USING MUSIC
People and businesses who help bring music to the world

In Stock And In-Store
Portland’s MUSIC MILLENNIUM owner Terry Currier sees the future of music in the past

Currier shows me two of his favorite items, a sticker on the wall made to look like a Best Buy logo that proclaims MUST DIE and a vinyl record of exercises for pregnant women. "This would not be as eye catching if it was 5x5," he proclaims, opening up the gatefold to show near-bursting ladies in aerobic positions.

Currier has a lot of insight on the re-emergence of the vinyl record after being nearly squashed by cassette tapes and CDs. He should know. Having been with Music Millennium since 1984, Currier has seen many a music format come and go. "I don't want to bash the CD," Currier says, "but that was when music became a product – not art." He talks of the warmth of the vinyl and its cardboard sleeve as opposed to the cold plastic CD case, but with a businessman's pragmatism. Only about one fifth of Music Millenium's stock is vinyl – the rest CD – but that is a feat considering that many big-box retailers don't carry any vinyl at all.

"For stores like us," Currier explains, "vinyl has been really important." Selling vinyl copies of new albums is also a huge benefit to bands on independent labels who may not sell very many CDs, but whose fans might fork over the cash for something more special. It's also a huge advantage for music shoppers who might have to scour dozens of yard sales to find a specific record, but could easily find it in Music Millenium's ample stock.

Music Millennium has always operated with the true music fans and the artists in mind. Since its opening in 1969 the store has specialized in imports, hard to find and rare albums, and a curated experience that makes it easier for shoppers to discover new music. But possibly its most important accomplishment has been pioneering the in-store performance.

"In 1989 we put in the stage downstairs for our 20th anniversary celebration," Currier recalls. "We wanted 20 straight days of live music in the store, and we ended up with 40 straight days of live music." The store had great sales and the bands really enjoyed themselves. This overwhelming response from artists and patrons made Currier realize the value of live performances in the store.

They installed a mixing board and a sound system and started calling larger touring acts that were coming through Portland for a performance to invite them to play in the store. "We got aggressive, calling bands up," explains Currier. "Before this time you might see a local band set up and play in amusic store, but you'd never see a touring act."

Soon Music Millennium was booking up to 300 in-store performances a year, stuffing three performances into a single Saturday and hosting the likes of Sonic Youth, Cyndi Lauper, Weezer, and Sheryl Crow. Currier remembers some performances that were groundbreaking: "We had Soundgarden play for the release of their first A&M record. We had Randy Newman's only ever in-store performance."

Fans loved the in-stores because they were all-ages shows with bands that were often playing clubs that were 21+, and artists loved the laid-back vibe in the store, often taking the opportunity to play covers and experiment with styles that they might not in a concert setting.

Looking at the upcoming schedule, Fleet Foxes are set to play a show. I warn him that one might draw a pretty big crowd. "Sometimes they do shut down the shopability of the store," he admits, recalling the time he booked Kimya Dawson just before the release of Juno. By the time she played the gig she was a celebrity. "We had a few hundred people waiting!" he says.

Unfortunately it hasn't been easy for Music Millennium to stay afloat in a sinking industry, despite its success with staying current and diverse. Last July Currier was forced to close his downtown branch due to inflated rent - the third store in the chain to shut its doors – leaving him with just the one, original, location. "We still need to figure out more ways to make money in this climate," confesses Currier, citing plans to expand to used CDs and explaining that he recently relented to selling music-related lifestyle items like toys and t-shirts.

As long as he can, Currier plans to keep Music Millennium's focus on supporting the artist and maintaining the variety that his customers crave. The store has always and will always consign records for any local band that wants to drop off its CDs. They have an entire local section for just that purpose. Emboldened by his love of the store's rich history and undaunted by the closing of the other branch, Currier sees clearly the importance of maintaining a great full-catalog independent store as they become more and more rare, and still has big plans for the future of his own.
- Lavinia Jones Wright

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