It's always sad to see a local record shop die. They serve an important cultural role by connecting people to their local scene, local businesses, and to the broader world. But while movements such as Record Store Day (April 22nd) have emerged in response to renewed consumer interest in physical media (primarily vinyl), sales are still nowhere near pre-recession (let alone pre-2K) levels. Seattle's soundscape has suffered from this lag through the loss of multiple shops all over the city (Sonic Boom's Capitol Hill location being the most recent causality), and on Friday we add Easy Street Record's Queen Anne location to this list. While I was not a particularly big fan of the prices at this location, their shop is iconic and their in-stores were prolific. In that spirit, owner Matt Vaughan has decided to go out with an epic closing performance by indie rock gods Yo La Tengo, who are currently touring behind a new record titled "Fade". Show is at 7pm and I'm super bummed I can't go. Here's an sleepy song from their abnormally quiet "Summer Sun" record from 2003.
They're having an auction of their cool stuff on the walls, and memorabilia from their collection in the back. On facebook they've uploaded a photo album of all the items going into the auction. Auction preview is Saturday evening 4-7pm and Sunday morning 9-11am, the auction itself starts at 11am on Sunday. Loose posters, framed posters (some signed), original lithographs, 100+ one-of-a-kind billboard banners, and then all the office-y type stuff like merch racks and light fixtures.
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