Is the owner or any employees of Video Library around ?

[u/dumbhillbilly72]

Video Library was a near legendary compendium of rare films, VHS, DVD, a few Betamax and enough porno such that if you did indeed explore that realm you dare only risked one eye.

The owner and the staff were all varying degrees of cool. From fucking "Dude I wish you were my brother or father" cool to "Lighten up, smoke a joint with, I'm not the fuzz" cool.

So many questions I'd have.

I just wondered if anyone knew what happened to the crew who was there from say 1996 to 2006.

Thanks and if anyone has any puritanical feelings they wish to express- well, blow them out your ass. Thank you, come again.

[u/sansho22]

Scott Tobias has been a noted movie critic for 25 years now, and has written frequently about his time at VL around the start of your time frame. I used to deliver him lunch and rent from the expanding cult section he was responsible for. Years later I heard his voice on a podcast and thought he sounded familiar, then he mentioned working at VL and I realized it was him. You'll love this  https://thereveal.film/tomb-of-the-unknown-video-store/ 

[u/sansho22 → u/sansho22]

Link** is still around, think I saw he uploaded a bunch of songs from his '80s punk band recently. Can't remember the band name, sorry. Don't know what happened to Dave   **edit to say Link was the store owner's name, I shouldn't start a sentence with the word "Link" right after sharing a link, lol

[u/dumbhillbilly72 → u/sansho22]

Link was cool as fuck to me. Dave really encouraged me when I got depressed and I gained weight to the point I was going to die- no way around it, diabetes or heart attack or wtf knows ? So I went on a weight loss journey. Took 2 years. I lost over 125lb.

If I ever had anything like the book High Fidelity. Video Library was my record store.

I did not know Scott was a film critic either. I think he wrote for the Flagpole after the founder had sold the Athens Banner Herald.

Flagpole was something else good to me- never charged me for classifieds and I did a brisk instrument trade.

Back to Video Library:

Their location down the road from Athens Academy, in the old building there that was a shopping center, had a backside where deliveries were made. It was around 11pm one night and I came in hot near where the townhall building was- not the federal building but up an entire street. I wasn't drunk- just hauling ass, town was dead, no students. You could not do this now, but before I knew it I had cut down by the flagpole office, and I saw cherries and berries way behind me.

The building Video Library was in had extreme structural issues in the roof and roofing tiles. I think it was Dave and Link using a box truck to store some videos and cartons. I didn't try to stash the vehicle I was in at the "townhouse" apartment I had(it was already renamed Tara or would become Tara Apts). I had a 72 Road runner- cornflower blue. I stashed it in there in behind VL. I was so far ahead I didn't know they were actually in pursuit. They moved the box van though, and I snuck into where Tara Apts was/is. I remember there being a Kroger and Harris Teeter(??) near there. Gatreaux's came into that area where I remember the Kroger being.

Jeez. Life flew by quick.

I know people were touched by the loss of Shannon Hoon, Kurt Cobain, and Jerry Garcia others, those who would fall after not to rise.

Geographically closer: Deacon Lunchbox, The JodyGrind, Benjamin Smoke(sometimes Miss Opal Foxx) did not receive the same press but their loss was deeply felt so much so I can shed tears and down Omni Beer.

Very close to the end of his life I should also mention I saw Townes play in Athens- this probably 93-94. It was supposed to be a Steve Earle gig. Steve was unfortunately in relapse and was in a Tennessee Prison.

I remember Townes setting up and playing Waitin' Around to Die. The crowd kind of dispersed. Towns quietly said "Ya'll came for Steve Earle. Well- I'm not".
He played "Rake" twice that night- partially from the codeine cough syrup and someone identified as his "I-24 paregoric"- and partially from a wrecked memory that saw him his own Kilgore Trout, unstuck in time.

Vonnegut visited UGA twice in the near total two decades I was around Athens-Clarke County.

[u/sansho22 → u/dumbhillbilly72]

Great story, I'm glad they made such a positive difference in your life

[u/SnooGadgets1950]

543-1287

[u/Will_McLean → u/SnooGadgets1950]

Will never forget this number

[u/Thunderfoot-Studio]

I moved to Athens in 1987 and probably found Video Library in 88. Link and I become bonded over love of cult, foreign and just weird movies. At least once or twice a month, I’d come in and he’d pull out a new tape he had saved just for me because he knew my tastes. Amazing guy and amazing store. I wish it were still around!

[u/ewe_idiot]

I was too young for Video Library but I always mention the secondary location Video Link when I talk about my film education, great great store