An essential part of any conversion from regular person to walking Brooklyn stereotype is embracing the joys and sorrows of vinyl, and I’m proud to say that after a too-long saga involving a basement-salvaged receiver, the friendly folks at MTZ Electronics, and vast sums of money I, too, can now listen to music inconveniently.
Joking aside, record collectors take today seriously: Once a year, on Record Store Day, a wide variety of limited edition, highly sought-after recordings are released and a much needed infusion of cash is brought to local merchants. It’s a way of raising awareness and appreciation for your local record store because, despite the scalping of the rarest releases on ebay, most of today’s releases are only available in person.
Our local shop (and my personal favorite) Permanent Records gets into the swing of things with a full day of events. I arrived a bit before the 11 opening to find a line stretching up the block; the mood was chatty and cheerful, and I got a chance to meet with LIC residents Jiancarlo and Jen who were on their third shop of the day. Jiancarlo had a system and knew exactly what he was looking for; he explained that the records were mostly for himself although he’s begun trading online as well. They appreciated the calm pace that Permanent Records kept despite the crowds; I, as much more of a novice, just appreciated the chance to pick up a new release or two from some of my favorite artists. If you read this in time, check out the bands at Permanent Records today; if not, keep an eye on next year.