Record Store Day

In honor of Record Store Day, a post about two of the first record stores I frequented as a newbie record buyer. In memoriam...

The first record store I wandered into in P-Town.

I had the coolest RA in college. Besides being kind, silly, and oozing Big Island cool in his year-round flip-flops, Michael was the kind of guy who made sure that all us bright-eyed frosh were ready to get around on our own in Portland. One weekend early on, Michael gathered up the freshman crew in Stewart, showed us how to hop the bus downtown (including how to get transfer passes!), and took us on a walking tour of major sites. We were backpack-wearing ducklings following our mama.

The first place we stopped was this store with lots of windows and red trim on the corner of Stark and 11th. D-Jangos? I think it took me a while to figure out how to say the name properly...and learn its history. We all walked inside and gawked at the merchandise. The gears in my mind were turning like a lamborghini's odometer on the Autobahn. I knew I was coming back to this place.

When I think of Django's, the vinyl fairy sprinkles love dust into my heart. I found so many cool things there: Jeff Buckley's singles, lps like Mystery White Boy, Low, Astral Weeks, Technique, Music for the Masses, Beach Boys 7" singles from Pet Sounds (mono!), a Mahalia Jackson postcard, and lots of cds, too. The prices were always reasonable. Best of all, every time I was there, I was with friends and fellow music junkies.

I miss Djangos.

I dyed my hair "Pimpin' Purple" with a bottle of Special Effects bought at Ozone.

Right across the street, on Burnside and 11th, was Ozone (now a Buffalo Exchange). While Django's was a welcoming, open store, Ozone felt like the traditional cool record store gauntlet. You had to walk through a long entry to get to the goods, past employees with many-a-piercing and/or tattoo and awesome, high-maintenance hair. They were cool. At the end of the entry there was a counter dedicated to patches, stickers, hair dye, chains, and studded everything. After having a dream about purpling my hair, I purchased my first bottle of hair dye at that counter. Rock on Pimpin' Purple, rock on.

Benicio del Toro was rumored to have been seen at Ozone that year, and I can't deny that my prolonged gazing at the poster covered ceiling may have devolved into daydreaming about the man.

My vinyl-pickin' fingers found some gems at Ozone as well, most notably Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and Passengers.



I'm glad that I live in a city that has several fantastic, independent record stores still around. I am one lucky vinyl junky. Let's keep our record stores open...and celebrate a great day, the big R-S-D!