more on virgin

seriously is this the plot to empire records?  i've been reading more about the whole thing with virgin megastores closing, and basically the stores are still profitable, but the real estate company that bought them just wanted the real estate and basically just bought them out for the locations so other stores can open up.  what??

damn the man! save the empire!!

we still have indie shops here in denver.  we still have places much, much better.  i just hope we always have them because virgin has always been my backup plan in case the fantastic indie shops go under.  i will not participate in the non-physical release of music.  f that.

here is a story that starts with "Interested in picking up a new CD during your lunch break downtowm?  Soon your options for where to do that will go from one to zero."  While this is technically true, just wait until after work and drive out to Colfax & University.  I do think it's sad that there won't be a store DOWNTOWN, but there are still stores in town, quite nearby.  0

i was also reading this story from the denver post (by the way, how horrible is it that the rocky mountain news went under?  somebody needs to fix this economy thing), and there were some quotes that baffled me.  just baffled me.  i hope this isn't a reflection of general denver.  i think it's mostly a reflection of the folks that do the majority of their music buying at virgin.  which is a weird concept to me, but...here are the quotes:

-23 year old said "I always buy CDs.  This is a one-stop shop.  I guess I'll go to Best Buy or an independent record shop."  At least the idea is in his head that independent record shops are an option.  But first, he mentioned BEST BUY first.  They have the selection of a best buy.  Second, he said "I guess."  As if it's such an inconvenience, or such a downer to walk into twist & shout, where everybody is super nice, where there is heart, where the selection is probably BETTER than virgin, where you're supporting the local DENVER ECONOMY, where there is plentiful free parking, where they have a fantastic vinyl selection, where you're not in downtown.  Oh man, i guess i will have to settle with the indies.  

-the other wasn't a quote, so my quote is of the article: (26-year-old) "said her music comes equally from a store in CD format and online via iTunes.  When Virgin closes, she'll just stick with online, she said."  DENVER.  PLEASE.  why is the closing of ONE store, one of your MANY options, the thing that kicks you off of cds?  I know itunes is easy but shoot.  The quality of those mp3s is horrible.  and DRM!  

I guess that's just what happens when you do a story about virgin megastore by interviewing people at virgin megastore.  And the responses I'd like to hear are the ones they'd get asking Wax Trax customers what they thought of Virgin closing.  Or if they asked me.

But the underlying PROBLEM here is that the mainstream isn't even these two people they interviewed for this story.  The mainstream actually probably gets the majority of their music from best buy or target or itunes.  The mainstream probably doesn't even go to Virgin.

I just hope the man bringing down the Empire helps out the indies.  I hope that 23-year-old wanders into Twist & Shout and is their newest loyal customer.  I hope if he goes to Best Buy he realizes they don't have what he needs.  I hope there are more people they didn't interview that would have shrugged and said "I'll just go to the local independent store."  I hope that's the case for all the cities that are losing their precious virgins.