Tower Records.

Yesterday while running errands around town I kept seeing these big yellow signs all along West End Avenue..."GOING OUT OF BUSINESS EVERYTHING MUST GO 30% OFF". It was only after seeing the third or fourth one that I noticed the business...Tower Records.

I immediately felt sad. Like something is being stolen or an ending is suddenly being forced down my throat. I know it's only a music store, but Tower has been a mainstay in my life since I moved to Nashville 10 years ago. I used to go there on Monday at midnight to buy my favorite records the minute they came out. I waited in line with hundreds of people the night that U2's "All That You Can't Leave Behind" was released. (After drinking Guiness with some friends, of course.)

During college, I would take a break from the small and insular environment of Belmont and drive over to Tower and get lost discovering all sorts of new and different music. It was like a search for treasure and Tower was the chest. They had a selection so huge that you couldn't help but find a new artist to fall in love with.

I was at a party the other night and one of my friends was talking about how it's been so long since he's found any new music that moves him. He wondered aloud if it was him or if it was a lack of creative art being made these days.... feels like a desert but Tower's demise hasn't been a secret...they've had troubles for a while and I guess it signifies the huge changes in the music industry over the past 4-5 years.

But it still makes me sad.

Kierstin and I went over and bought two records to commemorate...

She chose Shawn Colvin's new one and I picked up the latest Ray LaMontagne record.

We got in the car, put in some of our new music and drove away.

I know it's just a store but I'm sad to see it go.