Bob and Barbara’s Ditches Play-Anything Jukebox


We have long believed that TouchTunes jukeboxes are ruining bars with their all-digital, play-anything, Internet-connectedness. And nowhere was our heart more broken by an otherwise stellar dive bar converting from CD juke to one of the more 21st century models than at 15th and South’s Bob & Barbara’s, which made the change several years ago. Come to think of it, that fact alone knocked Bob & Barbara’s out of the running for 2012 Best of Philly Dive Bar, which wound up going to Doobie’s.

Recently, Philly Post contributor Johnny Goodtimes observed that Bob & Barbara’s has gone through some other hard-to-stomach changes, although his facts were a little iffy, since the bar has stocked Corona for the better part of two decades. Oh, Johnny. But we get what you were trying to say.

Regardless, we are happy to report that Bob & Barbara’s owner Jack Prince has reverted to a traditional CD box, stocked with plenty of R&B. “I hated that box since we got it,” says Prince of the ejected newfangled version. “People could make it call up insanely incongruous songs during [house jazz band] Crowd Pleaser’s breaks. Headbanger, devil worship, noise music, Journey. I want Lee Morgan, Jimmy McGriff, etc.”

Awesome.