Now!:
For Something Completely Different
By Deborah Ackerman
Think
High Fidelity with way less attitude--and way more fashion
sense. In short: this is not your average record store. Sure,
as you walk up the stairs into Now! Music and Fashion's new
Old Town Alexandria location, you'll be confronted with the
typical racks of CDs. But look more closely and you'll discover
that the old standby "pop-rock" and "country"
section dividers are nowhere to be found. Instead, there are
categories like "teenage riot," "indie,"
"global reggae/ska" and "designer groove."
And then there's the clothing: racks and racks of hip vintage
duds in the back half of the store. Not to mention the lounge
area by the windows, where funky old couches and coffee tables
invite visitors to hang out and watch the bustle of King Street
shoppers from on high.
Yes, Now!
may be the only music shop in the world where customers can
get naked, change into much trendier clothes, and sit around
in comfort, previewing a newly released CD that matches perfectly
to the style of clothing they've just put on. And that, according
to co-owner Jonathan Newton, is the whole idea: to give customers
something they can't get anywhere else.
"We
try to carry things that are often completely ignored by the
mainstream; things that wouldn't get a lot of attention elsewhere,"
says Newton, who, with co-founder Tim Rollins, opened the
first Now! store in Arlington in December of 1999. United
by common passions for music and thrift store shopping, the
two were frustrated with the lack of resources for both in
the DC area. "There wasn't anything that we as consumers
thought was up to par, so we came up with the idea 'Let's
see if we can get something going'," says Newton.
Since
then, Now! has been going through some pretty rapid growing
pains: three different relocations into progressively larger
spaces, more store employees, and the addition of three more
business partners. But the thing that has stayed consistent
throughout, says Newton, is their dedication to their customers
and their community. "A place like Tower or other chain
stores may have economic resources that we don't have, but
we can compete by providing things that they don't provide,"
he says, "Like a sense of local community, a place where
people can come and hang out and feel like they know you.
We have good personal relationships with our customers--we
know them by name. That kind of thing you're not going to
find in other kinds of stores."
It's
not the only thing you won't find in other stores. From their
"affordably priced, hip, funky, left-of-center"
vintage clothing, to their knowledgeable staff, to their policy
on allowing customers to sit and listen to any CD or vinyl
record--new or used--before they buy, Now! strives to make
the shopping experience all about the customer. "We get
to know what people's individual tastes are, so when a customer
that we know comes in, we can say, 'Oh yeah, we got in this
new thing, it's just up your alley, check this out'."
Don't know what you want, but want to discover something new
and cool? No problem. Newton says just tell the staff the
kinds of music you normally like, and they're happy to make
suggestions for you to try. And unlike the rushed vibe of
larger record stores, Newton says "killing an hour, hanging
out and listening to some music or reading some magazines"
is encouraged.
The store's commitment to community doesn't just extend to
the individual customer. Over the years, Now! has been an
ardent supporter of independent artists. In their Clarendon
Boulevard location, they hosted free, in-store live music
events featuring local and touring independent musicians.
They've also sponsored mini exhibitions for local artists.
At present, the store is working on securing the necessary
permit for live music performances in the new location, and
hopes to have more information on upcoming events later in
the month. Newton also says they're open to ideas from local
artists and vendors for other types of openings and events.
"We're
happy to do whatever we can within our means to promote the
local scene," says Newton, "And we also want to
encourage people to support independent businesses."
After all, as he points out, Now's commitment to the local
community can only continue if the relationship works both
ways. Might be the perfect reason to get your local self over
to a great, independently owned local business.
Now! Music
and Fashion
615-A King St, Old Town Alexandria
Metro: Blue line, King St. Station
703-528-9059 www.nowmusicandfashion.com
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Deborah Ackerman is a brazen, fiction-writing super-villainness
by night, who assumes the disguise of a mild mannered, bespectacled
professional writer and editor by day. Hire her...if you dare.
Her full initials spell out "goddess" in Latin--which
clearly proves there are no coincidences.
Think
High Fidelity with way less attitude--and way more fashion
sense. In short: this is not your average record store. Sure,
as you walk up the stairs into Now! Music and Fashion's new
Old Town Alexandria location, you'll be confronted with the
typical racks of CDs. But look more closely and you'll discover
that the old standby "pop-rock" and "country"
section dividers are nowhere to be found. Instead, there are
categories like "teenage riot," "indie,"
"global reggae/ska" and "designer groove."
And then there's the clothing: racks and racks of hip vintage
duds in the back half of the store. Not to mention the lounge
area by the windows, where funky old couches and coffee tables
invite visitors to hang out and watch the bustle of King Street
shoppers from on high. 
Since
then, Now! has been going through some pretty rapid growing
pains: three different relocations into progressively larger
spaces, more store employees, and the addition of three more
business partners. But the thing that has stayed consistent
throughout, says Newton, is their dedication to their customers
and their community. "A place like Tower or other chain
stores may have economic resources that we don't have, but
we can compete by providing things that they don't provide,"
he says, "Like a sense of local community, a place where
people can come and hang out and feel like they know you.
We have good personal relationships with our customers--we
know them by name. That kind of thing you're not going to
find in other kinds of stores."
It's
not the only thing you won't find in other stores. From their
"affordably priced, hip, funky, left-of-center"
vintage clothing, to their knowledgeable staff, to their policy
on allowing customers to sit and listen to any CD or vinyl
record--new or used--before they buy, Now! strives to make
the shopping experience all about the customer. "We get
to know what people's individual tastes are, so when a customer
that we know comes in, we can say, 'Oh yeah, we got in this
new thing, it's just up your alley, check this out'."
Don't know what you want, but want to discover something new
and cool? No problem. Newton says just tell the staff the
kinds of music you normally like, and they're happy to make
suggestions for you to try. And unlike the rushed vibe of
larger record stores, Newton says "killing an hour, hanging
out and listening to some music or reading some magazines"
is encouraged.