Hi everyone,

Well, this has been quite a week. It kicked off with the very sad news that we lost another musical talent, Justin Townes Earle. I remembered seeing him play to a packed crowd at a Grimey’s instore (I think it was when Music Biz first came to Nashville). Despite the fact that we were all crammed into the aisles, (I am really missing live music right now) there was just something about his voice and his songs that made you feel that he was singing just for you. I always appreciated the honesty you felt in his music and I immediately thought of one of my favorite JTE tunes, Mama’s Eyes. You don’t get much more honest than that one. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, our friends at New West and to all those that loved him and are feeling this loss.

Then, we add some weather to the mix with Hurricane Laura. I feel for the people of Louisiana as they always seem to be in the path of these monster storms. Watching the damage from last night / this morning has just been heartbreaking. Over the years of planning our conference in New Orleans, I have had lots of conversations with the people that call that city their home. Many of them lived through Katrina and other terrible storms as well. I have heard some absolutely tragic stories; people forced out of their homes and businesses, losing everything they had and loved ones as well. The thing that always amazed me was that they returned- to start over, to rebuild. I always ask the same question- why? Why return and do all that work and know that the same thing could happen again? The answer is always the same; “Because this is my home and the city I love.” That strength and resilience has always been an inspiration to me and proof positive that home really is where your heart is.

Finally, this Saturday is the first RSD drop. A day we have been anxiously awaiting and planning for months. This has been no easy task for any of us, especially the stores as they figure out how to pull this off. I know that things feel very different this year, that is because they are, but we have all put a lot of thought and effort into trying to retain the spirit of RSD - Celebrating music in the physical format and the stores that are the centers of that.

I realized that the reason we felt New Orleans was the right place for our conference wasn’t just the amazing food, drink and music, but because our stores are cut from that same resilient cloth and it felt like home.

I would like to say thank you to everyone that has worked through this with us these past months- you have all played important roles and we could not do this without all of you. I would especially like to thank Carrie as she is the glue that holds us all together in this thing called “Record Store Day” in whatever forms or fashions it takes.

I hope that we all have a safe and successful day on Saturday, and I look forward to getting and sharing the reports.

Andrea

Andrea Paschal
Executive Director
Coalition of Independent Music Stores
ThinkIndie Distribution
3738 4th Terrace North
Birmingham, AL 35222
Phone: 205.595.1932 x.208
Fax: 205.595.1938
Email : andrea@cimsmusic.com
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