101 Music — Local services in San Francisco

SF did it again. I felt compelled to hit this store after my boyfriend and I meandered the streets of North Beach during a festival. I wasn't drunk, nor did I have a hint of alcohol breathing in and out of my breath.101 Music drew me in when I accidentally stumbled onto their window display of dusty looking banners, vintage concert fliers, and a poster of Jimmy Hendrix calling out my name. Oh yeah, I felt disheveled already without feeling intoxicated. I was deliberately drunk off of the smell of old vinyl and the filtering tunes of Chet Atkins playing in the background as I rummaged through a history of "newfound" music.

101 Music reminded of old toys we once played with during our childhood and forgotten about them until we somehow discovered our toys sitting in stacked boxes in the attic waiting to be played with again. I felt like a kid again after picking up an old Beatles record in my hand and swaying my hips to Chet Atkins singing to me about happy days, completely in awe and feeling giddy I smiled at the thought of sleeping inside here with all these great and forgotten artists, bands, musicians, instruments and an 8-Track hiding on top of a shelf!

Don't get it twisted when you think I'm too young to know of these things. I find beauty in a lot of weird things, but music means a lot to me. I love hip hop, funk, hipster music, indie rock, and electronic music that we all hear nowadays. However, I'm a young chick with an old soul. I love the classics that you don't hear anymore unless you have the tenacity to download tunes off the internet or stream it off Pandora radio. You see my friends, it doesn't get any better than seeing vintage records, tapes and CDs and listening to good music that you probably might not ever hear again. I hope that in the generations that come ahead, I don't want old records and awesome music to fade. Just as I would hate to see 101 Music lose business too. Let's keep mom and pop...

Here is what happened to me last night:

I was eating delicious food with my girlfriend enjoying myself walking into this place. I walk in and the person that worked there (owner?) was in the end of the store. I walked up there cuz i wanted to see the records in that specific corner. I walk up to him smiling and greeting him as friendly as i can. He walks by me saying in the meanest and rudest tone (sounding kind of paranoid): "Why are you looking at me and walk up to me?" Keep in mind he works the store and i could be asking him a question but i honestly was just being friendly smiled at him and wanted to walk by him. After that I leave the store saying jesus christ. He repeats me yelling "yeah jesus christ" i reply: "dude you are really rude" by now me and my gf are out of the door already and he yells out of his throat after us "no you are really rude"

I have travelled around quite a lot and have encountered friendly and unfriendly people but i have never seen anything like this, im...

This place is a must for anyone who loves hunting for hidden gems. This was my first time so it's a bit daunting when you first walk in the door. I'm glad I kept going and followed the narrow path through the stacks of vintage stereo components to the basement stairs. Awaiting you at the bottom of the stairs is a vast sea of vinyl. Roughly organized by genre, if you're looking for something alphabetically, you should probably turn around and head back out of the store. For those, like myself, who still enjoy the thrill of the hunt, you could easily spend hours, if not days in this magical, musty space searching for that record you just simply can't live without. Most albums are priced at $5 with some classical titles commanding $10 each. The way I see it, you're visiting a museum, and for a mere $5-$10 donation, you get to take a pretty cool souvenir home with you. Paying with cash might make for a better deal. I'm definitely coming back the next time...