that venerable, once world-wide, music, movie and bookstore, tower records is no more. this morning's paper announced in large type that the music retailer, in its 2nd bankruptcy in 4 years, was sold off yesterday and is now in the process of liquidation. in a few weeks the stores will probably be shuttered and gone forever. it couldn't keep apace with discount chains and online sales.

started in the 1960s here in sacramento tower was the place when i was growing up to find alternative and imported records and books. it kept its counter-culture vibe by allowing its employees to dress and behave how they wanted. the retailer's ethic of deep-catalogue inventories and its knowledgeable staff, individuals who loved, loved, loved music, kept the place humming in the pre-internet era. everybody who wanted the latest black flag album, or thrasher magazine, shopped there. when i was a kid the stores had a vast array of punk music, and if i couldn't afford an album 1 week, i'd stash it in the stacks of say jazz where it would hide for at least a couple of weeks until i could scrape up enough change.

it's easy to become nostalgic over tower's passing. but the world changes and moves in directions we cannot control. i still love passing thru its doors and seeing what's to be had on its shelves. i buy most of my movies that way, and a good portion of trade books. i stopped by the stores at least a couple times a months.

today, i took nicholas with me to wash the car then go to tower. the place as you can imagine was packed. i bought a book and dvd, 2 terrific finds that i'll try to write about later, and stood in a long line and waited. the wait seemed to go like greased lightning. i was tickling nicholas and digging the vibe of the store, knowing full well that when the store is gone it can never be replaced.