Park Bench Perspectives

Carlos Figueroa & Michael Hammer
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Relationships

Park Bench Perspectives is a conversation-driven podcast about making sense of the world without pretending to have all the answers.  Hosted by Carlos Figueroa and Michael Hammer, two childhood friends who grew up in St Louis Park, MN =.Each episode feels like sitting down on a park bench—no scripts, no hot takes for the sake of it—just thoughtful discussion, honest questions, and a willingness to challenge assumptions.It’s not about being right. It’s about thinking better.

  1. 4d ago

    First Jobs and St. Louis Park Rituals

    Send Comments and Feedback From their “Park Bench Perspective,” Carlos and Mike Hammer reminisce about growing up in St. Louis Park and early work experiences, starting with a childhood paper route and frustrations with school fundraisers, including a story about Melissa McCarthy opting to write a check rather than sell magazines. They compare fundraisers like paper drives and Girl Scout cookies and joke about shrinkflation. The conversation shifts to first jobs: Hammer dishwashing at the Ambassador Motor Hotel (union breaks, heavy pots and pans) and briefly working at Jolly Troll before quitting due to a creepy manager; Carlos describes working at TGI Fridays as a teen, cutting his thumb and receiving a disability payout, then being fired over an earring, and quitting Plums after 17 straight days. They mention other jobs (Shakey’s, Snyder Drug, Tom Thumb, Domino’s) and discuss restaurant theft, service, and management lessons. Carlos announces a new podcast with Joe Reilly, “Forgotten Television,” debuting with The White Shadow, teases another podcast with Hammer, and they plan “Jobs Part Two,” while plugging Hammer’s handyman/construction work and Carlos’s writing project “The Ghost of Lake Osseo.” 00:00 Park Bench Intro 00:31 First Money Jobs 01:03 Fundraiser Rants 04:03 Girl Scout Shrinkflation 05:24 First Real Restaurant Jobs 09:04 TGI Fridays Thumb Story 11:55 More Teen Jobs List 13:12 Dominos Before GPS 15:26 Restaurant Theft Wisdom 20:26 New Podcasts Announcement 21:29 Jobs Part Two Tease 24:11 Wrap Up and Contact Support the show

    25 min

  2. May 19

    We Remember Summers in St. Louis Park

    Send Comments and Feedback St. Louis Park Summertime Perspectives (and the “Bare Ass Pool” Story) Carlos Figueroa and Mike Hammer talk on Park Bench Perspectives about May leading into summer in St. Louis Park, recalling elementary track meets (relays, sack races), a tougher era of safety (asphalt playgrounds, no bike helmets, lawn jarts), and the start of summer baseball with Little League drafts, uniforms, opening day, and a memorable visit from a Japanese Little League team whose disciplined play and submarine pitching were intimidating. They reminisce about the last day of school paper-throwing chaos, summer park programs with the “green box” of games (four square, capture the flag, Knox hockey), neighborhood mischief, Cub Scout paper drives and liability fears, exploring marshland, and local traffic changes advocated by “Disco Dave Hammer.” They also cover the rec center pool, beaches and cabins, teen driving and partying stories, and invite listeners to share St. Louis Park trivia—jokingly titling the episode “Bare Ass Pool” after discussion of nude swim classes in earlier decades. 00:00 May Bench Banter 01:07 School Track Meet Memories 02:13 Dangerous Games and No Helmets 04:13 Little League Draft Days 05:32 Japanese Team Showdown 08:05 Last Day School Chaos 10:53 Summer Parks and Green Box 12:01 First Kisses and Window Breaking 14:44 Neighborhood Games and Lawsuits 16:49 Cub Scouts Paper Drive Hustle 19:16 Cub Scouts and Summers 19:28 Neighborhood Exploring Tales 20:19 Phone Book Anderson Joke 20:37 Hampshire Road Changes 22:02 Snowballs and Speeders 22:53 Highway Frogger Food Runs 23:43 Mark Globus Memories 25:09 Rec Center Pool Days 28:50 Beaches Falls and Cabins 30:01 Boy Scout Camp Mischief 31:06 Road Trips and Teen Years 33:24 Driving Drinking Concert Chaos 35:58 Podcast Wrap and Call In 37:44 Bare Ass Pool Trivia 39:10 Bench Season Goodbye Support the show

    40 min

  3. May 12

    Mother’s Day Park Bench Perspective: Remembering Judy and Maria

    Send Comments and Feedback On Mother’s Day, hosts Mike Hammer and Carlos Figueroa return to their “park bench perspective,” invite listeners to leave Fan Mail or voicemails on their Buzzsprout page to share St. Louis Park stories, and dedicate a mom-centric episode to their late mothers, Judy and Maria. They discuss grief and the ongoing one-way “conversation” after a parent’s death, including therapy practices like talking at the cemetery and writing letters, and reflect on how their moms quietly supported families and neighborhoods through work, Scouts, sports, and hospitality. The conversation touches on generational realities such as women’s limited ability to sign contracts before 1974, financial strain after divorce, and the importance of checking on others. They also share personal memories, including Marty Hammer’s severe accident and ICU ordeal, Maria’s lonely phone calls, and Judy’s “not today” refrain near the end of her life. 00:00 Park Bench Return 00:43 Listener Voicemails Invite 01:50 Mothers Day Reflections 03:29 Grief Coping Tools 04:37 Moms Who Show Up 05:32 Pick A Pop Memories 07:09 Divorce And Resilience 09:00 Check In On People 10:13 Entrepreneur Mindset 15:23 Sales Luck And No 17:40 Create Your Own Luck 18:50 Handling Rejection 19:11 Rejection Isn’t Personal 19:57 Sales Process and Asking 20:43 Fair Deals and Karma 21:17 Hidden Fees and Tipping Screens 23:55 Back to Mothers and Similarities 24:41 Judy’s Compassion and Passivity 25:54 Aging Parents and Doctor Visits 27:49 Marty’s Accident and Aftermath 33:19 Shoutout to Moms 33:36 Maria Story and Not Today 36:25 Final Farewell Support the show

    37 min

  4. Apr 21

    The St Louis Park Experience: Posters, Postcards, and Parents

    Send Comments and Feedback Posters, Pop Cans, and Park Bench Perspectives Mike Hammer and Carlos Figueroa reminisce on a “park bench” about teen bedroom posters (Farrah Fawcett, Led Zeppelin, Lamborghini, Easy Rider), poster-shopping at places like the Fun Shop and Ridgedale, and trivia that Fernando Valenzuela’s poster surpassed Farrah’s in sales. They recall collecting RC Cola baseball-player cans by digging through Westwood Deli’s stock, confirm RC Cola still exists, and detour into a Vegas blackjack memory. The conversation shifts to beer and bar memorabilia, including distributor neons and personal wall art like a Rat Pack “Royal Flush” poster and a signed Ramones album. Carlos shares a 2003 story of receiving Bubba Gump souvenir glasses from Mike’s sons during a difficult period. They discuss St. Louis Park history (name from the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad; early downtown near Walker/Broadway and Wooddale), the value of the postal service, letters/telegrams, and reflect on parenting, especially Judy Hammer’s resilience and “showing up.” 00:00 Park Bench Intro 00:41 Cuban Family Story 01:24 Teen Posters Debate 02:43 Poster Shopping Memories 05:12 Iconic Posters Trivia 06:08 RC Cola Can Collecting 09:24 Vegas Drinking Detour 11:18 Beer Signs Bar Swag 16:01 Bubba Gump Glasses 19:23 Movie Posters Talk 21:44 Warriors Nostalgia 24:35 St Louis Park Origins 26:39 Elmwood Origins 27:59 Postal Service Debate 29:13 Stamps And Seniors 32:25 Postcards And Letters 34:44 Telegrams And Keepsakes 36:25 Yearbook Secrets 37:40 Judy Tough Love 42:27 Showing Up Parenting 46:26 Youth Sports Costs 50:41 Wrap Up And Plugs Support the show

    53 min

  5. Apr 16

    Tapping the Keg at the St. Louis Park Train Trestle

    Send Comments and Feedback Lady Gaga, Keg Parties, and Park Bench Perspectives From their park bench, Mike Hammer and Carlos Figueroa catch up about Mike attending a  Lady Gaga concert and joking about painkillers for his bad knee, then give a shout-out to classmate Ron Barry’s “BarryFin Day” podcast. They discuss building a listener community around their shared hometown of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and begin reminiscing about favorite local places and teen hangouts: Park National and Carlson fields near the water tower, the Cedar Lake Road train trestle keg parties and police run-ins, Meadowbrook and Cedar Lake “Bareass Beach,” Knollwood Mall, Burger King across Highway 12, Brookview Golf Course, Coast to Coast Hardware, Cooper/Cooper Cameo theaters, and learning to drive at the Honeywell lot. They invite listeners to be guests, tease future St. Louis Park history topics, plug FootPainAuthority.com, and note Carlos’s novel “The Ghost of Lake Ossis” and  baseball-law newsletter. 00:00 Park Bench Intro 00:25 Catching Up 01:02 Lady Gaga Night 02:10 Show Highlights 03:03 Bad Knee Remedies 03:52 BarryFineDay Podcast Shoutout 05:18 Hometown Favorites Setup 05:39 Little League Landmarks 06:53 Train Trestle Keggers 08:01 Keg Party Economics 10:30 Basement Parties And Cops 13:04 Meadowbrook And Beach Spots 14:02 Next House Party Tease 14:11 Running From The Cops 14:41 Why We Do Dumb Stuff 15:06 Prefrontal Cortex Myth 16:25 Staying Curious As Adults 18:04 Talking Yourself In Or Out 19:11 Risk Calculations And Law School 21:08 Norwood Mall Memories 22:19 Golden Valley Adventures 22:44 Golf Courses And Marty 23:59 Coast To Coast Hardware 25:56 Cooper Theater And Honeywell 27:17 Inviting Friends On The Show 27:51 Next Episode Tease 28:24 Projects And Sign Off https://www.buzzsprout.com/2246264 Support the show

    30 min

  6. Apr 14

    Talkin’ ’Bout My St. Louis Park Generations Gen X vs Gen Z Music Swap

    Send us Fan Mail From their “park bench perspective,” Carlos and Mike (“Hammer”) welcome Mike’s Gen Z daughter, Georgia, to discuss generations and music. They joke about Gen X vs. baby boomers, naming conventions like Gen Alpha/Beta, and how streaming and Bluetooth changed music discovery compared with radio. The group sets homework for a cross-generational song exchange to review next week: Carlos assigns The Ramones’ “I Want to Be Sedated,” Mike assigns Neil Young’s “Comes a Time” (favoring the Live Rust version), and Georgia assigns “Stateside” (Zara Larsson remix) and Olivia Dean’s “Man, I Need.” They also touch on music videos, artists’ views on digital music and Guitar Hero, pop-culture drama, and how music shaped family memories, including funerals and concerts Georgia attended as a child. 00:00 Park Bench Intro 00:31 Meet Georgia 00:53 Generations Explained 02:28 Music Swap Setup 04:17 Old School Picks 07:38 Modern Pop Pick 10:10 Mike Picks Neil Young 12:40 Second Georgia Song 14:30 Pop Culture Tease 14:46 Pop Culture Tea 15:20 Fleetwood Mac Drama 16:51 Music and Grief 19:58 Signs and Synchronicity 20:30 Billie Eilish Question 22:12 Mom's Music Influence 24:42 Katy Perry Obsession 27:43 Wrap Up and Song List https://open.spotify.com/playlist/43TAzoJWwrwFcvM9Zry110?si=ueoRSc5uS_KJuGEsnueIbg Support the show

    30 min

  7. Apr 9

    Rockin' the SLP Part 2

    Send Comments and Feedback Rockin' the SLP Park 2 Carlos Figueroa and co-host Mike Hammer chat on Park Bench Perspectives about how music and pets mark life’s timeline while reminiscing about growing up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. They joke about their limited musical talent, Carlos’s LaBelle’s electric guitar that Mike borrowed for lessons, and invite listeners to submit a jingle for the podcast. Memories include hearing “Come Sail Away” at the Piccadilly Circus arcade at Ridgedale, bus adventures to Southdale and skipping school for a Twins opening day at Met Stadium, and Mike bringing home a puppy from 31 Flavors in an ice-cream pail. They discuss Walkmans, punk/new wave, a signed Ramones “End of the Century” cover from cousin Susie, Neil Young’s Live Rust, changing attitudes toward alcohol and marijuana, house parties and bands, and the Zenith house era with dogs Cosmo and Windsor, then close with listener feedback requests and Mike’s insole business plug. 00:00 Welcome to the Bench 01:12 Guitar Dreams and Lessons 02:23 Need a New Theme Song 02:53 Music and Memory Triggers 04:31 Arcade Days at Ridgedale 05:25 Bus Adventures and Mischief 06:54 Puppies at 31 Flavors 10:11 Moped Plant Caper 13:00 Headphones Punk and Mr Baum 14:09 Ramones Devo and Cousin Susie 15:37 Babysitting Chaos and Apple Tossing 17:11 Big Kid Pranks and Chubby Checker 17:39 Pickup Game Memories 18:09 Neil Young Tape Era 19:49 Reefer Madness Talk 20:45 Stoner vs Drinker Labels 24:30 Ride Shares and Cabs 25:27 Band Names and Trivia 26:54 Local Venues and Bandshell 28:42 House Shows and Parties 30:31 Zenith House Stories 32:07 Wrap Up and Thanks Support the show

    34 min

  8. Apr 7

    St Louis Park Plays That Funky Music - Part 1

    Send Comments and Feedback Park Bench Perspective: First Albums, Concert Memories, and Music Discovery Carlos Figueroa and Mike Hammer discuss music from their “park bench” perspective while joking about Carlos’s recent knee surgery and lack of musical talent. They reminisce about early records and where they bought them (Shopper City, Down in the Valley), including first albums like The Who’s Tommy, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Sean Cassidy, and Saturday Night Fever, and talk about influences such as an older sister and radio. They cover favorite artists and genres spanning the Rolling Stones, Doors, Led Zeppelin, REO Speedwagon, Queen, Prince, punk (Ramones, Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop), and rap, and recall concerts and ticket-buying experiences including Paul McCartney, Neil Young (with the Shocking Pinks), Devo, George Strait, and Paul Simon/Bob Dylan. They briefly detour into early cable TV and music video channels, plug Foot Pain Authority insoles and Hammer’s Substack, and invite St. Louis Park musicians to join future episodes. 00:00 Park Bench Intro 00:32 Knee Surgery Catchup 01:06 Why Music Matters 02:24 First Albums Debate 05:05 Early Influences Stories 07:44 Guilty Pleasures And Queen 09:27 Punk Rap Country Mix 11:01 Concert Memories McCartney 12:50 All Night For Neil Young 14:19 Neil Young Breaks The Rules 15:21 Tailgate Heat and Chaos 16:11 Neil Young Live Memories 17:02 Kidhood Movie and Music Discovery 17:39 Hunting Punk Imports 18:34 Old School TV Tech 21:15 Cable Hacks and Early Videos 23:24 Prince and MTV Era 24:27 Albums and Genre Detours 26:39 First Concerts and New Venues 28:47 Adult Shows and War Stories 29:19 Sponsor Plug and Substack 30:44 More Music Ahead Closing Support the show

    32 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Park Bench Perspectives is a conversation-driven podcast about making sense of the world without pretending to have all the answers.  Hosted by Carlos Figueroa and Michael Hammer, two childhood friends who grew up in St Louis Park, MN =.Each episode feels like sitting down on a park bench—no scripts, no hot takes for the sake of it—just thoughtful discussion, honest questions, and a willingness to challenge assumptions.It’s not about being right. It’s about thinking better.

Information

  • Creator
    Carlos Figueroa & Michael Hammer
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Park Bench Perspectives
  • Show Website
    Park Bench Perspectives

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