Langley, BC | ‘Krazy’ amount of records auctioned off from iconic Langley store: Record collectors came to Langley for a chance to buy some of the approximately 300,000 records from the closed Krazy Bob’s Emporium record store. Bob consigned the stock from his Langley City store for sale with Able Auctions which held an auction at its Murrayville location on Tuesday, Jan. 13. “We had people that spent all day in here looking at all the records, because there were so many,” said Able manager Sam Garandza. The auction wasn’t for the sale of individual records, although people there for the viewing commented on the hidden gems in the many boxes. “We sold in group lots,” he explained. There were so many records that Able Auctions had to divide the stock for two auctions, but the date of the next one has not been finalized yet.
Nashville, TN | Ernest Tubb Record Shop Closes AGAIN Amid Management Change: The ongoing saga of the historic Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Lower Broadway in Nashville just hit another devastating snag. On Thursday afternoon (1-15), the musicians scheduled to perform on the Record Shop’s multiple stages in the coming days and weeks all received a text message. “Hi, this is the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. ETRS is undergoing a switch in management groups, and during this transition we will be closed effective today. We are sorry for the last minute notice. At this time [we] don’t have any further information. We appreciate your contributions to Tubb’s very much.” …Though there is no confirmation of what might be in store for the property next, or who the new management might be, the situation does not seem promising for keeping the original Ernest Tubb Record Shop concept going.
Alexandria, VA | Community Fundraises to Help Alexandria Record Shop Impacted by Flooding: Del Ray’s Crooked Beat Records has received nearly $18,000 in donations to help with recovery costs. usic lovers are coming together to support one of Northern Virginia’s vinyl shops. On Sunday, January 11, Del Ray’s Crooked Beat Records experienced significant flooding, which caused extensive damage to its storefront and inventory. Crooked Beat was forced to close through at least the end of January. But customers and vinyl lovers have banded together to help support the shop during its time of need. Shortly after the flood waters hit, the store opened a GoFundMe campaign and limited-time T-shirt fundraiser to help with costs. Since Tuesday, the vinyl store has received over $17,000 of its $20,000 donation goal on GoFundMe in addition to over $700 through the t-shirt sale. The money raised will help the store with operating expenses, wages, and immediate remediation and cleanup costs while the store is closed.
Asbury Park, NJ | Brookdale Alum’s creative path leads to boardwalk community hub: …“I was walking down the Asbury Park boardwalk last spring when I noticed a 700-square-foot shop for rent and immediately saw my future,” he said. “I’d always wanted to open a record and comic bookstore and had a huge collection of both things, but I never thought I could,” said Hochman, whose parents helped provide the encouragement he needed to make it happen. “My own collection of records and comics ended up filling the store and my goal was to sell my stuff and make enough money to buy it all back.” “I named the shop ‘Unwind Records and Comics’ to evoke a quiet and calm space where people can relax, unwind and talk to us about whatever they’re into; we’re a place of warmth and community,” Hochman said.
Toronto, CA | Trendy record store and venue to launch cafe in downtown Toronto: A celebrated record store and venue is launching an official cafe space, and is inviting the city to celebrate. For those unfamiliar, Rhythm is a spacious and welcoming loft in the heart of downtown that, during its daylight hours, serves as a great spot to browse records and spend an afternoon. It also wears several other hats as a recording studio and creative hub for both seminars and classes. As for when the sun goes down, the space is famous for its rotating roster of DJ sets and other live shows. To accommodate its high-octane daytime hours and revolving door of creativity, Rhythm will be launching its official in-house cafe this week.
Turners Falls, MA | Greenfield residents aim to offer sober space for music lovers with Turners Falls record store, cafe: Greenfield residents Mark Schwaber and Ada Langford are spinning something new on Avenue A—a record store and cafe with a focus on community building around physical media in a sober and inclusive setting. Schwaber, 53, and Langford, 45, are planning to open Two Ghosts Vinyl Cafe at 104 Avenue A, the former home of Textür Beauty Bar, within the first couple weeks of January. The store is expected to be open from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Schwaber has worked as a record store co-owner and touring musician in the past, co-owning the former Night Owl Records in Easthampton from 2003 to 2008 and working for 10 years at Platterpus Records while it was in Westfield.
Denver, CO | Man allegedly starts fire at Wax Trax Records in Capitol Hill: Video footage captured by security cameras shows a man allegedly starting a fire at Wax Trax Records on 13th Avenue in Capitol Hill on Saturday, according to a social media post from the record shop. The footage shows the man standing next to the dumpster outside the shop, with the inside of the dumpster on fire sometime around 2 a.m. on Saturday. Wax Trax Records said that the fire damaged the power supply to the building, and the outage will impact the store’s ability to sell and process records, as well as light and heat the shop, among other things. The record store had to close early, and said it would be open on Sunday while operating on generators. The power cannot be fixed until Tuesday, according to the post. …One of the owners of the record store said this is not the first instance where a fire was started and damaged their business and operations. He stated that this is at least the fifth time this has happened to the store.
Beijing, CN | Vinyl exhibition puts fresh spin on China’s musical past: The warmth of a crackling record, its familiar hum reverberating through time, is the essence of Looking Back, a centennial exhibition that brings the past to life in vibrant detail. Curated by renowned jazz pianist and collector Luo Ning, the exhibition, which opened on Dec 31 and will run through Jan 31 at Beijing’s The Box Young Power Center, offers visitors a deeply immersive exploration of China’s musical history, through a meticulously selected collection of over 160 vinyl and shellac records. Spanning nearly a century, from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to the 1980s, the exhibition sheds light on a time when music was both an art form and a cultural artifact. “It’s like opening these sleeping time capsules,” said Luo, adding that the exhibition is an invitation for people, especially the younger generations, to rediscover the sounds and stories that shaped a century of music.
Reykjavík, IS | What To Do This Week: Music Documentary, Lecture on Vinyl, and Other Events. Wednesday, 21 January: The Resurgence of Vinyl, a lecture at Reykjavík Public Library, 17.00. A record factory will soon rise in Iceland, the first one since the mid-1980s, by the name of Thermal Beets Records. What makes them unique is that the records will not be made from vinyl plastic, but actual sugar beets. During his lecture at the Reykjavík Public Library, Larry Jaffee, co-founder of Thermal Beets and Making Vinyl, will talk about the resurrection of the vinyl record and his new innovative project.
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