Another One Bites The Dust

I'm sure you've all heard the news by now: It was reported a few weeks ago that three of the remaining six U.S. Virgin Megastores would be closing in the next few months. But just the other day, it was abruptly announced that, indeed, all remaining U.S. Virgin Megastore locations will be closing down for good by sometime this summer. While I personally don't consider it any big loss (the Megastores lately were rather disappointing in that their stock on hand made them seem like little more than glorified Sam Goody/F.Y.E. stores), it also comes as no surprise with the shape that the music industry is in (the economic crisis notwithstanding).

And therein lies the problem: music stores closing left-and-right no longer shocks or disturbs us like it used to. And it's not just the big chain music stores, but even the independently-owned ones are disappearing at an alarming rate as well. (Read the story in the current issue of "Rolling Stone" magazine to see just how bad it's gotten.) That's why you'll once again find the banner for the second annual Record Store Day on the sidebar of my blog. Independent stores need our business now more than ever, so I encourage all of you out there to mark April 18 on your calendars, put aside a 20-dollar bill (more if you can afford it), find the nearest independent record store near you, and just go buy one record or CD ... just one will help show your support for the ailing independent record store industry. That's not a lot to ask, is it, really? Not only will you be helping them out, but you'll be adding a little more music to your life (or to someone else's, if you have an excuse to get a friend or loved one a gift around that time) ... and we could all use a little more music in our lives now more than ever.

So, please, I ask you ... while Amazon sure is convenient as all-get-out, there's just nothing like walking the aisles of a real music store and shuffling through the racks of albums while some perhaps-unfamiliar music plays through the speakers and the clerks and customers chit-chat about their favorite artists. I know I've droned on about this from time to time, but I'd really hate to see these businesses disappear off the landscape -- and it's up to all of you to keep that from happening.