Stores Thu Dec 19 2013

Your Last-Minute Xmas Buying Guide for the Music Lover

By Anne Holub

You've done it again. You've flaked the date. It's just a few days till Christmas, and you haven't gotten anything for anyone and now you'd have to pay up the wazoo to get anything shipped in time. But wait! We have a solution that's a win/win: Shop local and get that music-lover on your list something awesome this year. (No, a new tree-shaped car freshener isn't awesome. Stop it.)

You might be able to wait until Christmas Eve to shop, but I wouldn't recommend it. Some businesses will have limited hours on Tuesday and most will be flat-out closed Wednesday, so get out today and get going!

Have other local shops that you'd recommend for the music-lover on your list? Leave your tips in the comments.

Music stores

This is a no-brainer. Get them some new tunes at your favorite local shop. Our faves include (but definitely aren't limited to) Reckless Records, Laurie's Planet of Sound, Permanent Records, Dusty Groove, Saki, Hyde Park Records, Gramaphone Records, and Jazz Record Mart. Grab new or used LPs/CDs, ephemera, or even a gift certificate.

Tickets to shows!

We're talking real tickets not will call vouchers (I have a soft spot for ticket stubs piling up throughout the year), but printout tickets are still tickets to shows, so go for it! Head to your favorite venue to get them in person, like the Metro store, or even the Chicago Theater box office for tix. Or print them out online, if you must. Geez.

Music venue "stuff"

Love your venue? Get something to show it! Try the Metro store, the Empty Bottle, or Lincoln Hall/Schubas (choose "Merch Pickup" if you order online, and head to Schubas for your purchases) for bags, shirts, hats, and more emblazoned with logos and slogans from your favorite joint. Update: the kind folks at the Metro have let me know that they're going to be open 12-6pm on Monday and 12-8pm on Tuesday (they'll be closed on Christmas Day). In addition, they're offering 20% off all Metro merchandise including tshirts, posters, etc. in the Store through the end of the year, as well as online .

Classical music/opera tickets

Sometimes you have someone on your list who doesn't share your small venue/dark bar/indie rock sensibilities. It's ok, but they deserve awesome gifts too. Try some tickets to an upcoming performance at places like the Lyric Opera (staging Sound of Music this spring), the Auditorium Theater (Chick Corea & Bela Fleck in the spring), or Symphony Center (Riccardo Muti and Yo-Yo Ma in January, John Prine in March), or check our latest classical music column for some ideas.

Music lessons

Everybody wants to be a rockstar, right? Get certificates for lessons for a friend (or lousy drum-playing neighbor) at places like the Old Town School of Folk Music, Flatts & Sharp Music Co., Andy's Music Store, 312 Vintage Guitars, or the Chicago Music Exchange.

Instruments!

Upgrade your favorite band's setup with new stuff (from the inexpensive to the over-the-top) with items like guitar strings, picks, hand cymbals, a ukulele, or even vintage guitars, a new bass, a banjo, or a sweet djembe at a local music shoppe (see above list).

Show posters

Get them something sweet for their wall! Try the Metro store, Galerie F, Lincoln Hall/Schubas (again choose "Merch Pickup" if you order online, and head to Schubas for your purchases), Permanent Records, the Empty Bottle (choose "Pickup at the Empty Bottle" in the checkout, or swing by during open hours). Prolific poster artist Jay Ryan at The Bird Machine let us know that you can email orders@thebirdmachine.com if you want to pick something up in person at their digs at 4823 Main St. in Skokie. They're around 9-4 today, Friday, and Monday and there's a chance they'll be in Tuesday morning, but that's not certain, so get on it, already!

If you're heading out to do all your shopping on Tuesday night, make sure to check in with your local shop and see if they're keeping different hours on Christmas Eve, or even if they're closing up shop after this weekend for a long winter's nap. Everyone deserves a holiday break, so be nice.