Houston, TX | Talking Menudo and Selena with a longstanding East End record shop owner: “We are the last of the Mohicans,” said Guillermo Memo Villarreal Jr., son of the legendary record store owner known to everyone as “Memo.” Guillermo was describing his family’s longstanding shop in Magnolia Park, a place I’ve known since childhood. Decades ago, my mother would take us kids to Memo’s Record Shop on the weekends to browse as she picked up albums from Celia Cruz and Willie Colon. Since my mother passed away I’ve guarded a box full of those albums, a collection of childhood memories from a special place and time. A record shop dedicated exclusively to Latin artists, Memo’s has stood the test of time since opening in 1968 along 75th street in the East End. “Many people who visit my store today came when they were younger and share their memories of how I would give them candy at each visit,” Memo Villarreal told Chron. “Today, they bring back their spouses and kids to enjoy the record shop.”
Charlotte, NC | Even Record Store Day looks a little different during the era of COVID-19: Timeless notes from Don Cherry’s trumpet reverberated inside Lunchbox Records as customers entered five at a time in an attempt to get their hands on limited edition vinyls this past Saturday. While Lunchbox normally stocks some limited edition releases, this was a particularly special day for vinyl lovers, as it was Record Store Day — a national day that celebrates local record stores across the country by releasing records that can’t be bought online or at stores like Urban Outfitters. While Record Store Day is no new concept for Lunchbox, which has been participating in the nationwide event for 12 years, doing so with COVID-19 still looming in Charlotte was a whole other story. In previous years, some eager customers would secure a spot in line hours before the sun would rise over the turquoise building on Central Avenue. While there was still a sizable line by the time owner Scott Wishart arrived — around 50 socially-distanced-customers — the lack of lawn chairs from customers camping out the night prior was noticeable.
St. Louis, MO | Dead Wax Records Owners Opening New Record Store in Princeton Heights: Yesterday when we saw that this beautiful (and gigantic) property on Cherokee Street was for sale, our first thought was to wonder what was going to happen to Dead Wax Records, which currently inhabits a storefront on the ground floor. No need to worry, said owner Jeremy Miller when we spoke to him last night. Dead Wax is not only not planning on closing — the owners are expanding their music retail business into a second storefront. Miller and Jake Kamp will soon be opening a brand-new record store in Princeton Heights, pending their approval for a business license after they have a virtual hearing. They expect to open the new spot in just a couple of weeks at 6015 Gravois Avenue near Christy Boulevard. Instead of just focusing on LPs (the specialty at Dead Wax Records), this new as-yet-unnamed record store will also sell cassettes, CDs and 45s. The pandemic has put a huge dent in their business this year, and Miller said they’ve been “trying to not go totally online” to make up for lost sales because they believe in the importance of community fostered by public spaces like record stores.
McKinney, TX | Red Zeppelin, the Only Female-Owned Record Store in Collin County, Offers Time Travel with Good Tunes: Katie Scott was 8 years old when she first started rocking out to albums by hair metal bands in the ’80s. As a child, Scott took piano lessons, but was more attracted to the heavier music that her parents listened to. When she was a teenager, her parents passed along their record collection, which sparked her love of vinyl. Some of her favorite albums include Hunky Dory by David Bowie and Speaking in Tongues by Talking Heads. After Loco Cowpoke, a family-owned salsa shop, closed in downtown McKinney, Scott saw the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream and open a record store. Two weeks after the salsa shop closed, Scott signed the paperwork to lease out the space and became the first female record store owner in Collin County. In July, Red Zeppelin opened its doors. “Who would have thought it would have happened during the pandemic?” Scott says. Scott, who is a former Allen ISD teacher, designed the record store to take music lovers back to the past when they walk through the doors.