Rock ‘n’ Roll High School 9: RIP Poindexter Records and the Cassingle

Today’s RNRHS is from Billy Maupin (another of my former fellow co-workers from Mammoth Records) and mentions two things I hadn’t thought about in a long time–Poindexter Records and cassingles.  Ah, the cassingle, such a perfect nugget of musical enjoyment–like Jolly Ranchers for your ears.  And Poindexter…well, one of the best record stores ever.  It is missed by many, like countless others all over the country.  Nothing beats a Saturday afternoon spent puttering about in a record store.  Does that sound like something an old person says?  Like, nothing beats a Saturday afternoon spent down at the malt shop after your shift pumping gas at the service station?  Damn.

Billy Maupin

Northern High School, Durham, NC, Class of 1989, Currently: GM of the Yep Roc Music Group

Band and/or song that reminds you the most of high school: U2 – Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum were the soundtrack to my high school years. My friend Matt and I became slightly obsessed with Rattle and Hum going as far as making tapes of the movie audio and declaring it (to anyone who would listen) to be “far superior to the cd “. This was pre internet so I am sure my fandom pissed a lot of people off. Also recall spending a lot of time trying to track down all the official cassingles so that I could have all the unreleased b-sides. I remember getting the last one right around graduation and how important it was to compile the b-sides onto one cassette for “Beach Week”.

Favorite piece of music memorabilia in high school: T-shirts were always a favorite. 1) REM Bicycle Little America Tour Shirt – I wore that shirt through high school, college and for years afterwards, and would probably still be wearing it today if it hadn’t literally fallen apart. 2) Poindexter Records T-shirt (The 1916 Perry Street location) – I spent untold hours (and dollars) there. The shirt had a really simple logo of a face but no matter where I wore it someone would come up and ask me what it meant. 3) Rush Hold Your Fire T-shirt – I bought this from a bootlegger leaving a Rush show at Reynolds Coliseum. He wanted $10, I offered $5 and he said no way. I made like I was going to leave and he relented and gave it to me for $5. The quality sucked but at $5 I couldn’t complain.

Band that you hated that everyone else at school seemed to love: There was a moment in 87 or 88 when it seemed like the only band anyone was talking about was DRI. Outside of the iconic logo I just didn’t get it. Crossover Thrash? Hello?  Pick one or the other.

Best high school make-out song: Def Leppard “Rockett”

Best show or concert you saw in high school: REM at Cameron Indoor stadium. I remember racing from school to the Record Bar at Northgate Mall to get tickets after hearing that the show was almost sold out. The clerk pulled out a steel cash box from under the counter (this was pre ticketmaster) and I got the last two tickets. My tickets ended up being dead center in the last row but it was still an incredible show.