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

[Cary Ginell]

I always looked forward to visits to Down Home, which I first discovered back in the 1970s. Living in Southern California, I usually only got up there once a year, but always found myself avoiding the 78 section and going right to the used records in the annex, seeing what books were new, and checking out the periodicals. Down Home was one of the few stores to stock discographies from Greenwood, books by MacFarlane and other arcane publishers. The music they played in the store was always interesting, and I never tired of looking at all the vintage show posters on the walls. Next to Village Music in Mill Valley, it was my favorite place to browse. I wish Chris the best in saving the store, but I understand how difficult it is to maintain a record store in this day and age. 

 

P.S. I still have a photo of Jeff Lichtman and me proudly (and sarcastically) holding up a Jesse Crawford Victor that we found in the 78 stacks. The good stuff was long gone...

 

Cary Ginell
 
> Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 22:57:19 -0700
> To: 78-l at 78online.com
> From: jeff at swazoo.com
> Subject: [78-L] Down Home Music on its last legs
> 
> 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. They invited their customers to 
> an in-store discussion of the plight of independent record stores. I 
> went and talked with store owners John Hiatt and Chris Strachwitz 
> (who also founded and owns Arhoolie Records). Chris 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. John was more optimistic, 
> saying that there must be some way of keeping the place alive, but he 
> didn't have any specific ideas. 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.
> 
> What does this have to do with 78s? Down Home Music has been a prime 
> retail source of reissues. The store sells some 78s, and there is a 
> monthly 78 swap meet in the parking lot. Chris Strachwitz is a 
> leading authority on ethnic music, and the store sells ethnic 
> reissues (some from the 78 era) on the Arhoolie label.
> 
> I think Chris plans to keep Arhoolie going, but he's grasping for 
> ideas about what to do with the store. He owns the building, and he 
> doesn't want to have an empty storefront.
> 
> This is very sad for me - I live about a mile from Down Home Music 
> and most of the 78-era reissues I own came from there. I know the 
> staff, several of whom are now out of work. I have attended in-store 
> concerts there. I have bought types of music from them that I 
> wouldn't have known about except for the fact that they always have 
> something playing there. Down Home Music was a special place even 
> when record stores were common.
> 
> Sigh. . .
> 
> - Jeff Lichtman
> jeff at swazoo.com
> Check out Swazoo Koolak's Web Jukebox at
> http://swazoo.com/ 
> 
> 
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