Cheap Trick @ Kate's Track Shack

Like many retro-gamers, I enjoy many old-school endeavors, including building models, watching classic movies and cartoons, and collecting and listening to LPs (love that thick, rich, meaty sound). One thing I've left safely in the past is 8-track tape technology, which is a fragile, flawed, outdated way of enjoying music. I'll never forget listening to Kiss' Destroyer in my Dad's old truck, with songs fading out, only to kick back in as the reel would change to the next track (or however the technology worked, or, more accurately, didn't work).

Despite my current disinterest in 8-tracks, my retro sensibilities find it incredibly cool that Cheap Trick, a band I grew up listening to, recently contacted my sister's sister-in-law about producing copies of their new CD in 8-track form. Kathy and Dan Gibson run Kate's Track Shack (http://www.katestrackshack.com/), which is located in Arlington, Texas, about 25 minutes from my house. They buy and sell 8-track tapes and players and have become quite well-known in their field (as exemplified by Cheap Trick actually contacting them).

To purchase a copy of Cheap Trick's new album (called The Latest) on 8-track (or on CD or LP), check out the band's website: http://cheaptrick.shop.musictoday.com/Dept.aspx?cp=10_21036.

I may no longer listen to 8-tracks, but hats off to Cheap Trick and to Kathy and Dan for helping keep the '70s--an era that gave us Alien, the Atari 2600, Star Wars, and a million other great things--alive and well.