And remembers being small...playing under the table and dreaming

Another small bit of my childhood died this week. I doubt it will make big news anywhere else, but Tower Records & Books is going out of business. Now, I have never been the biggest Tower fan or what someone might term "a loyal shopper", but I grew up right down the street from one and I have dropped a whole lot of cash at several of their locations over the years. Growing up, I rarely went into Tower, but I have fond memories of conning my mom or some other relative into buying me a book when we did venture in. I bought my first CD in the Tower Records on Watt Avenue...Dave Matthews Band, Under the Table and Dreaming. It was the first of many covertly smuggled into my room.

Although, the news of Tower's closure doesn't really come as a shock, I am saddened by the loss. Another local institution has faded into the background, overcome by the Best Buys, Wal-Marts, and Targets of the world. I will miss the quirky by-the-register-nik-naks I always looked at and never bought and the sacrilegious stickers, lighters, and other paraphernalia always featured somewhere in the store. I will miss Tower's wide selection of albums that ranged from classical to actual indie rock...no matter what Tower always seemed to carry the CD I was in search of. I will miss the 'interesting' employees that never really helped locate anything, but always provided a good laugh. I will miss so much...those really were the days...although maybe I will save a couple bucks now! (Hey, you know me...I'm an optimist at heart...grad school couldn't beat all of it out of me!)