This Is the Definition of My Life

Tomorrow is Record Store Day. Why? Well, it's obvious, isn't it? Read today's New York Times article to be reminded that record stores are truly a relic. That is not meant to be disrespectful or cynical about the role record stores play(ed). Some of my best memories as a teenager involve something to do with record stores. My brother and I would spend hours every single week hitting record stores in search of new discoveries or import singles or an excuse to blow our zoo paychecks.

Today, though, I struggle to find the need for a record store. In Des Moines, we have two decent record stores: Zzz Records and Nebraska's Homer's Music, but I don't find a lot of reasons to go. True, I don't have as much free time as I once did, or as much money to budget toward music, but when everything I could possibly want is online ... well, you get it.

Here's what High Fidelity author Nick Hornby has to say about record stores:

Who's going to tell you to stop listening to that and start listening to this? Go ahead and save yourself a couple of quid. The saving will cost you a career, a set of cool friends, musical taste and, eventually, your soul. Record stores can't save your life. But they can give you a better one.

Sure, it's an extreme sentiment, but with that said, I'm going to make every effort to hit a record store tomorrow and maybe bring my kids. Someday they'll be able to say that there used to be brick and mortar stores that actually sold music.