Where were you when you bought the new album from Arcade Fire, REM, Feist or whoever it is you listen to? Were you standing in an actual, physical store? Were you in an elevator browsing iTunes on your cell phone? Or were you in your kitchen? Possibly while making dinner, watching a Tivoed episode of 30 Rock and IMing your Mom?
Most of us Rapid Growth readers – however locally minded we are – probably spend quite a bit of money and time online buying books, shoes, guitars, light bulbs, basically anything that can be boxed and shipped. More than likely most of us download at least some of our music. I sure do. By now, who doesn't? And who doesn’t own an iPod? So in our world of Amazon.com and instant digital downloads, where do local record shops fit in? Luckily for us convenience has yet to trump community and instantaneity can't beat the joy of discovering new sounds.
With so many changes in the way we relate to music, one thing could not be truer today: Vinyl LPs with their 12"x12" sleeves are the ultimate music objects. There is nothing like flipping through actual discs hunting for that one elusive album. Sometimes in the middle of the hunt, your next favorite album just finds you.
Downloading an album while updating your Flickr and watching a DVD in your pajamas? It's just not the same.
A vibrant, liveable city, then, must have good record shops. And Grand Rapids is lucky to have some great ones. We have lost a handful in the past decade. But the variety that still exists is impressive for a mid-sized city. Really, it's a testament to the kids, the rockers, the DJs, the old-timers, the collectors and the people crazy enough to own independent record stores in a buy-from-anywhere Digital Age.
The Sounds of the City
I’m a rabid record collector. But record shops to me are more than places to snag weird old vinyl. They are slices of the city. They reflect the tastes, trends and styles of the community and can be a kind of visitors bureau for independent minded folks. When I visit a new city, for example, I hit up local record stores to get a sense of the scene, pick up recommendations for things to do, and ultimately find some of that weird old vinyl.
If I was visiting Grand Rapids for the first time, Vertigo Records would be my first stop. Herm Baker staked his landmark shop downtown on South Division – well before it was the Avenue for the Arts – and helped make the blighted and ignored Avenue the hotspot it is today. Thousands of CDs and records of Indie Rock to Punk, Hip Hop to Black Metal and everything in-between keep local music lovers never too far from Vertigo's bins. As with most great record shops, the influx of used stock keeps people like me interested, but Vertigo continually brings in new vinyl and CDs as well. A first rate record shop for a city twice the size of GR, Vertigo has earned its place of prominence in the metro area.
Anyone who truly loves vinyl in West Michigan knows that Corner Records is the place to find that elusive 45 or perfect copy of a long out of print album. Business has been so brisk for Corner that owner Steve recently expanded (again), opening an entire room for 45s- the little 7" gems loved by serious collectors. Known for selling high quality and rare product for altogether reasonable prices, this is the place to take that vinyl-loving friend who seems to know everything about music. For those stuck in the present, they have new vinyl, CDs and DVDs as well. It is also one of the few places in town that buys and sells and services old amps, turntables, tape decks and other vintage equipment.
Hit the Stacks
For the digger – the collector who loves to sort through heaps of dusty and forgotten vinyl – Dodd's Records in the Heartside District is a musty mine of lost sounds. Gerry Dodd has sold records near the corner of Fulton and Division for more than 50 years. And although he sells used tapes and CDs, his primary trade is keeping records in the hands of collectors of all ages.
Dodd's is not a place to pop in for a second. Smart shoppers pace themselves, pack a lunch and take breaks. The relatively small shop is a cross between your grandpa's basement and a moderately organized garage sale. It is filled with stacks and bins and shelves packed so tight its like surgery getting them out.
Don't give up if you don't get through the whole place on your first trip. And don't overlook the stacks on the floor – there can be some real gems in the 50 cent pile.
(Just a heads up: many collectors note that Dodd's reseals used records. Knowing this will save you the disappointment of opening that "mint" record only to find it in "excellent" condition.)
Head to the Beat Goes on in the Fulton Heights neighborhood to complete the circuit of solid local music shops. The store focuses primarily on CD’s and DVD’s, with a good selection of used stock.
Grand Rapids has a lot to offer the music lover. Just ask the collectors from Japan, the UK and New York I've met while browsing my favorite local spots. I see them at the bi-monthly Sunday record and CD expos. But the tuned-in ones hit the local shops.
I drew a map for a New York collector one Sunday last summer. Turns out he bought a couple of hundred dollars in R&B LP’s from Corner Records. Chances are Rapid Growth readers live much closer than that guy. Maybe it's time to take a break from the techno gadgets, go offline, and check out Vertigo, Corner, Dodd's, or The Beat Goes On. Who knows, you just may stumble on the record you never knew you were always looking for.
Matt Poole is a freelance writer who lives in Midtown. He also works in the deli at Marie Catrib's under his alter-ego Local DJ Matt P.
Photos:
Herm Baker of Vertigo RecordsClassic Eagles and Bob Dylan available in vinyl at Dodd's RecordsExterior of Dodd's Records; a downtown business for 50+ yearsGerry DoddPhotographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
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