While it doesn’t have quite the cult following of a Wegmans or a Trader Joes, the humble chain of Stewart’s Shops inspires a kind of religious devotion in upstaters. If Wegmans is Scientology, then Stewart’s is Jonestown, but obviously with its own brand of Stewart’s Kool-Aid. There must be something in the ice cream that gets people to prostrate before the burgundy swoosh. It can’t be just those sexy burgundy uniforms. And like all holy places, the Stewy’s dining area invites all manner of crazy folk, including audiologist creeps like this author.
Over the weekend, I did some field recording at the local shop. Drag over the noteheads to listen and click on the score to slow it down.
That right there is one of the best gas pump melodies this side of New York. An arpeggio of an E-flat major Sixth chord, although a little out of tune. A flurry of them plays behind the counter every time someone pumps gas. Most gas pump melodies are rather tedious and simplistic, but as usual, Stewy’s puts their own branding on it. The Major Sixth chord is a also popular chord used for train chimes.
Hey Stewy’s, you want Los Doggies to write you a jingle using your dingle? We promise not to give you the Ween/Pizza Hut treatment. This’ll be elegant, like a Janis Joplin car commercial.
