Come on, admit it: You've been dying to relive your high school glory days of blasting the opening bars of "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot on your sousaphone in band practice. Head to the downtown location of the Chicago Music Store, and rummage through the dusty and dark corners of this 90-year-old landmark. The music shop is old enough to have been featured in an early Martin Scorsese film (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore), but it stays current with music workshops and the latest gear and instruments. As the manager told the Weekly in 2005, the Chicago Store deals with everything from "kazoos to pianos."
Runners up:
2. Rainbow Guitars
2550 N. Campbell Ave.
325-3376, rainbowguitars.com
3. TIE
Beaver's Band Box
7918 N. Oracle Road
498-0677
4570 E. Broadway Blvd.
325-1509, www.beaversbandboxonline.com
The Folk Shop
2525 N. Campbell Ave.
881-7147, thefolkshop.com
