Record Store Day --- Sort of...
So, Record Store Day. A great idea, really. With sales of physical product falling steadily over the years, a day where independent stores band together to promote their existence, with free stuff and in store stuff and such, yeah. Good idea.
Except the local record stores are parts of chains, even if Slacker's says otherwise. There are too many locations for it to be considered an 'independent' store. And they sell far more video games than music these days, so I go where I usually go here in town, the last Streetside Records location in the FREE WORLD!
Time was, Streetside Records had locations in St. Louis (where is started, I believe), Columbia and Kansas City. Well, the St. Louis stores closed over the years, and the last KC store has already closed or is doing so shortly. Streetside was bought by FYE a few years ago, and they are no longer the same sort of store that they used to be. Not for a lack of trying, because their current manager has great ideas and a passion for what he's doing. Still, it's tough to do what they used to do.
This weekend, they had 'Record Store Weekend' and did what they could to jump on the coattails of the Record Store Day bandwagon. Since they have been great to me over the years, and know me by name, I take my trade there. And this year they had a Buy 2 Used, Get 1 Free deal going on.
I snagged the following:
The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
Styx - Crystal Ball
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Pearl Jam - Ten
Muse - HAARP
and in a colossal screw up, Disc Two of Lynard Skynard - Gold & Platinum
Why were they selling this disc by itself? Why did they BUY this disc by itself? And yeah, 20 years later, I break down and buy Pearl Jam...and 35 years later I snag Styx...boy, I'm all over it, right?
The Skynard is going to go back, if they'll let me. Hopefully, I can find something for the same price to replace it. They do tend to take care of me, so I'm not terribly worried. Being as I love live albums, the Muse release should be up my alley. And as an added bonus, it's got a DVD!
Except the local record stores are parts of chains, even if Slacker's says otherwise. There are too many locations for it to be considered an 'independent' store. And they sell far more video games than music these days, so I go where I usually go here in town, the last Streetside Records location in the FREE WORLD!
Time was, Streetside Records had locations in St. Louis (where is started, I believe), Columbia and Kansas City. Well, the St. Louis stores closed over the years, and the last KC store has already closed or is doing so shortly. Streetside was bought by FYE a few years ago, and they are no longer the same sort of store that they used to be. Not for a lack of trying, because their current manager has great ideas and a passion for what he's doing. Still, it's tough to do what they used to do.
This weekend, they had 'Record Store Weekend' and did what they could to jump on the coattails of the Record Store Day bandwagon. Since they have been great to me over the years, and know me by name, I take my trade there. And this year they had a Buy 2 Used, Get 1 Free deal going on.
I snagged the following:
The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
Styx - Crystal Ball
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Pearl Jam - Ten
Muse - HAARP
and in a colossal screw up, Disc Two of Lynard Skynard - Gold & Platinum
Why were they selling this disc by itself? Why did they BUY this disc by itself? And yeah, 20 years later, I break down and buy Pearl Jam...and 35 years later I snag Styx...boy, I'm all over it, right?
The Skynard is going to go back, if they'll let me. Hopefully, I can find something for the same price to replace it. They do tend to take care of me, so I'm not terribly worried. Being as I love live albums, the Muse release should be up my alley. And as an added bonus, it's got a DVD!