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Re: Record Stores
Matt’s post yesterday got me thinking about my own record store experiences, specifically the times I’ve felt like a peon for being on the purchasing side of the almighty front counter. While I’ve certainly felt some unwarranted elitist snobbery at Platinum in the past, I think the “Best/Worst Record Store Clerk” I’ve ever dealt with is without a doubt Judd at Olympia’s Phantom City Records.
He chided me for liking “christian rock bullshit” upon purchasing a Death Cab For Cutie record one time (and this was before The OC), and in general he’ll just always be disappointed that you’re not buying something by GG Allin.
(Judd also works at the Old School Pizzeria and if you think he won’t flip you ‘tude there too, you are sorely mistaken.)
He wins my award for “Best/Worst Record Store Clerk”, who wins yours?
Addendum:
This post was intended as friendly ribbing. I actually quite enjoy Judd’s lovably grumpy rapport with the customers, and he’s a good guy.
More importantly, Phantom City Records is a great independent record store and it deserves support. Don’t let Judd scare you. Go buy records.
Comments
The guys at Platinum (PDX and SEA)... Notoriously snotty attitudes- every single time.
Back in the late eighties I was music director at my college's station in Illinois. Once a month or so a group of us would drive to Record Swap in Urbana to trade out promos and build the station's library. Personal buys where also made and much of favorite vinyl was purchased there.
There was one clerk who was a big jerk. Chiding you for whatever you purchased and bragging how superior his band was. He was very loud and intimidating. While his band was good and they were signed to a Chicago label, to brag about it each and every-time was a good way to alienate folks. Not a particularly smart move either, since the crew of us who had to face 'do you know who I am' routine where all DJs.
I had to laugh when doing a quick google before posting this - he's already been called a 'chode' here in the pages of The Stranger. Who might this person be? All you have to do is figure who the following bands have in common: Didjits, Supersuckers, and Gaza Strippers.
Wasn't he in the Lee Harvey Oswald band too?
Um...Death Cab *is* Christian rock bullshit. Well, maybe not Christian. But definitely bullshit.
I always liked Marty down at Exotique Imports. He never really had opinions on people's tastes, but he was very particular about how you handled the product. After you'd hung around the store for months, proving you were honest, courteous and careful, he'd let you behind the counter to listen to records (following all the handling procedures and keeping it at an appropriate volume, of course). Then a few months of that, eventually he'd let you do it without him looking over your shoulder the whole time.
Plus that store had Masa, who singlehandedly turned me onto more artists and genres than all the other Seattle record store folks put together.
Damn I miss that place. The shell of their old sign is still hanging on the building, and I let out a little sigh every time I walk by there.
I've gone drinking and bowling with Judd, AND I love him. seriously. he has great taste, and that he's sassy, well, it's hilarious. he knows his shit too.
thing is I expect most record store clerks to be jerks (or at least stupid), so I don't care. in fact, I really love the kids who give me weird attitude for shit they know nothing and will never know shit about...like I should want to be like them? (sigh) youth IS wasted on the young. and I just went into platnium to ask about a part for my portable turntable, the guys were super helpful and nice.
oh yeah...now that I think of it, Jeff (the guy with the beard) from Wall of Sound was a DICK to me in the store, he yelled at me in front of customers about my use of a credit card. like he went fucking OFF on me...I was embarrassed for him!
Remember, Eric-Not all of us can leech off of our parents and grandparents until they land a job as a hipster DJ on Capitol Hill. Some of us have to work retail and kitchen jobs to make ends meet. Running your own business is a very frustrating experience. It's hard to stay afloat, let alone be chipper 100% of the time. And it certainly doesn't help business to have you (who hasn't bought anything from me in years) or anyone else pointlessly bitching on the internet when they don't have the stones to say something to my face. Nice job.
Jeff (the guy with the beard) from Wall of Sound was a DICK to me in the store, he yelled at me in front of customers about my use of a credit card. like he went fucking OFF on me...
What year was this, Nipper? In my almost 4 years of frequenting WOS, I've found JT to be one of the mellowest, nicest dudes in music retail; hard to believe he'd act this way. Then again, you ARE obnoxious when you wield a credit card...
Some of us have to work retail and kitchen jobs to make ends meet.
jobs i have had:
paper route
mcdonalds
baskin robbins
movie theater concessions stand
little caesers
starbucks
graveyard shift donut fryer
ymca summer camp counseler
graveyard shift youth hostel clerk
don't talk to me about your demanding dayjobs, judd. i've been there.
my parents are so fucking wealthy i'm practically steve fucking aoki, right?
get a sense of perspective, dude.
Jeff (???I Think???) only gets upset when you nervously and accidentally add the "-er" @ the
end of Christoph (Heemann).
Segal, it was last fall, and I KNOW!!! I couldn't believe it either! oh well...no big deal, maybe he was having a bad day?
uh oh. pulling out the rich kids suck/im jealous card huh? wow, way to live up to every olympia stereotype. have fun being a bitter asshole loser for the rest of your life...
I am very, very jealous.
the point, of course, being that there's not really that much to be jealous of. i have debt and a shitty dayjob just like everyone else. i'm frankly surprised that my class status is an issue here since i'm from a pretty proletarian family.
I was just fucking with Erik, a shot back from what I *thought* was him shooting a passive-agressive slug at me. No beef here. I love the internet...
I also just spelled aggressive wrong. What a tool.
Segal, it was last fall, and I KNOW!!! I couldn't believe it either! oh well...no big deal, maybe he was having a bad day?
Had to be it.
Judd--you also misspelled Eric. More passive-aggressive behavior? Hmm...
I thought it was with a K. Sue me.
Just joking, Judd. One love.
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I went into a Tower Records in Atlanta, GA one time to buy Culture Club's 'Colour By Numbers' for a friend of mine's kid, cause I knew she loved Karma Chameleon.
The guy behind the counter had a Slayer shirt on. It totally bothered him that I was buying this cd. He was seriously pissed and flustered.
We got in this huge argument, cause I was telling him how much better Culture Club was than Slayer. I kept saying, "Slayer sucks man, don't be pissed at me, it's not my fault. You shouldn't be working at a record store if you can't handle it."
I asked him if he had ever been kissed by a man and he wanted to fight. Then the manager walked in and I told him that his employee was about to attack me because I bought a Culture Club cd.
And then the manager made the guy apologize to me! It was so frikking funny. I started singing it, 'Karma karma karma karma karma chaaaameeleooooon.' The guy was so mad he was about to expolde.