Episode 3: The Boys of Summer
Last Night at the Mall is a Millennial nostalgia fiction podcast about four best friends, one unforgettable night at the mall in 2006, and a mystery that follows them for the next twenty years.
Before the night’s biggest surprises begin, Cody, Jordan, Tyler, and Wes settle into the rhythms of a typical night together: stories, girls, awkward conversations, and the steady realization that everything they know is about to change.
A battle erupts in the parking lot. Old memories resurface inside the mall. Familiar faces unexpectedly reappear. And as the future approaches faster than any of them are ready for, Cody begins to wonder how one decision can create an entirely new life while leaving countless other possibilities behind. Sometimes, the hardest part of growing up is saying goodbye to everything that could have been.
Preorder Bundle Now Available
Last Night at the Mall is a Millennial nostalgia fiction podcast currently streaming on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms and soon to be available as a paperback novel, releasing February 9, 2027.*
Four friends return to their hometown to attend the funeral of the first of them to pass away. Confronted by their own mortality, they flash back to their last wild night together at the local shopping mall 20 years earlier, when they all still felt invincible. It’s a night that culminates in a little love, a lot of stupidity, the most juvenile heist of all time, a medium-speed car chase, and a decades-long mystery.
The Last Night at the Mall - Preorder Bundle is an exclusive package that contains the following:
Signed paperback copy of Last Night at the Mall - Launch Edition (comes numbered 1-100 for this limited run)**
Podcast’s full theme song single on a custom burned CD
Arcade token (No cash value metal coin)
Printed mall map
Audiobook version of the book as an MP3 that you download and own forever
Ebook version of the book for phone, e-reader, or computer
Last Night at the Mall stickers
Yearbook signatures page featuring characters from the story
Images of the rest of the bundle contents are coming soon.
*Preorder bundles will be carefully prepared and shipped as close to the February 9, 2027 release date as possible.
**Product image is a placeholder - the look of the final book cover may vary
The LAST NIGHT AT THE MALL Preorder Bundle is an exclusive package that comes with the following:
Signed paperback copy of Last Night at the Mall - Launch Edition (comes numbered 1-100 for this limited run)
Podcast’s full theme song single on a custom burned CD
Arcade token (No cash value metal coin)
Printed mall map
Audiobook version of the book as an MP3 that you download and own forever
Ebook version of the book for phone, e-reader, or computer
Last Night at the Mall stickers
Yearbook signatures page featuring characters from the story
*Please note the product image is a placeholder - the look of the final book cover may vary
**Images of the rest of the contents of the bundle are coming soon
***Release date is not yet finalized but should be early December, 2026
20 Albums You Won’t Believe Are OVer 20 Years Old
When was the last time you looked up one of your favorite albums from high school... and regretted it, because you realized how long ago it was released? Somehow, a bunch of the CDs that I remember picking up from the store, some of them the day they came out, the ones we loaded onto our first iPods, and blasted on our car stereos driving home from the mall... are now over twenty years old. Some of them are turning twenty-five this year.
Ouch, right?
Despite the pain it brought me, I put together a list of 20 Albums You Won't Believe Are Over 20 Years Old. It's a trip back to a time when buying a CD was an event. Not just because of the struggle of trying to peel open the plastic wrap with your teeth, but reading the lyrics on the little fold-out booklet, and checking out the album liner notes, while you listened to it in your room and were supposed to be doing your homework.
To tell you the truth, I really miss that experience.
This list will be a fun trip down memory lane for most of us, but, fair warning, it may also make you realize that 20 years goes super fast.
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Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001)
blink-182
A pinnacle of pop-punk culture, combining fast-paced guitar riffs, humorous lyrics, and anthemic choruses about youth, heartbreak, and summer misadventures.
Commit This to Memory (2005)
Motion City Soundtrack
Produced by blink-182's Mark Hoppus, this emo pop-punk staple masterfully blends bright Moog synthesizer hooks, frantic energy, and neurotically honest, self-deprecating lyricism.
Toxicity (2001)
System of a Down
An alternative metal landmark that defined early-2000s heavy music, combining frantic tempos, sharp political commentary, dynamic vocal acrobatics, and iconic rock anthems.
Oops!... I Did It Again (2000)
Britney Spears
A landmark pop album that solidified Britney Spears' global stardom, featuring iconic dance-pop anthems, polished Y2K production, and timeless radio hits.
Meteora (2003)
Linkin Park
A seminal nu-metal and alternative rock record that seamlessly fused heavy guitar riffs, hip-hop beats, electronic textures, and Chester Bennington's deeply emotional vocals.
From Under the Cork Tree (2005)
Fall Out Boy
Packed with wordy, satirical titles and infectious pop-punk hooks, this breakthrough album catapulted Fall Out Boy into mainstream rock and emo superstardom.
Millennium (1999)
Backstreet Boys
One of the best-selling albums of all time, this boy band classic defined late-'90s pop with explosive harmonies, soaring ballads, and stadium-filling choruses.
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)
50 Cent
Executive produced by Dr. Dre and Eminem, 50 Cent's debut redefined early-2000s gangsta rap with raw street storytelling, heavy production, and unmatched melodic hooks.
Sticks and Stones (2002)
New Found Glory
A quintessential pop-punk release that helped define the early 2000s sound with driving drum rhythms, sing-along choruses, and high-energy guitar hooks.
No Strings Attached (2000)
NSYNC
A record-breaking pop powerhouse that blended urban pop beats, energetic dance tracks, and smooth vocal arrangements, driving the turn-of-the-millennium pop craze.
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005) Panic! At The Disco
An eccentric debut that blended theatrical vaudeville, electronic dance beats, and witty emo lyricism into an instant mid-2000s pop-punk phenomenon.
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005)
Coheed and Cambria
A sprawling progressive rock concept album filled with intricate guitar solos, dramatic narrative arcs, and ambitious emo-tinged sci-fi storytelling.
The Black Parade (2006)
My Chemical Romance
A theatrical rock opera masterpiece centered on mortality and redemption, combining punk rock energy, Queen-esque classic rock grandeur, and iconic emo aesthetics.
Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Red Hot Chili Peppers
A massive double album packed with melodic funk-rock, soaring John Frusciante guitar solos, and infectious grooves that earned multiple Grammy Awards.
Continuum (2006)
John Mayer
A critically acclaimed blues-pop fusion album showcasing Mayer's incredible guitar craftsmanship, soulful vocals, and reflective songwriting on life, love, and society.
No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls (2002)
Simple Plan
The band's high-energy debut album, filled with relatable teenage angst, catchy guitar hooks, and quintessential early-2000s pop-punk radio anthems.
Chuck (2004)
Sum 41
A heavier, thrash-metal-infused punk rock record named after a UN peacekeeper who aided the band in Congo, showcasing aggressive riffs and socially conscious lyricism.
The College Dropout (2004)
Kanye West
A groundbreaking hip-hop debut that revolutionized rap production with pitched-up soul samples, vulnerable lyrics, and sharp social commentary.
FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006)
Justin Timberlake
A pop/R&B album produced alongside Timbaland that pioneered futuristic electro-pop textures, funk grooves, and smooth vocal performances.
All We Know Is Falling (2005)
Paramore
The debut album that introduced Paramore to the world, featuring raw pop-punk instrumentation and Hayley Williams' powerful vocal talent.