"It's better, right?" Brian's smile was crooked, like they were sharing a trade secret. "I always wonder what musicians are signing for kids now," he said as he walked to the register and leaned his elbows on the counter, in no particular hurry. "I mean... No CD cases, nobody buys magazines anymore, concert tickets are on your cell phone. I guess it's just selfies with the band playing in the background."

He had been in a band once, a small punk outfit that had some success locally but never made it out of the northeast. He tried to imagine some kid offering up a smart phone app and asking him to sign with his finger.