By Jared Bracci Progress Writer
NASHUA – Let’s face it, music is our only universal language. Music inflicts emotions that all language can only attempt to understand. It’s greatest beauty, is that everyone hears it and can understand it in their own way. If I were to get on a plane and fly to Paris, by the time I landed at the airport and made my way to a cab, I would be turning the pages in my French dictionary with great rapidity in order to converse. But as soon as I hit the door at one of the hot clubs in the cities west end, and heard the fiery rhythm section of a local gypsy jazz band, not only would my dictionary remain in my pocket, and my senses be heightened, but I would be able to relate to the music in whatever way my emotions guided me.
Xtreme Car Audio
Such was the case when I walked into Boomer McLoud Xtreme Car Audio on Amherst Street in Nashua one evening. I immediately felt alive when I noticed a young couple standing in front of a wall of speakers with their hips turning and toes tapping. Sure, the new Santana single, ‘Game of Love’ sounded great, but wow, the Alpine 980 receiver, combined with the Clarion coaxial speakers and the Kicker subwoofers were down right electrifying! For a brief moment, I was overcome, by the rush of adrenaline pouring through me. After the song ended, I watched a grin form on the young mans face, as if to say to his companion. “So, you want it?”
Actually, there’s a lot you will want to buy in this store. Or, at the very least, to look at and listen to. Boomer McLoud is like no other car audio store in the area. They are in the business to enhance your driving experience with high-end audio components, mobile amplifiers, video and navigation systems, alarm systems, remote starters, suspension work, specialty molds, body kits, exhaust kits, performance rims and complete after-market customization packages. There is also an extensive list of merchandise such as high performance power cable, racing pedals, shift knobs, and strobe lights. “All the brands Boomer chooses are based on three criteria: performance, reliability and customer requests,” explains owner Jamie Page. “When you shop here, you become a part of our family. We make every attempt to be on a first name basis with all our customers.” And that’s a lot of customers, when you consider that Jamie and his staff sold over 1 million dollars in car stereos in 2002 alone! Brands such as Alpine, Sony, Clarion, and Nakamichi were best sellers.
When it comes to installing all these great things you’re hearing in your head, Boomers has assembled a dream team of talent. As Jamie succinctly put it, “We have the ability to install anything, anywhere, anytime. These are some of the best guys in the world I’m working with, and it’s great because we all have our own niche and are learning from each other all the time.” Jamie views his job as two tiered. He handles the audio, video, remote starter, and other electronic sales. Couple this with product development skills that he specialized in with stints at Sony Corporate, Phoenix Gold, and Soundgate. He is joined by Ron Mackey, who handles performance parts such as wheels, tires, turbo chargers, suspension, exhaust systems and all special order products. Ron is in his first year, but is a major reason why Boomers concluded 2002 with record sales. Another recent addition to the Boomers sales staff is Kevin Huffman. Kevin offers extensive product knowledge and an amiable personality.
When it comes to installation, Boomers installation manager, Ryan Leblanc brings nine years experience to the art of installation. He provides custom fabrication, fiberglass work, specialty molds, and other unique applications. Many products Boomers offers need to be specially fit into a customers car. It’s this particular area that Ryan and the installation team will dazzle you.
This team also includes Ian Brandon who has 17 years experience with installations. With an eye for the exotic, Ian specializes in European vehicles such as Audi, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, and Lotus. He has the unique ability to adapt to the most unwieldy of cars, and last year completed the entire installation on a BMW 325I, that was featured on the February 2002 BMW Sports Magazine.
Josh McIntosh and Sean Strasshauf round out the Boomers team. Josh brings a tasteful aesthetic and artists vision to the design and installation of the custom components. With the exceptional growth Boomers experienced last year, installation hours had to be provided during the evening. To answer this need, master installation guru, Sean Strasshauf came aboard to work third shift. Highly passionate about his craft, Sean has instilled a greater level of convenience to all Boomer customers. For example, if you stopped in the store one afternoon, and decided on purchasing a car stereo with a few other complementary items, such as speakers, subwoofers and a power amp, it is conceivable that you could leave your car overnight and pick it up the next morning on your way into work. And just think, what a blissful commute it would be.
But no matter how good the products and the service are, it is the warranty that will weigh heavily in a customers decision to buy. To help Boomer McLoud stay ahead of the competition, Jamie offers customers a warranty on installation for the life of their vehicle (goes with xtreme car audio). This in itself displays the level of confidence Jamie’s team has in their work, and is one of the reasons they have raised the standards of what people look for in the car audio industry.
And once you become a customer at Boomer McLoud, no matter what size the purchase, you are always welcome to some of the coolest events in the area. Last summer Jamie sent invitations to all the Boomer customers, inviting everyone to stop by the store to show off some of their electronic goodies and aftermarket custom kits. A complementary buffet was also provided by Margaritas. The afternoon consisted of radio throwing, in which you had to toss a radio (provided to you by Boomers) into a trash can that stood about 10 yards away. The prize: a free radio/cd player. Another event offered everyone the opportunity to try and pulverize a power amp by smashing it into the ground. Six hours later, the winner was given a free power amp by Boomers. Now this is Xtreme car audio at it’s finest.