Amoeba Music

While shopping in the Hollywood store with my teenage daughter I looked up and saw Elvis Costello shopping there too. I told her, "Hey look, its Elvis Costello! I think I'm go talk to him." My daughter looked aghast as I walked toward Elvis. I asked if it was him and, he said he was. I told him I saw him a few years earlier at the Hardly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco and that it was on of the best shows I'd ever seen him do. He smiled and said it's the best concert in the world! I didn't tell him that back in the 1980s I came in 3 rd in an Elvis Costello look-alike contest even though I was 6'4." I walked back to my daughter and told her, well, you never know who you are going to run in to at Amoeba Records!

I was fortunate enough to attend in the in-store performance of Franz Ferdinand at the Hollywood store. I took my kids out of school early enough so they can see them as well. They are one of our all-time favorite bands. We get in and they were awesome. During the performance, my daughter sat by the stairs for a bit. Then some guy with boots steps on her hands. She comes crying to me. I told one of the managers just what happened. She took us to the backroom to get some ice for her. She asked us if we liked the performance so far and we said yes. Then she says we are missing the last part of performance but that we will be meeting them when they are done. Sure enough, when they were done, they walked in. My daughter was so happy! They were gracious, funny, and totally down to earth. They gave her their guitar picks, Alex gave her an autograph cd and album. He took a picture with her and my son. They told us we can stay around as long as we wanted. Sometimes, a good thing happens when something awful happens. My daughter's finger was fine, but the memory of meeting Franz Ferdinand will stay forever, thanks to Amoeba!

Amoeba Hollywood has left a lasting impression on my heart! 2 years ago while living in SoCal I met a guy while traveling. He was from NorCal and we hit it off immediately. We agreed to get together when we returned from our trip. Soon afterwards he traveled to see me in SoCal and I had no idea what we would do or even if I really liked him! You know how it is on vacation, right? Everyone is fun! Well - I picked him up from the Burbank airport and drove him straight to Amoeba in Hollywood. When I saw the look of pure JOY on his face (he was even shaking!) at the sight of Amoeba I knew right then it was going to work out! BTW - we spent 4 HOURS that day at Amoeba!!! Music is a GREAT way to connect! Thank you Amoeba! We got married 4 months ago!

Amoeba, Amoeba how I love thee. Oh how many hours and how many rent checks have I spent in your caring musical womb! I remember seeing Mates of State knock out a whimsical set, Franz Ferdinand and the Blood Brothers blister the inner depths of my ears! My most memorable moment definitely has to be the day that Franz Ferdidnand's first record came out. I was shopping the vinyl aisles and I just kept tapping my feet and moving to the music. I remember saying out loud to my girlfriend at the time "I have to have this record!!" I bought it on the spot and have loved them ever since! Thank you Amoeba for keeping me a float in a sea of musicality. Amoeba, Amoeba how I love thee.

Three equally memorable Amoeba SF in-stores for me were John Cale, John Waters & Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens. Mr. Cale & band played a superb unplugged set, then signed for fans. An honor to meet the founder & soul of the Velvet Underground. John Waters visited during winter holidays, signing & posing with fans for a Polaroid photo-op under the Amoeba Xmas tree. Like the wacky uncle you always wished you had. And Pee-Wee's Haight Street in-store, well now, THAT was a packed & surreal Fellini-like happening indeed. Playhouse & Big Adventure costumes abounded. So. Much. Fun. (I love that story...) Do I think that The Secret Word that day was "Amoeba"?? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!moeba!!!!!!! To paraphrase Method Actor Ringo Starr: "Yes. Yes I do." ;)

Hey!!! Well my story goes like this. I come from South America. When I first moved to L.A. back in 2001 I had no friends and did nothin' but work all the time. When ever I had some time off I had very few options since I didn't really know my way around. I headed to Hollywood where I ended up ether going to party at night or heading to that one interesting record store I found on Sunset Boulevard. I loved it from the start, the place looked funky (dope), huge and warehouse like from the outside and sort of theatrically huge retro 80's from the inside. Lots of activity going on left and right, posters, flyers, records, colors, people. Once you find your north and get integrated into the picture, you start looking around for what ever it is you're looking for and find not only so many selections you haven't seen for a while anywhere else, but the employees look and act like some one you'd be hangin' around with anyway. It's like a community from start to finish, I love the place, couldn't say enough about it, thank you guys... never change for the love of freedom and sanity. ;) Alfredo.

Amoeba has always been very dear to me for MANY years. As a young punk music lover who thought he knew SO much about the real important and influential music out there, Amoeba opened up my eyes to the non-commercial side of music. I fell in love with vinyls, and my collection is one of the things I'm most proud of, many of which were found at bargain prices! Why, just last week I picked up an Oasis album for $2.99!!! I have come along way since that naive kid walking through the aisles, and I actually have a kid of my own now. I've attached a photo of her first day at Amoeba Hollywood, and she's already going through the used CD's! Amoeba is a landmark ALL music lovers should cherish. My transition from youth to adulthood ran through Amoeba, my favorite artists going from Van Halen and Guns n' Roses to Led Zeppelin and the Beach Boys. I can only hope my daughter shares the same life-changing experiences in your store. VIVA AMOEBA!

Amoeba Records in Hollywood is a magical place. It's better than Disneyland. The sheer variety and depth of music and videos makes you happy to be alive and roaming their aisles. I like all types of music and movies, so Amoeba's "everything under the sun" atmosphere really gets my mind excited with possibilities. I also respect their social responsibility to the greater community. Good products, good service and a good heart. What every business should try to be.

I moved to L.A. to study photography and was immediately told about this incredible superstore of music. Music is a universal love that connects most everyone, so with that I was unparalleled when I received a call asking me to come and photograph the one and only Elvis Costello performing at Amoeba Records for 100.3 The Sound. The show absolutely floored me. It was amazing that I was getting to walk through the isles and visually get to see every angle of him performing from all around the store while the crowds were lined up and only allowed to hold one position. It was my first experience feeling like a VIP and after that getting to shake hands and rub elbows for a brief moment just blew my mind. Also, On-top of all that, the set he played was AMAZING. I particularly remember a Grateful Dead cover that was played and it had me at awww.... So yes, Amoeba will always be the place where I once felt involved with a music legend. Such a great place.

I thought that nothing could replace the old Park Bowl and its Rock 'n' Bowl Saturday nights, but boy was I ever wrong. Any time I'm anywhere near the Haight, I have to "lash myself to the mast" lest I be lured in yet again by the sirens of Amoeba; it's not a pity that I can't tie a good knot! If I can't find what I'm looking for at Amoeba, it must've been a hallucination.