It was show time at Mystery Train Records in Amherst, and someone had just ordered a pizza. The first act was supposed to start crooning blues over a 12-string guitar, but there was no sign of a stage. A shopper sat on a green couch, evaluating the LPs in his lap; customers browsed the impressive new arrivals and jazz sections in the back room. Then it happened; almost instantly a backline of instruments was set up in front of the space-age fairy tale mural on the back wall, young people rushed in to sit on the worn carpet or lean against shelves of old books and magazines, and the music began.
August 21st marked the last show at Mystery Train's central Amherst location (pictured). After years of hosting underground live music in a storefront that promises both "weird and classic music," owners Joshua Burkett and Cynthia Meadows have found a new space for their well-loved and quirky music store: just down the block. The new store will give '70s rock-hungry customers and eager audiences more space to sit back and listen, but it also grants another unexpected and welcome perk: "I was just thinking the other day," Meadows responded when asked about the store's new neighbors, "that I liked that Emily Dickinson's corpse was a mere stone's throw away from our new location."
The new store will continue Mystery Train's tradition of hosting noise, experimental and acoustic rock shows arranged by the same informal booking group: Chris Cooper and Chris Dooley of Flywheel, George Myers, Meghan Minor and Burkett. Reopening this week, Mystery Train also continues to offer must-haves for audiophiles and curious surprises for the diligent music shopper—now aided by a little more natural light.
Mystery Train Records is now located at 178a North Pleasant Street in Amherst. For more information, call (413) 253-4776 or visit Mystery Train's profile at www.myspace.com/mrtreetrain.
