I’m too sick to my stomach right now to even speculate what will be said at a press conference on Friday held by ear x-tacy’s owner John Timmons. The press release (below) only says that potential changes to ear x-tacy will be addressed. The tone of the release was not encouraging. Ear x-tacy is too important to lose, not only for the local music scene, but the Louisville community at whole. From now until Friday, lets make a pact. For every album you would go buy online (or “borrow” online) and for every album you would purchase at Best Buy, go to Ear x-tacy this week and pick it up (they even have a digital online music store). We’ll start there and then work our way forward. I’ve been collecting vinyl for a while now and there is no greater feeling than flipping through the stacks at ear X-tacy, finding that “gem” and enriching the collective music experience by knowing that you are contributing to something you love so much. We can start tonight. Louisville’s own The Watson Twins are playing an in-store show tonight at 5pm (I just got off the phone with ear x and the show is on despite the snow). Enjoy some great music and buy that album you’ve been thinking about all week. That is all for now. I’ll be at the press conference on Friday and I’ll let everyone know what I find out. Feel free to voice your opinions below. We need to show our support.
Via a press release:
ear X-tacy Owner Addresses Potential Changes
John Timmons, founder of the independent record store and owner for nearly 25 years, is expressing his concern for the survival of ear X-tacy, as we know it. Timmons will announce details of the store’s situation during a press conference Friday, February 12, at 10:00am, at the store,1534 Bardstown Road.
With the 10,000-square-foot prime location’s lease about to expire in March 2010, Timmons is focusing attention on the realities of a dire situation and the potential impact of losing one of the nation’s top 10 record stores. The absence of this local treasure would have a financial impact on the local media, especially public radio. It would affect concerts, promoters, and leave a void on Bardstown Road in the Highlands, an area already severely impacted by the economy’s downturn. The synergy of Louisville’s local businesses would be affected and the city’s music and cultural landscape definitely would be altered. The dynamics of “keep Louisville weird,” a local movement founded by John Timmons, would suffer from such a loss.
“This is not about business. It’s about something my customers have built and have come to expect. It’s about a place to experience music,” Timmons said. “Many tourists seem to make ear X-tacy a destination point as out-of-towners have learned about ear X-tacy through national exposure. I think the store is a place that makes Louisvillian’s proud. It’s been a community effort to build it and it’s going to take a community to sustain it.”
