Yesterday I wrote about my plans for Record Store Day (including a list of events and locations) today, I report on what actually got done.
- My day started at Electric Fetus, where I got to see Durry do an acoustic set. They only played a few songs, maybe because it was super chilly outside and they were playing stringed instruments. They were cheerful and gracious and the music sounded great. As a super bonus, I ran into my friend Mary and her daughter Molly. They had gotten there an hour earlier to get a number to gain access to the RSD special section. They had number 600; when I left they were on 349. I’ll have to report back on whether Molly got the album she wanted.
- Next stop was HiFi Hair for a super quick stop since I wanted to catch as much live music as I could. HiFi is a unique mash up of record store and salon. Owner Jon Clifford was busy but he is the heartbeat of the shop and does a great job making everyone feel welcome. (You can get a glimpse of Jon in action in Cindy Lawson’s video The Devil’s in the Details.
- Hymie’s was next stop and I got there just in time to check out The Mod Garage. Super score! I love their old school psychedelic sound and look. I miss the days when Hymie’s would have a mini block party for RSD but they still have an awesome collection of music. It’s always cheerfully crowded and you’ll always find a record (or record cover) that will make you laugh.
- Heading back to St Paul, I checked out Barely Brothers. They had a nice lineup of performers for the day. I happened to catch The Adam Linz Quartet Minus One Linz, Murray and Hey. Barely Broers hosted shows on a regular basis. Turns out, they usually happen during the middle of the Mostly MN radio show, but I’ve always enjoyed the ones I could attend. They build a nice community. I tried to check out Agharta Records, which is near but had limited parking today.
- I got back on the highway to check out a new-to-me shop, Homestead Picking Parlor. I found a number of Irish and/or Irish-Minnesotan works, such as The Ice Palace, which included a number of Irish musicians in MN from back in the day.
- Know Name Records had a great lineup of performers. I caught the tail end of Chad Erickson & The Untimely. I had not seen them before. They have a great sound. The Venus de Mars and All The Pretty Horses took the floor. Nothing beat’s Venus’ voice in a small space. You can feel it in your toes. There were two young customers dressed in black with multicolor hair. They hadn’t seen ATPH before and we were all excited for them.
- I hopped into Roadrunner Records for a quick purchase. I should pretend it was a Minnesota artist, but really it was a Dead Kennedy’s CD I didn’t have yet. Saw a number of serious shoppers at Roadrunner.
- One of my favorite memories from my day was checking out The Record Spot. It’s all records or at least very much mostly records. The owner(?) was so welcoming. And I heard a great conversation between him and a couple of purchasers who were easily half his age. Lots of sharing of musical knowledge. Way to pass onto the next generation!
- I gave a quick nod to the Treehouse Records of happy memory because rumor has it that Michele Swanson has purchased it and plans to reopen. Michele is one of the kindest people I know at concerts, and she is always posting on Facebook about interesting albums and her experience enjoying them. I wish her the best of luck!
I saw a few new places (well new to me) this year, including Wizard Wax. It’s on the St Paul end of Lake Street near Merlin’s Rest. Everyone was so welcoming and then I recognized the voice and realized why – Annie Mack is always friendly and a great musician. Actually, it was fun to see how many local musicians were out and about either shopping or working on RSD.- Last stop, Cheapo Discs/Records – tried and true stop for buying used music. This is a place where I have been shipping since high school. It moved across the street at some point but I can remember buying albums there long before you could download anything or when you’d have the Internet to check out music from all over the world. Music taste was built of good luck and good recommendations from record store staff! In my travels I saw that the knowledge and excitement for music is still there connecting the buyers and the sellers and turning them into a thick community!
Mostly Minnesota 