Surrender

Grouchy old guy grumbles, record store losses sale.

I was all excited about Record Store Day. I simply love the record store- I have a hard time buying CDs online, I would much rather pick up a slab of vinyl, examine the cover and buy on site. I mean, 'I yam what I yam' 'cause of hanging around in the records store. I bought all my great, now vintage, hip-hop 12" at Apollo and Record Theatre- back in the day.

Yesterday was National Record Store Day and I decided to take a trip to one of the last remaining stores in town, the Record Theatre at Main and Lafayette which I frequent often. The girls hopped in the car to go with me and we took the short trip to the store. As soon as we walked in this band started playing. Now I like an in-store appearance as much as the next guy, but they were too loud. When I say loud, I mean blaring, midnight-at-the-Mohawk-Place-loud! It was two in the afternoon and the band was blaring! It was too much, I couldn't hear my daughters speaking to me, one inch from my face! So maybe I am getting old, but I have always preferred a quiet record store trip... like perusing stacks at library. I like music playing in the store while I shop, but I like background tunes. The song you sorta hear, and if it catches your ear, you go up to the counter and say, "hey, what is this playing, this is cool..." This was not that kind of music, it was so loud we left and my ears were ringing (I kid you not)!

I had three 45s in my hand: a Smiths re-issue of Handsome Devil b/w Oscillate Wildly (A fine instrumental), the MC5 Kick Out The Jams 45 and a Springsteen 45 for my brother-in-law. I put them back in the racks and we left. My record store experience was ruined and they loss a sale-- a small one mind you, but a sale, never-the-less.

Record Theatre- do yourself a favor- no in-store events- unless they are unplugged, please!