So, as I wrote about East Side Foods I remembered a record store that I used to frequent. I was fuzzy on the details of where it was, I felt like it was very close to East Side Foods, but it was the first record store that I found in Milwaukee after moving there for school. Dan R. and I went there when we had any money at all. It was a cool used record store and I spent more time looking at stuff than buying, but it was a good way to while away some free time. I got my “Couch Flambeau – Mammal Insect Marriage” LP and “Couch Flambeau – Curiosity Rocks” tape there.
As I said it seemed to have a more quirky selection and often featured local stuff. I couldn’t for the life of me remember the name of it though and it has been bugging me.
Skip ahead a few days and whilst cleaning up my hard drive to make space I came across a folder of show posters that I had copied from Dalton. Within the folder was a poster for Couch Flambeau.
This got me thinking about the website that I had run across recently that had other Couch Flambeau posters. There are lots of bands included, but the Couch Flambeau page is
http://www.milwaukeerockposters.com/couch.html
Ron Faiola, founding drummer of Couch Flambeau runs the awesome site. Having a poster I though I might share… I sent him an e-mail. The poster I have is not from Milwaukee, so he may not be interested, but you never know.
I have looked at all the posters he has of Couch Flambeau, but as I got on the site to grab his e-mail, I noticed one was from Ludwig Van Ear Records. I opened it again and looked at it. Ludwig Van Ear Records? Was that the record store that I had been thinking of?!?
I Googled the store and address and found this:
http://musicstreaker.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/ludwig-van-ear-goes-under/#comment-1835
Then I stuck the address into Google Maps and guess where it ended up being?
Kitty-corner from the former site of East Side Foods! Now a Subway?
I feel like it was the place on the corner. I seem to recollect posters in the windows and you could see the back of the vinyl racks from outside.
I got a lot of good stuff there. Dan R. bought the first Tears For Fears album from there that we went crazy for and I recall getting a cool David Bowie “import” that was pretty dear to my heart. Plus the aforementioned Couch Flambeau stuff. It was a great store and a cool place to hang out.
I don’t know if I am confusing the recording company with the record store, but either way, I fell hard down the rabbit hole. I guess that’s what I do.
Can anyone confirm that this was the place?
The Aural Retentive 