Link.

Ear X-tacy is expected to make an announcement today regarding its future. The iconic Louisville record store has been closed for three days without explanation.

 

Store manager Rebecca Mercer declined to comment by e-mail shortly before 1 p.m., but she said she would be happy to talk “once the announcement is made later today.”

 

Fans are wondering whether the struggling store has gone out of business.

 

 

Nothing official yet, but the speculation is that they will be closing permanently. I saw the move to Douglass Loop as probably just a short life-extender so this won't be totally unexpected. It still stinks to see a record store get shut down though.

Great store.....but can't fight the trend to on-line downloads and "shared" music forever.

There used to be nothing better than going to the record store. I could spend hours in there.

I'd only been there a few times, but it's always sad to hear when a place like that shuts down.

Edited November 1, 201114 yr by Habib

It's official.

Never been there, but this stinks. Even if I never get to go to record stores, I like the idea of them being there.

Strange sentiments around town today. There was a lot of "I haven't been there in years but I'm sad to see it go." That particular business model has been dying a slow death for a long time and it was only a matter of time before Ear X-Tacy succumbed to it.

Strange sentiments around town today. There was a lot of "I haven't been there in years but I'm sad to see it go." That particular business model has been dying a slow death for a long time and it was only a matter of time before Ear X-Tacy succumbed to it.

 

A telling statement.

 

"Now don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got till it's gone."

Even being from NKY, I made it a point to stop into Ear X-Tacy almost every single time I was in Louisville for the last 12 years or so. I'm definitely a fan of music, and a fan of small, locally owned businesses, so I most certainly think it is a HUGE shame that they're closing up shop.

 

That being said, I think there was a good bit of writing on the wall as far back as 5 or 6 years ago. They went through a similar situation to Phil's Records up here in NKY: inventory was managed by employees, employees ordered what they liked more frequently than what was in demand. Like it or not, you've got to keep top 40 music in stock...and it doesn't hurt to stock it well. You have to obey supply and demand; it's not just a good business idea, it's a must. The other problem I saw them have (via word of mouth) came from a friend of mine who lives in Louisville and was a Ear X-Tacy disciple and friend to several of the employees. As recent as the last 6 months, they were managing their store with 18 employees....that is a HUGE number of employees for a store like that, and a ton of overhead to cover. Shake-It in Cincinnati runs the store with two owners and 4 employees. There are way too many dollars built into an additional employee to have that many of them.

 

Anyway...I hate hate hate to see them close up. I've spent many hours in there and been to TONS of shows that they were involved in, and they're an irreplaceable institution.

You hit the nail on the head regarding the employees. I actually just had that discussion with co-workers too.

 

After two public pleas from the owner to help "save the store", the writing was definitely on the wall. I also think those pleas started to rub some people the wrong way...

The local shows they helped bring or hosted are one of the biggest things I'll miss. Also, they had a pretty large selection of music from local artists (even some on vinyl) and I really hate to see that go away.

 

I've lived in Louisville for over three years and I'd say not a month went by that I didn't purchase something from them. Hate to see it gone.

You hit the nail on the head regarding the employees. I actually just had that discussion with co-workers too.

 

After two public pleas from the owner to help "save the store", the writing was definitely on the wall. I also think those pleas started to rub some people the wrong way...

 

I was one of the ones it was rubbing the wrong way.

I've made stops in there a few times that I have been there. Sorry to hear this; even with all of the changes with music online, I still greatly enjoy going to record stores. The only left in NKY is Phil's Records and C&D Record Bar and from what I heard, the owner of C&D in Newport is trying to get out of it now. If that happens, I guess the only other well known ones will be in Cincinnati at Everybodys Records and Shake It Records, if they can make it.

I always felt that if they had tried to shift into digital distribution of local artists and regional acts that might have helped to shore up the store itself, but I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination on that market.

There's just something special about going in to a record store and taking it all in... Digging for that Pearl Jam vinyl you haven't been able to find yet and then VOILA! There it is! I don't get that same rush when I click Search and drag to my cart. The magic's gone.