20 years ago, Eric Levin opened Criminal Records, now regarded as one of the best indie record/pop culture hybrid stores in Atlanta, Georgia. Scratch that. The store’s reputation makes it one of the best and most treasured outlets in all of North America.
Earlier this year, the store hit financial troubles, and there were fears that Eric may have to close the store down. Happily, and rather touchingly, many local Georgian artists leapt to the rescue, playing in the store, making ‘Save Criminal’ t-shirts, and donating free tracks to keep this local/national treasure afloat.
We caught up with Eric, and found him to be a man who cares about independent stores, his local community and artists. Here’s a guy who set up a record shop with his own collection, grew it into a focal point for those who care about a genuine alternative to homogenized mall (non) culture, and got involved in Record Store Day at an early stage, as well as running the Alliance of Independent Media Stores.
Here’s what Eric had to say…
When did Criminal Records open, and can you remember the first day?
I opened in Atlanta sometime in August ’91, but the store had lived as a little baby store in Daytona Beach, Florida. I moved it up, along with everything else, in one truckload; and dropped it in Little Five Points. I had to get up and running fast, a little bit of paint and clean up – the space had been a florist’s. I arranged the counter and put the stock back out the way it had been packed. August was our twentieth anniversary and a huge turning point, as I knew it would be.
I’d grown up in various record stores, from a very early age and started working at the local mom & pop when I was thirteen. There wasn’t a lot of thought to it, as it was already my trade and my father was an entrepreneur. It wasn’t expected or unusual, I was bored with a little college and kind of just opened up a record store / clubhouse with my own collection. It was a great end to my teens.
What would you say have been the high and low points?
The highs have been so truly awesome, I would feel as if I were bragging to rattle them off. Talking and thinking about them brings up more memories. Same could be said for the low points. You’ll have to buy me a drink, or a few.
Tell us a little about your staff and stock.
Criminal Records is the staff, it always has been. I’ve hidden in back from the earliest opportunity. Lillian has been out and front her whole life, she arrived when she was sixteen, in the first few months of the store and hasn’t left. Shannon’s been there for over a decade, Eddie’s been working at record stores or for record companies his whole life. Zano’s a wizard in the comics section. That’s the team that will inherit the store when I step away, or step side-ways?
You play an active role in Record Store Day, tell us a little about that please.
For my day job, I run AIMS (Alliance of Independent Media Stores), a Rebel Alliance for indie record stores. We’re the scrappy rag tag bunch. There are two other coalitions that we partner with and hang out with, CIMS and Music Monitor Network. MMN hosted a convention that we all attended and we discussed the notion of re-creating Free Comic Book Day. Record Store Day is my volunteer job and my responsibilities shift as the situation merits. Sometimes I’m involved in the creation and vetting of a Record Store Day piece and sometimes I’m working on .html coding on the RSD website. Or talking to record stores, visiting record stores, shopping at record stores, it’s a pretty good gig.
Over the past few years as RSD has shifted into over-drive, I’ve enjoyed the political aspect, representing record stores and independent business on a global level. That’s been the most amazing experience, even just being a small part of RSD, it’s opened up so many new avenues of interest. This is one of the main reasons I want to give the store to the staff. I’m having more fun working on the Local-First movement and the Federal Sales Tax Fairness Solution. On November 2nd, I’m meeting with other indie business coalition leaders in Washington DC to meet with the “SUPER COMMITTEE” to talk about our issues. I’ve never been interested in politics, I participate as I can on a local level, voting and supporting righteous candidates, but I’ve always been hands off. I’ve enjoyed meeting these guys and have seen change on a global level. That’s pretty humbling when you are struggling with your own local economy.
Atlanta has an incredibly diverse ‘scene’, and has produced such artists as Babyface, The Black Crowes, Indigo Girls, Guadalcanal Diary, Mastodon, OutKast, Cee Lo Green, Black Lips, Manchester Orchestra and Deerhunter. Any encounters with artists over the years?
Hmmmm, Brent from Mastodon’s Chevy’s transmission slipped the other day and he was near my house. I went over to hang out and drink some beers, see if I could help out. Thom Cheshire from West End Motel was able to get it into reverse, so I led the way back to my house with Brent driving backwards. We celebrated and waited for the tow truck at my house.
Is pop culture alive and kicking? Independent retailing is at a crossroads, is there hope? Is vinyl still a format that you and your customers cherish?
I have great belief in the record store, I’m a full time advocate for them. The vinyl resurgence is deep and meaningful. The treasure is out there waiting to be brought out to light and we need places to interact with what we find, with each other. I think we’re about to have a used CD boom which will be very profitable for savvy indies. Record stores can support neighborhoods and feed families, just like any small business. Lots of smaller stores, some born around the turn of the century are doing quite fine. Grimey’s in Nashville, Shake It in Cincinnati, Luna in Indianapolis, Good Records in Dallas, so many wonderful stores. I field emails and calls for RSD, helping guide folks through the process of opening stores, as much as I can.
What was the first record you bought, and where?
It’s funny, I overheard Shannon tell a reporter his first record: Rick Dee’s Disco Duck 12-inch. Mine was Kiss Alive II, but my dad let me get two, so I got Disco Duck. It was at Opus One in Huntington, WVA and the owner had a great moustache. My brother bought a bunch of Fat Freddy’s Cat comix and he let me read them.
Tell us about your hopes for the future, in terms of the store and your role in Record Store Day.
I believe the fund-raising is going to reach the necessary goal, which will allow me to give ownership to the team. Criminal Records works, but it cost so much to get there, to this point.
Sales are great, we haven’t even had a sale yet and we’re up 70%. That alone gives us the leverage to move forward, but the enthusiasm and interest from the staff and community shows me that Criminal Records is going to offer even more services to Atlanta and the over-all communities. I’m going to continue to volunteer for Record Store Day and work on expanding AIMS, finding opportunities for AIMS members and hopefully, helping create AIMS level stores all across the country. In November, AIMS will be distributing Magnet Magazine for free to all of our customers. This is so old-fashioned, I love it. Like the old-school Tower Pulse, we’ll be talking directly to our customers. We’re going to have special comix and flexi-discs and all kinds of content and surprises for the magazine reader only. That’s what I’ve been working on mostly. When Criminal Records is settled, I’m going to continue to expand on the record label imprint and local show promotion. Our first full-length comes out this week, Fran Captianelli’s Kave Talk and there’s so much incredible music in Atlanta, I can’t wait to start spreading it out to the world.
One of the amazing things about the whole Save Crim phenomenon is meeting all these new friends and new partners. Some of them I’ve known for years, as customers, but now they’re reaching out and saying, “you’re busy, we’re doing this for you,” and they throw a benefit concert. The Save Crim logo came as a gift from a customer. T-shirts started to arrive, like the Mastodon Save Criminal shirt, but also other designs. Now I know, moving forward, a whole new network of community partners. It’s wonderful to be able to clearly identify the backbone of your community.
PLEASE CHECK OUT SaveCriminal.com
