It’s a sad day. Russ Solomon (founder of Tower Records) has decided to close his Sacramento music store R5 Records. According to a report from Midtown Monthly:
R5, which Solomon opened at 16th and Broadway immediately following the demise of his Tower Records chain, had been foundering in the double-whammy of recession and a dwindling market for music product. Lately R5 had shifted focus toward vinyl, the only musical format that is seeing growth. I suspect that the departure of Dal Basi, longtime buyer for both Tower and R5, who is leaving R5 to start a boutique vinyl shop in Midtown may have hastened Solomon’s decision. Unconfirmed rumors point to the Dimple Records chain as a buyer for the store.
Hey, we love Dimple (and The Beat too) but would’ve loved to see R5 continue as another in the ever-shrinking number of local record stores. It’s a tough time for local, independent stores. Support your locals today! A world without record stores would be a pretty awful world!