[78-L] Down Home Music on its last legs

[Michael Biel]

From: Jeff Lichtman <jeff at swazoo.com>
> Last Monday the management of Down Home Music announced that
> they are cutting back their hours - they will be closed Monday
> through Wednesday for the indefinite future.  . . .  
> Chris Strachwitz said the store hasn't covered its costs for
> the past two years, and he is looking for a way to get out
> of the business.  The problems are ones we already know about:
> people don't buy as many CDs as they used to, and those who do 
> usually buy them on-line.   - Jeff Lichtman

Very sorry to hear about this.  We saw and spoke to Chris at ARSC and he
didn't mention anything about this, at least in the discussions I was
in.  I didn't have a chance to go to the store in the couple of times
I've been in the S.F. area although I always wanted to.  I helped
promote Chris' position when the store got in trouble with MCA Records
back in the 80s over parallel imports, and arranged and chaired a panel
at ARSC with him and some execs of Tower Records -- and we hoped to have
reps of MCA and the RIAA but both chickened out.  And now Tower is gone.
 I just looked at Down Home's interesting web site, and hate to see a
brick and mortar store disappear, but going on-line will be a must for
them.  NYC lost Footlights two years ago when they closed the store
(with a MAGNIFICANT sale!!!) and went exclusively on-line.  Hope Chris
can work it out to keep the store open.  

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com