Damn.

This really, really, really sucks. After decades and decades of serving as one of the focal points of Houston music, it seems that Shepherd institution Cactus Music & Video is closing its doors as of March 31st, 2006. GM Quinn Bishop sent out the news this past week, and we here at SCR have been reeling from it ever since. A lot of factors played into the decision, apparently, including the shifting sands of the music/video biz (what with MP3s and Netflix and iPods and all that), but according to Houston Press music guru John Lomax, the upshot is that the owners want out. That’s all she wrote, unfortunately; Cactus is going, going, gone.

It’s a hard blow to those of us who grew up with Cactus, who felt like it was our second home. We went to the in-stores, pestered the clerks for recommendations (man, there was nothing like watching a couple of the video guys argue), scoured the CD racks, and eagerly devoured the flyers tacked up on their bulletin board. Cactus was not only a music mecca, but it practically created our love of movies (well, for a few of us, anyway). We can’t really comprehend it not being there anymore.

On the plus side, there’re other devoted Cactus supporters out there who feel the same way, and they’re already racking their brains for a plan to save at least a smidgen of that Cactus magic (or — and yes, I know it’s blasphemy — maybe come up with something better). So while we big a sad farewell to an old friend, we’re holding out hope that maybe it won’t be gone forever…