No updates since late December, so just wondering how the project is going.

LOL...thanks for the update. Looking forward to the film.

thank you for today's update! looking forward to the premiere! Happy Halloween!

any updates at all?? are we looking at a 2012 release date?

How is the project coming?

Thanks for the info, and good luck to all of you guys.

I've never been inside of a Tower Records store. In fact, I'd never even heard of the store before the birth of this documentary, and that's exactly why I contributed-- Something with such a connection to the history of an industry and the people surrounding it should be chronicled, if not remembered fondly by those involved.

Good luck, and I hope to see this little piece of history on the silver screen soon.

Very excited to fund this project. Spent the weekend visiting every Amoeba Records and it wasn't quite the same.

Congrats to all; looking forward to hearing about production and then, ultimately, seeing it. Cheers!

I was glad to get a chance to contribute before funding closed! The picture on the front page of the Watt Ave Tower Records and Books brought a real pang of nostalgia and fond memories... I can't wait to watch this!

Congrats on the completion of the funding!

Happy to help. My sister was tackled by a Ricky Martin bodyguard at a Tower Records signing years ago (the threat? she reached up to kiss him on the cheek). I was behind her in line to meet Ricky (hey, I was the there for her benefit), and she managed to snap a photo of me ignoring Ricky Martin as my turn came up to meet him. Tower Sunset...good times. :)

I own and run a record store in Muncie, Indiana and I have posted updates and such on my Facebook and in my shop in hopes of bringing more attention to this wonderful documentary project! I am really excited to see you have matched and exceeded the necessary amount needed for your documentary. One of the main reasons I own a record store is in hope of inspiring others to create their own independent business of any type; but especially brick & mortar record stores. Thanks, Good luck! Travis - Village Green Records

Not only did both my wife and I work for Tower Records in Fresno,Ca but all I did was hang out there when I was a kid...hung out with cool dudes in bands and bought music that shaped my life there.
Thanks Colin and good luck
Frankie Reiland

I used to go to that Sacramento store when I was a kid. I bought my first film book there -- "Scorsese: The First Decade." That was many decades ago and I am a filmmaker in part because this store not only had great record deals, but great books too.
Good luck Colin!
Dean Alioto

Thanks for doing this documentary!
I grew up in the Sacramento area, and loved that Towers gift card I got for my birthday or for Christmas. I remember going between the book and the music stores repeatedly, trying to decide how to match what I wanted with what was on the gift card, plus what was in my wallet. It was an awesome store.

I couldn't be more excited about this documentary! I moved out of Sacramento back in 2005 to join the military. I was home on leave when I found out Tower Records was going out of business and couldn't believe it was really going to happen. I made sure I went to my favorite Tower store and bought a keepsake with the Tower Logo on it so I would always have a connection with such a great place in my adolescence. When I found out about this project I got excited and when I saw your video I then got a little teary eyed. My favorite and most frequented Tower store was the one in Sacramento on the corner of Watt and El Comino which I recognized immediately in your kickstarter video! The music, the oddities, and the vast array of interesting people at Tower Records made it a source of pride for the city of Sacramento and it is a place that will always be sorely missed.

I'm so glad you're still working on the Tower Records documentary! I worked for Tower for 21 years (from 1986 to 2007) . . . twelve at the chain's very first store at Watt & El Camino in Sacramento and the remaining nine at Tower.com. I was quite excited when I first heard that Russ Solomon and his retail empire would be the subject of a film, and I've been keeping my fingers crossed that the project would continue despite the demise of a once-thriving corporation.

In addition to Tower, I'm very proud of Sacramento's musicians and bands, who I think deserve a film of their own. Anton Barbeau, Dutch Falconi's Twisted Orchestra, Groovie Ghoulies, Daisy Spot, David Houston, and Agent Ribbons are just a few of the performers and groups that have entertained us here in the Cali capitol over the years, and promoter Jerry Perry has been the glue that has helped keep the local scene together. If there's any way you're able to incorporate some of this talent in your film, by all means do so!

I am a music historian with a book on 7" cover artwork out soon (it's called "Put the Needle on the Record"), so this film is completely up my alley. I truly miss the experience of the record store, and recently read a statistic that **97%** of high school-aged teenagers have *never* been to a stand-alone record store. Stunning. Kudos on keeping the memories alive.

An article that started running this morning which you might enjoy... http://www.thejuniorvarsity.org/2011/kickstarter.html Feel free to share with others...

"I really loved working with you, so it's too bad I have to fire you now" These were the words of my Tower supervisor at 4am backstage at a Tina Turner show. I'd refused to go home with him at the end of a night of endless champagne and cocaine, served backstage to VIP guests on silver and glass platters during this 1984 historical come-back show at the Ritz. This wasn't the first time I was "fired" only to be rehired the next day, nor was it the most dramatic event that ever happened during my time at Tower, but it was the moment that I realized I had found a home of kindred spirits. I felt blessed to have a job at the "largest record store in the known world!". With all it's ups and downs and only making $3.80 an hour. I had found a home, and I never felt as accepted and appreciated at any job before or since my 11 years at Tower Records (NY and Boston). Thank you, Russ and co. and thank you Colin... I can't wait! P.S. I've got a few great stories to share that I think would interest you!

Russ is the kindest, gentlest soul one could ever imagine. He's our "Local Boy" who did good. I'm still amazed at his spirit & generousity...They don't make them like Russ, anymore!!!

Just here to support my boi Colin, he's doin great things!!!!!!!!!

I worked at a couple of Towers--the glittery, very 1980s one in Washington D.C., and the well-worn historic one at Bay and Columbus in San Francisco. At the time Tower was about the only straight employer who'd give you a job if you had a Mohawk, tattoos, and whatnot--this was way before the dot-com boom, kids! The wages were crap, but it was heaven to be free to wear pretty much anything to work, where you were guaranteed to meet interesting people.

I live in Fort Worth and Tower was the only reason for me to make the drive to Dallas & I miss those days...

My husband (of 25 years) and I met because of Tower Seattle. He followed his San Diego Mgr. to work up here for the Seattle store. When a friend of mine went to do some construction for the store, he and my husband met and became friends. So I met Clyde this way. (Lucky chance!!) My favorite part of my husband's job at Tower was when he was making the huge signs to hang on the walls and above record (and later CD) sections. His creativity was always appreciated. Looking forward to the movie. Thanks for creating a way for us to be involved! CJ

From the earliest days of the store, a Tower Records gift certificate was the best possible Bar/Bat Mitzvah gift for hundreds of Sacramento children. For some of us, it was the main incentive for becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah in the first place. We passed the 16th and Broadway store on our way to and from the synagogue.
Showing off a handful of those gift certificates to a friend, I remember being asked how she could become a Bat Mitzvah. The problem was that she was Catholic.

Mike Nolan, in an earlier 'Comment'....found the perfect phrase for TR: "..part of the fabric..." that I hope you folks will use and credit in your project mission.
Tower Records--remember, there was Tower Books, too, for awhile-were
the biggest part of the cultural upbringing for several decades of kids. You went to Tower for records, books, concert tickets!!, free counter-culture
papers/magazines, gift certs presents for friends, family......and to see kids from other parts of town that you'd normally not run into. It was an
Exchange for ideas, fun...and hormones. A very personal loss..or
coming of age...for so many---but a great memory for them, also.

Tower was my source of obscure music info in the 1980s. This was before the internet was available, so a 900-mile round trip once a year to the closest Tower (in Las Vegas) was how I discovered contemporary classical music. They stocked imports, oddities and often full catalogs from indie clasical labels that would have otherwise gone unseen and unheard.

Tower Records was a huge part of my life for over a decade. My taste in music evolved within Tower. It was more than music to me though - it helped fuel my Hello Kitty addiction (LOL) and was the number one hang out and meet-up for all my friends in Rockville, MD. I'm glad to help out any way I can. Good Luck! <3

As a rube from Buffalo just starting college in the early 1990s, one of my earliest experiences in NYC took place shortly after my first visit to the Tower Records that used to be up by Lincoln Center. I had gone in the late days of August to take advantage of their "Stock Your Locker" sale, buying like a dozen CDs by Prince, Sting & Van Morrison. Walking back to Columbus Circle to catch a train uptown, unsuspecting newbie that I was, I got conned by one of those "you made me drop my bottle of booze" scams. Until both that location & the store in the village closed, I paid Tower many, far more enjoyable visits with no accompanying criminal activity.

Not quite there at the beginning, but I remember when the Broadway Tower had books and music in one small building, and the Watt Avenue book store was an eight-foot storefront right next to Sam's Hof Brau. When my sister and I participated in a charity walk in the early 70s, we "trained" by walking from our home to the Watt Avenue store and back (about 10 miles round trip). I learned about release dates at Tower. I always found something I didn't know existed when I browsed through the racks. Tower was a weekly stop for me for decades. I still think there's a place for a store like this, even in today's marketplace.

I worked at the Village NYC store during the 80's and then moved to Sacramento & worked at TVID. The Village crew was family; we worked together, partied together, lived together in various apartments and the Hotel 17. Many of us were not native New Yorkers and our friends there were our family. My first day at work there was Thanksgiving Day, 1983 and I spent the day at bag check watching the music videos (NYC still hadn't really caught on to the concept of 'open 365 days of the year; it was really slow). There was a turkey dinner in the break room. I even got a salary advance to get me through the rest of the week. I thought, this is the place! Life was hard (living in NYC on $3.85/hr?), but we loved music, loved the perks, loved being part of the music scene. And mostly, we were young. As one former coworker put it, "if you had to have a wasted youth, it was a great way to waste it!". Most of us have moved on, grown up-we could never have imaginged being middle aged in those days-for all the hardships, it was a magical time in a magical city. I think I would have been unemployable for a lot of years except for Tower. I walked by the empty store when in NYC last April and it was so depressing and sad. However, I was with an old friend....another ex-Tower employee. 25 years later and a continent away, we are still in touch and still friends.

hailz guys,

i worked for tower in the village nyc , first at the mail order dept across the street -over the annex outlet store, and then in 1996 over to tower classical until the close in dec 2006.

i loved that job and still cant adjust too well to other places- i really miss tower , the music at work and all the crazy cool people there. we all still keep in touch in the facebook group and i still write my manager-larry who was buyer of jazz /classical. great gang and there will never be another place like this , we were all retail workers, but hired for our love and knowledge of music -it was a very special place to be.

we have have some stories.. haha.. so many funny things happened... once ..the composer, elliot carter came in to classical.. there was a young kid at our registers , not really knowing so much classcial music stuff and elliot asked him.. do you have this cd ? ) it was one of elliot carter's cds ) and the kid asked mr carter..." whos the composer?" ...elliot got right in his face over the counter and exclaimed.. I AM.... HAHAH.. we were all in tears laughing in back of him as we filed classical cds.
thank you for doing this movie.. best regards , cheryl pyle tower classical nyc in the village- 96-06

I worked for the main office for the "no-man" Bud Martin for 8 years...god, I sure miss him! I landed the tower gig first as the receptionist...Frannie later confided that I only got the job because I could spell receptionist!! that was back in the crazy 80's on enterprise drive when Russ still rolled around town in his gigantic thunderbird (right?)...ha ha good times!! I grew up at tower! Can't wait to see how the Tower saga unfolds...as we all could probably write our own script...Barbara (Land) Larscheid

I worked at Tower West Covina for 9 years and will always have fond memories of my time there. I made many friends, started a few romances, had a million crazy adventures and even got held up a few times! It was truly an amazing time in my life and helped form the person I am today. Can't wait to see the documentary!

Congrats on hitting your goal Colin!! -Mark Holden

I'm excited to be part of this project. Working at Tower was the most fun I've ever had at a job. Pay was really low, but the perks were great - especially since I was a buyer (singles).

I was probably happiest during my Tower years, although I was broke as hell. THe people were always amazing and I still have plenty of fun stories to tell. There's no other place like Tower Records, and most likely never will be. I will say, though, that you've got to be broke to walk home with a Sun Ra box set down your pants!

I drive by the old Tower store on Watt & El Camino every day on my way to work...its worth noting that the Goodwill store that moved into the old space kept the interior the same (the old neon is still inside!), so I wasn't completely in tears when I went inside. I still remember going to Tower on Christmas Day to spend (as Kanye says) my Christmas cash on records, books, VHS and later on DVD's. It was the best place to find and discover new music, books and movies.
I was fortunate to get to know Russ as a neighbor and a friend when I was growing up. He was (and still is) one of the most genuine and nice people that i've met. Russ and Tower Records story needs to be recorded and shared with the world.

I'd be happy to help with background research on the original Tower Records in Sacramento.

My first (and still best) job was working at Tower Records in Campbell. During slow days, my coworker Kevin and I would pull out our list of Greatest Artists Ever and debate between Morrissey and David Bowie. I still have my old "I Work Here!" badge somewhere.

Tower Records, as much as anything, was part of the fabric of my childhood. As an elementary and high school kid I often rode my bike up the street to the Sacramento Watt Avenue store and spent hours wandering the hallways of the record store, book store, poster store. Trying to figure out who I was and what music I liked...flipping through the many bins of LP's, listening to what the clerks were playing. Sad to see this era passing...now we sit in front of our PC's and anonymously shop and listen to music...

I am a 5th generation Sacramentan, my older, soon to be hippy brothers, used to spend their Sacramento Bee paper route money on Beatles and Beach Boys records at the original Broadway store back in the '60's. One of my brothers' best friends was a manager at the Watt Ave. store and was murdered in the back of the store in the 70's. I bought my first punk rock albums there in the 80s. A lot of memories.

The film makers can start planning now for the extended closing credits section. Nearly all backers are at a level that includes being named in the "Thank You" section, which may be over 1,000 names by the time this is done...

In a post below someone mentioned their monthly ritual in LA of going through the bins and spending hours listening and ultimately buying music I did the same in San Diego at the store on Midway for years. Being able to listen to all types of music and the entire album ... nothing comes close to that experience it was a heartbreaker when the stores closed. My niece Heather worked for Tower for many years. Can't wait to see the film.

Glad to contribute. Growing up in southern Ohio and Western New York, I'm pretty sure there were no Tower Records in my neck of the woods, but there is no denying the impact they had on the record store industry. for a 3-day total of just over 37k at this point, no doubt this will get the funding it needs and then some. Can't wait to see the documentary!