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A groovy goodbye Disc Exchange: More than just a record shop Mary Beth McCauley Contributor
Knoxville lost a huge part of its history last weekend. The Disc Exchange, a staple of Knoxville’s music scene since 1987, permanently closed its doors on Sunday, Sept. 25. The Disc Exchange was originally a mailorder service that co-owner Jennie Ingram ran out of her house. Ingram and her business partner, Allan Miller, would hand deliver CDs to customers. When business continued to grow, they eventually moved into their Chapman Highway location in 1991 and set up a physical music store. Ingram’s store was more than just a record shop, though. It was a place to see a local band play, a place you went to with your parents as a kid and a place where there is no such thing as bad music. Customers could find old and new CDs, vinyl records, tapes, band t-shirts and show posters, among other music-related merchandise. Many noteworthy bands have performed at the Disc Exchange throughout the past 25 years, such as Shinedown, Foo Fighters, Wilco and Kid Rock. “People didn’t go to the Disc Exchange just for a CD; people went to the Disc Exchange for the experience,” Joe Sexton, a former customer of the Disc Exchange, said. “It was a place you could go to find unique merchandise that you couldn’t get anywhere else.” Overall, the news about its closing hit the Knoxville community pretty hard. For many, the Disc Exchange was a huge part of their childhood. “When I was a kid, my stepmom used to take me to the Disc Exchange,” Amanda Alarcon, a UT graduate student, said. “I lived off Chapman Highway this past year, so I always drove by there and remembered the trips I used to take down there. It’s definitely a place of nostalgia for me.” Another fan of the store, Mark Mohundro, is also sad to see it go. Mohundro worked at the Disc Exchange’s Kingston Pike location Amanda Collins • The Daily Beacon
Volume 132 Issue 31
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People didn’t go to the Disc Exchange just for a CD; people went to the Disc Exchange for the experience.” Joe Sexton, former customer
back in 1997. “I hate seeing any independent record store close. There are so very few now,” he said. “There is something about going to independent record stores that you don’t get by going to places like Best Buy or Target.” It is no secret that the digital age has severely affected independent music stores all over the world. With easy accessibility to entire discographies of music online, sometimes for free, the need to purchase music in brick-andmortar stores is mainly a concern of music collectors. Even with vinyl records becoming more and more popular, it isn’t always enough to save an independent music store from closing down. “It’s sad, but I can definitely see why places like the Disc Exchange are going out of business, especially with the accessibility of iTunes, Spotify and other online music services,” Alarcon said. “Regardless, Knoxville has lost a cultural landmark.” Though Knoxville will mourn the loss of the Disc Exchange for years to come, the store will always be remembered for its contributions to Knoxville’s music scene and the experiences it provided for music lovers all over town. See DISC EXCHANGE PHOTOS on Page 8
Friday, September 30, 2016