No, not a story of remorse and regret, but instead the story of my discovery of Reckless Records in Chicago.
How does Reckless Records remain relevant In an era of instant downloads ?
How does it compete with virtual access to the worlds largest music libraries ?
Why is it still here when technology from brands such as Itunes, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon render this place obsolete?
I believe it's because I can:
Discover and explore music with (almost) all of my senses.
Be certain that popularity is not the only arbiter of taste.
Buy VHS and cassette tapes. (I didn't as I don't have anything to play them on - but was honestly surprised, that people still do !)
Ask the staff questions about music and musicians - which they are more than keen to answer.
Immerse in the feeling that I can't get this anywhere else
Leave with the belief that whatever I buy here is more valuable, meaningful and important than getting it from somewhere else.
Be certain that I will tell people about it
Be certain that I will go back.
This brand is not in the business of selling music. Its value comes from facilitating community via music, and an experience beyond the function of selling things.