Friday, February 7, 2025
Time: 11 A.M.
Song: The Heat of the Moment
Artist: Asia
Mode of Consumption: Jukebox Selection at Arcadia in McLean, Illinois
Link to song: https://open.spotify.com/track/1nmZ8yqKkfooOuYvtFctDp?si=937a3f349d384292
About fifteen minutes from Bloomington, there’s a little
town named McLean. It’s your average midwestern village tucked along an
interstate (I-55 which runs between Springfield and Chicago) with the truck
stop seemingly being the modern hub.
The past century hub is a small town square a few blocks
from the interstate. There’s a little park in the middle of the roadway and building
on the outside of the square.
One of the buildings is now filled with another memory of
days gone by. Arcadia is a museum filled with retro arcade games and pinball
machines. The best part – this isn’t a museum where you can only look at the
artifacts. The games are operation, and for a quarter or maybe 50 cents, you
can be transported back in time to the late 1980s or early 1990s.
My colleague Ty and I decided to take a short detour today
on our journey home from a conference in Springfield. It had been a busy couple
of days with extra hours, so we took an hour to step back in time.
Part of that journey included a jukebox that still played 45s. Since we were the only ones Arcadia at the time, I decided to use a few of my quarters to play a few songs. I mean, a quiet arcade is just a bit weird. Plus, I always loved pickings songs on Jukeboxes. It’s a chance to be a DJ. To set the mood, and the music always seems to sound great blasting from their speakers.
I picked five songs, and one of them was “The Heat of the Moment” by Asia for a couple reasons.
- It’s a high-energy rocker that fits the era of the museum.
- It’s fun.
- And, when you’re playing an intense game, you are very much in “The Heat of the Moment.” Har. Har.
Anyways, if you’re looking for a fun day trip, check out
Arcadia in McLean. Heck, maybe even go to the truck stop for lunch.
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