The best record stores are ones where people can spend over an hour browsing through the selection and find all sorts of new music to check out every time they're there. This process is, of course, aided by a knowledgeable staff to consult and shoot the breeze with. The above are exactly what one will find at Rush-Mor Limited Music & Video.

Now a staple of the Bay View neighborhood, Rush-Mor has been run for the past 10 years by Dan Duchaine and Bill Rouleau. They are also helped by local musician and rockabilly expert Matt "the Rat" Davis, as well as the true power behind the store: a small schnauzer named Iggy.

The entire crew at Rush-Mor is dedicated to giving personalized service.

"We get to know our customers. We don't berate you if you don't listen to the exact same things we do," Rouleau said.

In addition, Duchaine and Rouleau work hard to find the esoteric music and special orders their customers demand.

"We take care of music that falls through the cracks," Duchaine said. "If it's something at Target or K-Mart, it's just so disposable. We prefer the music that ferments and will be around a while."

Such selection is offered through the rather specialized sections at Rush-Mor. People can find whatever they're searching for in alternative rock, rock, progressive, heavy metal, "rockin'" (rockabilly and psychobilly), insurgent country, jazz and blues, reggae, soundtracks or their extensive vinyl and DVD collections.

Furthermore, if what the people are looking for isn't found at Rush-Mor, the staff's dedicated service and connections to international distributors will get most anything there.

"We keep special orders on file for years," Rouleau said.

Duchaine added, "We'll have customers freaked out that we found something after so long, and that's something that can actually reinvent interests for people — going back to what they used to listen to."

It is through such dedication and personalized work that Rush-Mor has actually become more than just a record store, but a Bay View institution.

"We're a bit of a jump-off point," Rouleau said. "We sponsor bicycle pub crawls and other things that promote a social atmosphere. We're almost like a bar without drinks."

"We support those who support us," Duchaine said. "We sponsor bicycle teams, bands and events. We try to help cultivate and turn people on to things."

It also looks like Rush-Mor won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

"We're not in it for the money," Rouleau states. "It's what we love."

"Besides, it's what we'd spend our money on anyway," Duchaine said.

It's this love of music and cultivation of customer loyalty that allows Rush-Mor to survive as a small, independent record store in an era of burnable CDs and bargain rate mega-stores.

"For $2 more, you've got the know on a show that wasn't advertised," Duchaine said. "Our customers keep us in the loop, too. I mean, we're seeing kids grow up and bringing their younger brothers in here."

Perhaps the appeal of Rush-Mor can be best summed up by Duchaine, "It's about having fun." It's a crew like Duchaine, Rouleau, Davis and Iggy that make sure the customers are in on it.

Rush-Mor Limited Music & Video is located at 2637 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. More information is available by calling 481-6040.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on May 5 2005.