In this week's paper, on the occasion of Easy Street Records' Queen Anne store closing Jan. 18, we're running reminiscences by current and former Easy Street Records employees. We lacked space to include responses from all of the people interviewed, so I'm going to post them on Line Out throughout the next week. I hope this proves to be an entertaining slice of anecdotal history of Seattle's musical ecology.

(By the way, Easy Street QA is selling its used vinyl, CDs, DVDs at 40-percent off. New product is 20-percent off. Today is the last day to get these deals. Yo La Tengo play an in-store at 7 pm. Early arrival is recommended; invasion of personal space is guaranteed. Sunday at 11 am there will be a public auction of various Easy Street furnishings, billboards, and posters.)

SHANE TUTMARC (floor/register/accessories/used-product buyer, 2006-2009; has been living in Nashville since 2010)

Best thing about working at Easy Street QA?
[C]onstantly discovering new music. As an employee, not only was I familiar with everything coming out each week, but I was always constantly digging deeper and deeper into old music—whether it was jump blues, ragtime, gospel, world music, you name it! Which had a major affect on me as an artist, as well. If anyone was curious how I went from a making everything-and-the-kitchen-sink pop records with Dolour to putting out live-in-the studio rootsy rock ’n’ roll with the Traveling Mercies—Easy Street was a key ingredient. And I also have to say that my coworkers were a major bonus. I worked with a really eclectic group of people, who were all very talented in their own area—whether it was sketch comedy, graphic design, photography, songwriting...

Best in-store performance?
I would have to say that my experiences playing Easy Street would have to be my "favorite in-store performances." I first played Easy Street QA in 2003 after the release of my band Dolour's second album, Suburbiac. And then I played there again in 2008 with my family group, the Traveling Mercies supporting our second album, Hey Lazarus! And I played there one more time in 2009 when my first solo record, Shouting at a Silent Sky, was released. Easy Street was always a very supportive place to be.

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In this week's paper, on the occasion of Easy Street Records' Queen Anne store closing Jan. 18, we're running reminiscences by current and former Easy Street Records employees. We lacked space to include responses from all of the people interviewed, so I'm going to post them on Line Out throughout the next week. I hope this proves to be an entertaining slice of anecdotal history of Seattle's musical ecology.

(By the way, starting today, Easy Street QA is selling its used vinyl, CDs, DVDs at 40-percent off. New product is 20-percent off.)

KURT ALTERITY (used product manager, 2005-2013)
Best thing about working there?
The community.

Best in-store performance?
Macklemore—ON THE ROOF!

Craziest or strangest customer encounter?
Talking with Thurston Moore about noise for 30 minutes before I realized who he was.

How do you feel about the store closing?
Heartbroken.

KEVIN LA TRANCHE (vinyl buyer, off and on 2003-2012)
What was the best thing about working there?
Getting introduced to a ton of great music while hanging out with a bunch of amazing people. Also: first dibs on records!

What was the worst thing about working there?
Not being able to afford all the incredible records I found.

What was the best in-store performance you saw at Easy Street QA?
Toss-up between Dr. Dog and Dungen. CocoRosie was amazing and they drew me a picture, which I still have.

Craziest or strangest customer encounter?
There are too many, but one of my favorites is when someone asked me if he could unseal some records to listen to. When I told him he couldn't, he replied, "You need to get right with the Lord!"

How do you feel about the store closing?
I don't know what to say. It was a huge part of my life, and I'm really sad to see it go…

In this week's paper, on the occasion of Easy Street Records' Queen Anne store closing Jan. 18, we're running reminiscences by current and former Easy Street Records employees. We lacked space to include responses from all of the people interviewed, so I'm going to post them on Line Out throughout the next week. I hope this proves to be an entertaining slice of anecdotal history of Seattle's musical ecology.

MACKENZIE MERCER (worked the floor and counter for two years)
What was the best thing about working there?
Being surrounded by people as obsessive about music as yourself. I definitely miss being as up to date on new releases, I have to do more leg work nowadays. Meeting and working with Troy Nelson was a game-changer and highlight for sure. The seeds that would become the Young Evils were plotted and planted behind that counter for some time before we actually got our act together. Had I not worked there, who knows if we'd have met at all! Prior to working at Easy Street, like many of my coworkers, I'm sure, I spent all my time trapped in my room with headphones on, dying to talk to someone else about the records I was currently obsessing over. There’s nothing quite like getting to go to work and do that all day.

What was the best in-store performance you saw at Easy Street QA?
I feel like I have a lot of favorite in-stores because I was a fan of the artist or band, but my fondest memory of an in-store I worked was Record Store Day 2009. We had performances all day from the Moondoggies, Dex Romweber Duo, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Sweet Water. Sweet Water closed out the night and I remember the place was packed. Matt [Vaughan, Easy Street owner] was running around getting ready for them to start and he ran up to me behind the counter urgently inquiring what rock albums were closest at hand. I named off a few and when I landed on the KISS platinum collection he shouted, "Perfect!" He threw on the record, blasting “Strutter” almost as loud as the store sound system would go. I was then given strict instructions to watch for him at the back of the store and begin slowly fading the song down as he began slowly raising the garage door up to reveal the band who would already be playing their first song before the audience could fully see them. I had never even heard Sweet Water before and it was fucking epic. Matt spent the rest of their set moving throughout the crowd, rocking out with everyone, and passing out beers from the fully stocked cooler tucked under his arm. In that moment I felt like I was really part of something special. It wasn't just about selling the records, stocking racks, and ringing people up. It was about creating those kind of magic moments. Right then I realized that Matt’s passion and goal with the store was always about the experience. He wanted our customers to leave there feeling that childlike wonder. To feel like we were all 16 years old again and had just seen our favorite band play at a sold-out arena. He made that happen all the time. Getting to be apart of those in-stores is probably what I will miss the most.

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