Tower Records in Campbell CA. There were two buildings right next to each other, one with records and tapes, and the other one with posters and a head shop in the back. I don't know how many posters ended up on my walls from that store, but there were quite a few over the years. My parents both partook, so while they were in the head shop, I would check out the posters. I was too young to go back into the head shop. After I left for the Navy, I was stationed on a Naval base on the isolated island of Adak, AK. This was just before the internet started to be wide spread, so my only link to new music was to watch 120 Minutes on MTV which was part of the on base cable TV system. I would see videos of bands, and call my Dad, who would go to Tower, buy the CDs and then mail them up to me. I saw a video from the Smashing Pumpkins. The next time I called my Dad I asked him to pick up their CD Gish. He called me back a few days later saying he went to Tower, but they had never heard of the Squished Pumpkins. After laughing, I told him it was "Smashing", he had misheard me. He went back, got the CD and sent it to me.
Unfortunately I can't remember the names of the store I grew up with except for Kemp Mill Music which at its peak had 30+ stores in the DC metro area. The last one closed a few years ago. The owner was coocoo crazy.
I also grew up going to NYC frequently and shopping at Bleeker Bobs and Sounds.
@Bentleyspop I remember them. Did you ever go to Penguin Feathers on The Rockville Pike, or Peaches. I remember going to those two when I was in High School. Penguin Feathers also sold weed paraphernalia if remember correctly.
I do remember those. The one I grew up with was in downtown Bethesda called Record City or something like that. And of course I used to go to Yesterday and Today in Silver Spring and then Rockville.
Of course we had Tower Records in DC and Rockville which is technically where I saw PJ for the first time.
Wow. I remember Yesterday and Today. Haven't thought of that place in a long time.
Tower Records in Campbell CA. There were two buildings right next to each other, one with records and tapes, and the other one with posters and a head shop in the back. I don't know how many posters ended up on my walls from that store, but there were quite a few over the years. My parents both partook, so while they were in the head shop, I would check out the posters. I was too young to go back into the head shop. After I left for the Navy, I was stationed on a Naval base on the isolated island of Adak, AK. This was just before the internet started to be wide spread, so my only link to new music was to watch 120 Minutes on MTV which was part of the on base cable TV system. I would see videos of bands, and call my Dad, who would go to Tower, buy the CDs and then mail them up to me. I saw a video from the Smashing Pumpkins. The next time I called my Dad I asked him to pick up their CD Gish. He called me back a few days later saying he went to Tower, but they had never heard of the Squished Pumpkins. After laughing, I told him it was "Smashing", he had misheard me. He went back, got the CD and sent it to me.
120 minutes was an amazing show for it's time. Before that it was Reflex and Maximum Rock n Roll for me.
Me too. Big Time. I remember making a road trip to Toronto back in the early 90's when someone told me it had the highest concentration of record stores in North America. Sam The Record Man was my favorite and the one I remember most. The gigantic neon turntables were a sight to behold.
+1 on Sam.
PJ: 2013: London (ON); Buffalo; 2014: Cincinnati; 2016: Sunrise, Miami, Toronto 1-2, Wrigley 2; 2018: London (UK) 1, Milan, Padova, Sea 2, Wrigley 1-2, Fenway 1-2; 2021: SHN, Ohana, Ohana Encore 1-2; 2022: LA 1-2, Phx, Oak 1-2, Fresno, Copenhagen, Hyde Park 1-2; Quebec, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto; MSG, Camden, Nashville, Louisville, St. Louis, OKC; 2023: St. Paul 1-2, Chicago 1-2; Fort Worth 2; Austin 1-2; 2024: Vancouver 1-2, LV 1-2, LA 1-2, Napa, Barcelona 1-2
EV Solo: 2017 Louisville and Franklin, 2018 Ohana, 2019 Innings Fest, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Dublin and Ohana; 2021 Ohana Friday (from beach) and Saturday; 2022 Earthlings Newark; 2023 Innings Fest and Benoraya 1-2.
Gutted: London 2 2018, Sacramento 2022, Noblesville 2023
Me too. Big Time. I remember making a road trip to Toronto back in the early 90's when someone told me it had the highest concentration of record stores in North America. Sam The Record Man was my favorite and the one I remember most. The gigantic neon turntables were a sight to behold.
I never got the chance to see the big neon turntables on Toronto. :( We had 2 Sam The Record Man stores in Nova Scotia. They were both the best!
Another one I've missed was HMV. Their Spring Garden Road location was amazing! Hooking me up with Yield promo goodies. I've scored many imported Pearl Jam CD's from them.
Rock Records - Downtown Chicago G-Bs Books and Records - Decatur IL Crows Nest - Someone already mentioned this one above Val's halla Records - Oak Park Dave's Records - Chicago Jazz Record Mart - Chicago Permanent Records - Chicago
Crow's Nest - Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time
Down near Kankakee, we used to have a record store / head shop called 'Chicago Records'. I thought for certain they would have been out of business by Napster, since their primary revenue stream seemed to be bootlegs & knockoffs.
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Gutted: London 2 2018, Sacramento 2022, Noblesville 2023
I never got the chance to see the big neon turntables on Toronto. :( We had 2 Sam The Record Man stores in Nova Scotia. They were both the best!
Crow's Nest - Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time
Down near Kankakee, we used to have a record store / head shop called 'Chicago Records'. I thought for certain they would have been out of business by Napster, since their primary revenue stream seemed to be bootlegs & knockoffs.
Much to my surprise, a quick google search provided:
https://www.facebook.com/rosschicagorecords/
Apparently still the best head shop in town