 28 / Get Weird at Ottos Shrunken Head, New York, NY
Bookshelf
I’ve been slowly making my way through Hemingway’s work, previously devouring both A Moveable Feast and The Old Man and the Sea. I picked up The Sun Also Rises on a whim and although I found myself disturbed and saddened by the depictions of the bull fights, it was still a very enjoyable read. It’s hard to go wrong with Papa.
If you’ve got good book recommendations, drop a comment as I’d love to hear to them.
You can also join the party over on Goodreads
Wake Up, You’re Rambling! is entirely reader-supported. If you enjoy the content but are not ready to become a paid subscriber but would still like to support this endeavor, you can make a one-time donation here at Buy Me A Coffee. But only if you can. Regardless, I truly appreciate every reader who follows along.
Thanks again friends - I appreciate your support, whether it’s reading and sharing this newsletter, subscribing, checking out my artwork or listening to my music—however you show interest, that connection means the world to me.
until next time…
cheers,
Mighty Joe Castro
So many things going on right now!! It is so cool to hear about how you made the covers for that first record.