Keep on Spinnin', Baby

Knowing the store's viability may depend on its ability to evolve with the times, Perry has decided to expand its collectibles sections with more high-end items. Among them are some original concert art from the '60s and '70s, including a series of highly sought Fillmore Theater Jimmy Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane psychedelic posters. This is real art, Perry says, and prices start in the $2,000 range.

Like the old store, the new Blue Note supports the local indie scene. "The landlord is very cool," Perry says. "We can do events with local artists — like a Saturday afternoon show — and give them a chance to sell their CDs."

As for those vinyl fanatics looking for record expertise, Blue Note is still the place to go. Like a real-life version of record store owner Rob Fleming in Nick Hornby's novel High Fidelity, Perry knows just where to look for that odd bit of metal or Motown memorabilia, and he often drops nuggets of rare information along the way.

"Right now I'm listening to the Beatles White Album," he said the other day. Mind you, this is not your average copy of the Beatles classic. "The White Album was released in two different versions: mono and stereo," Perry explains. "The mono version never came out in the U.S. and it has a completely different mix with a [powerful] in your face sound."

While you may be able to glean such details from an on-line Beatles forum or an encyclopedic rock 'n' roll textbook, there's something to be said for the singular human touch provided by Perry, Wimmer, and Wells that keeps many customers going back.

No one is more aware of this than Perry. "We are not going anywhere," he says. "I feel an obligation to all the people that helped us come this far."