Schoolkids Records in Ann Arbor opened in 1976. In September of 1998 it went out of business. Shortly thereafter, the store reopened in a smaller location as Schoolkids Records in Exile. Now, it looks like that entity is going away as well. I just called and their last day of business is July 31. If you get a chance, drop in and say, “Goodbye.” And, pick up a few records while you’re at it. Everything’s being sold at a discount, except, apparently, the new record by the shit-tastic band the Smashing Pumpkins. I was walking by the store yesterday evening and saw this handwritten note outside… Or, if you don’t have the money to buy a record, just sit back and enjoy the death knell of the music industry. Can you hear it?
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Someone’s painting a vulgar picture ..
Re-issue, Re-package, Re-package
Re-evaluate the songs
Double-pack with a photograph
Extra Track (and a tacky badge)
“Some people will buy all four. Just think of the sales!”
Sad about Schoolkids, and shocking about the Pumpkins.
I’m originally from Chicago and Billy was a notorious supporter of indie record stores. They did one round of anniversary shows where the tickets were only available at indie record stores (of which Chicago used to have quite a few).
Guess that’s what happens when you only re-hire the drummer and act like you’ve “put the band back together”. The French have a word for it – Douche.
Schoolkids Records has been irrelevant since it first went out of business in ’98 and split into SKR & Schoolkids Records. SKR still had a chance but Jim Leonard drove it into the ground a couple of years later.
Jim was a cool guy when I met him, though–very nice, and he knew music like none other.
Maybe 80% or so of my records came from School Kids, since I was about eleven or twelve years old. Scrounge up some money, ride my skateboard or BMX bike downtown to School Kids, browse and browse (and check out the board where they listed ticket prices for upcoming shows in the area), and buy some “hard-to-find” record that the other stores never carried. What a weird kid–I was into reggae and hardcore? Tibetan Monk chord chanting? Why the hell did I buy that record?
I have great memories growing up with School Kids Records. I miss it.
Yeah, it’s amazing what happens with age, Dan. I guess you get accustomed to a certain lifestyle, and don’t want to give it up…. As for Schoolkids, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never been in the Annex. I used to shop at the other store quite a bit though, and, for the most part, enjoyed it.
I never liked Smashing Pumpkins anyway.
SKR pre 98 was what a record store mecca should be. I never went to the exile store. I’ve been buying the bulk of my records from Matt Bradish (Total Age/Vinyl Joe’s/Underground Sounds) since about 97 and he’s doing ok. Stormy is another great record store in Dearborn that I go to occasionally. Windy and Karl are really awesome people.
I went in there yesterday to but the double-disk compilation of Lennon covers, raising funds for Darfur relief. The guy gave me some demo-promo stuff for free too. We didn’t talk about it so I didn’t know if it was on the down-low or something. So I can’t promise that you will get free stuff too if you go there now, but how should I know? Anyway, it was sad to make what is sure to be my last visit to Schoolkids Records. When I was too young to drive, my favorite cousin, who was older and could use his parents car, used to take me there when he came to Michigan. During the 80s and early 90s, he managed to assemble what is still the largest CD collection I have ever seen. Much of that collection, especially the imports and the hard-to-find stuff, he purchased on our visits to Schoolkids. It’s sad to see it go.