This entry was posted on Friday, April 18th, 2008 at 1:20 pm and is filed under Magnanimous Collector. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
We live in an age when many goods and services – from groceries to books and music – can be secured online without ever having to leave the comfort of one’s own home. The infrastructure of mom and pop shops has taken a hit, particularly in the book and music market, as online retailers like Amazon, eBay and iTunes gain prominence.
All the more reason for Record Store Day, an event that shines a spotlight on the importance of independent record shops both as unique resources of music knowledge and as community hubs for human interaction. As Nick Hornby, author of the novel “High Fidelity,” – a loving homage to the quirky joys of old-fashioned record shops — opines on the Record Store Day website, “Yes, yes, I know. It’s easier to download music, and probably cheaper. But what’s playing on your favorite download store when you walk into it? Nothing, that’s what. Who are you going to meet in there? Nobody.”
Asked about the importance of the celebration, Bob Say, owner of the Valley’s Freakbeat Records, says, “We want to let people know that real record stores – neighborhood record stores – still exist. We’re still here. We’re still selling records – we’re selling lots of records, both vinyl and CDs.”
On Saturday hundreds of record shops from across the world link spiritually to celebrate the culture of music stores. Several L.A. area retailers are joining in the fun, featuring an exciting array of sales, events and live performances. Visit the store nearest you to lend your dollars to the cause of keeping independent record stores alive and well in the 21st Century. Here is a handful of highlights:
Amoeba Music in Hollywood will host live DJ sets from Peanut Butter Wolf and the Donnas, with special sales and giveaways throughout the day.
Fingerprints (562-433-4996) in Long Beach will host Rob Halford from Judas Priest for a signing from 4pm-6pm. After that the shop closes and Limbeck plays at 6pm, Silversun Pickups at 8pm. You must be on a list to attend those shows; call or show up to get on the list but be aware that Limbeck’s list is still open today and Silversun’s reopens at 1pm tomorrow. Also, there will be a line-up for tickets to a Portishead presale and rehearsal show give-away at 10:30am (drawing at 11am). Plus Coachella ticket give-aways and all sorts of sales.
Freakbeat Records in Sherman Oaks will mark all 99 cent LPs and CDs down to a quarter. Everything else in the store will be 10% off the sticker price. There will also be giveaways of free CDs, posters and more.
Melrose Avenue’s punk rock specialty store, Headline Records, is offering a free Club Card – which entitles customers to 25% off all merchandise — with a minimum $10 purchase.
–Jason Gelt
Photo: Record Store Day
Read more of the Magnanimous Collector here.
Tom’s last name is Gracyk…I think you quoted Bob Say, the store’s owner.