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Meet The Birdman, The Beloved East Village CD Salesman Who's Flying The Coop
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 27, 2015
Modified Aug 27, 2015
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 27, 2015
Modified Aug 27, 2015
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For 17 years, the Birdman has been stockpiling and selling CDs inside of his 1st Avenue storefront in the East Village. He knows his music, he somehow knows where every CD is located amongst the chaos, his customers love him, and he's a beloved character in the neighborhood. While previous reports have suggested his shop, Rainbow Music, was closing due to a rent increase, the Birdman now says he just wants to retire—"I'm not being forced to retire, but I want to retire."
He plans to close up shop at the end of September.
Filmmaker Etienne Gaulupeau recently filmed the Birdman, noting, "We wanted to pay a tribute to this local figure... we wanted to sum up his career and show the close relationship that he had with the inhabitants of East Village."
Update: Filmmaker Jessie Auritt has sent in her short film on the Birdman, which she released 3 years ago. You can watch that below:
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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