My name is Shawn Addison and I've been DJing (vinyl, mind you) for about 13 years now.
My credits include having co-hosted house parties out at U of M as well as a few local events. I also run Silent Films Booking, an independent booking agency that has been doing shows in and around Metro-Detroit for 12 years now.
Before I go any
further, if it weren't for the guidance of dear friend Jason Lockwood(RIP)...
I
would have never taken interest in DJing in the first place.
Editor note - there is a non-official birthday show dedicated to Jason Lockwood tomorrow night Saturday at the Northern Lights Lounge
For this reason,
record store day means quite a bit to me as it does to the other fans of true
vinyl; a smell, the touch, and the sound will never be replaced.
Record Store Day 2013 was my first and,
like a dummy, I waited to go.
There were lines at some stores that started hours before the businesses opened, which at first seemed crazy to me. Once I drove around to a few stores and talked with a few people who "celebrate the holiday", it became apparent that a lot of people have the same sentimental value over vinyl. Not everyone has some "way back in the day story" and, frankly, it's not necessary.
In fact, it was exciting to come across the random fellow vinyl fan who "just started collecting for fun", as most of us know...that's how it starts.
As for what everyone was buying, it seemed picture disk and rare or out of print records were the big ticket items. In my opinion, the crowd was split in two: people wanted new and old vinyl. The classics as well as some "newer" releases.
There were lines at some stores that started hours before the businesses opened, which at first seemed crazy to me. Once I drove around to a few stores and talked with a few people who "celebrate the holiday", it became apparent that a lot of people have the same sentimental value over vinyl. Not everyone has some "way back in the day story" and, frankly, it's not necessary.
In fact, it was exciting to come across the random fellow vinyl fan who "just started collecting for fun", as most of us know...that's how it starts.
As for what everyone was buying, it seemed picture disk and rare or out of print records were the big ticket items. In my opinion, the crowd was split in two: people wanted new and old vinyl. The classics as well as some "newer" releases.
After seeing a few stores that were picked over,
I went to my beloved People's Records (located next to The Majestic Complex) to
see what kind of digging I could do in the hundreds if not thousands of crates
of vinyl.
I was able to pick up a no-name rocksteady 7", a Beres Hammond 7", and two Fabulous Counts 7"s.
At Street Corner, my father surprised me with a 7" by one of my favorite black poets, Gil Scot-Heron. After sitting down with this serious haul, I made the decision to seriously invest in just 7" records for the time being.
I was able to pick up a no-name rocksteady 7", a Beres Hammond 7", and two Fabulous Counts 7"s.
At Street Corner, my father surprised me with a 7" by one of my favorite black poets, Gil Scot-Heron. After sitting down with this serious haul, I made the decision to seriously invest in just 7" records for the time being.
To the readers: continue to support your local
record stores. There may not be many but they still exist. People's Records
sells reasonably priced turntables.
Cheers!
Shawn Addison