Amoeba Music

Let me tell you about the joy that Amoeba has brought to my heart, let me tell you about a boy who knew nothing about funk, trip hop, Nigerian rock. I tell you I was a lost soul listening to top 40, trapped in the endless loop of the earworm. I was living in Santa Barbara when one day I was taken to this fabled corner store in Los Angeles; they said it had more music that I had ever known and they were right (probably still are). I was amazed and bewildered, I spent about 6 hours there that first day and lord knows how much money. Since then I have moved to the bay area and lo, even in this foggy land I could see the light at the end of the tunnel (Caldecott tunnel that is). I was heartbroken that I would never get to see my record shop again only to find 2, count them, 2 Amoeba stores within reach. Life was good. Recently I was perusing the lower bins of the rock section when someone stepped next to me. I took my already found jewels (cases) so that they would not be perceived as available, I stood up to find Mr. Tom Waits standing next to me. I’d like to say that he said something wise (more so then what he has already sung) but instead he just gave me a half glance and kept on shuffling through the CD’s in front of him. But that was the thing, this is Amoeba and he was just another music lover looking for that little something that would inspire, or simple relax his body and soul. Thanks Amoeba, thanks to the brilliant passionate staff and Happy Birthday

Well, I suppose coincidence may be the best part of my experience. I lived in Berkeley a little over a year...2007/2008. I moved there from Albany NY, just to move there. Rancid has always been my FAVORITE band, I was walking to Amoeba to by the Rancid DVD (all their videos 1993-2006....) ANYWAY, as I was walking with my gf, and stopped in my tracks staring at the group of men ahead of us. Noticing, hmm, one of those men was wearing a porkpie hat, spiderweb elbow...I said holy crap "thats Tim Armstrong! He and his group walked into Raleighs, WE followed. I met Tim, (very nice guy). Then finally went into Amoeba, bought my DVD, told my story. Casher replied, "Oh....I see him all the time".

No crazy awesome Amoeba story to share, just the usual mind-boggling surreal new experience of entering Amoeba Music for the very first time. My younger sister told me about Amoeba. She must've heard about it through a friend. We were still young then and though we lived in SF all our lives, we never made the Haight our home. It was a virtually new world, new territory and the stores/hangouts on that street just as foreign. She went there in search of anime videos as she was an anime/manga fanatic back then. Now she's into other stuff and doesn't visit Amoeba as often. But I still do. To me, Amoeba is musical and theatrical magic land. Everything and anything possibly related to music and theatre/film could be located in all the nooks and crannies of these stores. And, oh, have I searched those nooks and crannies. My favorite section has to be the family films section, revisiting old childhood favorites and bringing them back home for almost nothing. It's worth it. And when I'm feeling more grown up, I enjoy a stroll through the foreign cinema and independent works. I used to do that when Virgin Megastore was still around, but that went away, and it's okay because Amoeba is cooler. One of my favorite and best purchases was Almodovar's "Volver" starring the ever awesome Penelope Cruz. To this day this film makes me laugh and cry and ache and, honestly, had I not seen this at Amoeba I don't think I would have thought to search for it myself. There is something about a physical location that lets you search for everything. Most libraries cannot boast of such a large selection (or they can't say that for a single location). And online sites... well.... browsing is kind of difficult. I like flipping through CD after CD, record after record, DVD after DVD. Seeing the covers. Reading their backs. Holding it in my hands as I decide, should I add this to my collection? It's an irreplaceable experience and one I hope others can partake in for generations to come.

I moved to L.A. almost five years ago, and Amoeba is one of the ‘perks’ of coming to L.A. to stay. I first went to Amoeba on Sunset in 2004, when I was on a business trip and asked someone here what the best record store here was. The first time there, I spent around 3 hours wandering the store, amazed at the sheer size, scope and selection – it put the stores on the East Coast to shame. I exclaimed “Madre de Dios! The Legends – they are true!” upon seeing the offerings. On subsequent trips, I literally would come straight from the airport to Amoeba, to get in a couple of hours of shopping, topped off with a trip to In-N-Out just down Sunset (another great reason to move to L.A.). The standout memories from these early trips were the ease with which I was able to make headway and cross items off my ‘want list’ – stuff that had eluded me for years was suddenly found at Amoeba, 5 or 6 items per trip (“Dream Baby Dream” by Suicide. A scarce Marshall Crenshaw e.p. Various John Cale stuff. Out-of-Print Criterions). Other great memories include the in-store where I got about 2 or 3 minutes to talk politics with Jackson Browne after his set (and he wanted to talk to ALL his fans – he stayed to meet and talk to everyone), and the recent Richard Thompson in-store. I bring out-of-town visitors here, because I tell them they have to see it to believe it (plus it provides a good excuse to pick up some gems for the collection). I never leave empty-handed – there’s always something new to discover in the bins, plus there are many kindred spirits and good conversations to be had while browsing – very communal.

My first visit to Amoeba was today, and I had the time of my life. My friend is so awesome. He waited in line for me at 4 a.m. and got me my Scott Pilgrim signing pass. Then, I came today (Thursday) and I was in line. Sure enough, on my first day, I got interviewed by the Amoeba people and I was just so darn excited. Then, when I started getting autographs from the cast, I just could not contain my excitement. I kept repeating "Oh My God." I'm sure the actors and actresses all experience that when signing autographs, but this was my first time getting autographs, so such a thing could not contain my excitement. Nothing could really. Michael Cera even asked me if I was high. I just cannot thank everyone who put that event together and all the workers, who were very nice. I'm coming back to Amoeba whenever I can, as soon as I get my Driver's License. This is quite possibly the BEST store ever. Thank you everyone. I'm so stoked to have experienced Amoeba and an autograph signing session in just ONE night. =)

I remember the first time I went to Amoeba. I was looking for the Paul McCartney album "Tug of War" and in this day and age where everything is digital it is hard to find the actual physical CD of it. I went because a friend of mine told me that he was pretty sure that they had it because the store was huge. I decided to go and when I stepped in I was in awe, there were so many aisle of cd's and what not I did not no where to begin. As I went through the aisles looking at all the CD's they had, I finally found I wanted. They did so I picked it up and then I wondered, if they had another CD I wanted and I looked for it and found it. I did this about several times and before I knew it, I had been in the store for about 2 hours and hand eight CD's when I originally went for one. I would recommend Amoeba to anyone who has an interest in music in general. You can pretty much fine almost everything you are looking for. Also the employees who work there are very friendly and are really willing to help you out.

This photos is from the Tegan and Sara in store on July 24, 2007 that I went to with my brother Jacob, who has been a fan of their's for awhile. He's currently living in San Francisco and attends many of the events there. One of my earliest Amoeba in-stores was Puffy Ami Yumi, and we saw Albert Hammond, Jr. of the Strokes shopping there after the event! Amoeba is easily the best and biggest record store in California. I've been to many Amoeba performances and signings in LA and San Francisco, the most recent being tonight's Scott Pilgrim signing in Hollywood. I went with my boyfriend Andrew, who I've also seen a couple Japanese bands with at Amoeba (Chatmonchy in Hollywood and Tsushimamire in San Francisco). I met Jodi, one of my best concert/road trip buddies, at Amoeba in San Francisco after a BRMC in-store in September 2005. We went on to attend many other shows together, including another BRMC in-store in San Francisco earlier this year. Amoeba has not only brought me closer to the music I love so much, but it has also given me life-long friends to share the music with!

I am first and foremost a music fan. I've been collecting vinyl (and later CDs) since 1979 or so - which is when I bought my first 45; Charlie Dore's Pilot of the Airwaves. I was immediately hooked on the rush of vinyl. This was soon followed by the 12" for No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) by Donna Summer and a slumming Barbra Streisand. And, shortly after that, Queen's Flash Gordon Theme took up permanent residence in my record player. At this point there was no turning back. By the mid-80s I was all about CDs and Maxi-CD Singles - I'd always known I should sidestep cassettes! Though I briefly flirted with cassingles and still own a few. Cassettes were too much like the extinct 8-tracks I'd so loved as a kid. I never got over that heartbreak. Anyway, here I am thirty years on and I still record shop just about everyday. Whether it's hitting the mother of all used record stores Amoeba Hollywood or digging through the racks at Out of the Closet and the bins at The Goodwill I look high and low for lost treasures past, as well as new releases that seem special. I love pop music. I love dance music. I love funk. I sing in a chorus, so I have some interesting choral releases. I grew up in a house with a gifted piano player - my older sister Steph. She had me humming Chopin, Bach, Beethoven, Schubert and more by the age of three. I cried all the way home from the movie theater, at age six - the finale of You Light Up My Life where Laurie realizes her dream of being a singer devastated me. It was like watching a birth. I knew that was the life for me! I was obsessed with The Rose soundtrack and by age eight wished I chug whiskey straight from the bottle so I could die a dramatic death on stage in the middle of my world tour. I secretly hated my parents for about a year because even though we had the Grease soundtrack (on gatefold double vinyl) we weren't allowed to see the movie because of "adult language" in the song Greased Lightnin'. I held a similar grudge for them after banning KISS LPs from our home. All has since been forgiven. My cousins got to see KISS in Seattle in 1979 and I was not allowed to go. They have never let me forget this. They will not be forgiven! So, that's me in a nutshell. Nutty for music. I'm nuts for Amoeba. It feeds me. It keeps those memories alive every time I step in their doors. Each time I find one of those treasures from my past I'm transported to that time and place. Amoeba is magic because they are the impossible. They are my magic time machine. As they can transport me back they also propel me forward always putting something new and just out of reach in front of me. Amoeba is my little gateway to my past and to my future. I love them for what they do and see a lifelong friend in them. And now the lucky devils of Los Angeles will reap the benefits of my countless hours of searching the hallowed aisles at Amoeba. I have my own club night. And thanks to them I have the best collection of music. Now, I think I have good taste and if you come and hear my stuff you'll see a bit of a pattern. It is heavy on 80s and 90s - the music of my formative decades. But it has a dose of 70s and definitely has new music with roots in those classics from bygone eras. Right now I'm sitting on over 10,000 CDs, 2,000+ pieces of vinyl (7", 10", 12") and three cassingles. My music night is possible thanks to Amoeba. Thanks for supporting my habit. Thanks for supporting my passion. Music. Sweet, sweet music. xx, Justin aka Camille "12inches" Towe

Living in Vancouver, going to Amoeba on the Haight is like going on a the haj. Spiritual enlightenment through music I can't get at home. Best acquisitions, What it Is motown comp, Tepid Peppermint Wonderland Brian Jonestown comp, Punky Reggae Party comp. Best in-store Joe Strummer.

three words: LOVE IS HELL after watching over endless ebay auctions for ryan adams' love is hell on vinyl over the years (many of which ended over my price limit at well over $100), I went to Amoeba Hollywood for the first time and there it was on the wall! I think it was only $50 or something crazy like that. one of the best finds ever! Amoeba rules!