Amoeba Music

Amoeba Music was founded by former employees of nearby Rasputin Records and opened on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley in 1990. The original founding members were Marc Weinstein, Dave Prinz, and Mike Boyder.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lamag.com/longform/amoeba-takes-l-a/ |title=Amoeba Takes L.A. |date=2001-10-01 |website=LAMag.com}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.amoeba.com/blog/2010/11/amoeba-music/celebrate-amoeba-s-20th-anniversary-part-2-interview-with-co-owner-marc-weinstein.html|title=Celebrate Amoeba's 20th Anniversary! Part 2 - Interview with Co-Owner Marc Weinstein|website=Amoeblog|language=en-us|access-date=2020-04-25}} The iconic Amoeba logo was designed by comic book artist Shepherd Hendrix. Primarily operating on reselling used goods, Amoeba has survived the decline of CD sales since the early 2000s with its trade-in program and the advent of the vinyl revival.

File:Amoeba Music San Francisco.jpg

A second location, in San Francisco, opened on November 15, 1997, in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood near Golden Gate Park. It is located in the former {{convert|24000|sqft|adj=on}} Park Bowl bowling alley.{{Cite news|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/music/amoeba-music-records-20-years-on-haight-st/|title=Amoeba Music Records 20 Years On Haight Street|last=Kukura|first=Joe|date=2017-11-17|work=SF Weekly|access-date=2017-11-20|language=en-US}} It regularly stocks upwards of 100,000 CDs, vinyl records, and audio cassettes, both new and used.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}}

A third location, in Los Angeles, opened on November 17, 2001, on Sunset Boulevard at Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood. At the time of its opening, the store planned to stock as many as 250,000 titles, which would have placed it among the largest independent music stores in the world.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}} According to Los Angeles Times writer Michael Hiltzik, the location "instantly became a Hollywood landmark."{{Cite web|url=http://goldenstateblog.latimes.com/goldenstate/2005/11/starting_below_.html|title=Golden State: Golden State Column: Amoeba Music Looks Ahead|date=2005-12-19|website=Los Angeles Times|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051219153320/http://goldenstateblog.latimes.com/goldenstate/2005/11/starting_below_.html|archive-date=December 19, 2005|access-date=2020-04-25}}

Amoeba's world music department was headed by Robert Leaver,[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-apr-07-ca-gurza7-story.html Good CD, Shame About the Cover]. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 27, 2018. co-founder of the Round World Music record shop and label in San Francisco. He also worked as a buyer of international records for Amoeba's Berkeley location.[https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/LIVELY-ARTS-NIGHTLIFE-Round-World-at-a-2956540.php Round World at a Crosswoads]. SFGate. Retrieved November 26, 2018.

The stores also trade-in movies, though secondarily to their music business. Each location has a smaller collection of movies on DVD, VHS, Laserdisc, and Blu-ray. In addition, each store maintains a selection of music-related posters and artwork for purchase, as well as Amoeba-branded merchandise. The Sunset Boulevard store had an entire second floor dedicated to DVD and Blu-ray at its original location. In addition, Amoeba Music frequently held free shows during store hours with locally- and nationally-known artists from a wide variety of genres.

In 2015, Amoeba sold the Sunset Boulevard property to a holding company but continued to lease the space. In 2018, it was announced that the owners would demolish the site and replace it with a contemporary glass-and-steel tower with residential units and commercial space, and Amoeba would be moving.{{Cite web |date=2019-06-25 |title=Amoeba Music To Relocate After Demolition, Plans To Acquire Dispensary License |url=https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/06/25/amoeba-music-relocate-demolition-dispensary-license/ |access-date=2021-04-03 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Trakin |first=Roy |date=2018-06-15 |title=Amoeba Music Set to Relocate Its Los Angeles Store, Plans to Seek Dispensary Permit (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/amoeba-music-set-to-relocate-its-los-angeles-store-plans-to-seek-dispensary-permit-exclusive-1202848131/ |access-date=2021-04-03 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2017-08-07 |title=28-Story Tower Would Replace Hollywood's Amoeba Music |url=https://urbanize.city/la/post/28-story-tower-would-replace-hollywoods-amoeba-music |access-date=2021-04-03 |website=Urbanize LA |language=en}} On April 27, 2020, Amoeba announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sunset Boulevard location was closed permanently ahead of schedule. Along with the statewide stay-at-home order issued by California governor Gavin Newsom in the COVID-19 pandemic, many non-essential stores were told to close to prevent spread of COVID-19. Amoeba subsequently started a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to pay the bills, as most of their income is derived from in-store purchases.{{Cite web |last=Bartlett |first=Amanda |date=2020-04-21 |title=Facing an uncertain future, Amoeba Music launches GoFundMe campaign: 'We are in trouble' |url=https://www.sfgate.com/coronavirus/article/Facing-an-uncertain-future-Amoeba-Music-launches-15214265.php |access-date=2020-04-25 |website=SFGate}}

File:Amoeba Music store on Hollywood Blvd in Los Angeles 20220607 193531 HDR copy 2.jpg area in Los Angeles, 2022]]

Amoeba found a new location for its Los Angeles store on Hollywood Boulevard at Argyle Avenue. It is located inside of a newly constructed apartment complex, the El Centro. The store's vast collections of music CDs, LPs, DVDs, and books were temporarily in storage during construction at the new site during 2020 and 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www.amoeba.com/our-stores/store-news/3778/amoeba-hollywood-is-moving-3778/ |title = Amoeba Music - Store Locations, Hours and General Information}} The new location opened on April 1, 2021.{{Cite web|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=2021-04-01|title=Amoeba Music: A Look Inside the Sprawling New Hollywood Store|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/amoeba-music-new-store-hollywood-location-move-photos-video-1234942264/|access-date=2021-04-03|website=Variety|language=en-US}}

The new Amoeba Music store is located near the popular Pantages Theatre in the Hollywood and Vine area. Continuing the tradition of free live shows for customers at the store, the new Amoeba Music frequently holds free shows during store hours with locally- and nationally-known artists from a wide variety of genres. The band Red Hot Chili Peppers gave a free live performance at the store for Amoeba Music customers after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame near the entrance to Amoeba Music store on March 31, 2022. George Clinton, Woody Harrelson, and Bob Forrest unveiled the star at the ceremony.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/scene/news/red-hot-chili-peppers-walk-of-fame-1235187607/|title=Red Hot Chili Peppers to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame|date=March 21, 2022|work=Variety|access-date=March 21, 2022}}

{{cite web |last1=Willman |first1=Chris |title=Amoeba Music: A Look Inside the Sprawling New Hollywood Store |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/amoeba-music-new-store-hollywood-location-move-photos-video-1234942264/ |website=Variety |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |access-date=6 April 2022 |ref=William 2021 |date=1 April 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Stuart |first1=Gwynedd |title=Amoeba Hollywood Sets Opening Date at New Location |url=https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/amoeba-new-location/ |website=Los Angeles Magazine |publisher=Hour Media Group LLC |access-date=6 April 2022 |ref=Stuart 2021 |date=22 March 2021}}

Amoeba's YouTube channel was created on January 27, 2006, and is home to interviews, recordings of live performances at Amoeba locations, and the award-winning series What's In My Bag? with various "featuring artists and tastemakers sharing what they found shopping at Amoeba."{{Cite web|url = http://www.amoeba.com/whats-in-my-bag/#/grid/1|title = Amoeba Music - What's In My Bag|website = www.amoeba.com|access-date = 2016-04-07}}

The Hollywood store was included as a playable venue in the 2008 music game Guitar Hero World Tour. Paul McCartney recorded his EP Amoeba's Secret (which was also released as Amoeba Gig in its entirety in 2019) at an unannounced live performance at the Hollywood location on June 27, 2007.

{{Commons category|Amoeba Music}}

Image:Berkeley Amoeba Music.jpg|Berkeley store

Image:Amoeba Music San Francisco Facade.jpg|San Francisco store

Image:InsideAmoeba.JPG|San Francisco store, inside

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.amoeba.com/ Official homepage] of Amoeba Music
• {{Cite news |newspaper=Rolling Stone |issue=780 |date=February 19, 1998 |pages=19–20 |first=Will |last=Hermes |title=The World's Greatest Record Store?}}
• {{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/indie-chains-are-slump-proof-20030812 |title=Indie Chains Are Slump Proof: California's Amoeba and other retailers succeed amid industry nightmare |date=August 12, 2003 |first=Matt |last=Diehl |first2=Jenny |last2=Eliscu |author-link2=Jenny Eliscu |work=rollingstone.com |access-date=28 November 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080107175547/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5936076/indie_chains_are_slump_proof |archive-date=2008-01-07 }}
• "[https://web.archive.org/web/20060520165252/http://www.looksmartlosangeles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_46_22/ai_69071130 S.F. Music Landmark Headed to Sunset - Brief Article]". (November 13, 2000.) Christopher Keough. Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved 2005-11-28.
• "[https://web.archive.org/web/20051219153320/http://goldenstateblog.latimes.com/goldenstate/2005/11/starting_below_.html Golden State: Record Chain Bets on the Past, Future]". (November 17, 2005.) Michael Hiltzik. Los Angeles Times (and accompanying [https://web.archive.org/web/20051124203926/http://goldenstateblog.latimes.com/ Golden State Blog].).
• "[https://web.archive.org/web/20050308081008/http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/feb2005/sb20050217_8742_sb017.htm Amoeba Music's Simple Formula]". (February 17, 2005). BusinessWeek.
• "[https://travelbugrachel.com/what-places-to-visit-in-los-angeles/]". (December 30, 2023). Travel Bug Rachel.

Category:Companies based in Berkeley, California

Category:Music retailers of the United States

Category:Retail companies established in 1990

Category:1990 establishments in California

Category:Landmarks in Los Angeles

Category:Music of the San Francisco Bay Area

Category:Buildings and structures in Hollywood, Los Angeles

Category:Retail companies based in California