Austin, TX | Get Drinks, California Burritos, and Records at Austin Newcomer Troublemaker: The new bar and store is taking over the old Hightower space. The team behind East Austin restaurant now-closed The Hightower revealed what they’re turning the 1209 East Seventh Street space into: a bar and record store called Troublemaker. The name is from Willie Nelson album, which was released in 1976 and features popular songs like “Uncloudy Day.” It’s aiming to open sometime in late October or early November. Hightower/Troublemaker co-owners chef Chad Dolezal and general manager Victor Farnsworth are partnering with Austin record shop End of an Ear and co-founders Dan Pluckett and Blake Carlisle. (The record shop, which opened in 2005 on South First, relocated to near Ben White on Clawson Street in 2016). That means actually selling records, as well as letting people play records from the store’s stock and bringing their own. There are also plans to host live music.
Newcastle, UK | Thieves smash their way into popular Newcastle record shop leaving owner furious: The record shop was left covered in rubble after the thief broke in through the basement and knocked through the walls of the store. Thieves have ransacked a West End record shop leaving the owner devastated. Beyond Vinyl, on Westgate Road, was targeted by thieves early on Saturday who made off with £1,000 in cash, as well as an iPad and a small amount of stock, leaving a trail of destruction behind them. David McGovern, who owns the shop, was left stunned after realising the business had been broken into and fears it may cost thousands to rectify the damage. Mr McGovern, said: “When I arrived at the store on Saturday morning, everything seemed normal. “It wasn’t until I went behind the counter and found the till smashed that I realised we had been targeted.” Upon assessing the damage, Mr McGovern says he believes the culprits broke through the wall above the fire exit to gain access.
Saskatchewan, CA | Former army mechanic keeps record players spinning: Dave Lindhorst isn’t sure where the turntable on his kitchen table came from. “It’s definitely a homemade rig,” he said. Lindhorst runs a small record player repair business. The former army mechanic doesn’t advertise but has customers from all over the Saskatoon area. The enterprise is a labour of love for Lindhorst. He owns almost 20 turntables — including one he built himself — and has several hundred albums. He fixes turntables on the kitchen counter because there isn’t space left in the spare bedroom. His passion began when he was posted in Germany several decades ago. “I had a really nice, high-end turntable that’s highly sought after. And I thought if something happened to me somebody would get it for pennies on the dollar so I decided to sell it,” he said. “Immediately after selling it I got seller’s remorse.”
Lincoln, NE | Motorcycle crashes spur Lincoln man to open record store: Two motorcycle accidents in the span of a few months changed the course of Rich Tuttle’s life. He had spent the past 12 years working at a pizza restaurant, but he had to have shoulder surgery after the second accident, and he no longer felt like he could do the work required. As he was considering what kind of a job he could or would want to do, he thought to himself, “I’ve got all these records around, let’s open a record store.” Tuttle, who’s lived in Lincoln his whole life, said he’s been collecting records, cassette tapes and CDs for several years. Much of it has just been one at a time, but he said he’s also bought collections from others, including more than 3,000 records from a collector in Missouri that he found on Craigslist. Tuttle said he worked on the idea of a record store on and off for about a year and a half but got serious about it after visiting a cousin in Augusta, Georgia, who owns one. “I said, yeah, I need to do this,” he said.
Kalamazoo, MI | Music lovers in West Michigan continue to buy vinyl records despite digital age: Nowadays you can find just about any song on your smartphone. But that didn’t stop people from trying to find some good vinyl records in Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo County Expo Center hosted a vinyl record and CD show, hosted by rerun records. The event gave people a chance to find new music to explore. In a digital age, music lovers say vinyl gives a unique experience. “It’s the experience, really. You got the massive artwork in front of you, it’s kind of a bigger, tangible than a CD or obviously like a digital medium and just the whole you’re forced to really sit and listen as the whole thing unwinds,” said Jacob Simons. In 2018, U.S. vinyl sales reached its highest point since 1988, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
Southgate, MI | Henry Ford College’s student-run radio station hosts 12th annual Record Show Oct. 19: WHFR-FM (89.3), the student-run radio station at Henry Ford College, will host its 12th annual WHFR Record Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Student and Culinary Arts Center (Building M on the main campus). WHFR General Manager Susan McGraw is proud to announce the first WHFR Rock & Roll Craft Bazaar. Although the bazaar takes place alongside the record show, it is its own event, running from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The WHFR Record Show has become one of the premier shows of its kind in the Midwest, attracting vendors from the tri-state area and Canada. This show will feature thousands of rare and mainstream records, CDs, DVDs, videos, and other forms of music and movie memorabilia for sale by independent, local, and out-of-state vendors. There will be door prizes, giveaways, and much more. “We have more vendors this year – the largest number ever – with many of our regulars returning and new ones joining us,” said McGraw.
Straws Made Into Limited-Edition Vinyl Records: Bacardi rum, in partnership with Lonely Whale, has launched a new Straw Vinyl program, through which they will collect single-use plastic straws from 55 bars across the country to upcycle them into limited-edition vinyl records, with an aim to transform “something that sucks into something that slaps.” As part of the iconic rum brand’s ongoing commitment to rid the world of one billion single-use plastic straws by 2020, Bacardi has partnered with Major Lazer and Anitta to use their music for the greater good – all the upcycled vinyl records will be pressed with the global music titans’ summer anthem, “Make It Hot,” which was released this past June in partnership with Bacardi. Music fans got a first look at a sample upcycled straw vinyl – and were encouraged to take the pledge to join the cause – during the annual Life Is Beautiful music festival in Las Vegas from September 20-22.
