2008 Woodie Awards
Vinyl Records: Dead medium, or alive and spinning?
Katie O'Hara
Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: A&E
Since the recent closing of Tower Records, music shops like Rasputin and Streetlight Records have had a huge increase in business. According to Jeff Brummet, who has been working at Streetlight for nearly a decade, "Its good for us and it's good for the consumer. Tower Records didn't offer used CD's. This gives the consumer more options at a less expensive price."
However, despite changes, good old vinyl and the people who support it remain a dying breed. Jeff Evans, who has run "On The Corner Music" since its opening last November, believes it really hasn't had much effect. Evans states, "In a big town, you always think that someone could appreciate an independent idea. There's a dire need for more art and culture in San Jose, but it doesn't fit the mold."
With hopes of emulating the kinds of record shops you might find more of in San Francisco, "On The Corner Music" had trials right from the start. Problems finding a location to rent initially jeopardized plans, thanks to the ghost of a record shop called "Pirate Cat."
"Pirate Cat" sold primarily punk rock records, but proved to be so specialized that there wasn't enough of a demand to keep them in business. Furthermore, there was already a lot of hesitance in renting to a first -time owner of a new business regardless.
When "On The Corner Music" found a place to rent, the location was a fixer-upper next to a car dealership. After taking a year to clean up, make repairs and rev up for business, the store finally opened. Generally, their customers now are DJ's, audio purists, collectors, nostalgic consumers and kids looking for cheap music.
Despite the fact that independent record stores don't exactly have a great track record of being hugely successful in San Jose, there are always exceptions. One such has been "Big Al's Record Barn", which for almost 30 years has managed to pull its weight and stay in business. Al Farleigh, aka Big Al himself, states in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, "It's something to see. The store is like a museum. I'm 74, and the guy who works for me is 82. It's a lot of fun."
However, despite changes, good old vinyl and the people who support it remain a dying breed. Jeff Evans, who has run "On The Corner Music" since its opening last November, believes it really hasn't had much effect. Evans states, "In a big town, you always think that someone could appreciate an independent idea. There's a dire need for more art and culture in San Jose, but it doesn't fit the mold."
With hopes of emulating the kinds of record shops you might find more of in San Francisco, "On The Corner Music" had trials right from the start. Problems finding a location to rent initially jeopardized plans, thanks to the ghost of a record shop called "Pirate Cat."
"Pirate Cat" sold primarily punk rock records, but proved to be so specialized that there wasn't enough of a demand to keep them in business. Furthermore, there was already a lot of hesitance in renting to a first -time owner of a new business regardless.
When "On The Corner Music" found a place to rent, the location was a fixer-upper next to a car dealership. After taking a year to clean up, make repairs and rev up for business, the store finally opened. Generally, their customers now are DJ's, audio purists, collectors, nostalgic consumers and kids looking for cheap music.
Despite the fact that independent record stores don't exactly have a great track record of being hugely successful in San Jose, there are always exceptions. One such has been "Big Al's Record Barn", which for almost 30 years has managed to pull its weight and stay in business. Al Farleigh, aka Big Al himself, states in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, "It's something to see. The store is like a museum. I'm 74, and the guy who works for me is 82. It's a lot of fun."
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Dan
posted 10/14/07 @ 11:03 PM PST
Vinyl, like all obsolete media will never completley die. There will always be believers, and the curious to support it. My younger daughter, now 22, just bought a turntable and is playing our old vinyl. (Continued…)
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