CD World shuts down both branches on Greenville in Dallas and on Belt Line in Addison

When I first moved to Dallas, and didn't know a soul, CD World quickly became my closest friend, worthy of at minimum a weekly Tuesday visit. Within a few weeks, it was my "Cheers," where all the clerks not only recognized me, but quickly assembled a stack of contenders, based on my tastes. I fleshed out my collection with countless used discs, bootlegs (before the internet enabled easy trading) and concert tickets. I never enjoyed Pagan Rhythms or Bills nearly as much, although I occasionally dallied.

Sad to say, I haven't been inside CD World (or any other CD store) more than a couple times in the last 3-4 years. 'Tis a digital world now...

Mike Orren Staff

1 year, 1 month ago
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the demise of record stores means the country will no longer be able to harbor <a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/node/86901">a crush on the record store girl</a>

Teresa Gubbins Staff

1 year, 1 month ago
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Teresa,

For every record store girl, there are dozens of <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/blogs/pegasusnewsblog/2007/mar/11/accuweather-love/">weather</a> girls.

Jeremy Dunck Staff

1 year, 1 month ago
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Doubt it's exactly a one-to-one, but semi-related. Got the following from Crystal Clear just now:

<i>It is with great sadness that I announce Crystal Clear Distribution Department's end. With more stores closing and fewer titles and less sales, there is no way we can possibly continue to do physical distribution business. We will cease sending out orders immediately.

Please coordinate with me on closing accounts. I have many to close, so please be patient as I will do my best to close all accounts in a timely manner.

All other Crystal Clear/Bandwear departments are all alive and well and still thriving! I have taken over the Online Sales Fulfillment Department which manages online merch stores for bands, artists, authors...basically whoever wants to sell something online. We still manufacture cds, promotional items, apparel, do digital distribution, and have our studios. Please let me know how I can help you in any of these areas.

It has been a pleasure working with you all and I hope this is not the end of our working relationship.

I wish you all the best and thank you.

Chelsea Callahan Crystal Clear Online Sales Fulfillment &amp; Distribution

www.crystalclearcds.com

www.myspace.com/crystalcleardistribution </i>

Mike Orren Staff

1 year, 1 month ago
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And the press release version from CD World / Granada:

CD World Lives On Through Granada

Dallas’ CD World Closes After 16 Years

Award-Winning Granada Theater’s Owner and CD World Founder Mike Schoder Plans Continued Expansion As Concert Promoter

Dallas, Texas-(October 1, 2008)-CD World, the popular and storied, “Buy-Sell-Trade” CD store that started as a roadside business at Greenville and Park Lane by Granada Theater Owner Mike Schoder, closed its doors this week at Greenville and Mockingbird and its second location at Belt Line and the Dallas North Tollway after 16 years of business. Fans of the store knew that one could earn the equivalent of a college master’s degree in music by working or shopping there because of the inventory, rating system, the cataloging, and the sheer knowledge base of the extensively trained staff. The goal was to enhance people’s life experience by selling them music to fit with any frame of mind. Fans will still be able to purchase tickets on line at the Granada Theater web site and they can buy tickets in person at the Granada Theater box office on show days or call 214-824-9933.

This is not a sad time but a very happy time for Schoder and his Granada family who are dedicated to their “Love Music, Love Life” philosophy. Like CD World, week after week Granada offers a musical education as well as a musical vacation to visitors. The Granada Theater just won “Best of Dallas” awards from the Dallas Observer for readers and critics pick as “Best Live Music Venue” last week. It has a new festival, Main Street Live, underway with DowntownDallas and AT&amp;T, and more changes on the way every day. Granada is also booking Richardson’s Wildflower festival for a second year. There are now 40 people on staff at Granada and it is fulfilling because one feels like they are a part of the force that turns the wheel. The business that gave birth to the current incarnation of the Granada Theater, Dallas’ reigning “Best Venue” for the past two years is now able to foster the growth of CD World Presents for concerts and special events outside of the theater.

CD World was born when Mike got a job valet parking cars on McKinney Avenue at Chef Avner Samuel‘s restaurant during the 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift, leaving him the day to work on starting his own business. It gave him cash flow to help support its growth and gave him something to do at night instead of going out and spending it all. He had the city mapped and targeted into sectors and from 9:00 a.m. to Noon he would buy CDs at pawn shops and then, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., he would sell CDs in front of Judge Roy Beans at Park Lane and Greenville Avenue out of his car. He sold music for three months until he grew his personal CD collection of 200 CDs into about 1500 CDs stacked in the back of his ‘87 Toyota Supra.

One day, he found out the take and bake pizza place at Greenville and Mockingbird was vacating and leased it. Once people realized that if they didn’t like a CD they could come in and trade it, the business took off. Schoder said, “I started small, the rent was $800 and it was 700 square feet. The worst thing that was going to happen with this business would have been all my CDs getting sold, best, being I would increase my personal CD collection. It was the only place doing this other than Bill’s; it was really a new concept.”

“Life without music is like a movie without a soundtrack,” said Schoder. “My goal is to continually create an escape from the real world to a musical vacation land thru all the different musical genres.” After operating two CD stores for 12 years and realizing the growing trend that people were not buying as many CDs and that he needed to diversify, he started planning for ways that would allow the business to expand. The only way to stay in music was to open a venue and enter the business of concert promotion. Schoder, his friends, family and CD World staff took on renovations of the Granada Theater in August of 2004. Schoder knows how to take care of guests because he helped his father run the family’s summer camps and then went on to work resort services at Dallas’ Anatole Hotel. In February 2007, Schoder completed his outright purchase of the 62-year-old award-winning venue and continued to work on expanding the concert promotion and ticketing end of his business.

“You have to believe in timing and the more you learn to accept things that come along and that everything really is for a reason, even if it is to teach you a lesson, why fight against it? Why sweat it? One of the things my mother taught me was to not question, don’t ask why, just accept it. So, it really is all the little things you do along the way. I knew the timing of the Granada was right, the same way I know the timing of CD World’s end is right, and the fact that I am able to grow multiple businesses inside an iconic presence in one of the most beloved buildings in Dallas, Texas, in a neighborhood I have lived in and loved now for 16 years is amazing. I look at it as a gift.”

Granada Theater will carry on CD World’s legacy as a discovery zone of different musical genres at its shows and in its advertising and marketing. “We all love music; we all have a desire to experience and learn about new music. It is good to say let’s branch out and keep learning and discovering different music. It is the same philosophy regarding variety of foods…try something new…let’s not just eat tacos every day,” said Schoder.

Granada Theater uses a different approach to advertising versus most clubs that started at CD World. Education was and still is the focus. Each artist is advertised analytically with “Goes Good With” (GGW) and “CD World Sez” (CDWS). “Goes Good With” refers to other well-known artists that if you enjoy them, you probably will have a connection with the advertised artist. “CD World Sez” describes what type of music it is in a short and entertaining way. That same system is used on their web site. This helps fans discover new music.

Starting last year, Granada Theater and CD World Presents, his concert promotions company, handled the ticket sales, some of the programming and the VIP seating for the annual Dallas International Guitar Festival and a portion of the programming and event management for the Wildflower Festival. In addition to continuing to sell tickets for live concerts and events at the Granada Theater, and events like the Dallas TV show 30th Reunion at Southfork, KRLD’s 82nd Anniversary, and KHYI’s concerts, CD World Presents is now promoting and programming its own brand of festivals with DowntownDallas and AT&amp;T called Main Street Live [www.granadatheater.com/mainstlive] at Pegasus Plaza (currently running every other Saturday through Nov 1). Since 2006, Schoder has expanded his staff of booking agents to include Kris Youmans, winner of “Best Booking Agent” in the 2008 Dallas Observer Music Awards and Alternative Country and Texas Music Agent Helen Eaton. CD World Presents will continue branding new festivals and teaming up with the best in the business to bring enjoyment to people of all ages who want to be turned on to good music.

In the future, Schoder most definitely thinks the landscape will continue to change because the only constant is change. Music fans will decipher what is real and what they have a heartfelt connection with. If there is one thing that Schoder wishes upon the fans of the Granada Theater and CD World it would be this: “Attending live music concerts bring on an amazing experience of joy, if people will only realize they can bottle that experience and joy in their minds and access it any time during normal everyday life...whether you are changing a flat tire or dealing with any part of a tough day, you make the choice. Your thoughts are your reality…so think good thoughts… ”

Mike Orren Staff

1 year, 1 month ago
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Crystal Clear also employed many local musicians over the years

Teresa Gubbins Staff

1 year, 1 month ago
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