Salute

Well, an era has ended and not just for me. Yesterday, my friend Fred Osuna announced the closing of his store, Laser’s Edge, which has been a mainstay in this area for over 15 years. Except for a tiny used record shop in Southside called Charlemagne, this marks the end of independent CD/Record retail in the Birmingham market.

At the risk of droning on like Bob Lefsetz, I knew this day was inevitable. The record industry has gone though enormous change over the past decade. File-sharing and online stores have caused the record-buying public to totally change their habits relative to music purchasing and listening. As a glorious result, major labels have floundered, mostly due to their own idiocy and lack of foresight. Unfortunately, it has also been at the expense of stores like Laser’s Edge, who rely on these very customers to keep them afloat.

I know what the statistics say- that most of the record (CD) buying public buy from Wal-Mart when shopping for music. But these people have no soul, if I may be so bold to proclaim. Sure, I buy stuff from iTunes and Amazon from time to time. But for the most part, I don’t care how much I save shopping online or at Wal-Mart. Independent stores such as Laser’s Edge provide a safe haven for music lovers like me. It means something to be able to browse and flip through the racks of CD’s and records; to be able to hold them in your hand and read the credits; to smell that “new CD smell” when they peel off the shrink wrap; to listen to the soothing sounds of music in your ears while you saunter through the aisles – not “BUBBA, A CUSTOMER NEEDS ASSISTANCE ON AISLE TWAYLVE!!”

And on top of that, Laser’s Edge has literally made my life better, if only for the music that Fred and his staff have introduced to me over the years. I can name several right off the bat – Hem, Daniel Tashian, The Bees, Lewis Taylor, Nick Lowe. Mock me all you want but my life would have been significantly less fulfilling without these artists and their music. And my newfound obsession with jazz in recent years happened to coincide with my frequent visits to the Edge. Most importantly through all of this, I’ve gained valuable insight and friendship from Fred and Boyce on all matters pertaining to music, politics and everything else. That’s what I’ll miss the most. Cheers to you, Fred and Laser’s Edge. Good luck with your future ventures, whatever they might be.