Birthday Partying at Jim's

#217 / Flood Time Capsule: 2003 & 2018

A Huntington landmark — Jim’s Steak & Spaghetti House — has always been important to us.

When Pamela and Charlie, Susie and David were dating couples, Jim’s was a frequent lunch or dinner stop.

Later, when the Peytons and the Bowens all worked a half block away as reporters and editors in the original Huntington Publishing Co. building on Fifth Avenue, Jim’s was the preferred spot for a mid-shift break.

And when Dave and Charlie were writing computer books together in the mid- and late-1980s, much of the planning was done over cups of Jim’s coffee and slices of cherry pie.

Playing the Birthday Party

So in the summer of 2003, when Sally and Jim Tweel asked The Flood to perform at the 65th anniversary of this beloved establishment, we jumped at the chance.

Under a tent by the front door, the guys played for hours, serenading customers, staff and passersby, many of whom stopped to dance to the music. Along the way, we also tried to conjure up a musical ghost or two from the Tweel family.

Jim Tweel — long a Flood fan — was himself a musician; he had played string bass for years in his brother Bill’s Huntington-based Society Orchestra, as shown in this vintage photo.

Sadly, Jim was ill that day in June 2003 and couldn’t attend the birthday do (his health failing, Jim passed away shortly afterward at age 89).

But his wife, Sally, was on hand for the party.

During a break between sets, Dave presented Sally with an official Flood blue kazoo. He also read the certificate proclaiming Sally and Jim to be “ornery members of The 1937 Flood … authorized (and expected) to play the kazoo when called upon.”

Always a good sport, Sally sealed the deal by taking the kazoo in hand and humming a solo on the band’s next number.

Jim’s birthday bash attracted TV cameras; below is the WSAZ report on the fun:

The Jim’s Redux

The Family Flood was thrilled 15 years later to be asked for an encore at Jim’s 80th. It was a hot time in the ol' town -- a 90-degree variety of hot -- but it was also right cool to be part of the party.

Flood fans came out to sing along and to dance on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

As icing on the cake, just before the gig, Derek Halsey graced us with a nice advance story in The Herald-Dispatch. Click the button below to read it.