Grand Rapids music mavens and record buffs came out in droves Saturday, snapping up vinyl and embracing live local music at Vertigo Music, Dodds Record Shop and Corner Record Shop. Local Spins columnist Brian J. Bowe provides his take on the phenomenon.
EDITOR’S NOTE: There’s nothing quite like Record Store Day, a day to celebrate the beauty of independently owned record shops, of vinyl, of special band releases, of the smell of record bins, and yes, of local music: A host of regional bands played Vertigo Music, Dodds Record Shop and Corner Record Shop in the Grand Rapids area on a gorgeous Saturday, paying tribute to the retailers who do the best job of marketing their art. Local Spins writer Brian J. Bowe had these reflections on what’s become a treasured annual tradition, with photographers Anna Sink, Tori Thomas and Anthony Norkus capturing it in images.
The first people began lining up outside Vertigo Music in Grand Rapids at 6:30 a.m. Saturday to take part in this year’s Record Store Day. By 9:50, the line stretched down South Division Avenue all the way to Oakes Street, filled with people hoping to pick up some of the deluxe reissues and fancy packaging that have become RSD hallmarks.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
The annual event, which began as a way to draw traffic to the independent record stores that have been hit hard by the digital music revolution, has turned into the high holy day for music nerds worldwide.
At the front of the line outside Vertigo were 17-year-old Grandville resident Gavin Healey and his father, Shawn Healey.
While most of the younger Healey’s friends listen to music digitally, he prefers the aural qualities of a quality slab of wax. “It sounds much better on vinyl,” Gavin said.
The Healeys were not the only father-and-son team in line. Roger Scholz and his 14-year-old son, Logan, also arrived early to wait in line — but they didn’t mind.
“It’s not raining. It’s gorgeous out. I’m fine with it,” Roger said.
The pair said they were tag-teaming to find a few particular gems: Metallica’s “No Life Til Leather” cassette, the David Bowie “Changes” picture disc, the Rocky Horror Picture Show 7-inch and the new single by The Prodigy.
For Logan, the attraction to vinyl is partially habit. “It’s always been in the house. It’s always been there,” he said.
But there’s also a tactile richness to the vinyl experience that Logan said he appreciates. “It’s just got a different feel to it. It feels more real. There are some things that you can only hear on vinyl. Even if the element is there and present on a CD or digital, it just doesn’t come through as well. It’s not as impactful.”
Grandville’s Corner Record Shop was also a beehive of activity. While Vertigo mixed the special releases in with the regular stock, the Corner Record Shop kept them in a series of crates. RSD veteran Mitch Porter came in from Muskegon to look for box sets by Phish and the Grateful Dead — both of which he managed to score.
“I’ve been doing it for years, and I always come here,” Porter said. “They do it really well.”
Me? I was pretty pleased with my haul. I never did see a copy of the incredible looking “Party After Hours” reissue, and I just missed out on picking up the J. Dilla “F**k the Police” picture disc I covet. I seemed to gravitate toward international exotica with some psychedelic Indian music (and cheesy Indian-inspired music from Lord Sitar), as well as the trance-inducing Master Musicians of Joujouka. The Happy Monday’s Madchester classic “Pills ’n’ Thrills and Bellyaches and reissues from Elvis and Frank Sinatra rounded out my collection.
There’s lots of grousing about RSD among the music crit scolding classes, but I’ve always found the energy exciting. Of course, the best part of the event is getting home and listening.
RECORD STORE DAY: PHOTOS BY ANNA SINK, ANTHONY NORKUS AND TORI THOMAS
VIDEO: RECORD STORE DAY 2015, GRAND RAPIDS
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC