ear X-tacy owner John Timmons will host a 10 a.m. press conference Friday at the store to address the future of the 10,000-square-foot location, which will celebrate 25 years of operation in August. It’s lease expires next month.

“This is not about business. It’s about something my customers have built and have come to expect. It’s about a place to experience music,” said Timmons, who founded Keep Louisville Weird, a consortium of Louisville businesses who promote buying local. “Many tourists seem to make ear X-tacy a destination point as out-of-towners have learned about ear X-tacy through national exposure. I think the store is a place that makes Louisvillian’s proud. It’s been a community effort to build it and it’s going to take a community to sustain it.”

Timmons opened ear X-tacy in 1985 and moved to its current location at 1534 Bardstown Road in 1995. His announcement about possible changes to the store’s operation has the music community crossing its fingers.

“I hope that John’s impending announcement is of positive change for ear X-tacy,” said Jeffrey Smith, owner of Crash Avenue Publicity, who manages Ben Sollee. Sollee performs at the store Tuesday to promote his newest release with Daniel Martin Moore, Dear Companion. “Louisville needs ear X-tacy to remain a part of the fabric of this city, a part of the independent fire that has kept so many of us anchored in this city. In all honest, without the influence of ear X-tacy, the whole dynamic of music in Louisville changes for the worse.”

Stacy Owen, program director at 91.9 WFPK, says the synergy between ear X-tacy, radio and concert promoters is vital. “It is widely recognized in the music industry that there is great synergy between WFPK, ear X-tacy and concert promoters/venues in Louisville,” Owen said in a statement. “Removing one of these components would greatly affect the other two. ear X-tacy is a valuable client and a good friend and partner. We would hate to see them go.” —Mat Herron