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Music Millennium

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Music Millennium
IndustryRetail
Founded1969 (1969)
FoundersDon McLeod, Laureen McLeod, Dan Lissy and Patty Lissy
HeadquartersPortland, Oregon
Key people
Terry Currier (current owner)
Websitewww.musicmillennium.com

Music Millennium is an independent record store located in Portland, Oregon. It was opened by Don McLeod, his wife Laureen, and Dan and Patty Lissy in 1969.[1] It is currently the largest and oldest record store in the Pacific Northwest.[2]

History

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Neon sign and marquee at the chain's former main store (1977–2007), in Northwest Portland

At one time, Music Millennium had three stores: one at the original eastside location, which opened on March 15, 1969;[3] a store in northwest Portland's Northwest District; and a classical music store located next door to the main eastside location called Classical Millennium that opened in 1977.[4] Terry Currier acquired the business in 1996 from McLeod's estate following Don McLeod's death.[1]

The northwest location was a pioneer in in-store performances, which started in 1989 as part of the business's 20th anniversary celebration.[3]

A Ringo for President mural at the current main store in 2024

The business was involved in a lawsuit against a music retailer in South Carolina operating as Millennium Music. It was dismissed in 1999.[5] Currier later coined the term "Keep Portland Weird", which has become a rally slogan for the city and its culture. He is currently considered "The Father of Portland's Weird Movement"[6]

The northwest location closed in September 2007.[7] In 2009, Music Millennium was ranked ninth in Spin magazine's list of the fifteen best independent record stores in the country.[8] A year later, The Oregonian described Music Millennium as an iconic Portland business and a "national leader in the music-selling industry".[3]

Feud with Garth Brooks

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During a 1993 feud with Garth Brooks, Currier barbecued the country star's album In Pieces after removing Music Millennium's entire collection of his other CDs, cassettes, and LPs. Dubbed "The Barbecue for Retail Freedom", the event was staged to protest Brooks's stance against used record stores selling his music.[9] As of 2017, Music Millennium was still refusing to stock Brooks's albums.[10] The store continues to host an annual "Customer Appreciation BBQ" every August and the feud helped inspire the foundation of Record Store Day in 2007.[11]

Millennium Enterprises, Inc. v. Millennium Music, L.P

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In a lawsuit dismissed in 1999, Music Millennium filed a trademark claim against Millennium Music in Charleston, South Carolina, asking them to change the name of their business. Millennium Music operated two stores in South Carolina and Terry Currier believed it caused too much confusion and was concerned about "unwanted competition".[12][13][14][5] The court held that simply having an interactive website was not enough to have personal jurisdiction.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b Vondersmith, Jason (2019-03-13). "MUSIC MILLENNIUM MARKS A HALF-CENTURY". PortlandTribune.com. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  2. ^ "'It's been a real roller coaster ride for us': Music Millennium celebrates 50 years". kgw.com. March 15, 2019. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  3. ^ a b c Carlin, Peter Ames (December 24, 2010). "Terry Currier and Music Millennium: The growth, and near-death, of a Portland icon". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  4. ^ Stabler, David (July 30, 2012). "Classical Millennium, Portland's classical CD mecca, shrinks inventory, cuts staff". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Binole, Gina (February 8, 1999). "E-commerce precedent set by court". Portland Business Journal. American City Business Journal. Archived from the original on January 19, 2001. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  6. ^ "Father of Portland's Weird Movement Says..." KOIN. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  7. ^ Richmond, Paige (September 2, 2007). "'The death of a friend': Music Millennium NW's Last Night". Willamette Week. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  8. ^ Everdell, Abigail; Aaron, Charles (April 17, 2009). "America's Best Indie Record Stores". Spin. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  9. ^ Ames, Peter Ames. "Terry Currier and Music Millennium: The growth, and near-death, of a Portland icon". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  10. ^ Singer, Matthew. "How a Portland Record Store's Feud With Garth Brooks Helped Create Record Store Day". Willamette Week. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  11. ^ Elijah Holley, Santi. "Music Millennium Celebrates 50 Years of Hawking Records, Hosting Shows, and Charbroiling Garth Brooks CDs". Music Millennium. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  12. ^ "Vol. 40, No. 4, SUMMER 2000 of Jurimetrics on JSTOR". www.jstor.org. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  13. ^ Yokoyama, Dennis (2005-06-01). "You Can't Always Use the Zippo Code: The Fallacy of a Uniform Theory of Internet Personal Jurisdiction". DePaul Law Review. 54 (4): 1147. ISSN 0011-7188.
  14. ^ "Millennium Enterprises v. Millennium Music, LP, 33 F. Supp. 2d 907 (D. Or. 1999)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  15. ^ "Internet Contacts Insufficient to Confer Personal Jurisdiction". Findlaw. Thomson Reuters. March 26, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
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