Little Bar's Annual Spammy Jammy a Funfest for Goodland

It’s hard to imagine an event being more fun than Saturday’s night’s Spammy Jammy, held at the Little Bar on Goodland.

You know you have a good party going when the crowd spills over into the parking lot. That was the case on this 80-degree night on Buzzards Bay.

One couple dressed up like Hugh Hefner in his signature robe and a Playboy Bunny. A wedding party of seven young men from Chicago donned tight fitting 1970s-era short shorts as their pajamas. One couple had a picture of their friend printed on their pajamas - and brought their friend along to enjoy it. As usual, the event featured a strong lineup of Spam creation entries with names like Vetruvian Spam, Spam-borghini, Spamdemic, Crossing of the Spamlantic, and Spammy and Spiky, two Spam porcupines. 

The legend of Spammy Jammy, the annual end of season party, is that it protects the Little Bar during hurricane season. In fact, the event was born while the tiny fishing village (and more recently artist enclave) of Goodland was in the throes of an oncoming storm.

“Back in the day the Little Bar had a pool table with a small bar,” said Niki Bauer, co-owner of the Little Bar with brother Ray Bozicnik, recalling the establishment’s modest beginnings. "This backroom was a grocery store. Whenever the hurricanes would be blowing around, everybody would come to the bar in their pajamas. They’d have me get canned goods and stuff from the grocery store. A lot of them ate a lot of Spam. And everyone would just sit at the bar, and Spammy Jammy just kind of started. And we’ve been here, it’s been 43 years, and it’s just blossomed into a big party.”

But what about the hurricanes? 

"Our Spammy Jammy is a way of warding off hurricanes,” Bauer said convincingly. "We’ve been very lucky. Even when Irma came through, our building was completely dry - we had no damage whatsoever. This is our way of warding off the storms with our party. What a mess things were with Irma. I had four feet of water - and that muck - at my home. We were shoveling muck for weeks. I live here in Goodland. We were high and dry here. We were very lucky.”

Dining room manager Angela Scalici, who’s been with the Little Bar for 11 years, seems to be buying into the legend.

"Of course, it’s the hurricane prevention party,” Angela Scalici said. "I know when Irma came through it did a number on Goodland, but the restaurant was very fortunate. I don’t know, maybe Spam has something to do with it.”

Scalici is the daughter of a famous local restaurateur/chef, Giuseppe LoDuca, who passed almost 13 years ago. Scalici went looking for another family restaurant to try to fill the void.

"A family restaurant vibe is a really great place to work,” Scalici said. “I came here after we lost my dad. It was the same family feel. They took me in like one of their own, like they do with everybody."  

Scalici still misses her father, but is buoyed by her son Giuseppe, who is named in his honor.

"I’ve got my Giuseppe 2.0 now,” Scalici said with a proud smile. "I got a pig outfit for him, so I’m going to bring him in for pictures. He just turned one."

Besides warding off hurricanes, Spammy Jammy is a way for employees to let off steam while mingling with locals and Little Bar regulars.

"Spammy Jammy is a whole bunch of things all in one,” Scalici said. "Because it happens at the end of the season, we get a lot of the locals around. It’s a busy night, but it’s a fun night, because it’s all of the regular faces that we know, so we get to have fun and be happy. The staff, we all say it’s the last night. We do the dining room stuff then we get to enjoy the evening together. It’s the end of the season. We’re all in a great mood. We're really happy to see everybody. And happy to get a break. The Little Bar's just a great place.” 

One of Bauer’s favorite duties is handling the Little Bar’s well respected musical lineup. She secured two of her favorites for this year’s Spammy Jammy: Rockin’ Jake and Bonefish Johnny started things out, then the Raiford Starke Band took over. Rockin’ Jake and Bonefish Johnny surprised Raiford Starke by covering his signature song, Girl From Immokalee.

“It was great,” a humbled Raiford Starke said. "He put his own little spin on it. Ain’t nothing like hearing somebody do your song. That’s the best compliment in the world actually."

The Little Bar is a favorite spot for musicians to play. Bauer must know the best way to a musician’s heart is through their stomach. She has a tradition of treating the musicians to a full dinner. Maybe that’s why many come back year after year.

“I like everything about playing here,” Rockin’ Johnny said. “Niki is one of the top five best venue owners in the way she treats the band. It’s just spectacular. The staff. The audience is amazing. To me it’s a wonderful experience to play here.” 

"You can’t play the big bar without playing the Little Bar,” Bonefish Johnny adds. "It’s like an oasis here. I love playing to the people.”

Both Rockin’ Jake and Bonefish Johnny have played the Little Bar for years. But until recently, they played with their own bands. Now they’ve joined forces.

"We’ve been playing here for 10 to 15 years,” Bonefish Johnny said. "He’s played here with his band, I’ve played here with my band.”

It’s still early, about 5:30 PM, and Bauer likes what she sees as Spam contest entries are lined up on tables in the Poppa Ray room, named after she and Bozicnik’s father. A lively, happy crowd is building.

"We’re super-excited this year,” Bauer smiles as she surveys the scene. "It’s a full bore Spammy Jammy. Everybody’s got their pajamas on and ready for a fun night. Last year we were limited because of COVID. We have shirts this year. The theme is Rugrats and Bar Brats, they’re real cute. We have more contest entries coming in. Everybody’s been very excited about making things. Of course, it’s our last day open until October. We had a great season.”

The Spam contest is divided into three categories: art, food and architecture. Seven impartial judges rate the entries. Many of the judges have years of Spammy Jammy experience under their belt.

First place in the art category went to Marty Durham and Elizabeth Bodell who created a timely tribute to Myra Janco Daniels, the legendary founder and longtime CEO of the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts. Daniels died on June 22, just three days short of her 97th birthday. Daniels and her husband, Draper Daniels, a famous advertising copywriter, lived on Marco Island for many years, starting in 1979.

In the food category, Spam Deserts, created by Kathleen Pomaskis, took first place.

The architecture category winner was Ross Mantz, who created Vetruvian Spam, a piece that garnered oohs and aahs from many of the revelers.

There were two rounds of the toilet paper roll contest, where entrants race each other to see who is fastest at emptying a roll of toilet paper from a PVC pipe that is stretched across the dining room. Paula Alva won the first contest, Pamela Reyes won the second contest.

When asked how she pulled off the win, Paula Alva laughed, "I don’t know, I guess I’m really fast with my hands.”