Like any good business, the music industry doesn’t stay still — it’s always evolving and growing with new genres, new trends and (maybe most importantly) the way music is bought and listened to. It seems like everyone just jumps on the bandwagon of whatever new toy they come up with.
Not that I don’t like what we’ve got today. I like iPods. A lot. I just recently got mine replaced, and I am fully in love with it. But the iPod’s ancestors deserve some respect too. CDs, cassettes and records were the iPods of their time. And the stores where they were bought were the iTunes of their time.
Genuine record stores are getting harder to find these days, but San Luis Obispo is home to one that has been around for 37 years — Boo Boo Records on Monterey Street. It’s the kind of store that is heaven for hard-core music fans and makes regular music fans, like me, feel like they actually have no idea of the sheer amount of music that’s out there. But in a good way.
I first visited Boo Boo Records during freshman orientation. Everything was such a blur that week that it probably didn’t stick with me for very long. But I rediscovered it later — I’ve gone back a couple times since, and every time I do, I’m prouder to find more names that I recognize. I went down there a little more than a week ago, and I saw people of all ages poring over the selection and paraphernalia.
It’s way more than just music. Boo Boo Records has enough extra stuff to decorate my room 10 times over with posters, T-shirts, books and DVDs.
It opened up in 1974, but didn’t move to its current location until 1978. Owner Mike White said original owners Ed Taylor and Glenn Forbes were selling records out of a station wagon at swap meets and decided to open their own store. White has been working at Boo Boo Records since 1978 and has been the sole owner for a year-and-a-half.
“They didn’t really hit their stride until they came downtown,” White said. “I just knew it was a really cool store … I could see it was something special.”
The store isn’t just about making the sale, either. According to White, it’s about making the shopping experience less anonymous. White said the business is really about three things: great customer service, a deep selection and fair prices.
Boo Boo Records seems to be an exception to the idea that no one buys tangible music anymore — the store is doing just fine, and it has been for 37 years.
White said in the past six or seven years vinyls have actually been making a comeback.
And the store keeps up with the times — White said once you get into the industry you’ve got to.
Boo Boo Recods has a big selection of CDs in the front of the store, with some names that even stubborn people who think music only got good after they were born would appreciate. The store also constantly sells tickets for bands coming through San Luis Obispo.
Once again, don’t get me wrong. I like iTunes. I like sometimes getting only one or two songs from an album at a time, if I want. But sometimes, I like something tangible, such as a CD. That’s how I bought music back in the day, when I was like 11 and thought listening to Avril Lavigne made me such a rebel.
And I, for one, kind of like having the stuff that comes with CDs — the covers with all the lyrics (so if I don’t catch a line of a song, I don’t have to go look it up online or ask someone and feel like an idiot). Anyone else feel the same? Then Boo Boo Records is the place to go.
White said the store gets a tremendous lift from Cal Poly students, but it was never a niche store that catered to one age or demographic.
SLOcal Tim Strawn first discovered Boo Boo Records in the early 90s and said he likes to support local business. He likes the tactility and the eclectic selection in the store.
“They pay attention to what they stock,” Strawn said. “There’s always something interesting playing.”
I’m not saying that we should stop buying from iTunes and Apple Stores. Not at all. But we can still have both, right? iPods and records? iTunes and stores like Boo Boo Records?
If anyone can do it, it’s us SLOcals.