The sign will go into storage at the Sacramento Archives, with some other famous neon like the original Shakey's Pizza sign. I don't think I have any photos, but I too have a lot of memories of flipping through the record racks at Tower Records (back when all they had were records, plus some cassette tapes) and indulging my love of reading at Tower Books. Tower was never afraid to stock the unusual, the underground and the interesting, in addition to the big sellers, and that depth of merchandise is what elevated them above other music store or bookstore chains. There was a time in Sacramento when working at Tower Records was a badge of honor about as cool as being in a band, and along with StateNet and EMH, Tower's distribution warehouse in West Sacramento was one of the places you could get a job if you had pink hair, piercings and tattoos back in the days when having pink hair, piercings and tattoos were still uncommon (and unsettling) enough to keep one out of other jobs.

Maybe it's just because I'm a music snob, but personally I consider record-store clerk attitude to be one of the hallmarks of a good record store, vs. most chain record stores (or Sam Goody or Wal-Mart) where they couldn't give a darn about your purchase because they don't know anything about music. Typically the same clerks who will belittle a bad purchase will compliment a good one.

But this was more than just record store snobbiness--this was scene credit. I was kinda awed by folks who worked there, and they always seemed to have good record collections (no doubt in small part to the seemingly high tolerance for employee pilferage at Tower stores.) I applied once or twice, but wasn't cool enough...

I spent much more time at the Columbus and Bay weird corner store than most other Tower stores, I loved the giant posters they had out - I pass it semi regularly now and it is sad to have it gone. I agree on clerks, and highlighted their importance in another article. Music snobs are my favorite people - I just don't care what kind of music they are snobby about, as long as their passion is honest to themselves. These days I find the top 10 lists of "internet" places like CD Baby, Miles of Music (MOM), Village Records.. provide the best source of discovering new music - Or even better, listen to KVMR 89.5 FM, or www.kvmr.org check out their schedule for genre's you like - then find out how to buy the music & buy it! - Thanks for the info Wm - I lived in the Bay Area back in the 60's and early 70's - on our way to the mountains, we used to stop at a cool pizza parlor with a big organ, was that the Shakey's you speak of - in our town Shakeys used to play black and white comedy movies & have ragtime music - just one more of those early influences that shapes my likes today!

Scott: The original Shakey's Pizza was on J Street in East Sacramento, not too far from the original location of The Beat if you know where that was. If your route to the mountains took you down Highway 40 via the Tower Bridge, you would have had to detour off of 40 to J Street, then took the Fair Oaks bridge to get back on track towards the mountains.

I grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento in the 70s and 80s, and Tower Records was pretty much my lifeline to interesting music and culture. I spent a whole lot of time haunting the Citrus Heights store near Birdcage, the Watt Avenue store, and sometimes (after light rail went in and I could take it downtown) the store on K Street and 8th with the amazing mural.

KVMR is a real treasure, between them and KDVS Sacramento is flanked by some incredible musical resources.

amen! I believe it was a route similar to Business 80 - The Nut Tree in Vacaville, The Milk Farm (Dixon?), Shakeys in Sac & the Brown Cow in Penryn were all stops on the way to the mountains - all fond memories - All now gone!