San Francisco Chronicle Article on Independent Record Stores

[Dig'Em]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...;type=printable

[J Larsen]

I spent an inordinate percentage of my youth loitering in several of the stores mentioned in that article. Recycled records, Streetlight, Mod Lang, Aquarius (which at the time was owned by the father of the quarterback of my high school's football team - I'd go into the store to see if there was a new record out on Drag City or Merge and he'd kid around that he wanted to trade kids with my mom), Rasputin.... those places felt like home to me. I hope they manage to survive.

[Chuck Nessa]

No mention of Rick Ballard's Groove Yard!

[Jim R]

I spent an inordinate percentage of my youth loitering in several of the stores mentioned in that article.

We probably hung out without realizing it. I used to hit Berkeley and Oakland about every other weekend back in the 80's and early 90's. But perhaps the best used record store I ever frequented had a dirt floor and blue sky for a roof: the Marin City flea market. God, I miss that place (and not just for records).

[Jim R]

No mention of Rick Ballard's Groove Yard!

Nor his former partner's place- Berigan's (unless I overlooked it).

[John L]

My son worked in that Amoeba a year ago. He told me something extremely interesting that goes along with this article.

Amoeba now apparently does most of its business through its policy of buying back used CDs at half price. You can imagine what people are using that for. It's cheaper than iTunes.

My son said it was like a CD rental store. The same CDs kept going out and coming back in the next day.

Edited March 29, 2007 by John L

[sal]

Just wanted to chime in that I had my first visit to Amoeba a couple weeks back while vacationing in the Bay area, and I thought it was the greatest music store I've ever been in! May they stay open for many more years.