I get sad watching this
Knowing the fate of record stores.
shareMe too, and it annoys me when younger people say that record stores have made a comeback. No they haven't. Owning vinyl wasn't a "thing" or a fad like it is now, but not so much lately as I've noticed some vinyl stores closing up in favor of Gaming/Vape storefronts. Ha!
I had three independent record stores I use to hang out at and peruse the shelves and talking to the store staff asking them about certain bands and albums. That whole culture was even experiencing a waning back in the late 80s/early 90s as corporate record stores like Blockbuster Music, Warehouse Music, Sam Goody, and even mega bookstore chains started preening customers away. The Internet pretty much killed all of them.
Remember singers doing in store signings at Sam Goody?
shareI remember the Pop bands and singers like Tiffany and Stacy Q but I never sought those out.
I avoided Sam Goody for the most part because their prices were atrocious.
I remember some happening at Tower Records too. Miss that era :(
shareTower Records was pretty good at carrying local bands that weren't signed to major record labels and they'd have live performances as well, including House Music DJs and such.
Most of the public music venues (pre-pandemic) today are dedicated to mumble-rappers who have soundcloud accounts. I don't know why that genre has persisted because for a rap genre I just don't find it appealing. Lyrically most of it is juvenile commentary about social media status and being narcissistic. I miss the old rap that spoke about the condition of the world or personal lives. Now it's laced with Fantasy-driven drivel.