April 8th is Rex Manning Day. You will see many social media posts about a guy in purple pants, and a ruffled shirt. This guy is Rex Manning, and he is the star of the 90’s zeitgeist movie, Empire Records. He is famous for his song Say No More, Mon Amour.
Watch Empire Records.
If you’ve never seen Empire Records, that’s the first thing to do to Celebrate Rex Manning Day. It’s Available on Showtime if you have a Subscription, or Rent it on Amazon. Ethan Embry, Liv Tyler, and Renee Zellweger spend 24 hours working at a Record Store, which could be getting bought out by “The Man” any day. Plus the enjoyment of Rex Manning coming to sign records. See if you can spot the April 8th in the movie, which tells us it’s Rex Manning Day.
Go gamble away $9,104
Don’t worry, it’s not your money. Go steal $9,104 from your employer. Count it Twice. That’s very Important. Then drive up Clear Creek Canyon, and put it down on the Craps Table. When you win, let it ride.
Go Buy Some Records
At this point, $9,000 of your bosses’ money is probably re-circulating through the economy. You’re pretty sure you’re in big trouble. But we’re celebrating Rex Manning Day. You should go to a record shop. There’s a few shops around town that still hold a bit of Empire Records nostalgia. Twist and Shout on Colfax is probably the most likely candidate. They’ve been serving up Records, Cassettes, CD’s, and Records again, since 1988. They have over 11,000 SqFt of space for music, memorabilia, and the occasional In Store Appearance, just like Rex Manning. WaxTrax on Capital Hill has been serving up music even longer. They opened in 1975. And to round out record shopping, Angelos CD’s has a few locations around town to flip through records.
Go to a Raging Street Party!
You’re in luck. Rex Manning Day coincides with Rockies Opening Day this year, which tends to be one of the biggest street parties of the year. You will have plenty of chances to drink away the poor decisions of the day, listen to live music, and possibly kiss a stranger.
Fade to Black
Bonus Points for doing the following things along the way of your Empire Records journey:
- Shave your head in a sink outside your home. Leave the hair there.
- Shoplift
- Get a Job at the same store you shoplifted from
- Hold a funeral for someone who’s still alive
- Glue Quarters to the Floor
- Get killed by GWAR
- Throw yourself at a Celebrity
- Sing rooftop Karaoke
- Damn the Man
- Save the Empire
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