The ear X-tacy gone-out-of-business sale is Thanksgiving weekend.

As addressed on ear X-tacy's Facebook page.

Hello Friends and Family,

We’re sending this out to you today with some information about the last sale at the store! (Finally!)

ear X-tacy will be open for 2 final days on Saturday November 26th and Sunday November 27th. Hours for both days will be 12 Noon – 5pm. We’d love to see all of you one last time at the store. Everything will be sold. Information regarding any discounts will be sent closer to time. We will be accepting cash, credit cards, and gift cards. PLEASE BE AWARE THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME TO REDEEM ANY GIFT CARDS AND GIFT CERTIFICATES.

Also, we will be reaching out to any/all local artists today about a designated pick up time for items in the store. Please be looking for that email, as we only have so much time to get this taken care of. (If you know of a local artist we carry, please feel free to pass along this email).

As always, we appreciate all of you more than you know. We’re very happy to be doing this sale over Thanksgiving Weekend because we feel like the biggest thing we can give thanks for … is you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email manager@earx-tacy.com and we will do our best to answer each and every one of you.

We wish you the very best over this Holiday Season and truly look forward to serving you one last time.

Always,

ear X-tacy

James: "We need these real places..."

My Morning Jacket's Jim James responds to ear X-tacy's closing via Facebook, finding relevance on many levels:

“there is a tear in my eye right now as i hear about the closing of one of my favorite places on earth- ear-xtacy. i send thanks and healing vibes to john and everyone who has worked so hard at the store over the years…the presence of that sacred place will be sorely missed. people- let this be a big wake up call to us…we need these places to gather as a community and share ideas about music and art and love and life and…. for the love of god…. it cant all take place online…or i fear that one day we will all wake up bleary-eyed and hung over from our technology binge and find the real world long gone… let us be inspired by places like “please and thank you,” “carmichaels,” “pops retail and consignment,” “heine brothers” and all the great independent ma and pa stores around the globe- leading us into a new era of what a creative business can be…we need to support these places and help create more…the mp3 has killed the idea of what a traditional record store used to be, but that should only be cause for us to re-invent and support things the computer can never kill…we need these real places… where you can still buy a record from a local band or a hard to find label or root thru stacks of used vinyl…or get a cup of coffee…or buy an old stereo system or a synthesizer or a pair of jeans…or learn a new skill…or teach a new skill…and love your fellow human in person and face to face and all in the same place. lets brainstorm. lets build more of these places. lets stick together. lets support each other. lets figure it out.” – jim james

As sad as it gets when a business dies.

From ear X-tacy's Facebook page comes the sound of John Timmons letting go of a dream. We were headed that way to shop on Saturday when word came across the Twitter feed that the store had closed without explanation. I've been around long enough to know what that usually means, and it made me sick to think it might be the end, but I had no illusions. Capitalism is pitiless this way, which is probably why I love it and loathe it all at the same time.

Ironically, most of the day today, the usual suspects (me included) were debating the usual topics about local business, chains, ethics, personal responsibility and whatever else came up. About all I can add at this juncture is that if anyone ever cried when a McDonald's or Wal-Mart closed down, he or she is an imbecile. If this sentiment renders me an egotist, one upsmanshipman or pie-eyed leftist, so be it.

Dear Louisville, and all who have shopped, supported, and loved ear X-tacy over the years,

It has been a dream come true...actually, a dream exceeded, to be part of your musical lives here in Louisville for the last 26 years. My life was changed forever, and guided by the power of music since I can remember. Music has been the soul, the heart, the passion of my life for my entire 56 years. The record store experience has been the only child in my life. Now, it's time for me to let it fly.

Thank YOU...for allowing me to be part of your musical universe. Louisville, you made me feel like I was truly HOME when I moved here in 1976. It's been a great ride, but as George Harrison knowingly said, "All Things Must Pass." It's with sadness, but also with great pride I say to you now...

ear X-tacy is no more

Long live ear X-tacy!

Please keep the music alive. Support the incredible music scene and independent businesses we have here! Until you leave this great city, you cannot realize what a unique treasure we have here. Embrace it, celebrate it, and promote it. Love it.

Thank you all for making my dreams come true. Thank you for making ear X-tacy the wonderful place that it was. I thank all of the staff that made this store THE hub for music in Louisville for the past 26 years. Please take pride in knowing that YOU have been the heart and soul of what this store became. Thank you for sharing my dream and exceeding all of my expectations! To all of the musicians who have graced our store and stage, I cannot tell you what a thrill it's been. From the local newbies to the incredibly huge national artists...THANK YOU for gracing our store and sharing you incredible musical talents with us all...that's what I like to call: "earX-tacy".

Love, peace, music and ear X-tacy to you all,

John D. Timmons
President, ear X-tacy, Inc.

Video: Save ear X-tacy.