CD's
They are beautiful things. I love them.
Even more than that, I love to shop for them. As a small boy, I was a passionate fighter against shopping, but with two older sisters and a mother and a father who loved all sorts of the latest gadgets and trinkets on stroe shelves I usually found myself in the front end of a Sears or Sam's (or as I called it "The Dark Place" for it's high ceilings and poor lighting) or Wal-mart buggy being pushed around against my will. I hated wasting the hours browsing for clothes I would not wear or food I would not eat. Luckily, these trips usually had a stop at some Department store with racks that naturally made the best hiding places or "secret forts", a distinction that still held true 24 years later when I became an employee of Dillard's. It wasn't until my junior high years that I finally found my true passion for shopping. CD's.
We've all been at that young age where we have to default to the musical tastes of our parents car radios, and with an older sister 7 years my senior who was already shaping her identity I was given a large dose of country, country pop, and folk for years. It would be years later that I would grow to like folk, country, and americana, but I can easily say that both my sisters have the worst taste in music in the world. (Gaaah, older sisters are the worst!) But just like all american children, cartoons taught me more than I can ever give them credit for.
When I was fourteen, my oldest sister had her first child. One afternoon, I found myself tuning in to The Muppet Show with my new niece. The guest for that episode happened to be the legendary alternative rock band R.E.M. They were performing with The Muppet's house band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. It was the first time I can ever remember thinking, "I wanna go shopping." Next shopping trip to Little Rock, I picked up that CD and forced my parents to buy it for me. Little did I know, that one instance of consumerism would create a domino effect of gigantic meaning.
R.E.M., The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone Temple Pilots, Blind Melon, Nirvana, and The Smashing Pumpkins would be my first loves. For some reason, I was really into early 90's stadium alt-rock. Through high school, with the help of friends, I found more and more that I liked. I can't be more thankful for meeting James Dorris, who shared much of the same musical tastes. He brought me the genius of CAKE, Ben Folds, Jack Johnson, The White Stripes, Lucero, and Cory Branan (along with many more, but, come on, I'm not trying to write a novel tonight.) I can't forget those that began the movement, with special shout-outs to The Beatles, The Doors, Booker T and the MG's, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin.
In my college years, I landed a job at Barnes & Noble and found it a daily struggle to keep myself out of the music department while on the clock. Sarah Snell, fellow co-worker and future greatest roommate of all time, helped me refine my musical tastes and knowledge, and produced in me a love for just about any sound. I finally felt like I really knew about music.
You know, if women can have hundreds of shoes, I see no reason why a young man can spend his hard earned refund check on a few cd's. And so what if I count my driving time in cd's instead of miles, minutes, or hours. While the ipod and digital downloading is great, I hope there never comes a time when I can't burn hours in a music store listening to whatever I can get my hands on.
So...
Thanks to every and any music store, for being there for me on Friday nights when I wasn't invited to the cool kids High School parties.
Thanks to James Dorris, for being the best sidekick ever.
Thanks to my sisters, for teaching me to run from anything they listen to.
Thanks to my nieces and nephews, who give me the purpose in life to make sure they don't fall under the spell of computer music and teenage douchebags. The power chord isn't gone yet.
Thanks to Sarah Snell, for giving me knowledge and a cool place to live in college.
Thanks to David, Amy, Micah, Matt Steele, and all the staff of B&N music department, for all the help in taking my money.
Thanks to all the great bands and artists I have mentioned, and all the ones I haven't, for changing my life.
And Thanks to any of you guys, who have ever given me a musical recommendation. I promise it did not go unheeded.
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