After far too long, I made my way to the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. Naturally, I was there to visit my friend Alan Heffelgingef and his store, Oak Park Records.

It’s a great store with pretty much anything you’re looking for. Not only do they have a great selection of vinyl and CD, but Alan has started selling cassettes!

While we were chewing the fat, the store phone rang. Alan answered with the store greeting and waited for a couple of seconds. After which he told the call what time the store closed. I snickered.

Alan looked at me after hanging up the phone. “I was just thinking about that scene from Empire Records,” I said. Of course, he knew exactly what I was talking about. In that scene, the employee answers the store phone with, “Empire Records! We’re open ‘til midnight!” There’s a pause, and the employee is forced to repeat, “Midnight!” We had a good chuckle over it.

Empire Records is a 1995 film about the misadventures of the manager and crew of an independent record store. The movie takes place over a single day, and Joe (played by Anthony LaPaglia) truly has his hands full.

One employee, responsible for depositing the store’s cash from the day at the bank, decides instead to take said cash to Atlantic City to double Joe’s money. Needless to say, he loses it all. The store must accommodate a record release meet and greet (“It’s Rex Manning Day!”). An employee is contemplating ending her own life after a breakup, which happens to be with another employee. Still another staffer is trying to figure out how to tell his co-worker he’s in love with her. But that girl’s affection is being saved for Rex Manning, whom she’s loved since she was a child. Oh! And the crew must deal with an obnoxious teenage shoplifter. This among yet a couple more headaches make up with what Joe had to deal with.

And that’s the easy stuff!

What really has Joe worried is that he’s being forced to sell the store to a record store chain, which would ruin everything that makes Empire Records the place to be! The technical term for such a day is that a lot!

The movie wasn’t exactly a critical darling, but it’s a fun watch for people who can relate. It also has a pretty decent soundtrack. Which you can check out here.

I don’t think it’s possible to spoil a 30-year-old movie, but I’ll try to tiptoe around it. After chatting up the movie, Alan said, “You Know, I made a playlist for the day after the movie ends.” A few minutes later, Alan handed me a cassette with what looked like a pretty solid playlist. Funny thing is, I knew next to nothing about most of the bands!

I found all but two of the tunes on Spotify, and created a playlist from Alan’s selections. I decided to wait and actually listen to the list while taking a train ride from Chicago to St. Louis.

Well, I am now aboard said train, and this set is a banger! I’m not even all the way through it and I already know I have to share this!

So, picture if you will: the various crises have been resolved and “The Man” has been defeated. Each employee is allowed to pick an album or two to play over the store’s PA system. So, what would each staff member choose?

Alan calls his list Empire Records: The Next Day. Like I said, it’s a killer.

You can find the playlist here. Enjoy it!

Thanks, Alan. You nailed it!

#cirdecsongs

If you would like to have your music reviewed anytime, or have your band photographed while in Chicago, please contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com