November 20, 2009

• The CD That Sold Out In 3 Minutes

  Okay…where to begin?! If you are at all familiar with Minnesota, you’ve heard of Cities 97, a radio station. To give an example of what kind of music they play, here are some names: Kings of Leon, Colbie Calliat, Snow Patrol, Damien Rice, Jason Mraz, Ingrid Michaelson, Adele, Charlotte Sometimes…..the list goes on. I guess I would say it’s the softer side of alternative music. You can stream the feed live anytime on the internet.
  
  Anyway, they have a recording studio, that’s called Studio C. Most of the time when an artist comes through on tour, they visit the studio and record special acoustic Studio C performances, the DJ interviews and such in front of a small live audience…I think it’s about 15 people.
  
  Also, every Sunday, they have Acoustic Sunrise from about 7:30am to noon, and Acoustic Sunset from 5:00pm to 9. They play previously released acoustic songs from Studio C. The great thing about this is that it’s PERFECT hangover music. So if you drink too much Saturday night, you can listen to Cities 97 and the music is nice and soft for your hurting head =] Of course, if you have the CDs, you don’t have to worry about catching Acoustic Sunrise or Sunset.
  
  Every year, they release the Cities 97 CD Sampler, which features some of these performances throughout the year. Last year was their 20th anniversary of doing this. They make a limited number of copies of this CD, this year is was 30,000. They are sold exclusively at Target stores in the metro area. For the last several years, the CD sells out quickly, and people wait in line for hours before the store opens to get their copy. Everyone is allowed 2 copies, no more. The great thing about this, is that the radio station gives ALL profits to local Minnesota charities. This year they raised over $700,000.
  
  Anyway, here is my story about it.
  
  I got to Target at 7:00am. They open at 8. I would have been there earlier like I was last year (I was there at about 5:30), except I didn’t hear my alarms go off. So I wait in line for an hour, and of course I’m further back than I was last year, but I’m not worried. The line grows. At 8:00, the line started moving. Yay! So I’m in the store, and there’s 5 people ahead of me in the line. I hear, “That’s the last one!” O.M.G. 5 people ahead of me. And the last one. I didn’t get one!! I took 3 hours off work to get this CD, and it’s for nothing. The lady in front of me said a lot of people were butting in line. That pissed me off. That means I SHOULD have gotten my copy. I of course don’t have time to go to another Target, because the one I was at SOLD OUT IN 3 MINUTES.
  
  I was mad. Of course, people sell one or both of their copies on eBay for 2 and 3 times the original price because it’s so high in demand. But do I really want to pay $60-80 for a CD? GAH.
  
  Then, I had forgotten my steel toed shoes at home, so I had to go all the way there and back and I just made it into work on time. All that time, and I walk away empty handed. :/

  • 12:29 pm
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