May the memory be eternal

So my favorite music store EVER is set to close its doors. That's right, Dog Ear Records is closing and everything's going--the store, the recording studio, and the film festival the owner puts on. That might not mean anything to you folks outside The LC, but for me, it's a big deal. Dog Ear was what facilitated my audiophilia, my love of music. When I started getting into my fabulous classic rock artists, I was halfway through sixth grade. Twelve years old and a budding audiophile. My sister and dad and I got our hair cut at Images in Libertyville, and after the trim, it was fun to drive a minute or so to Dog Ear and pick out some new-to-us CDs. Dog Ear was owned by a married couple, and they were running the whole show (including Rainbow Recording Studio in the basement and the fall film festival they sponsored). To add to the cool factor, they were also HUGE contributors to LaCASA (as I found out from my stint with them over the summer). As I initially started off liking classic rock, bands that had been around for a while, it was really easy to find the CDs I wanted. I can remember some of the first ones I ever purchased: Different Light (Bangles), Dreamboat Annie (Heart), Kindred Spirit (Kindred Spirit), Tangled and Fur (Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's), and Pleasure Victim (Berlin). You know how much I love music, and it's probably easy to tell why I'm going to miss that place so much. It's really sad to hear of it going, and a real loss for The LC. Now there are no more used record stores at all. Music Recyclery in Gurnee Mills closed, only to re-open very briefly as the horrendous mess known as "Fourth-Price Media" (a remainder store lacking the organization, variety, and nice mohawked-and-pierced salespeople). FPM didn't last more than a few months. Then Play By Play in Waukegan switched to mostly new stuff and mostly rap (yecchhh...). There's Borders Outlet in Gurnee Mills, but that's all overstock (and the CD selection isn't good at all--mostly the Christmas albums they couldn't sell during the winter. Which is fine for Christmas, but that only happens once a year!). Dog Ear remained as the only used record store. Now wherever will I find my rare and cheap CDs and merch?

Rest in peace, Dog Ear. You live on in my heart and in my CD player.