“Keep Louisville Weird.” “Buy Local First.” Common slogans, which every Louisvillian has surely memorized by now. It's a good thing – the benefits of patronizing local businesses as opposed to big chain stores are well documented, and we show our love for our small businesses every day. Why rent at Blockbuster or RedBox when we have Wild and Woolly Video? Why eat at Olive Garden when we have Volare, or Panera Bread when we have Baby D's Bagels?
Of course, we live in a changing world, and businesses that can't keep up will sometimes fade away. We saw this recently – the city was dealt a huge blow with the loss of Ear X-Tacy, our beloved record store. It is gone, but not forgotten.
This weekend brings an opportunity to relive memories and step once again inside the store via the medium of film. Local filmmaker Scott Shuffitt took his camera behind the scenes of Ear X-Tacy before the collapse and the result is the documentary “Brick and Mortar and Love,” which screens tomorrow, Saturday, April 7, at the Louisville Science Center. The documentary includes plentiful interviews with employees, patrons, and, of course, owner and operator John Timmons himself. It explores the role of a brick and mortar record store in a world where the majority of music is procured via download and seeks to answer what is at stake if such physical locations fail.
“Brick and Mortar and Love” plays at 7:00 tomorrow evening; doors open at 6:30. Tickets can be purchased in advance here. The Louisville Science Center is located at 727 W. Main Street. Come out and support local film while showing your love for our local businesses, both past and present.
Image: Danny Bolin
