I keep forgetting to tell this story, and last Saturday, at my cousin Liam’s karaoke EXTRAVAGANZA, he and I got into this enormous Queen discussion: how much we love Queen, why we love Queen, what is special about Queen, how we like “classic” Queen, as opposed to their newer stuff … we are both passionate about Queen. I’ve been passionate about Queen since I was a kid. They are probably one of my all-time favorite bands ever.<\/p>\n
Anyway, I have a story to tell about Queen which should provide a glimmer of hope for humanity. So shines a good Queen in a naughty world, and all of that.<\/p>\n
Music lovers? Listen up. This is really cool.<\/p>\n
Last year, I went into the big Barnes & Noble on 22nd and 6th. Why? To buy me some Queen. I am so behind in technology that a lot of my Queen is still on CASSETTES, and they are now garbled and messed-up, due to almost constant listening. Needed to go get me some brand new classic Queen!<\/p>\n
So I go into the Barnes and Noble music section, and go to the “Rock” area, and … ehm … no Queen. Nothing. Not even an empty slot for them. Nothing. This is an enormous music store by the way. They have an extensive collection of Peruvian drum circle CDs. They have Charlotte Church up the wazoo. They also have every Christina Aguilera recording known to man. They have CDs of Polish music, Inuit music, Irish music, Russian music, Serbo-Croatian music, world music … you name it – it has a section. “Inuit Top 40 – right this way!”<\/p>\n
But no Queen.<\/p>\n
This knowledge took a while to sink in. And it actually kind of hurt my heart. No Queen? So soon we forget the giants of “the past”? So soon we throw out the old to replace it with the new? Can’t we at least ACKNOWLEDGE how important Queen was? Can’t we still buy their CDs? Must we trash our own history?<\/p>\n
I sat there, over the Q section, being all existential and meaningful. To myself. Being all sad that Queen is already forgotten.<\/p>\n
I sadly go up to the cashier. I try not to be angry beforehand. It’s not the cashier’s fault that we tear down our music history!<\/p>\n
I say to him, “Hi there … am I insane … or do you not have any Queen? It has to be in the Rock section … but … I just can’t find it!”<\/p>\n
Cashier boy says, “Oh, we keep all the Queen stuff behind the counter. You have to request it.”<\/p>\n
Uhm … huh?<\/p>\n
He says it so casually, so openly, that I say, “Why?”<\/p>\n
Cashier boy says, “There are a couple of bands which we discovered were really high risks for shop-lifting, and we were constantly apprehending people trying to sneak out with them. So you have to request certain bands from us. We won’t keep Queen on the shelves.”<\/p>\n
My existential sadness had turned to manic frenzied joy. Queen is a high risk for shoplifting? You have to request it<\/i>????<\/p>\n
I say, laughing, “What other bands?”<\/p>\n
And heaven and saints be praised, cashier boy says, “U2 and the Beatles.”<\/p>\n
I don’t know. I just found that so cool<\/i>. U2, the Beatles, and Queen. Hidden behind the shelves at Barnes and Noble. Precious booty, always and forever!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I keep forgetting to tell this story, and last Saturday, at my cousin Liam’s karaoke EXTRAVAGANZA, he and I got into this enormous Queen discussion: how much we love Queen, why we love Queen, what is special about Queen, how … Continue reading