In San Francisco on Wednesday.

It's all about Amoeba. Trust me on this. From there you can wander through Golden Gate Park, if you're into that.

Amoeba and Aquarius should be sufficient enough record shopping for anyone in town for a couple days.

I have no idea what your music tastes are (or if you go out on school nights) but Thievery Corporation added a show on Tuesday night at a pretty small club -- Ruby Skye (w/ Blue States & Nicola Conte w/ Gianlucca). Show starts at 8pm so there's a good chance you'll be home by 12:30-1am. The club is at 420 Mason @ Geary (near Union Square, probably not too far from where your staying). Tix are steep at $25, but for the venue it might be worth it.

All of Tuesday is a write-off, actually...the event I'm attending will be in the evening, and part of the day will involve the flight to SF and getting settled at the hotel. I have to get back to the airport by 9pm on Wednesday night, so Wednesday shows are out, too, sadly.

Never in a thousand years would I ever recommend anything at Ruby Skye...

I second that non-recommendation.

Uh, me neither, although I did see Prince there.

Never in a thousand years would I ever recommend anything on lookout! records...

just kidding, but c'mon, that's kinda funny. i've never been to ruby skye but a friend of mine is going to the show and she's taking me along. (",) it's no 924 gilman but really what is?

I agree with Sean. Aquarius is a small store with a pretty great selection and knowledgable staff, but tends to have limited stock of items. Ameoba is huge, and is kind of fun to get lost in.

I definitely recommend doing Aquarius in the morning and then walking around the Mission and Valencia area. Lots of cool thrift shops, book stores, Good Vibrations, etc. . . Leave yourself 3 or so hours to then go to Amoeba and go completely crazy. Amoeba almost like Vegas though. You can completely lose yourself in the place like you have no sense of time at all, just substitute endless racks of shiny discs for flashing lights and slot machines. It shouldn't be too crowded during the on a weekday either, which is good cause on Saturday and Sunday the place can be an absolute zoo. Have fun.

Well, been back home now for a couple of days. Ended up taking an overnight flight back to Toronto, with a stop in Chicago. Discovered I couldn't sleep on airplanes, which means I'm just starting to recover from the trip now.

Thanks for the tips. I made it to Rasputin downtown, then Aquarius on the first day. Second day I made it Amoeba for a couple of hours. Didn't pick up much anywhere (nothing at Rasputin's on Powell) because I had to travel light, and the funds were ultimately limited. If I had my way I'd end up back at Amoeba again for a few hours, and I'd be sure to bring an extra suitcase.

Now you know how I am whenever I visit SF, Sean. ;-) I usually fill up a backpack with CDs or something...

Wow, I figured that you didn't go CD shopping in SF, Ned. There were still CDs there, after all.

Clearly I just need to rob some banks for extra funding, and then I'll prevent you worrying over this matter.