Virgin Megastore Closes Its Doors

Yesterday I was in Time Square after doing interviews all day with music industry elite. Well as I was walking, I notice signs in my favorite store - Virgin Megastore, that it was closing and everything is now on sale. My initial thought was that that Ashton guy was going to pop out and say I was being Punk'D, but unfortunately this was no show - this is reality.

If you don't live in a city that has a Virgin Megastore such as NYC, Boston, Miami, Denver, Chicago and Los Angeles then you won't really be able to understand the importance this store has in these cities and - even more important of an impact - to the music industry. Hell, you haven't experienced a real 'music buying experience' for that matter in my opinion! Well I did my research to find out that not only will the store in Time Square - a signature piece to the Time Square scenery - be closing by April, but it seems New York's Union Square location will be closing by May as well as another April closing happening in the San Francisco, according to The New York Times.

Now for someone who's not a 'musicee' like me, it would be hard for them to understand. 'Musicees' are those of us who still get a sense of fulfillment off being in an actual record store purchasing artist's albums (side note to the old school: the term 'album' now days means 'CD'). Going to Virgin Megastore is just one of the things I enjoyed about living in New York and was actually one of the deciding factors in my re-location here. See, only at a Virgin Megastore can you find in the bins Faith Evans first album without the sales clerk having to go back to the store registry and special order it. Only in Virgin Megastore could you chill and watch episodes of Family Guy as your browse the DVD section, or listen to that new Beyonce CD in its entirety of the tracks fully - not like when you preview at Barnes & Nobles and they only play the first five seconds. Virgin Megastore is the only place I know I can get a CD single of a song that has ten different remixes and is specially imported from Australia or Germany. It's the only music store artists in the music game do CD signings, live performances, and VH1 does live video countdowns from on Saturdays! You would never experience these things at a Best Buy or Target - it's not the same music buying experience. Virgin Megastore is the equivalent of Sizzler's or Red Lobster for 'foodies' or Foot Locker and Champs for 'shoeies.'

While I am sad to see my favorite music store leave yet another city I've relocated to (Tower Records being the first when I lived in Atlanta), I realize we live in a new age where people would rather boost music or purchase it on iTunes. And while that is fine and dandy for some, I am old school - I like the CD liners and knowing my artists took time to give me a complete creative package from the music to the CD liner. I guess it is what it is. Virgin Megastore will be missed, but my memories from the first time I stepped into the one in Chicago back in 2001 will always be with me!