Comments on: Music Millennium closing store on NW 23rd

By: James

James — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:01:09 +0000

The music millennium store on nw23rd closing has everything to do with how technology is shaping our society. Instead of the internet being a tool that provides us access to information, it is making us lazy, and apathetic. I saw a commercial for HDTV once, and it showed all of these baseball fields, football stadiums, concert stages, and other venues empty and void of chairs. In the final scene, it shows all the chairs gathered around an HDTV, and the message was something to the effect of, “Why go here(venues), when could get the experience of a life time here(HDTV).” Technology in a way, is pushing us into a sort of self isolation in which the entertainment industry is telling you… “Why go see your fave sports team at the colliseum, when you could see them on HDTV?”, or “Why go to the music store, when you could download your music from the internet?” They are taking away the most essential ingredient of humanity…community. Communing with people online is not the same as communing with people in person. With more and more things becoming available via the internet, people treat human interaction like dealing with the middle man on an insurance claim. In times like these we should be pushing more than ever to make sure that we show everyone that human interaction takes more presidence over covenience.

By: James

James — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:57:44 +0000

The music millennium store on nw23rd closing has everything to do with how technology is shaping our society. Instead of the internet being a tool that provides us access to information, it is making us lazy, and apathetic. I saw a commercial for HDTV once, and it showed all of these empty baseball fields, football stadiums, concert stages, and other venues empty and void of chairs. In the final scene, it shows all the chairs gathered around an HDTV, and the message was something to the effect of, “Why go here(venues), when could get the experience of a life time here(HDTV).” Technology in a way, is pushing us into a sort of self isolation in which the entertainment industry is telling you… “Why go see your fave sports team at the colliseum, when you could see them on HDTV?”, or “Why go to the music store, when you could download your music from the internet?” They are taking away the most essential ingredient of humanity, community. Communing with people online is not the same as communing with people in person. With more and more things becoming available via the internet, people treat human interaction like dealing with the middle man on an insurance claim. In times like these we should be pushing more than ever to make sure that we show everyone that human interaction takes more presidence over covenience.

By: James

James — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:57:34 +0000

The music millennium store on nw23rd closing has everything to do with how technology is shaping our society. Instead of the internet being a tool that provides us access to information, it is making us lazy, and apathetic. I saw a commercial for HDTV once, and it showed all of these empty baseball fields, football stadiums, concert stages, and other venues empty and void of chairs. In the final scene, it shows all the chairs gathered around an HDTV, and the message was something to the effect of, “Why go here(venues), when could get the experience of a life time here(HDTV).” Technology in a way, is pushing us into a sort of self isolation in which the entertainment industry is telling you… “Why go see your fave sports team at the colliseum, when you could see them on HDTV?”, or “Why go to the music store, when you could download your music from the internet?” They are taking away the most essential ingredient of humanity, community. Communing with people online is not the same as communing with people in person. With more and more things becoming available via the internet, people treat human interaction like dealing with the middle man on an insurance claim. In times like these we should be pushing more than ever to make sure that we show everyone that human interaction takes more presidence over covenience.

By: Nino

Nino — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:40:20 +0000

I’m quite happy to see so many people sharing their thoughts on the closure of MM On 23rd. I’ll admit I’m personally sad to see it close. While I do purchase my fair share of music online I also like to hit MM for their selection of local CDS (like I mentioned in the post above). It’s a great way to sample the local music scene. I also like the crazy mixture of stuff in the store. I’ll have to drop by the E. Burnside location soon.

By: warner

warner — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:29:30 +0000

I think the range of comments here are a good sampling and tell us all we need to know as to why this is happening.

I have spent many wonderful hours in both MM stores, as well as EM. I will miss more what it represents than the actual store itself. As long as we have the Burnside store, we have the view to the past glories of record stores intact.

Josh, your comment has inspired me to keep my 1500+ vinyl albums right where they are. Thanks.

By: dieselboi

dieselboi — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:43:45 +0000

Josh,
Great comment. I am just getting into vinyl again, not that I was “into” vinyl as a kid. I do love the warmer sound and it is fun to make record shopping a kind of quest. You’ll never know what you’ll come across.

By: josh

josh — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:27:26 +0000

As we all know, we are a drive through society with very little patience. Could be why so many buy “Their” songs online rather than going to the music store, standing in line, seeing a goth face and buying a whole album. 3 songs outta 15 are good, but hey where is the bang for my buck?

Hence the demise of the record store. Some have not been in a record store with a worker that has been a roadie with Jefferson airplane, the gratefule dead, or the police. Experiences and tales of old are dead. We can get our music in a click and dance the night away. Anyone wonder why the CD or MP3 sounds great, but on Good Morning America or in concert they sound lousy…
hmmmm. “Sound Studio+Sound Engineer=Record deal”

I can admit that I bought my first vinyl album in the mid 70’s and it was the Star Wars I soundtrack. It came with a coupon with a poster I still have, and some great art. The second is of E.L.O. all over the world. The album art launched me into the artist I am today. I stared for many hours as a young child into those images and listened on vinyl to those songs.

Music is a living thing, it involves every beat of our lives, and we all have our favorites. True musicians will tell you tone is everything and some search for vintage tone, to make modern records. Music will evolve, but I think just like alot of fades spawned by corporate america, what’s new becomes old, and what is old becomes hipp again. Save your vinyl if not for your gratitude, but for your kids, grandkids, and maybe grandkiddies…

By: Himself

Himself — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 20:39:33 +0000

Sadly, record stores are a dying breed. MM on Burnside is very similar to the record store where I hung out growing up. They sold not just records, but concert tickets, t-shirts, posters, bongs and pipes, rolling papers and incense.

CDs overtaking records was the first nail in the coffin. Sure, the little booklet insert is cool. But what about that glorious cover art? And how are you supposed to clean your weed and roll a joint on a CD case?

I don’t know if MM still has any vestiges of their head shop upstairs, but to all the kiddies who download their music on the internet, you should experience a real record store before they’re all gone.

By: recordsrock

recordsrock — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:23:47 +0000

My teenage years were spent flipping through albums in the East Side Store. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that shop. Just rounding the corner of 32nd and Burnside brings on huge waves of nostalgia. The floor still creeks in many of the same spots. The upstairs has seen lots of change as has the front counter . . . .but the store still just rox my flippin sox

By: george

george — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:53:49 +0000

i can’t see how in 20 years there will be more then 6 or so record stores in the whole city… probably mostly selling vinyl.

pretty soon some pay service will get everyone whatever song they want on demand for a monthly charge.