Liverpool, UK | Iconic Liverpool shop unearths new Beatles history: New information came to light thanks to a biography written by the man often referred to as the ‘secret Beatle.’ A family-run record shop that has been in business for almost 80 years has uncovered a new piece of Beatles history. The Musical Box on West Derby Road in Tuebrook, is believed to be the oldest independent record shop in England. Staff said they recently discovered evidence that The Beatles manager Brian Epstein used to visit the shop to buy records during the early 1960s. The revelation came after the family learned that Epstein, alongside friend and former Beatles booking agent Joe Flannery, regularly visited the shop to buy records that were not available at Epstein’s own store, NEMS.
Richmond, VA | Records and Romance: Art imitates life in a Cadence theater production at Plan 9 Music. What better setting for a play about record collectors than an actual record store? And few record stores could be more fitting than Plan 9, the venerable Richmond music hub located in Carytown. It’s where Cadence theater company will stage its production of “Love & Vinyl” Feb. 6-22. Bob Bartlett, a Washington, D.C.-based playwright, is no stranger to real-world productions—he notably set a Frankenstein story at Congressional Cemetery. Cadence, an innovative and community-centric company that typically mounts plays at the Firehouse Theatre or the Dominion Energy Center’s stages, has the unique challenge of fitting three actors and an audience between long rows of record bins.
Tulsa, OK | Starship Records & Tapes is closing; Here’s its impact and history. Learn how this historic Green Country record shop influenced generations of Tulsans, and one particular writer as well. The first thing you notice as you push open the door is the pungent smell of incense. Before your nose can adjust, your ears are hit with the sound of a rock song — playing loudly. At 4:34 p.m. Jan. 29, that one-two punch included David Bowie midway through “Ziggy Stardust,” followed by Jimi Hendrix’s “Highway Chile.” Thousands of customers have walked through Starship Records & Tapes over the last five decades, sharing more or less the same experience even as music—and the ways we listen to it—has transformed. Now, with less than 20 hours of operation remaining, the last generation of Starship loyalists is here to experience the magic.
Hagerstown, MD | Tinsley Ellis celebrates new album with Hub City Vinyl show: Tinsley Ellis will debut his new Alligator Records album Labor Of Love on Jan. 30 and celebrate with a solo acoustic show at Hub City Vinyl in Hagerstown at 8 p.m. Feb. 13, according to a community announcement. The record is Ellis’ second acoustic album and his first built entirely from original songs, following his 2024 Blues Music Award-nominated Naked Truth, the announcement says. Across 13 tracks, Ellis leans into spare, emotionally direct performances that explore floods, fires, voodoo spirits and personal upheaval. The announcement describes the music as finding “good times in the hard times,” keeping the focus on Ellis’ voice and guitar.
Erie, PA | Erie Record Riot unites music lovers for vinyl exploration day: Hundreds of vinyl lovers gathered at the Perry Hi-Way Hose Company today for the Erie Record Riot. The event featured tens of thousands of recordings for local collectors and music enthusiasts. The Record Riot is a traveling music marketplace that originated in Brooklyn in 2008. The event has since expanded to various cities, bringing together dealers and collectors to browse inventories of LPs, CDs and tapes. Music collectors and enthusiasts turned out in force at the firehouse to browse the selection. Dealers offered a variety of physical media, including tens of thousands of LPs, CDs and tapes. Participants searched through the rows of inventory in what was described as a musical treasure hunt.
Athens, GR | Vinyl Market | Athens | February 6-8: The Vinyl Market returns to Technopolis (100 Pireos) in Athens for a three-day celebration of vinyl records, featuring new collections, rare finds and fresh releases across all genres, including rock, soul, funk, jazz, Latin, blues, ethnic and electronica. DJs and music enthusiasts will fill the venue with live beats and engaging performances. The event offers visitors the chance to explore, discover and enjoy a vibrant, vinyl experience in one of the city’s most iconic cultural spaces. Admission is free.
Muskegon, MI | Why this retro video store at a struggling Michigan mall just keeps growing: Static Tape Video, a retro-style video and record store, announced Thursday, Jan. 29, that it is expanding for a third time inside the Lakes Mall at 5600 Harvey St. in Fruitport. The third vacant suite next door will house a micro cinema for events and movie screenings, as well as inventory for a future online store, owner Harrison Lange said. “I’ve had the idea in my head for a while, and when it became available, I quickly jumped on it,” he said. There currently is no timeline for when the cinema and online store will be complete. People can follow Static Tape Video on its website and Facebook page for updates. …The retro-themed video store boasts a collection of thousands of records, DVDs, Blu-rays, VHS tapes, CDs and more. There also vintage memorabilia such as T-shirts and movie posters for sale.
UK | David Bowie, The Snuts, and Nilüfer Yanya among early release announcements for Record Store Day 2026: The 19th annual instalment of Record Store Day UK is on April 18. Releases from David Bowie, The Snuts and Nilüfer Yanya are among new announcements for this year’s Record Store Day. The 19th annual instalment of the event, which celebrates independent record shops and vinyl culture all around the UK, is taking place on Saturday 18 April, with more than 280 shops taking part. Traditionally, artists issue special edition exclusive releases for RSD, and among the one-off releases this time around will be two rare Bowie records. The first is a 12” neon pink EP of the classic ‘90s single ‘Hallo Spaceboy’, featuring remixes from Pet Shop Boys, Dave Ball and Ingo Vauk and a new mix from Tim Simenon, while the other is a half-speed record of excerpts from 1995’s ‘1.OUTSIDE’ LP.
So you got a new turntable, now what? A step-by-step guide on how to get into the groove with your vinyl spinner: Boy you’ve got to to prove, your love for vinyl… yeah! Setting up a new turntable and getting it spinning is one of life’s great pleasures. Maybe you found an old stash of vinyl in the attic over the festive period, which feels roughly 229 days ago. Or maybe you just want to embrace the analog revival after swathes of bands (such as Massive Attack and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard) left Spotify in protest last year—either over continued low streaming rates (even as Spotify hikes its prices), or the prevalence of AI-generated songs vying for recommendations in the space. …I personally think embracing the physical music format in a 2026 digital detox is a great way to enjoy music and support the bands we love. And the good news keeps on coming, because I’m here to tell you that it’s really not as tricky as you might think to set a turntable up.
Follow The Vinyl District on Facebook HERE, Instagram HERE, Threads HERE, Bluesky HERE, and X/Twitter HERE.
