Tiny Music... Songs from the Last Record Store, Pt. II
My Co-Workers for the Next Two Weeks
Steve | 65 | owner and co-founder
VIBE: A character out of a Steely Dan song; super laid-back and someone who thinks that the note you don’t play is as important as the one you do.
AREA OF EXPERTISE: Steve is the numbers man at Kiss the Sky, an aging hippie completely comfortable using the word capitalize.
TYPICAL QUOTE: “We can adapt, and we can adapt fast. Faster than a big store.”
RELEVANT BIO INFO: Walked away from the CEO salary, 401(k), and corporate pied-à-terre in Brussels because twelve years ago, when he was 53, he realized he and Mike had spent decades talking about opening a record store together.
Mike | 55 | co-founder
VIBE: Picture a corn-fed version of a tech nerd. Mike laughs a lot loudly and mostly at me.
AREA OF EXPERTISE: He knows every piece of music coming and going from Kiss the Sky, down to the day it comes in and to the day regulars can expect it to be restocked.
TYPICAL QUOTE: [after a huge guffaw] “Jesus, Kennedy! Well done! Damn!”
RELEVANT BIO INFO: Even though he has told this story a hundred times, Mike is game to rehash how the original record store was kicked out of its old location in Batavia, Illinois. It involves a Shaggy 2 Dope in-store meet and greet that went horribly wrong. There were six hundred kids painted like satanic clowns playing some game where they kick each other in the nuts and spray orange Faygo soda on everything.
Mat | 23 | manager
VIBE: Tall and broad enough to welcome the phrase “Are you a cop?” But maybe that’s because he’s always busting Mike and Steve (his dad) for smoking weed behind the store.
AREA OF EXPERTISE: Knows hundreds of indie, small-release bands you’ve never heard of.
TYPICAL QUOTES: “Where were you yesterday? You were sleeping in, weren’t you?”
“What do you mean you were mowing the lawn? See, if you’d get a cell phone, people could reach you when you’re doing things like mowing the lawn. [long pause] You weren’t mowing the lawn. Just tell me the truth. [and the encore] You were sleeping in, weren’t you?”
RELEVANT BIO INFO: He graduated from college this year and the question that hangs over him is whether he can really find something out there that he loves as much as his gig here. Spoiler: he has, and it is bartending.
Lauren | 16 | clerk
VIBE: Mildly bored but perfectly polite, like a miniature version of the small town’s bank teller.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE: A little bit of alternative, but really anything ‘60s garage or Iggy Pop.
TYPICAL QUOTE: “I don’t know the stuff that’s quote-unquote hot right now.”
RELEVANT BIO INFO: Has a knack for making customers fall in love with her. Some actually bring gifts.